The Farmers’ Union of Wales today welcomed the granting of Royal Assent to the Control of Horses (Wales) Act 2014.
The Act will provide consistent legal powers across Wales, giving local authorities the power to seize, impound, return to the owner, sell, re-home or, as a last resort, euthanize horses by humane means when they are on land without lawful consent.
Welcoming the Act, FUW land use and parliamentary committee chairman Gavin Williams said that over recent years the number of fly grazing incidents have increased substantially, particularly in South Wales where large numbers of horses have been dumped on private and public land, resulting in major welfare problems for animals of little value and significant implications for public safety when straying onto public highways on the farming sector as well as the resource implications for local authorities, equine charities and the tax payer.
“Earlier last year the FUW contributed to the Welsh Government consultation which looked at the actions and legislative changes that might be needed to deliver a long term solution to tackle the issue of fly grazing and the abandonment of horses and ponies in Wales and worked with Welsh Government to come up with ideas which have now been incorporated into the new Act,” Mr Williams added.