SPCA seizes horses from former trainer

By ELIZABETH BINNING

The SPCA has seized 25 horses from the property of a Waikato trainer who rose to fame while racing on both sides of the Tasman in the late 1970s.

The thoroughbreds were confiscated on Tuesday following concerns about their appalling living conditions and the meal they were being fed.

Ten horses have died on the Morrinsville farm in the past five months, with SPCA reports suggesting meal intended for calves, not horses, led to the deaths.

Property owner Ian Steffert, who enjoyed success while racing a horse called Magistrate in the late 1970s and early 1980s, now faces the possibility of being charged under the Animal Welfare Act.

He could not be contacted yesterday but is reported to be furious about the seizure of his animals and denies all allegations of mistreatment.

Waikato SPCA manager Chris Wood said the removal, one of the biggest operations of its kind in the Waikato and costing up to $15,000, was carried out after several failed attempts to improve the horses' living conditions.

"We have been telling him he's not doing it right. He's adamant that he has been doing it right.

"In the end we had to say enough is enough," said Mrs Wood.

"We have had various complaints and the whole thing really escalated when there were four dead horses at one stage and a further two dead horses at another stage. Our inspector said, 'This isn't right'.

"We made some inquiries and then discovered 10 horses had died since March."

When the SPCA arrived at the farm on Tuesday they found parasite-infected horses living in muddy paddocks that were full of mouldy corn.

A vet spent most of the day assessing the horses and helping with their removal to a farm in Ngahinapouri, southwest of Hamilton, where they are now grazing under SPCA care.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing inspector Bryan McKenzie said Mr Steffert had once been a licensed horse trainer but his most recent application for an owner-trainer licence had been denied.

The 70-year-old, who won Perth Cups in 1981 and 1982 and the Queen Elizabeth Handicap at Ellerslie in 1979, held a licence until 1987.

Mr Steffert reapplied in 1997 but again let it slip the following year.

He applied again in 2002 but was turned down in April last year, partly because of the state of his property.