Horses could be 'put to sleep' after council evicts riding centre from meadow

  • Watch the full video report by ITV News Meridian's Rachel Hepworth

A riding centre in Hampshire fears it may have to put horses to sleep, if the council pushes ahead with plans to withdraw vital grazing land.

Russells Equestrian Centre in Southampton has been rescuing abused horses and rehabilitating them for therapy work for 50 years.

It's been told Eastleigh Borough Council wants to use the land, which is part of Itchen Valley Country Park, for alpacas instead, leaving it with nowhere to graze its ponies in the summer.

The council says it intends to provide alpaca experiences at the park for children and adults. A spokesman said: "As well as having biodiversity and health and well-being benefits, it will generate income towards the upkeep of the park."

The meadow at Itchen Valley Country Park Credit: ITV News Meridian

Carol Boulton, who opened the centre in 1974 said: “I’ve nothing against alpacas. My sister breeds them. What I have a problem with is six days before Christmas, we get an email saying, Oh, by the way, you're not going to have your license to graze the field. Well, I mean, that's absolute devastation.”

Carol says there's no other suitable land nearby, and without an alternative, they won’t be able to run their business, or continue to rescue horses.

Her daughter Verity, who runs the centre with her, added: “We have vets ring us and say, if you don't take this pony, I'm going to be putting it down on the weekend. So it is literally the last hope for them with us. So we have to keep our work going. It's a massive loss to the community if we were to close.”

More than 1100 people have signed a petition against the plan.

The horses have been evicted to make way for around 30 alpacas, some of whom have already moved in Credit: ITV News Meridian

A spokesperson for Eastleigh Borough Council said: "The Council has entered into a new licence agreement to allow the grazing and walking of around 30 alpacas on the 7.5-acre Lower Russell Fields site at Itchen Valley Country Park.

"This will provide grazing and the opportunity for children and adults to walk alpacas at the park. As well as having biodiversity and health and well-being benefits, it will generate income towards the upkeep of the park. There are no plans to build shops on the site.

"The previous seasonal grazing licence for Russells Equestrian has been issued for many years on a month-to-month basis between May and October, with no commitment in the legal agreement to continue this year-on-year.

"We wrote to Russells Equestrian in December giving them five months’ notice that we would not be renewing the licence this coming May, and the Council is continuing to work with Russells Equestrian to look for alternative grazing for them."

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