BREEDERS SAVE CASH ..BY KILLING HORSES; 18 foals are put down after auction.

Byline: BY CLAIRE BRENNAN

HARD-UP horse breeders are slaughtering healthy animals because they are too expensive to look after, it has emerged.

An animal welfare charity has claimed at least 18 thoroughbred horses were recently destroyed because they failed to sell at auction.

Animal Aid said the tip-off came from a well known National Hunt jockey who also warned the sick practice is becoming more popular because of the credit crunch.

Pure-bred horses cost between EUR3,500 and EUR7,000 to look after every year. At last November's Foal Sales auction few were prepared to shell out for the animals.

Just over half of the 1,008 horses at the show attracted buyers and according to Animal Aid at least 18 owners decided to put the unwanted foals down.

A charity spokesman said the animals are the victims of breeders who need to realise there are just too many horses.

Dean Stansall added: "We have been trying to highlight the issue of over breeding for years.

"The market is collapsing and people are realising their animals are not worth what they thought they would be. The quickest way to deal with the problem is to have them killed. We are going to formally request an investigation."

Goffs' bloodstock dealers who hosted the auction have blasted the claims adding that all animals die eventually.

B oss Nick Nuggent said: "I have not heard anything about this and would happily help with any investigation. The death of horses is an emotive issue but all lives come to an end and ultimately, there comes a time when some horses can't be cared for any more.

"Every year a certain number of horses are put down, as are cats, and dogs.

"That said once our sales are over Goffs' is totally out of the loop when it comes to what happens to the animals."

Horse specialist Des Leadon told how he would rather see the horses killed than let their owners neglect them because they cannot meet huge food and vet costs.

He said: "There is an unpalatable truth to be acknowledged here and everybody needs to face up to it."

Pure-bred sales have plummeted since a high in 2007 when cash-rich developers splashed out on impressive pets.

But now many can no longer afford to keep them.

A former worker at Goffs' explained: "When times are hard, it is not unknown for a breeder to make a call after a failed sale and have the animal taken away.

"There would be men waiting for a call from vendors who would then give them a few hundred and hand the horse over."

The market is collapsing and the quickest way to deal with the problem is to have them killed DEAN STANSALL