Horse trekked from Shankill to Bray
A HORSE MADE its way from Shankill to Bray at the weekend, only to be taken to the pound after his incredible journey.
The small, male horse was spotted around Shankill on Friday evening and then on the seafront in Bray at around 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Some people tended to him and gave him apples and water while waiting for the authorities to arrive.
Local woman Clare Bonadio, who is a horse trainer, was at the scene after a relative contacted her to ask her to help.
She said that the horse’s weight seemed to be healthy but that he needed treatment for an eye in very poor condition and his feet were also in bad condition.
She said that he was very docile and had no difficulties with people coming close to him. She managed to put a head collar on him and they got him to move away from the stones on the beach and down to a grassy area. ‘I tried to contact a few rescue places, nobody seemed able to collect him,’ said Clare.
A rescue centre eventually came forward but the gardai were involved by now and arranged for him to be taken away. The pound must keep the animal for a number of days to allow the owner the opportunity to come forward. A local woman has come forward saying that she is prepared to take the horse and local businessman Eugene Finnegan said that he will be happy to cover any costs involved in the process, amid fears that the animal could be put to sleep if not claimed.
Mr Finnegan expressed his disgust that the horse could be destroyed, saying that the animal would be ‘executed without trial’.
It emerged last year that 65 horses were impounded by Wicklow County Council in 2016. Of those, two were reclaimed by their owners, eight were re-homed, and 55 were euthanised. The woman volunteering to take him already has some rescue ponies. ‘What’s one more?’ she said.
The lady has been in contact with the relevant authorities and horse rescue bodies and made them aware that she would like to take him. ‘Having a horse is a lot of responsibility and a lot of hard work,’ said the woman. ‘Some people mightn’t know even the simplest things about horse care.’