TWO dead horses have been found on land near York.

A walker found the bodies of a grey mare and young dark bay pony on land in Buttercrambe, said RSPCA inspector Claire Mitchell who is investigating.

She said the pony was emaciated and the mare had blood around her nose. Both had ropes tied around their feet, suggesting they had been dragged by a vehicle and dumped.

“It’s very upsetting to think what these ponies went through before their death, so I am very keen to hear from anyone who might have some information about where they have come from, who owns them, and who dumped them like this," she said.

"This is something we have seen frequently since the horse crisis began, and in our experience, ropes tied around the horses’ feet means they have most likely been dragged from the back of a vehicle to be dumped away from where they were being kept.

“Sadly, this upsetting find is not uncommon. During the last few years we have been called about the bodies of horses and ponies dumped like this in locations up and down the country, and more often than not they are not microchipped so we have no way of tracing an owner.

"Whether it happens because it is costly to disposing of a dead horse, or just a very callous attitude from owners who believe horses are simply disposable, it is completely unacceptable."

“Anyone with any information should contact us as soon as possible by calling our inspector’s appeal line number on 0300 123 8018.”