CHPA have always checked the weather conditions on a daily basis. When extreme weather conditions are expected, CHPA notify the cart horse owners via our WhatsApp group and verbally to all we have contact with. However, there is no law that states they cannot go out or go out and work with their horses. The majority do comply, but there are a few that unfortunately don’t.
Inspector Lindt Os inspecting the load and condition of the horse on 18 January. Once all cleared, the driver was asked to please go back home, slowly.
Another horse found on the road in the heat. They said they had to go out and work, slowly, as they needed to collect scrap for the day to feed the horse and their family. The majority of the cart horse community, live hand to mouth.
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CHPA have to cover a large area where the cart horses work and we cannot be in all the areas at the same time. CHPA have been proactive and partnered, and even trained, some of the Neighborhood Watch Groups in the same areas, to also look out for horses working in the heat. They are a huge help to us, as we only have three vehicles patrolling in extreme weather conditions, 30 degrees and above!
Rocket is very well looked after and has a great owner who always puts him first!
Folks, on 17 January, Rockets owner spent quite some time at the scrap yard, as there were allot of people waiting to sell scrap metal that day. Rockets owner asked a few shops on his way home if they could offer him some water for his horse. They were not so obliging! Rockets owner then came to CHPA in Epping and asked us for water. He wanted to make sure Rocket was hydrated for the trip back home. After Rocket drank two buckets of water, they started their slow trip home.
For the public to continuously slate the cart horse owners and our Inspectors, with no real evidence, proper knowledge of the cart horse industry and not really understanding our Mandate, is grossly unfair! CHPA is a small organization, with limited funds and resources and are doing the best we can within our means, always putting the cart horse first!