Horses starving to death

[pies4ever]

Horses starving to death
Nick Higginbottom
March 31, 2007

MORE than a dozen horses have starved to death, and up to 24 others are malnourished, on a barren Kyneton estate at the centre of an RSPCA investigation.

Drought and financial hardship have contributed to the dire situation at the property northwest of Melbourne, but the RSPCA slammed it as "totally unacceptable".

The female owner lives elsewhere, but has 24 horses remaining on the property that RSPCA inspectors are concerned about.

The horses are in the care of volunteer organisation Project Hope Horse Welfare Victoria.

An anonymous tip alerted Samantha Forrest from PHHWV to the grim discovery on Tuesday night.

Ms Forrest and RSPCA inspectors began a huge recovery effort on Wednesday.

"Death and neglect confronted us initially," Ms Forrest said.

"We walked into the front paddock and found six dead horses, including a foal.

"And then to walk around the yard behind the building to find three stallions locked up in those yards was not good enough.

"It's not fair on the horses and it's not drought that's killing them, it's neglect."

RSPCA senior inspector Lisa Weston said when investigators arrived on Wednesday morning they discovered more dead and emaciated horses.

"They found 10 deceased horses on the property together with about another 30 horses, many of those in poor condition," Ms Weston said.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21477212-2862,00.html