Horror death of Kranshoek horse highlights neglect and abuse

NIKKI RIDLEY investigated the dire fate of horses in Kranshoek

THE community of smallholders who own properties on the Airport Road near Kranshoek are up in arms over the apparent neglect and abuse suffered by horses in Kranshoek - an ongoing situation that culminated two weeks ago in the senseless death of a beautiful, well-known and well-loved Anglo-Arab mare named Lady.
Lady was euthanized after being discovered lying on the side of the road by a passer-by.
At the time of the discovery, the teenage boys who had been racing her until she fell were still with her, hitting her with sticks to try to make her get up. They fled on realising that they had been seen, jumping on to other horses and riding away.
The passer-by, herself a horse-owner, called in a vet and the police on seeing that the horse was so badly injured she'd have to be destroyed.
"She had a broken hip - I don't know how - and we also suspect a fractured femur. She was in shock and very badly dehydrated. I called my groom to bring molasses and rehydrate and we held her head up to drink - she drank five litres straight away. She was shaking badly, and then she started to abort her foal. She was in so much pain.
"I found the horse at about 1:30 in the afternoon, but the police only came at 4pm. By the time they arrived, the vet had had to euthanize the horse as she was suffering too much."
She explained that it is standard practice to shoot a horse rather than euthanize. "Vets are trained to do it so that death is instant and humane.
"The carcass is also then fit for consumption by animals (such as wolves at the Wolf Sanctuary, and doesn't end up buried in the dump). However, it is against the law for a vet to destroy an animal with a gun in a public place unless the police are present. She suffered horribly for two hours."
The woman who found Lady wishes to remain anonymous as she says that she is afraid of reprisals from these boys and the threat to her own horses, but she did lay a case with the Kwanokuthula police against both the boys (in general as their identities are not known) and the owner of the horse. She says, however, that the docket has since been "lost".
Like all of the 50-odd horses that roam at will around the area, Lady was owned by a Kranshoek resident who has freely admitted to not fencing his horses in due to a lack of grazing on his property.
Lady's owner, Johan - who also does not wish to be named fully for fear of 'unfair condemnation' - owns another eight horses, but said that he cannot fence them in because he only has four hectares of land, and that consists of dry brown grass because of the drought.
He added that he cannot afford to buy food for the horses. "They have to roam. I know about the kids racing the horses, but it wasn't my horses (until now)," he said. "I am selling my horses now, because I am sick of this k*k. I am sick of these boys who take the horses - other peoples' property - but also of people who are quick to judge: it is not true that the horses don't get medical care.
"The Horse Sickness Society comes to inoculate them all, but I can't call a vet for everything. You know how things are. There is the drought and the financial situation. I originally intended to do trails with the horses, but I am a busy man, and it didn't happen. Another lady was going to do it then, and she took the horses for a while, but nothing happened."
He also said that he has put a reward out in the Kranshoek community for proof of who the culprits are in his horse's death, and that when he does find out he will make a case.
"She was a good horse, with a lovely temperament," he said.
Another local horse-owner said that the horses are living in a constant state of stress because they are fighting to survive. "This area is mostly fynbos. It's not a suitable area for horses to take care of themselves. They need lots of grass. There is no water. They cut themselves on fences, and have injuries from being attacked by dogs.
"Also, when there is fire, horses often burn to death because no-one is taking care of them. Horses panic when faced with fire and can't escape. Many carcasses have been found in the past. People who can't afford horses shouldn't keep them. Horses are not cows. They need to be cared for.
"On top of this, these young guys get hold of the horses and race them for bets, and they don't use proper tack. Often they use pieces of twisted wire as bits and rope that cut into the horses' faces."
Her claims were corroborated by a number of other residents in the area, including Megan McQuillan who added that they have recently had nine of these horses roam onto their property, including an Arab stallion that once stood at Roodefontein - and who is now missing an eye "probably from a fight with another stallion.
"The horses don't get gelded. They then also breed and the mares are constantly pregnant, and they get raced by kids like that. They are also a potential road hazard," she said.
One witness described seeing the horses rummaging through dustbins "like dogs" to find food. Another who did not wish to be named but who knew Lady well, said that the horses are galloped to the point of collapse along the stony road, and that many of the mares abort their foals as a result.
"It's a wonder their legs don't break. I hope that Lady's death will not be in vain. I cried for two days when I heard what happened. She was a beautiful, gentle horse."
Jenny Pope of the Bitou Horse Welfare (Horse Rescue) declined to speak to CXPRESS about the incident, saying that they are involved in a related active criminal case. Community members are advised to contact Bitou Horse Welfare to report neglect and abuse, even while it is known (via statements open to public perusal) that the organisation is hobbled in their efforts by lack of funds and support.
According to the complainants against the Kranshoek horse-owners for neglect, and the children who steal and race the horses for abuse, this is not the first time such a thing has happened, but they hope that with increased public awareness it might be the last.
RIP, Lady.