The closure of Brockweir-based equine rescue centre HAPPA before Christmas came just weeks after a report into the fast-approaching equine crisis in the UK was published.

Left on the Verge: The approaching equine crisis in England and Wales, has been put together by equine rescue and rehoming organisations the RSPCA, Redwings, The Blue Cross, World Horse Welfare, HorseWorld, The British Horse Society and with the support of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC).

The report outlines the severity that an equine crisis in the UK could reach. The key problems blamed in the report are overbreeding and the continued poor economic climate.

The UK charities are urging supporters to email their local MP to support the proposals in this report. Their solutions are to introduce criminal legislation to target fly-grazing, improving accountability for horses and creating a stronger link between horses and owners, giving more eduction on horse ownership and breeding and supporting land-owning victims of fly-grazing. The charities also suggest liaising with travelling communities to improve welfare, improving enforcement, giving more help to local authorities and making sure owners recognise the future crisis.

As well as writing guidance notes for landowners on what to do if horses are left on their land, the charities also aim to make governments assess the Tripartite agreement, which allows the free transport of horses between Ireland, the UK and France, questioning its influence on over population.

The charities say: "Horse welfare charities need your help to handle what could become a 'horse crisis' in England and Wales.

"We are under immense pressure due to the increasing number of horses and ponies needing our help. There are 2,800 equines in our rehoming centres, which are now at capacity, and it is estimated that a further 6,000 horses are at risk in England and Wales. There is real concern that should there be another harsh winter, we will be physically unable to cope with the number of horses needing urgent care."

With snow on the ground and more forecast, this 'harsh winter' could be becoming a reality.

The charities are calling for the help of the horse owning public, government agencies and local authorities.

"Please help us by emailing your MP and asking them to support us in dealing with this crisis. We need government support for the solutions in our report.

"By contacting ministers, MPs can use their influence to help us – but we need you, their constituents, to ask them to do so."

Brockweir charity HAPPA are sticking to their 'undecided' verdict about whether or not the centre will be reopened, and yet with the site still for sale for just £600,000, and a deadline for offers stipulated at 25th January, it seems the very real threat of yet more horses and ponies in Monmouthshire with nowhere to go becomes a much more threatening possibility.

The only other equine rescue centre in the area is small Monmouth charity, The Society for the Welfare of Horses and Ponies, who currently own over 300 horses.

With a lack of responsibility often seen in horse ownership in recent years, the problem of fly-grazing is one that has grown across the country.

Horse dealer Tommy Price of Glamorgan Horse Traders Ltd is of particular notoriety in South Wales for his horsemanship. The dealer received an ASBO in November last year for fly-grazing and allowing his horses to stray onto roads, and at the end of December appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on charges of failing to return equine identification documents. The trial begins on 29th April.

A 'zero-tolerance' attitude to fly grazing was adopted in December by police in South Wales, after the issue caught the attention of the Welsh Assembly.