Rehoming Horses Warning

As you all know, there is a strong push these days to re-home as many retired racehorses as possible. Obviously there are some horses, for one reason or another, that are simply not suitable for this, and while most of the people who perform these tasks do a wonderful job and love their charges, it appears that there may be some who are also unsuitable to be given the responsibility of looking after horses.

The Association has been alerted that one such person, Debbie Barker, who has recently been prosecuted for neglecting horses that were supposedly to be enjoying retirement, in her care, in the Auckland area. We understand that this lady has moved to the Canterbury region and may be setting up a similar ‘rescue shelter’ in that area.

The message therefore, is that if this lady approaches you offering her services, the simple answer should be ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ As she has been slapped with a ban for owning any animal but her pet dog for six years, a call to the SPCA wouldn’t be a bad follow up idea, or contact the undersigned.

Pete Cook