Foal found dead in ‘swamp’
A young foal found dead in a swampy field in Ballytivnan is suspected to have starved to death.
The remains were found in a field behind The Woodlands housing estate, on HSE-owned land.
A Sligo County Council vet examined the foal and said it had not been micro-chipped, as is the law.
No one has claimed ownership of the foal. County Councillor Thomas Healy told The Sligo Champion that he’s asked for a full report from the Council vet on the cause of death, which is suspected to be from starvation.
Cllr Healy estimates the foal was lying dead in the field for at approximately 8 days.
“There’s no grass in that field, it’s full of mud. The mare must be starving too,” he said.
Council workers removed the dead foal from the field last Thursday evening. The foal’s mother is believed to be in the field along with other horses.
Cllr Healy’s now planning to draw up a motion for the County Council in the next few weeks calling for all animals on land rented out by public bodies to be micro-chipped.
“All animals should be micro-chipped to protect the Council, the public and most importantly, the animals themselves,” he said.
The discovery of the dead foal is just the latest in an ongoing horse welfare problem in the North Ward of Sligo town.
Concerned members of the public have contacted this newspaper about the problem.
“Where the dead foal was found there are currently other ponies still in that field which is basically swamp.
“Ponies are being tied up 24/7 in unsuitable unsafe places for them and left without sufficient food, water, shelter etc. Many are not chipped as required by law,” said one source.
Some members of the public have repeatedly contacted the council and horse welfare charities over the past couple of years relating to concerns about specific animals in this area.
There are claims that horses were being tied up at Molloway Place, another one beside Yeats Village and another between the rear of St Columba’s hospital and Fás.
The source also claimed two ponies (not chipped) were seized from Molloway Place last October “where they were penned in with nearly no room to even turn.”
“I called the charity who took the ponies in last October and one of them is still underweight now - that’s how malnourished it was,” said the source.
This newspaper reported as far back as May 2016 that the Council were planning to build free stables and facilities in Sligo and Tubbercurry on HSE land in a bid to reduce the number of stray horses around the county.
Nothing has happened in the almost two years since.
“It’s still in the early stages yet,” said Cllr Healy. “There’s no agreement yet with the HSE over the land,” he added.
In response to a query from The Sligo Champion, a spokesperson for the Council said: “The Council is also working on a long term solution to the issue of horses in the North Ward in conjunction with the Hungry Horse Outside horse charity and the Department of Agriculture.
“This will involve the provision of stabling by Hungry Horse along with educational and other aspects.
“All horses involved will be fully micro-chipped and once established any horses found unattended will be removed once the relevant land owner has given permission,” they said.