A group which raised concerns over the welfare of horses on a Tonbridge farm has said it's pleased the animals are in better conditions, while the attraction concerned has denied any suggestion of mistreating its animals.

The Neglected Horses of Ashford are a Facebook group concerned with the health and safety of equine animals in the district and surrounding areas.

Those behind the anonymous page say they began investigating the state of the horses at the Hop Farm in Beltring after reports raising concerns for them.

These included claims the animals were in a famished condition in fields with limited grazing.

However the Hop Farm has provided an explanation and said the horses benefit from having farm staff on hand and get all the care and checks they need. The attraction has also given photos of the animals, taken this week, to KentOnline.

A spokesman said: "The photos are not representative of the horses as they currently are.

"Following a report from the group, the RSPCA visited -which is entirely proper - and stated it had no concerns. The horses are well kept and we were able to show they have access to all the land and there is a farm team working around the clock."

The spokesman added that the Hop Farm suffered from flooding over Christmas and early in the year, which impacted the grass and affected the nutrition they were getting, so their diet was supplemented.

"An animal's weight can fluctuate and go up and go up or down and these are older horses which lose muscle tone as they age."

They added: "We have also made all of our vets' reports on the horses available to the group and provided pictures of them, but these have not been included.

"We believe a disgruntled former employee is behind the reports on the Facebook group."

After sharing the findings, those behind the Neglected Horses group say they are pleased action has now been taken.

They believe there were issues with the horses' care which led to how they looked in the pictures.

They added: "We feel it was because of public pressure, the horses were moved. I'm pleased to see they are now in better conditions, but it should never have got to that stage.

"If the horses are out in fields, having their medical needs attended to, and are being properly cared for then we're happy but we will continue to monitor the situation."

The Hop Farm also replied to the post on social media saying: "We confirm that our horses and animals are in good condition and the accusations made against The Hop Farm are entirely incorrect.

"Our horses and livestock spend the majority of the day grazing on our many fields. We have a daily maintenance programme for each animal and a monthly vet check up, and whenever required, medications, food supplements and anything else needed, is provided without hesitation.

"We have a monthly farrier visit to ensure hooves are in tip-top condition. We are entirely transparent as our animals are well cared for, nourished and more."

Another poster online said they feared for the horses' health after claiming to see them in horrendous weather, without rugs, covered in mud and no grass or evidence of hay.

After a recent visit, a spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “An inspector and equine officer have paid another visit to check on the horses after advice was given. The horses have been seen by a farrier and are under the ongoing care of a vet.”

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