Pacaltsdorp Riding Club pleads for mandate to curb roaming horses

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Just a day after the George Herald's front page highlighted the deadly threat of free-roaming horses on the N2 and in Pacaltsdorp, another horse was hit by a car on the N2.

On Friday morning, 15 August, a Volkswagen Polo hit a horse between the Thembalethu and Pacaltsdorp bridges. The 41-year-old driver was taken to hospital and later discharged with minor injuries.

The horse was killed. This latest crash follows several other incidents in recent weeks.

Riding club calls for solutions

The Pacaltsdorp Riding Community (PRC) has renewed calls for urgent, practical solutions to the horse crisis.

"Despite all our efforts, the worst has happened, lives have been lost, and nearly a human life too. As the only legally recognised horse community in Pacaltsdorp, we are heartsore. We've worked to create a haven for horses and invited all owners to join us, but unity has been hard to achieve. Still, we remain committed to changing the narrative, working with the law, and doing everything possible to end the stray horse problem because we love horses," said club chairman Clayton Jacobs.

"If the riding club were given the mandate to confiscate roaming horses, this problem could be solved. Authorities simply don't have the manpower to control it. New horses come into the area daily, and we can't expect the SPCA and law enforcement to drive around all day confiscating horses. It also puts their lives in danger. We are here in Pacaltsdorp every day. We know the horses, the owners, the dangers," he said.

Mass confiscation

Readers have called for the mass confiscation of all free-roaming horses in Pacaltsdorp.

But animal welfare experts and local riders warn that it isn't that simple. Once seized, where should the horses go? Confiscations can also cause tension, with owners becoming hostile towards authorities. And even from a welfare perspective, loading unhandled or stressed horses into trailers or horse boxes poses significant risks for both the animals and the people involved.

Jacobs says another challenge is that residents say they want to join PRC, but simply drop their horses at the club, disappear for months and expect the club members to look after their animals.

"Our club fee is only R50 per month. With this, we have to pay the lease, mend and erect fences and look after the property."

Another issue is parents buying their child a horse without understanding what it takes to look after them. The animals aren't properly fed, they're ridden into the ground and treated as commodities rather than living beings and eventually end up on the streets.

Call for donations and cooperation

PRC once again appeals for support in helping residents keep their horses safe. Wire, poles, and other materials are desperately needed to build proper fencing and camps.

To donate, contact Jacobs on 083 607 1250 (WhatsApp) or 082 302 7563 (call).

Meanwhile, residents continue to accuse the municipality of not enforcing its by-laws.

George Municipality says law enforcement has been active, with 79 animals impounded between February and August, including horses, cattle, goats and donkeys and fines totaling R178 000 have been issued.

Horses roaming Pacaltsdorp streets are now a scene no one even blinks at.