Animal owners are being urged to be aware of tide times and conditions in a bid to protect their animals from harm.
The danger warning came after 11 ponies had to be rounded up in Penclawdd in South Wales as a result of high tides in the Loughor Estuary. Horse welfare campaigners say that ponies have died in the past as a result of water coming onto their grazing land, while others have been forced to swim for survival.
An RSPCA spokesman said that it was important that owners considered their animals during the winter months and periods of high tides. He urged them not to just expect their animals to escape the water themselves as this also posed a risk of horses, for example, straying onto the roads and causing an accident.
Horses have been allowed to graze in the Loughor Estuary for hundreds of years but the tidal range is among the world’s highest and the RSPCA is aware of cases of horses drowning in the water.
Other animals can also be at risk, especially as tides get bigger and storms get stronger. Livestock and even domestic animals can face a terrifying experience, if not death, if they are left in susceptible areas, particularly at times of high tide.
The solution, it seems, is for owners to check tide conditions and times regularly to ensure that any land they are using is likely to remain dry and safe for the animals. This will also limit the risk to motorists of animals inadvertently making it onto roads as they strive to find safety for themselves.
It is also important for people riding horses or taking pets for long walks to ensure that they, too, are aware of tide times and the activity of the sea in order to keep both themselves and their animals safe from the risk of being cut off by the sea.
