Wandering horses problem extends to the countryside
Date Published: {J}
By Declan Tierney
A city problem with wandering horses has now turned into a rural scourge with animals being abandoned along country roads for grazing purposes.
There was an incident in North Galway at the weekend when nine horses, believed to have been transported from Galway City, were turned loose along a quiet road leading to a bog.
Local farmers found the animals grazing along the sides of the road, and they also discovered that gates to a number of nearby fields were left open.
The Gardaí were contacted and informed local land owners that this was becoming a major rural problem because of the outcry in Galway City over loose horses, particularly in the Ballybane area.
A Garda spokesman told the Sentinel that it was becoming a regular occurrence for horses to be brought from the city to rural areas, left there for a number of days before being rounded up and moved to another location.
It is understood that the horses were brought to Lemonagh, Lavally, Tuam on Thursday night and were turned loose along a very quiet road where there is just one house and is lightly trafficked.
Local land owners discovered the horses on Friday morning and rounded them up. They were all put into a pen close to where they were found and the Gardaí were contacted.
One farmer said that the horses looked malnourished and were need of feeding. The Community Wardens were alerted as it was expected that Galway County Council would be responsible for disposing of the animals.
It is estimated that it costs around €1,000 per horse for their removal to a pound in Kilkenny as a professional firm has to be engaged for this purpose.
However, the owners of the horses apparently returned on Saturday night and removed all of the animals from the pen.
One local farmer said that there was no trace of the horses on Sunday morning and added that it would have taken two or three large trailers to remove them.
The Garda spokesman said that horses abandoned in such a manner could pose a danger for motorists or pedestrians and urged the public to report similar incidents taking place in rural areas.