A LEADING ANIMAL welfare charity has called for a change to regulations after a former racehorse was found tied to a fence covered in sores.

A seven-year-old ex-racehorse named Dash was rescued by ISPCA inspectors at Ballinasloe Fair in October 2024. The ISPCA said Dash was emaciated and covered in sores when he was discovered tied to a fence.

Investigators scanned his microchip and discovered that Dash had been on the racecourse as recently as July and had won over €20,000 throughout his racing career.

Dash was sold on when his performance declined, like any racehorses. He passed through multiple owners and was reportedly used for trotting – a distinctive type of horse-racing – before being abandoned.

Dash received treatment for his feet, a new diet, and better living conditions. He has already shown significant improvement, gaining weight and recovering from his ordeal, the charity said.

The ISPCA said that efforts to identify those responsible for Dash’s neglect have been hindered by gaps in ownership records, as the responsibility to update equine ownership currently lies with the buyer, not the seller.

The ISPCA has called on the Government to review the Equine Identification Regulations and reform the process of transferring equine ownership to improve traceability and accountability.

In a statement, the charity’s chief inspector Conor Dowling said:

“We would urge all horse-owners to consider the welfare of their horse not only when it is their care but to also think about what might happen if they sell it on, and to do all they can to guarantee the welfare of their horse in the future.

Dash’s case comes following revelations from an RTÉ Investigates programme earlier this year.

RTÉ used hidden cameras at the site and uncovered animal welfare abuses and cruelty in the treatment of horses being sent for slaughter. The behaviour was filmed as in a building where Shannonside Foods keeps horses before they are brought to the kill room.