- A pony in Kensington was rescued by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA after being found pulling a load three times its body weight.
- The SPCA is calling for stricter enforcement of animal welfare laws to prevent such exploitation, especially among working animals.
- The case has raised concerns about the ongoing mistreatment of horses used for carting in the city.
With World Animal Day commemorated next month, animal cruelty was placed under the spotlight when a pony carrying a load three times its weight was rescued by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA in Kensington recently.
The pony weighing 360 kg pulled a cart loaded with a broken vehicle weighing about 990 kg. Four occupants were also on the cart.
A Cape of Good Hope SPCA inspector was driving along Voortrekker Road when she witnessed the incident and instructed the occupants to pull over.
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Belinda Abraham, communication manager for Cape of Good Hope SPCA, said that once inspected it was found that the animal was in distress and exposed to cruelty.
An equine specialist veterinarian was called to the SPCA to examine the pony, it was confirmed that the pony had been subjected to “extreme cruelty” and was “physically incapable” of pulling such a burden.
The animal has since been placed in the care of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA Horse Care Unit.
In terms of the Animals Protection Act, overloading any animal is a criminal offence.
Anyone found guilty of such cruelty could face fines of up to R40 000 or up to 12 months in prison, along with a criminal record.
Animal cruelty
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has laid charges of animal cruelty against the four occupants of the cart at the Kensington Police Station.
W/O David Stemmit, communications officer at Kensington Police Station, says: “No one was arrested, no one was charged. The SPCA released both suspects. The docket will be sent to the Senior Public Prosecutor for a decision.”
Abraham said:
Abraham said this is the third carthorse confiscated in the last two months due to cruelty. “The SPCA has approached the City of Cape Town urging stricter enforcement of the Animal Keeping By-Law, which governs working animals within the city.
“It is important for people to understand that horses, like any animal, have physical limits when it comes to carrying or pulling loads.” She says this can lead to serious health issues for horses, including injury, exhaustion, and long-term health complications.
“When it comes to pulling loads, factors such as the horse’s breed, size, condition, age, and terrain also play a significant role in determining what is safe. Excessive weight or improper loading can lead to musculoskeletal strain, lameness, and permanent injury. Horses should not pull loads in excess of 15% of their body weight.”
Reporting abuse
Megan White, spokesperson for the Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA), said: “We are extremely grateful that the SPCA was able to end its suffering with that heavy load. Overloading is something we face with the cart horses. It’s not a common occurrence anymore but it does happen.”
She encouraged people to report animal cruelty.
White says there has been an influx of cart horses working without identification boards.
She explains that in September 2010 the first step to regulate the carting industry was established with the introduction of identification plates for the carts. The ID plate is attached to the back of the cart and indicates the horse’s name and CHPA number, which is held on a central database with all the horse and owner’s information.
The ID plate ensures that the cart operators, who contravene the Animal Protection Act or traffic regulations, can be easily identified and traced through CHPA’s Information Management System.
CHPA contributed Chapter 4 – Working Equines to the new City of Cape Town Animal bylaw, which was promulgated in August 2012.
“We don’t register any new horses anymore to keep the numbers down. But that doesn’t seem to deter people from bringing horses in and that is a big problem for us,” says White.
- Report horse cruelty at 082 659 9599.
