Horse Shelter &

One very common enquiry that Quest receives is that from individuals who are concerned for the welfare of a neighbouring equine, whether that be a horse located on a shared agistment property, living in the same road as the concerned party, or even owned by a family member. The common thread in all of these types of enquiries is that the concerned individual is reluctant to approach the horse owner directly re the condition of their horse/s due to the perceived potential for animosity, the breakdown of an existing friendship, or even retribution.

Very often, the case in question is interstate, or at a location that cannot be visited by a Quest committee member. This can result in a very unsatisfactory situation where the animal continues to suffer, and those who are concerned about it feel helpless to intervene in any way. Quest's recommendation in these cases is usually to report the animal's circumstances to the RSPCA. However, in some cases, the situation does not warrant RSPCA intervention, and in many cases, the animal's circumstances are such that the RSPCA are not empowered to intervene, or do not deem the situation to be critical enough to warrant enforcing actions on the owner's part.

Quest is offering these 'welfare alert' postcards free of charge, as a tool for community members to utilise in these cases. They can either be posted to the owner's address, or left somewhere at the animal's location where they will be noticed by the owner. Their purpose is to a) make the owner aware that the condition of their horse has not gone unnoticed, and is not condoned by those who are aware of it, and b) to offer an avenue of assistance with improving the care of their animal to the owner, whether that be advice and support, or even surrender.