RSPCA Victoria warns surging animal cruelty against horses cannot be investigated without more funding

The RSPCA has warned it may not be able to investigate animal cruelty complaints against horses unless it receives more funding, as it reports a surge in the number of horses subject to cruelty complaints in the past 12 months. As drought conditions continue in Victoria, RSPCA Victoria said it had received almost 800 animal cruelty reports concerning horses this financial year, a 37% increase on the number of reports received at this point last year. “Horse welfare takes quite a while to improve – it’s often a matter of a couple of weeks or a couple of months,” she said. It’s important that anyone taking on horses understands their animal husbandry requirements, their feed requirements, and what that can cost. Cook was now spending $2,500 a week to feed 40 horses and having to turn away thoroughbreds because the market had slowed.