​Gardaí and charity intervene as horse with ‘painful’ wounds rescued in Kilkenny

​An animal welfare charity recently intervened in Kilkenny with the assistance of gardaí after being notified about a horse in an apallingly poor condition.

​According to My Lovely Horse Rescue, the yearling’s ‘tiny body’ was found covered in cuts with some ‘deep and painful’ wounds.

A spokesperson from the charity stated that the animal had ‘what looks like whip marks’ and marks from ‘straps digging into his legs’ which they stated was ‘damage from being forced to pull a sulky’.

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"We are beyond heartbroken,” the charity spokesperson said. 

"We are furious. No animal deserves this - but a yearling? It’s cruelty, plain and simple. There is no excuse. No justification. Only suffering caused by humans who should know better.”

The charity thanked local members of An Garda Síochána for stepping in to allow them to rescue the animal and commended them for ‘going above and beyond’.

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The yearling is now ‘finally safe’, according to the charity, and is ‘getting the care he desperately needs at UCD Veterinary Hospital in Dublin’.

This latest incident comes following a series of multi-agency enforcement operations led by gardaí targeting animal welfare breaches in Kilkenny.

Back in February, four dogs were removed to safety during an operation in the city and horses, dogs and a trailer were among some of the items seized in a follow-up operation.

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My Lovely Horse Rescue stressed that incidents such as these ‘cannot keep happening’.

"Enough is enough,” the charity said. “We will not stay silent. We will not look away. We will keep fighting for them, the voiceless, the abused, the forgotten. Please speak up. Please stand with us.”

Since the introduction of the Animal Health and Welfare Act, 2013 it has been reported there have been 21 prosecutions relating to equines.

Four of those were recorded in 2024 whilst there were none recorded in 2025.

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As well as rescuing horses, My Lovely Horse Rescue also rehabilitate and rehome unwanted, neglected and abused pigs, goats, sheep, dogs, cats and more.

You can visit their website to find out more about what they do and you can also support them with a once-off donation.

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