Cape Argus -John Mcdonald (td)

Weekend Argus (Sunday Edition)FATIMA SCHROEDER

A NATIONAL Horseracing Authority (NHA) Inquiry Board has ruled that the training licence of Milnerton-based racehorse trainer John McDonald be cancelled after several racehorses, discovered at his stables last month, were found to be in poor condition.
The SPCA found that McDonald did not feed or exercise the horses sufficiently.
The ruling follows inspections at McDonald’s stables last month by the SPCA, the Western Cape Stipendiary Board and the Jockey Club of South Africa, following a complaint from a horse care professional who saw that several horses at the stables appeared to be in poor condition and under-fed. Some looked emaciated.
Of particular concern was a Bay horse, later identified as a mare, called Fortis.
Cape SPCA chief executive Allan Perrins told Weekend Argus that when its team arrived at McDonald’s stables in Koeberg Road, Milnerton, there were 11 horses on site. Fortis was not there.
The SPCA report compiled after the inspection stated that another horse, “while lethargic when viewed over the stable doors, on entry into the stables presented as nervous and moved away from people inside the stable, and in three cases turned its hindquarters in a defensive display”.
The report said the horses lacked muscle tone and showed filled black legs, “indicative of standing inactive for long periods of time”.
The report said the horses’ coats were dull and patchy, an indication of internal parasites, lack of grooming and possible stomach ulcers because of a lack of roughage. No oat hay, lucerne, teff or other roughage was in the feed room and bales of oat haywere used as bedding. For the 11 horses standing in the yard, the concentrate of food was enough for five days.
There was evidence that the horses’ feet had not been attended to regularly and three had thrush on the front feet.
Perrins said the Stipendiary Board later obtained evidence that Fortis had been removed and taken to be slaughtered.
McDonald was charged with contravening NHA rules by:
Failing to provide reasonable care and treatment to horses under his control.
Misleading stewards by intentionally concealing the presence of, and failing to provide access to, Fortis during the SPCA inspection.
McDonald pleaded guilty to both charges and the inquiry board found him guilty of both charges.
This week it ordered that his trainer’s licence be cancelled.
Perrins said the Cape SPCA intends to have McDonald, whom he described as “a disgrace”, criminally charged.
“We believe that we have more than sufficient evidence to prove that he deliberately deceived us,” Perrins said.
The ruling meant McDonald would never be able to train horses in South Africa or in any country associated with the NHA.

(td)

maybe the stipes should take it one step further by removing colours and getting legal action taken against owners who dont pay their stable fees or to stud farms that breed for them....indirectly they are also starving their horses..

John Mc donald is a good guy
Hard times money is the problem
its not easy without owners horses.
I hope he gets through this problem

zenyatta Wrote:

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> John Mc donald is a good guy
> Hard times money is the problem
> its not easy without owners horses.
> I hope he gets through this problem


he should have admitted defeat then and stopped his horses from getting in the state they were found..

Well done to the NHA for saving horses from bad conditions..............credit where its due!

i here the person who blow the whistle is robin louw well done to her.

how any one can defend this pig i dont understand. let justice be serve and jail this fat man in a stable without food for 3 months. zen i am sorry if he dont have money is no excuse for cruelty to horse, it certain dont look like he got no food for him self. i hope this man never be allow to own horse in his life again he is the disgrace. one question i ask is how do the horse starve for so long with out nha acting are they not suppose to inspect stable on regular basis?

zenyatta aka marlin aronstam so macdonald is a good man hey?you sit 10 000 miles away taking pot shots at people in sa and you wont disclose who you are...unfortunately a few good people because of you dont post on here no more but if macs such a good bloke what is a bad bloke to you ?animals cant talk marlin and they dont deserve such treatment and its people who dont pay up that cause this negativity for the industry...good riddens

No one should be allowed to abuse horses.

I dont wish harm on anyone.
i wish everyone who is in tbl gets out of trouble
i never once said he is correct for abusing horses,
if the correct people the stipes did there homework this problem would not be around.

But if you were in tbl at 3 in morning John would be there for you.

He wasnt there for his horses that were left to stand in their own shit for days at a time...

Flash Harry Wrote:

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> i here the person who blow the whistle is robin
> louw well done to her.
>
> how any one can defend this pig i dont understand.
> let justice be serve and jail this fat man in a
> stable without food for 3 months. zen i am sorry
> if he dont have money is no excuse for cruelty to
> horse, it certain dont look like he got no food
> for him self. i hope this man never be allow to
> own horse in his life again he is the disgrace.
> one question i ask is how do the horse starve for
> so long with out nha acting are they not suppose
> to inspect stable on regular basis?


Well done again Robyn..........a racing journalist truly interested in racing as a whole...........not just the propaganda!
Congratulations.