Animal welfare workers have urged Government to take a harder line on some horse and carriage operators who they claim blatantly flout the law over health and safety issues.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said it was only a very small minority of operators but added Government was not using its full enforcement strength to deal with them.

The charity cited one example where an operator had been given another conditional licence to use his horses for commercial use last week - despite failing to ensure that his stables were completely up to par.

SPCA inspector Charles Whited said the operator was allowed to work under a conditional licence last year - on condition that he improve his dilapidated stables.

He said in April this year the facility was described as “unsafe” and requiring “extensive renovations” by planning officials so his licence to operate was not granted.

However after carrying out some structural alterations and removing some nearby debris, he had been granted another conditional licence on the understanding that further work be carried out by next April.

Mr. Whited said giving the operator more time was not the long-term answer.

“The SPCA has been concerned for some time about some operators and what they have been allowed to get away with,” said Mr. Whited.

“The Animal Husbandry Department does not seem to be dealing with the issue. We don't believe there are enough inspections and enough follow-ups when people have been found to be in violation.

“People repeatedly call the SPCA with complaints about horses, which we pass on to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, which enforces the law but little seems to be done.

“Bermuda needs to take a harder line. It sometimes seems as though the Government Department is working in favour of these people who do not provide proper care and shelter for their horses. It is running away from anything controversial.

“We can't silently stand by anymore. People need to know.”

The concerns of the SPCA are:

Unsafe and muddy stables;

Inadequate facilities and lack of turning out areas;

No bedding;

Poor harnesses; and

Overworking, overloading.

Government veterinarian Dr. Jonathan Nisbett said in the case of the conditional licence, which was dealt with by the Ministry and not solely himself, some steps had been taken to rectify the stable but he admitted that some work still needed to be done.

He said inspections were regularly carried out on stables where problems had been found and said his Department was aiming to work with people, not against them.

He said: “The operator in this case has replaced a lot of the support beams and supporting walls and he has cleaned the place up.

“I don't think it is the safest structure and there is still a lot of work to be done. There is no doubt about that, but there is only two months of the season left so he has been given a conditional licence.

“He has been allowed to operate his business on condition that he get it fixed up by next April, when the new season starts.

“There has never been any accusation about the care of his animals. If we want something to happen and the stable to be upgraded then we can't undermine his ability to do that by not giving him a licence or removing the horses. He has to make a living.

“Yes, we should remove the horses from a bad situation but the reality of the situation is that the season is over in October. The horses are out all day. I would love to see that stable upgraded by next month but it won't happen. There are a lot of things involved, such as planning, which takes time.”

SPCA chairman and vet Dr. Andrew Madeiros said the charity was tired of raising problems for no action to be taken.

He said there may only be two months of the tourist season left but the horses could be left in a sub-standard stable right through the winter months and not be upgraded until next year.

He said there was an incident two years ago where one horse operator had a number of animals confiscated by the SPCA because he had twice as many as he was licensed to keep and his stables were considered unsuitable.

The vet said the horses were eventually returned to the owner by the Ministry once minor improvements had been provided but at no point was the SPCA consulted.

Dr. Madeiros also claimed that in that case, the operator had still not paid one cent of the bill, amounting to thousands of dollars, for the upkeep and care of the animals which taxpayers ultimately paid.

Dr. Madeiros said: “People make a lot of money out of these horses during the summer months and they should at the very least provide decent care and shelter for them. If they don't, they should not be allowed to hack. The majority are very good but there are a few who repeatedly cause problems and concerns.

“They work the tails off these horses all summer and then leave them tied up in some shed all winter. We are tired of raising issues for no action to be taken by Animal and Husbandry. They are not enforcing the law.”

Dr. Nisbett said he was happy with the overall situation of the horse and carriages in Bermuda, but said there were a minority who tried to cut corners and costs.

He added: “During my four-year tenure I have been trying to put more pressure on these people.

“I'm faced with a mindset issue. A number of people have worked horses all their lives and they simply continue as they have always done.

“You can't legislate against a mindset. We are putting new standards in place but it's not going to happen overnight. The pressure is being increased but we are not being absolutely irrational.”