The equine squatters that landowners have no power to evict

Fly-grazing will be discussed for two hours in Parliament this afternoon. But what is it – and why should the government care? Put simply, fly-grazing is the unauthorised grazing of land by equines. Or, as Defra puts it, ‘the practice of leaving horses to graze on public or private land without the permission of the owner or occupier.’ Essentially, it’s the equine version of being a squatter.

This afternoon the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will take evidence on the topic, after Julian Sturdy MP put forward a Control of Horses Bill that will have its second reading in October. But are irresponsible horse owners something that the government really ought to be worrying about? Well, someone needs to tackle the problem, and if Defra won’t do it, who will?

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Over the last few years, the number of horse welfare cases has increased dramatically, and so has the number of abandoned or fly-grazed horses.