The RSPCA are appealing for information after a horse was found dead in a field in Nottinghamshire last weekend.
The bay mare was found by a member of the public in Manor Lane, Shelford, on Sunday last week (26 March). There is no CCTV in the area and no one witnessed the horse being dumped.
RSPCA inspector Kristy Ludlam said: “It would appear that the horse was dragged from a transporter and dumped in the field. At this stage we do not know if she was alive when dumped.
“The horse was clearly in a bad way when she was dumped and she had a deep wound on one of her legs, which was still bleeding when she was found. As she wasn’t microchipped, we don’t know where she came from or who did this to her.
“It’s very upsetting for passers-by and everyone involved when animal bodies are dumped so callously like this as if they were rubbish, but for us what is even more concerning is finding out what caused their deaths.
“Sadly situations such as this one is not uncommon and we see far too many incidents involving dead horses dumped in this way. The RSPCA and other welfare charities deal with ongoing welfare issues involving abandoned and fly grazing horses.”
The RSPCA and other horse charities are facing huge problems with horses being left to fly graze on public and private land across England and Wales, and they are often moved on and off the land, which can make monitoring their ongoing welfare difficult.
The RSPCA has lobbied for new legislation in England to help landowners and local authorities to tackle fly grazing and to enforce identification laws.
This complements the legislation achieved in Wales in 2014. Thankfully, this legislation, the Control of Horses Act, has been in effect since 26 May last year and is already starting to make a big difference in certain parts of the country worst hit by fly grazing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.
