Concerns raised over neglected horse chained by A59

A black and white horse has been spotted on a grass verge in Longsight Road on the A59 for almost three weeks, with no owner in sight.

Worries over the horse’s safety have been raised online as the tethered horse has been withstanding 20-degree heat with no shelter.

The horse is also unable to run or move around, and is at high risk of danger due to the busy roads.

Horse tethered on Longsight Road

Becky, 29, from Chorley drove past the seemingly neglected animal last week.

She told the Lancashire Telegraph: “It’s so sad seeing it there by itself.

"If it was my horse, I would be going out of my mind with worry all the time with it being next to such a busy road.

“Something definitely needs doing about it soon because the poor thing needs a better place to be kept.”

Another photo of the horse chained to fence. Photo: Facebook

Despite concerns for the poor horse’s safety, the British Horse Society states that tethering horses is not illegal, and whoever is responsible for leaving the animal chained up is not committing an offence in itself.

The society explains that tethering can sometimes be an acceptable short-term solution if done in the most welfare-friendly way.

This means the horse should have access to clean, fresh drinking water at all times and tethered horses should be moved regularly to ensure a constant supply of fresh grass.

Additionally, tethered horses can't safely enjoy the natural company and interaction with other horses that they need, especially physical interactions such as mutual grooming.

According to a commenter who passes the horse every day, the animal “does move on a daily basis and the bucket must hold food or water so neglect probably won’t be on the cards.”

Another photo taken of the tethered horse on Longsight Road

The horse which appears to be a Piebald horse, looks well fed so it is assumed that there is an owner who regularly feeds it, however people are still concerned over leaving the horse unattended without any shelter or company.

One person commented on the post: “I drive past this horse every day and it breaks my heart, I stopped the other day to give it carrots, but it looks so distressed.”

A spokesperson for the RSCPA said: 

"We do have serious concerns about tethering horses - it can lead to horses becoming tangled, not having enough grazing or being able to reach water - but it is not illegal to do so provided their needs are being met and so often our hands are tied in situations like this.

"Anyone with any specific concerns about these or any tethered horse should call us on 0300 1234 999 or another equine charity such as World Horse Welfare.”