RSPCA officers in Gloucestershire are facing an equine crisis, according to new figures released by the animal welfare charity today.

New stats reveal that the charity receives 80 calls a day about horses to its cruelty hotline.

The charity's new statistics reveal that nearly 1,000 horses nationally were rescued by the charity from cruelty, suffering and neglect last year, and a staggering 928 horses are still in the charity's care.

In Gloucestershire alone, RSPCA officers received 336 complaints about 211 horses. 

The animal welfare charity also rescued 23 horses from across the county in 2017, up from 5 in 2016.

A national horse crisis was first highlighted in 2012 and the latest figures show the horrifying impact of the crisis. 

They took in the highest number of horses into its care for four years.

With Gloucestershire seeing a rise of horses rescued in the county by more than 400 per cent.

A national horse crisis was first highlighted in 2012 and the latest figures show the horrifying impact of the crisis.

They took in the highest number of horses into its care for four years.

Last year the RSPCA secured 25 per cent more convictions for equine offences than two years ago, with convictions relating to horses accounting for 15 per cent of the total number of convictions secured by the RSPCA last year.

They secured 1,492 convictions under the Animal Welfare Act.

The RSPCA’s inspectorate national equine co-ordinator Christine McNeil said: “We’ve been talking about the horse crisis for several years now, but the truth is the situation is just as severe today as when it started.

"Last year, we took in more horses than we have in the past four years, and with our inspectors being called to rescue more and more every week, we are stretched to the limits."