14 August 2020

Horses of Paper Mill Lane and West Meadows

On Thursday 13^th August, field officers from Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare visited sites at Paper Mill Lane and West Meadows, near Ipswich, following concerns for a mare.

The mare, kept at the Paper Mill Lane site, was alleged to be in distress having lost her foal, which has previously been reported as stolen.

During the visit, the two field officers assessed the mare who was found to be in a relaxed state and a good bodily condition.

They also took the opportunity to inspect the entirety of the two sites. The equines were deemed to be in a good bodily condition (although some appeared slightly overweight), had access to natural shelter and water via an adjacent river, and forage was available.

Four of the horses were tethered with access to water and forage, although one required a foot trim and advice was provided accordingly.

We will continue to do our upmost to investigate new reports of welfare concerns, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. Please be aware that welfare reports must be first-hand, timely and contain as much information as possible. We would also like to stress the importance of supplying photos, if it is safe to do so and the images are taken legally, which clearly show the horse(s) in question so they can be easily identified.

Finally, reports must be made directly to our welfare team by emailing welfare@redwings.co.uk. However, in the case of an emergency, please always call the RSPCA on their 24-hour helpline, 0300 1234 999.