Signs warn of the end of graze for horses

Hull Council was poised to begin an operation to round up horses, after delaying it for Hull Fair because of fears of potential clashes with travellers.

But it now appears that horses grazing on council-owned land on the Greenway and Queen Elizabeth playing fields and the roundabout near the Asda store on Hessle Road and Sutton Fields, have been removed.

Prices for horses has dropped dramatically in recent years - with some breeds at the lower end of the scale selling for £20 or less.

The British Horse Society believe that there are similar problems in the South East and County Durham – saying there could simply be too many horses.

According to the latest estimate, there are 1.35m horses in the country, which the society says is more than the number of knowledgeable and responsible homes to care for them.

Head of welfare Lee Hackett, said: “Often we are too quick to blame the travelling community for this kind of thing.

“The blame could well be shared out to the wider population who may buy a horse and not realise quite what it entails.”

A spokeswoman for Hull Council said they would continue to monitor the situation: “We are still working with the specialist horse impoundment company, but it appears the horses which were causing the greatest annoyance have been taken away.

“We would like to thank those horse owners for their prompt response in removing animals which were grazing illegally.

“However, we will be monitoring the horse population in the city and we will continue with our impoundment plans as and when required.”

The warning followed complaints of dozens of horses tethered on public land, in gardens, or running loose on playing fields, highways and other amenities.