Health fear on horses left chained

New concerns have been raised over horses being chained up and left unattended for long periods at a nature reserve in the Black Country.

Fears about the welfare of tethered horses at Buckpool and Fens Pool Nature Reserve date back more than a decade and there are currently at least a dozen tethered up around the park in Pensnett. Dudley Council employs horse bailiffs to control stray and illegally-grazed horses on council-owned land. It also lets out grazing land but at the moment there is a waiting list.

For exercise, the shabby-looking animals, which are restricted by their chains, can walk around only in circles. They have no shelter, and some are unable to reach water to drink.

They vary in condition, with some just looking unkempt while one pony, near Buckpool, has a severely matted coats and flies around its eyes.

But there are signs that they are not abandoned, with some straw scattered about offering an alternative source of food.

Residents living nearby are concerned about the number of horses left on the site, especially as two years ago, a one-year-old pony died in a field by the reserve.

One resident, who takes regular walks through the park, said: "I have cried with frustration at not being able to open the large heavy chain around one horse's neck so he could walk the 20 feet to the water's edge for a drink."

A resident of nearby Tennyson Street said: "I don't know who they belong to. They roam about and they do get out sometimes."

Ward councillor for Brockmoor & Pensnett, Rosemary Tomkinson, said: "A lot of people feel these horses are not being looked after properly. It is very hard to find out who owns them."

A council spokesman said: "Wardens make regular tours around Fens Pool Nature Reserve. We work closely with agencies such as the RSPCA."

The RSPCA says it is monitoring the situation.

It says tethering is not against the law but the organisation is opposed to it.

The RSPCA can be contacted on 0300 1234 999.