"Alarming living conditions": near Bordeaux, the fate of horses taken in by an association turns into a settling of scores

The association Ne crin plus rien , launched by Éric Martin in 2019, helps equines and offers them refuge in situations of neglect, abuse or abandonment. The horses are welcomed north of Bordeaux (Gironde), notably in the communes of Saint-André-de-Cubzac, Izon, and Vayres. 3 weeks ago, Natacha Godrie, a former volunteer , launched a petition to demand intervention within the structure which accommodates just over 70 animals, including around sixty horses. The petition was signed by more than 1,100 people, supported by several former volunteers, but also local residents.

According to her, even if the founder "may have had good intentions, he quickly got overwhelmed by taking in nearly 100 animals, without having the means or the time to care for them." "We are seeing alarming living conditions," insists the former volunteer, who even claims to regularly make rounds to check the horses' health. "We are seeing cases of mistreatment and neglect that lead to constant straying. This puts the animals and local residents in danger."

Contacted by Le Figaro , Éric Martin, manager of the association and professional sports coach, welcomed us on site and showed us around twenty equines, as well as sheep, on different plots of land occupied by the association. No real signs of malnutrition or mistreatment are visible on the herds presented, contrary to what can be seen through the images published by Natacha Godrie on social networks. "He takes better care of them and has probably fed them properly in recent months. But before, it was a disaster," says Natacha Godrie.

During our visit, we met Françoise Molin, a retiree. Currently a volunteer with her husband, she vigorously defended the association's president. "These former volunteers have a personal problem with him. It's ridiculous to accuse Éric of animal abuse. He gives everything for them, " she asserts. "We feed the horses every day and give them water. We supply the shelters with hay, especially when there's no grass. We count them regularly and check the fences every day."

A conflict reportedly broke out between the former volunteer and the horse enthusiast in the summer of 2023. Natacha Godrie then welcomed around thirty boarders onto her land: horses, sheep, ponies, and goats. On the evening of August 6, a horse was suffering and seemed to be in rather poor shape. "I called Éric to come quickly. He only came an hour later, and he finally administered an injection without the veterinarian present. The horse died immediately," she explained. The next day, the volunteer filed a complaint against the association, in a document that Le Figaro was able to consult.

For Éric Martin, the current accusations are nothing more or less than "personal attacks," a "settling of scores" by certain volunteers with whom he may have had disagreements in the past. "We deny everything. It's defamation and harassment. The horses featured on Facebook are horses that have received veterinary care. We have horses that die, since we take in sick and mistreated horses. Sometimes, and to my great regret, we are in a hurry and we can't save them. We are preparing a case with my lawyer against this person for defamation. We have also filed about twenty complaints for damage to our fences. You can imagine who does that! There is also a complaint for harassment, confirmed by photos and by the police, who have already found this person at the edge of our shelter, even though she is no longer part of the association." Natacha Godrie retorts: "We've never cut anything, and we've never touched the barriers and fences. On the contrary, when we see the wires on the ground, we put them back in place!"

Contacted by Le Figaro , the mayor of Izon, Laurent de Launay, regrets the disturbances caused by animals that regularly stray into his village: "It's an association that we supported from 2020, since we are sensitive to the animal cause, but it very quickly became hell. So we quickly stopped the agreement with Mr. Martin. We have faced repeated straying on the roads, which poses real problems of safety and public peace for our residents. It has happened dozens of times, there is obviously a real problem of closing the meadows... We have already been called at 1 a.m., it is not possible." Faced with these accusations, Éric Martin assures for his part that "these are unfortunately things that happen, as in all herds in France." The Libourne prosecutor's office has opened an investigation.