Following a series of meetings organised by Horse Care Ireland throughout the country and a cold snap on the horizon, many who contacted The Irish Horse, including MEP Marian Harkin, are calling for Minister Simon Coveney to reassess his position in regard to the ongoing crisis in a part of the horse sector.

Speaking to The Irish Horse, Harkins said: “There is a real crisis in the sector, with no return for most horse breeders and owners, a significant animal welfare crisis and a growing threat, especially in the non-thoroughbred sector. This threat emanates from the fact that abandoned horses and feral stallions carry a real risk of disease. This image of thousands of economically worthless, abandoned horses will give a hugely negative perspective to Ireland’s equine industry and indeed our whole agricultural sector.”

Minister Simon Coveney has previously stated that he was “reluctant to reward people who have in their possession large numbers of unidentified horses which are ineligible for the human food chain”. He also stated that if there is a horse welfare problem, the local authority will provide assistance.

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“Either Minister Coveney is unaware of the extent of this problem or he has decided not to act,” said Harkins. “I can agree with the Minister when he says ‘horse ownership is a privilege but it also carries responsibilities’ [Farmers Journal, 14 December] but the situation has gone well beyond taking this high moral ground stance. The problem has escalated to the point where there must be Government action,” she said.

“Short-term solutions involve finding a way to deal with the many thousands of horses not eligible for the food chain and who have no passports. He could apply to the European Commission for a short-term derogation for Ireland to allow blood testing by vets, and if samples are clear, to allow this horse meat into the food chain. If this proves not to be possible there is still a pressing need to remove thousands of horses and some short-term scheme whereby horses can be disposed of at no cost to the owner must be deployed.

“In the medium term, we need to shape a new industry for non-thoroughbreds and non-elite sport horses. This would involve a sustained campaign to ensure early registration of all horses alongside a new national breeding programme and there may be some options under rural development funding to assist in this process.

“This part of the industry has real potential to contribute significantly to the Irish economy but at the moment we are sleepwalking in the middle of a crisis. The Minister got out of jail because of the mild winter and good growth which ensured extra fodder availability,” Harkins concluded.