Surge in support for petition to ban tethering of horses

Stephen Price

A petition calling to ban the tethering of horses has received over 13,000 signatures and will be considered for a debate at the Senedd.

A tethered horse is one that’s restrained with a rope, chain, strap or cord to stop it from moving outside a certain radius.

The petition, created by Maria Lester, says: “The suffering of tethered horses has gone on for long enough. They are tied up in unsuitable places, often along major roads. They have no shelter, veterinary help and often no food or water.

“This is neglect and needs to stop. How can we call ourselves civilised when this abuse is going on in full view of everyone?”

Running until 23 September 2026, the Welsh Government will likely debate the petition in the Senedd since the Petitions Committee considers all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures.

According to the RSPCA, seeing a tethered horse can be worrying, and it’s one of the most common equine welfare issues their inspectors deal with. They historically receive around 5,000 complaints about tethered horses per year across the UK.

Is it illegal to tether a horse?

Tethering is not illegal in the UK, but it can compromise a horse’s well-being so it’s not a practice we recommend. Our officers can only help a tethered horse if their welfare is affected (e.g. an injury caused by improper tethering equipment).

If a horse needs to be tethered in order to have access to grazing, it should only be for short periods of time. For the remainder of the day, the horse should have access to shelter, and a space to run free and interact freely with other horses.

Tethering negatively impacts a horse’s wellbeing in many ways. A tethered horse needs high levels of monitoring, proper tethering equipment, feed, water and a degree of freedom regularly. It’s not a low-cost or low-maintenance way of keeping a horse, and it’s not considered to be good practice.

In extreme weather conditions, a tethered horse must be provided with a well-fitting rug that’s checked daily for signs of wear to itself or the horse. If a horse is tethered to a tree, it can become entangled and harm itself. If it’s tethered on open ground, it has no protection from flies in the summer. It’s also important to tether the horse in the right place, so that a hillside or dip in the ground can provide shelter.

Although a limited amount of grazing may be accessible to a horse which is tethered, this grazing will soon be cropped to the floor or fouled with droppings. A tethered horse must be moved to fresh grazing regularly in order to maintain a healthy diet.

However, even this can’t mimic a horse’s natural behaviour of walking long distances while grazing. A horse should also have access to clean drinking water all the time. A horse left unattended may kick over a bucket of water, and then be left without water for a long time.

Tethered horses can’t safely enjoy the natural company and interaction with other horses that they need, especially physical interactions such as mutual grooming.

There are obvious health and welfare issues around tethering horses, including the dangers of entanglement and injury involved with attaching a chain or rope to a horse and leaving it constrained. Long-term grazing on the same ground repeatedly can also lead to a higher than normal presence of worms, or worm burden, which can be dangerous

When horses are alarmed, their instinct is to run away. When a tethered horse is frightened, they can’t do this, according to the RSPCA. This is a very basic denial of the freedom to behave normally, and may make the horse more frightened. A tethered horse will also be unable to roll freely and safely in a chosen spot.

If you’re concerned about a tethered horse because it looks like they’re in poor condition ring 0300 1234 999.