August 10, 2021 4.15 pm This story is over 31 months old

Don’t feed the horses please: Lincoln council plea after tragic death

It can cause significant health problems or even death
Councillor Neil Murray, Chairman of the city council’s Commons Advisory Panel, with two local horse owners. | Photo: Stuart Wilde for CoLC

City of Lincoln Council has warned people not to feed horses on Lincoln’s commons after a local owner’s beloved pet tragically died earlier this month.

A 14-year-old horse called Vera was given cake, bread and carrots on the South Common before vets agreed she wouldn’t make it, so sadly she had to be put to sleep during the evening of August 1.

This prompted another local horse owner, Charlotte Houlden, to vent her frustration about the situation and she told The Lincolnite that the issue had become even worse during the coronavirus lockdown. The problem of horses being fed by the public is also an issue on Lincoln’s West Common.

Councillor Neil Murray, Chairman of the city council’s Common Advisory Panel, said: “We would like to remind both residents and visitors to West Common not to feed the horses on site.

“Although it may seem harmless, your kindness could cause significant health problems, or even death to the animals.

“These horses are not wild, they have owners who regularly check on them and feed them appropriately according to their dietary requirements.”

Do not feed the horses on the West or South Common in Lincoln. | Photo: City of Lincoln Council

Charlotte Houlden has one horse on the South Common, but now keeps most of her equines in a private field and finds the issue of people feeding the horses very frustrating.

She said the problem is a “daily occurrence despite signs and people being asked to stop”.

Vera tragically died and is believed to have been fed cake, bread and carrots, much to the frustration of local horse owners. | Photo: Charlotte Houlden

Another local animal owner told The Lincolnite she has a 30-year-old pony on the common, who has been there most of his life, but she is now considering moving him to avoid him choking or dying due to being fed by the public.

The woman also has a horse which has grazed on the common sine he was 22-months-old, who is now 23-years-old.

She said: “I am sure people don’t feed them to harm them and they probably don’t know the harm it can have.

“I had to stop a man on the common whilst I was feeding my horse in the winter as he had a very large bag of Granny Smith apples, which of course my horse was very interested in and of course consumed a lot of.

“I did approach the man who was entirely blissfuly unaware of what he was doing and I then explained the harm it could have on the horses and he was apologetic.”