Horse Protection Society of BC

Documenting a Suspected Horse Neglect

Signs to look for:

• Is the field overgrazed and/or covered with inedible weeds?

• If the horse has companions, do they look thin as well?

• Is the horse new in the area? (It may have been rescued recently).

If one or more horses and the area they are in appear to be in an all around state of neglect then, preferably with another person as witness, do take note and/or pictures of:

• Address of property

• Date and time of day

• Weather conditions and temperature

• Colour and size of horse/pony and visible markings

• Condition of pasture and fences

• Any visible barn or shelter

• Source of water

• Condition of the horse, does it look listless or in pain?

• Horse’s coat: dull, matted and/or unseasonably long

• Horse’s ribs: visible, backbone and hips protruding

• Hooves: long, cracked and/or curled up

The B.C.S.P.C.A. needs as much information as possible to take action and will, as a rule, give a grace period to owners to improve on a complaint.

Unless there is an apparent emergency, it’s a good idea to monitor most situations for a short while to see if things are getting better or worse, or if they remain unchanged. It is always better to work with negligent owners and give them a reasonable time to respond to a complaint. In most cases they have simply not been aware of their horse’s needs, especially when it comes to elderly equines.

The Horse Protection Society of BC is always willing to help owners find information concerning diet and maintenance of horses.