article_snippet.sent: Dene Stansall, a horse consultant for campaign group Animal Aid, says that many people remain unable to afford the minimum £3,000 cost per year to keep a horse — a sum that can soar if there are veterinary bills.
article_snippet.sent: Yet those who bought a horse years ago and are now struggling to afford it, find those who bought a horse years ago and are now struggling to afford it have no one to sell to.
article_snippet.sent: People might afford a new TV, but People can’t commit to the long-term care of an animal.
article_snippet.sent: Reluctant to sell themselves horses to abattoirs, many owners mistakenly believe that leaving themselves to fend for themselves on a patch of land such as a roadside verge — a common practice known as fly-grazing, which is illegal — is the better option.
article_snippet.sent: In reality, however, most horses cannot survive for long without human care.
article_snippet.sent: The problem is that more and more owners are taking on horses without preparation.
article_snippet.sent: None of us realised the financial commitment of owning a horse,’ says Teresa.
article_snippet.sent: and I simply can’t afford to keep a horse that I can’t ride,’ her says.
article_snippet.sent: But a lot of people abandon a lot of people horses as a lot of people do
article_snippet.sent: , fly-grazing is now heartbreakingly common and many owners do not comply with laws requiring many owners to microchip many owners horses, making tracing many owners impossible.
highlights_snippet.sent: Increasing costs mean few owners can keep up with looking after a horse .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: With dwindling buyers more horses than ever are being abandoned .
  