Racehorse owners should have conditions attached to their import licence reminding them they are legally expected to care for the animal beyond its racing days, according to Animal Welfare Commissioner Denis Montebello.
“Anyone who is given a licence to import an animal, including racehorses, should have conditions attached to that licence that will remind him that the law requires him to care for the animal indefinitely.
“Bringing a horse to Malta and then just dumping it, when the use or pleasure is gone, amounts to animal cruelty,” Dr Montebello told Times of Malta.
His comments come in the wake of the problem with unwanted horses highlighted by RMJ’s Horse Rescue president Corinne Farrugia. RMJ, Malta’s only horse rescue NGO, is facing possible eviction from the Salini stables it is renting.
Ms Farrugia has been calling for a long-term solution. She says that the bulk of horses taken in by the NGO are those imported to Malta for racing. Every year, some 200 racehorses are imported.
“Once they are past their racing days, they are unwanted. Something has to be done to safeguard these animals and the racing community needs to take on more responsibility for the horses they bring in once they are no longer needed,” she says.
Once they are past their racing days, they are unwanted. Something has to be done to safeguard these animals
A spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat for Animal Welfare said the law clearly states that no animals can be abandoned and that animals should be cared for and well treated irrespective of the age or condition.
“Hence the obligations are still there in terms of general animal welfare,” the spokesman said.
Malta Racing Club chairman Edwin Borg insists the racing community has the horses’ welfare at heart and do not abandon them.
“Owners of racehorses tend to their animals with the utmost care,” he said.
“These are athletes that have to adhere to strict training and diet regimes to acquire results and this includes safeguarding them from harsh weather conditions both in summer and winter.”
Maltese owners are offering an alternative second chance and most horses find loving homes while still pursuing a racing career
“In Malta the racehorse is usually part of the family, cared for by one and all, and spoken about like a child. As in everything else, there are the exceptions but this should not overshadow the real facts. The percentage of owners who neglect their horses is very small and rare and cannot be drawn out of context,” Mr Borg added.
He added that the club admired the work of Ms Farrugia, who often assists owners find alternate homes for the horses. However, he stressed, owners do not abandon or illtreat horses.
“Before RMJ was established, the majority of ex-racehorses were rehomed by owners themselves, usually starting a new career as riding horses,” he said.
“Others who have the luxury of space keep these racehorses themselves as pets… some of these ex-racehorses are being rehomed overseas with the previous owners bearing the substantial travelling costs.”
Owners only put down horses if seriously injured, Mr Borg said.
“To put a horse down costs money, so it is cheaper to give it away for free and start a second life. The misconception of selling horses for meat is utterly false as, once again, the owner stands to gain next to nothing from this,” he noted.
While it was true that each year about 200 horses were imported, one had to keep in mind that this was normal for “a country where we do not have our own breed and have to rely mainly on horses that are no longer valid as competitive racehorses in their respective countries due to harsh competition.
“For the majority of these imports, the Maltese owners are offering an alternative second chance and most of them find loving homes while still pursuing a racing career,” Mr Borg said.