Advice to help landowners deal with fly-grazed animals is endorsed by Defra

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has endorsed new guidance for the Control of Horses Act 2015 which came into force on 26 May this year.

The Act enables local authorities, freeholders and occupiers to better deal with the problem of horses which are unlawfully present on land, whether they have strayed or been placed there deliberately.

It is vital that these new powers are widely used and understood and new guidance, fully endorsed by DEFRA, is now available HERE

Specifically the Act allows horses to be disposed of 96 hours after detention, rather than 14 days as previously had been the case, and permits the horses to be euthanased or disposed of in any other lawful way including private sale, gifting or rehoming. Previously, detained horses had to be sold at a market or an auction, despite many having little or no value.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "The passage of the Control of Horses Act 2015, which began life as a Private Members' Bill, is a wonderful example of what can be achieved by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including World Horse Welfare and the Countryside Alliance, working with the Government and with cross-party parliamentary support. I hope the new guidance will allow the law to be used effectively and help improve the welfare of neglected horses."