Yesterday two Clydesdale horses were seized from Osborne House in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
They were removed by police working with the RSPCA and an independent vet.
Concern
The RSPCA tell OnTheWight this action was taken after they received a phone call from a concerned member of the public, worried about the condition of the animals.
An investigation has now started.
English Heritage have issued the following statement about the situation:
Following welfare concerns from staff at Osborne about the recent practices of the independent operator of horse and carriage rides there, management at the house sought the guidance of the RSPCA, met with the independent operator and terminated the operator’s contract.
Rob Flower, General Manager at Osborne says: “We are deeply saddened by the situation. We were concerned about the treatment of the horses and alerted the RSPCA. Our first priority is the welfare of the horses and we are working closely with the RSPCA.”
Under the contract, the operator offered carriage rides at Osborne in return for the free use of the stables and paddocks there. Osborne received no money from the arrangement.
Image: tipsfortravellers under a CC BY 2.0 license
