MAY 1st 2010
AUCTIONEERS - THOMPSON RURAL LTD
EQUINE MARKET WATCH Sanctuaries UK TEAM ATTENDING AND REPORT BY:
SIOBHAN LORD, ELAINE TASKER.
The EMW Team arrived in uniform on the venue site at 7-30am We had heard a lorry come into the car park in the early hours of Saturday morning where we had parked overnight in a camper van and from this had been unloaded at least two horses, if not all 4 that were already in pens. By 8-30am two chestnut Shetlands had arrived and were penned. The Shetlands were not given water or hay; the other 4 were given hay. The larger of the two Shetlands was very agitated, unable to settle and constantly paced the pen. This Shetland also had clear rub marks where a head collar had previously been fastened very tightly and more disturbingly had a big swelling along the top of its muzzle and an open wound that was untreated and dirty. The pony was clearly in some discomfort from the wound.
By 9-00am the market was active with lorries constantly arriving and driving between the auction ring building and the market stall building where members of the public were crossing and where horses to be penned in the auction office end of the venue had to be led through.
Our team were approached by a member of the public who expressed concern for the Shetlands in general and the one with the swollen face in particular.
There was no sign of the vendor or of any Veterinary attendance at that time when horses were unloading from lorries and trailers. There was no isolation pen marked or designated. The member of the public advised our team against wearing uniforms for our own safety as well as allowing us to mingle less conspicuously and see the €˜real€™ side of the market. We made the decision to change to plain clothing and did so immediately leaving the site for approximately 20 minutes.
By 10am the market was busy. We noted litter and rubbish in most pens, a broken metal gate on one of the pens along the wall opposite the auctioneer€™s office, at the road access side of the venue, the whole place is dirty, shabby and very run down.
At the rear side of the sale ring, most of the pens were full and horses and ponies had been tethered to the outside bars of pen railings.
Some of the horses in these pens had been given hay and water but none of the tethered animals had either.
A coloured stallion in the public area between the pens and the café/stalls was being constantly €˜lunged€™ around by a man wielding a stick [In breach of 1990 Stat. Order No. 2627 €“Item9 (2) (
] and this went on pretty much constantly from around 10.00am until we left at approximately 1-30pm. This horse was not seen to have been offered water or hay. Several Lorries, in the parking yard at the back of the venue, had ponies/horses standing on board although most had left ramps down and we saw no welfare issues re: heat or distress in that area.
We had noted two lots of caged puppies on sale and a more being touted in the arms of adults and children around the market. We were told by a small child of approximately 9 years that his puppies were on sale for £60 each. We had seen a sign at the door of the auction office saying trading dogs on the site was illegal and to notify the auction staff. We immediately went in and informed the staff member in the office that puppies were on sale, which it is illegal under the 1951 Pet Animals Act, and something needed to be done. She said that she would get someone to look into it straight away. We then observed the puppies for over an hour but no one came and stopped the selling of them and despite the horse auctioneer himself being in the yard and right in front of the crates of puppies.
We noted again at 11-45am that the two chestnut Shetlands still had no water nor fodder despite there being both offered to horses/ponies in pens along side and across the narrow alleyway but out of reach. The poor Shetlands could only look on.
In the rear pens a grey stallion had been tied then another stallion was brought in, loose, and there was a potential for a serious accident when the two got together, rearing up and trying to fight over the metal pen railings. The grey stallion got his leg caught in the bars but no one bothered to help him, instead a male person took a stick [In breach of 1990 Stat. Order No. 2627 €“Item9 (2)(
] to the other stallion, it was caught and tied by the head opposite the grey.At 12 noon we once again went into the office regarding the puppies still on sale this time there were two auction staff behind the desk. We were told that
QUOTE €œWe tell them (vendors) every month not to sell dogs€ UNQUOTE
The auction staff then said there was nothing they could do!
In the selling ring €“ a rough tin shack type building with a weighbridge type entrance from the rear yard direction €“ some straw had been scattered on the concrete floor. We observed that the ring railings were a possible hazard to any small Shetland ponies that might be loose in the ring as the gap between floor and lower rail was considerable, an escape route for a little pony.
The sale ring is very small for big horses. We observed small children climbing on the railings and onto the rails above the weighbridge in readiness for the auction. The potential for serious injury is far from negligible.
Outside, in the pens at the rear, we observed a dun Shetland colt penned in a tiny triangular area where a wheelie bin and another rubbish container were, as well as some old gates/hurdles and other hazardous objects were stacked and littered the floor. This does not comply with 1990 Stat. Order No. 2627 €“Item15 (a) (ii)
We observed many horses and ponies in emaciated condition.
Using the NEWC body scoring scale we judged several to be of score 1, many with open wounds and many with hooves in poor condition. We noted at least two horses being ridden around the yard barefoot and broken hoofed and some with just one shoe left on but still being ridden in that condition.
The very small spotted young pony with a huge worm burdened belly and in a very poor condition and far from well was tied up in full sunshine from 9am until we left at 1-30pm. It had no water or hay and was weak and dehydrated. The chestnut thoroughbred was very thin (B/S 1) with open wounds, the bay mare was very thin (B/S 1) and unwell and a grey horse was very poor almost a B/S of 0 €“ all were presented for sale this way.
Our major concerns with this auction venue are a massive lack of welfare standard, disregard for the many of the articles within the 1990 Statutory Order No. 2627,
disregard of the 2006 Animal Welfare Act with regard to selling of puppies
Our concerns with many vendors at this auction venue are their disregard of the items within the 2006 Welfare of animals Act including Section 9(2) (e) Section 11 (Transfer of animals by way of sale or prize to persons under 16) and also and also 1951 Pet Animals Act Amendment 2 pets not to be sold in streets etc
There were also Finches on sale in tiny cages.
No RSPCA were present or evident during the time our team arrived until we left the venue at approximately 1-30 pm
This charity has team members attending auctions all over the UK on a weekly/monthly basis. Henley in Arden monthly auction is one of the worse venues with regard to lack of conforming to and blatant disregard of welfare regulation. Copies of this letter will also be sent to all parties with an interest in Animal/Equine Welfare as well as local authorities and other animal/equine welfare organisations.
Photos http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=67652...mp;id=676527595 there are 4 pictures taken at the sale the 3rd one broke my heart when I saw it, a mare with the most lovely face presumably once loved and cared for, - - what on Earth went wrong for he to be at such a place in such dreadful condition ? ,
Please consider making a donation to EMW to help the Team continue to fight to improve conditions for all horses presented for sale at auctions.
http://www.justgiving.com/emw2010appeal
