P-04-629 Review and Enforcement of Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014

Petition wording

The Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014 is proving not fit for purpose and is doing nothing to improve the welfare of equines turned out to graze on common land. There is no satisfactory system of recording or controlling the numbers of horses and ponies left to suffer and die throughout the winter and early spring months, and those that survive are left to breed and compound the problems year on year. We, the undersigned feel that several additional measures need to be put in place:

1) Registration/freeze branding all equines belonging to those commoners with legitimate grazing rights

2) No colts to be grazed on common land if over 6 months old unless they are native and licensed (to preserve the Welsh Mountain Pony)

3) Registered charities to have the right to remove equines on welfare grounds by agreement with the police, and to place the ponies with pre-approved foster homes while owners are being traced. Where possible ponies to be re-homed after a given amount of time.

4) All equines that are "gathered" and found to be illegally grazed, if owners cannot be traced then an attempt should be made to re-home them in the first instance, before any decision to PTS (this is not the current procedure)

5) The entire procedure should be transparent and councils answerable to the public.

Lead petitioner: Lynne Tamblyn

First considered by the Committee:

Number of signatures: 135