The Story Of A Horse

Residents notified the Réserve Naturelle when they saw a horse on the land at Babit Point— land that belongs to the Conservatoire du Littoral and is managed by the Réserve. The veterinary services went to see about the horse, accompanied by agents of the Réserve and territorial police. Brought to the site by its owner, a resident of Oyster Pond, the animal had been left in an enclosure made of rebar and barbed wire, in the full sun, close to a shelter without a roof implanted illegally by its master. Present during the control, the owner was informed that he was using land belonging to the Conservatoire du Littoral without authorization. He explained that he had to quickly remove his horse from its previous quarters, and that he planned to move it again soon, but not sooner than two months. He was told he had a short window to contact the owner and request temporary use of the site—otherwise the horse must be removed. He opted to move his horse to private land that had the same conditions, but leaving behind the enclosure and the shelter. Existing regulations forbid leaving equines in the open air without providing the proper facilities to avoid any suffering in case of climatic variations. It is also illegal to place animal or vegetal species on a protected natural site.