Three captured stray horses in Ooty sent to animal care centre

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Three abandoned race horses were captured in the town and sent to an animal care centre in Masinagudi on Monday. Members of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)-Nilgiris chapter captured the horses.
Horse-riding, one of the favourite activities of tourists, is hit by the pandemic. Most of the race horses are let loose for grazing and they end up on the roads. About 25 stray horses roaming in the hill town are posing a danger to motorists.
Nagina, nodal officer of SPCA-Nilgiris chapter, said stray horses were a growing menace. “Some horses left on the road are wounded. People who claim to be the owners of the horses don’t possess proper records. They also fail to take responsibility for them,” she said.
Rama, joint secretary of SPCA, Nilgiris-chapter, said, “People engaging the horses for joy riding must be made to register with the concerned authorities and their horses should be tagged. Otherwise, stray horses will continue to be a nuisance for the public.”
Two years ago, the Ooty municipality captured 58 abandoned race horses and ponies straying on the road. Subsequently, they were tagged and respective owners were identified and registered.
However, more race horses, which were abandoned, came from Mysore to the hill town in the past two years, said SPCA members.
Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya, who is also the president of SPCA-Nilgiris chapter, told TOI, “A resolution has been passed in the recent meeting of SPCA to stop abandoned race horses from entering the district. Police have been told to stop such horses at the check posts.”
A sum of 2 lakh has been sanctioned to feed the captured stray horses. Besides, a designated path for joy horse-riding will be found in the town for the registered horse owners, she added.