Horses die after being left on freezing cold Valleys field (From South Wales Argus)

Horses die after being left on freezing cold hills above Crumlin

9:43am Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News

HELPING: Keris Potter, Maria Williams, Denise Selway and Kim Blakemore have been giving food to the horses

IN FREEZING conditions, two horses left in a Valleys field have died, while dozens more are being cared for by kindhearted people after they were thought to be abandoned.

Thirty others, including pregnant mares and foals only four days old, roam acres of open land on the hills above Crumlin in search of food, with natural water supplies frozen over.

The owner has not been found, but animal lovers from Ebbw Vale and even as far away as the Rhondda Valley have travelled to Manmoel Common to feed the horses with hay, cabbages and carrots.

Kathryn Fowler-Jones contacted the Argus to say there have been at least five horse deaths in recent weeks.

“With this recent spate of sub-zero temperatures we fear there will be many more unless something is done to help them,” she said.

Denise Selway, of Vale Cat Rescue, said she has never known times like this for animals in need.

“It’s no good people running up here with pony nuts, these animals need hay and we need shelter for the foals. How many have got to die?”

Three members of the Rhondda Cynon Taf Friends of the Animals group travelled to the common after reading about the horses’ plight on Facebook, with boxes of cabbages and carrots.

Michelle Young, of Blackwood, who stables her own horses at Markham Common livery yard, has fed the animals with bales of hay. She said: “If they survive the winter they will be lucky.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said they are dealing with any reports that come through about the horses and are liaising with the council on how to deal with the problem.

Blaenau Gwent Council officers made a site visit on Monday after they received complaints.

A council spokeswoman said: “The dead animals were scanned and were found not to be microchipped, so at present we are unable to identify the owner of the animals, but we continue to investigate this matter.

In the absence of the identification of the owner of the dead animals we have contacted the land owner where the animals are located, and arrangements are being made for the appropriate disposal of the carcasses as soon as is reasonably practicable.

“We are making an assessment as to the condition of the horses.”

Campaigners are appealing for money to buy hay, carrots and oats to feed the remaining horses.

Call Scooby’s Pet Supplies, of Abertillery, on 01495 215252 to help.