Visitors to Appleby Horse Fair are being asked if they would like to see changes to improve the event for horses.
The annual gathering, the largest of its kind in the country, runs next week (8-12 June) in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria.
Equine welfare charities Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Blue Cross, World Horse Welfare, Bransby Horses, the British Horse Society, the Donkey Sanctuary, Oak Tree Animals and the Horse Trust, which have been supporting equine protection at the fair for over 20 years, want to hear from as many people as possible to help their work.
“Staff from the collaboration, all members of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC), will be identifiable by armbands reading ‘Everyone has a voice’,” a spokesman for the collaboration said. “They will be having conversations with as broad a range of people as possible to understand what they would like to see over the next five years. Any fairgoers who wish to do so are invited to the NEWC tent on Salt Tip Corner for refreshments and a chat.”
Andie McPherson, Redwings campaign manager and coordinator of this year’s Appleby equine welfare project, said welfare improvements have been made over the years, with some support from the “wider community”.
“But the charity-led effort has increasingly received interest from fairgoers offering help and support,” she said. “We want our work to be informed by the interests and preferences of diverse fairgoers, and this is the next step in our efforts to do this.”
The Appleby fair is significant to the gypsy, roma and traveller communities, and some 10,000 people attend the fair every year, as well as 30,000 visitors.
Bill Lloyd, gypsy and traveller representative to the multi-agency strategic coordination group (MASCG), which brings together relevant organisations to “make the fair safe and enjoyable”, said: “Horse welfare is a concern to all parties involved and interested in the fair, which is above all a celebration of the horse. Veterinary science is constantly developing, and along with the rapid growth of social media and press that seeks sensational stories, welfare cases are more and more in the public eye. Scientific advance now shows some old myths to be nonsense and reveals some new causes for concern. The wider community is demanding higher standards, and a good reputation can take years to win, but can be lost in 30 seconds.
“The animal welfare charities are at the forefront of improving horse welfare standards, and they are our strongest allies in shaping the public perception of the fair, by encouraging what is good and discouraging what is bad. A recent detailed survey shows that, while the great majority (81%) of horses owned by gypsies and travellers are in prime condition, confirming that the wholesale negative stereotyping of this group is untrue and unjustified, there remains a significant number of horses with welfare problems, mostly hoof care, and a small minority of cases that justify intervention by animal welfare professionals.
“As society becomes more sensitive and better informed about high standards of welfare, the fair-going community is being asked for their views on what and how improvements could be made. This is a chance to have our say, and I believe that the reputation of the fair in the wider community can only benefit from this cooperative approach. Please support what the animal welfare charities are trying to achieve by listening to what they have to say, and by sharing with them your opinions about the work they are doing.”
The RSPCA is sending 34 people to this year’s Appleby, Redwings nine, Blue Cross and World Horse Welfare eight each, Bransby Horses six, the BHS and Donkey Sanctuary three each, and Oak Tree Animals two.
RSPCA officers will be supported by the other charities at the event to help any animals who are sick, injured or whose needs are not being met. There will be a vet station at Salt Tip Corner.
The collaboration’s “best at Appleby” competition – sponsored by the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association and in its eighth year – will celebrate examples of equine health, happiness, and horsemanship.
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‘The lowest number of people since 2010 have been given welfare advice and warnings’
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