TWO former winning racehorses were among 11 horses and ponies found in the Myshall cruelty case and their racing records brought to light by the ISPCA this week.

Horse A (pictured) was euthanised shortly after this image was taken on the day he was found dying at the Co Carlow premises in question in April 2015.

The racehorse had eight runs, including one win at Punchestown and a second at Navan, with earnings of about €9,000 to his name, according to ISPCA Chief Inspector Conor Dowling.

Horse B (pictured) survived been transported from Myshall to the ISPCA stables but collapsed the next day due to his very weak state. He also had to be euthanised after all efforts to help him failed. The racehorse was subsequently found by the ISPCA to have raced 41 times at British tracks including Sandown, Goodwood, Newbury and Windsor, winning five times with earnings of over £25,000. He once sold for £10,000.

ISPCA Chief Inspector Conor Dowling summed it up, saying, “A far cry from the winner’s enclosure.”

HAPPY NEW HOMES

The only winning racehorse to survive the Myshall cruelty case (Horse C, pictured) is now in a very good home, out on acres of green grass with a sport horse gelding for company and the two have become inseparable.

Ciara Heuston and her family rehomed the horse now called Kingfisher and get great enjoyment out of caring for him.

“Despite being in Myshall, Kingfisher is still the most loving, placid horse. He has a fantastic temperament. He is now living out on 24 acres of land with another horse, a former show jumper, who has become his best pal. We will have Kingfisher for life, he is not ridden as he has a spinal problem, as does the show jumper who we also got through the ISPCA but he came to us from very different circumstances. We call him Del-Boy and he was always well looked after, he just needed a new home as he can’t be ridden any more either as he also has a back problem.

“I’ve had horses and ridden all my life, I don’t ride now because I have very young children. We believe in giving something back where we can and making a difference; so were happy to take Kingfisher. We are all delighted with him and he’s very happy here. The ISPCA and the Gardai did great work in this case but how something like this, in this day and age, could have gone on for so long without people noticing it before is just incredible,” Ciara Heuston told The Irish Fieldthis week.

ISPCA Inspector Conor Dowling also revealed that one of the ponies rescued from Myshall has also been successfully rehomed. Now named Lark, she is doing very well under her new owners, enjoying schooling and some light show jumping, along with the family’s other two horses.

The ISPCA records also show that a bay gelding found at Myshall was registered with Horse Sport Ireland while another bay gelding on the property was registered with Leisure Sport Ireland and a dark bay filly had an owner which was listed as a County Council.

Several of the horses and ponies found on the property in question had no traceable records.