The campaign comes after a dramatic 32% drop in rehoming figures while taking in 23% more horses than in 2012.
At a time when 7,000 horses are at risk of abandonment or neglect charities need to be proactive in finding ways to tackle the current horse crisis.
While horses continue to be bred on a large scale despite their decreasing value and the remnants of an economic crisis continues to affect households all over the UK, horses are getting left out in the cold.
With another harsh winter on its way thousands of horses left abandoned or neglected will leave charities physically unable to cope.
Charities including World Horse Welfare, RSPCA, Blue Cross, British Horse Society, HorseWorld and Redwings have been asking for government and public help for almost a year. The first warning came as charities asked what would happen to the 6,000 horses at risk of being abandoned or neglected if charities did not have the space to take them in. The second warning came six months later, this time there were 7,000 at risk and the number of horses in need of good homes continues to increase in the UK and Wales.
HRH The Princess Royal understands the problems that charities are facing currently in the horse world and does her bit to free up space for those horses in desperate need of rescuing and rehabilitating by rehoming World Horse Welfare’s horse, Annie. The Princess hopes that others will follow her example and rehome rather than buy a horse when there are so many horses in desperate need of homes right now.
HRH The Princess Royal says:
“I wanted a reliable horse that I could get on and off easily.
“Annie has a good temperament and I thought it was silly to look for something else when I’ve got the space here to rehome her.
“If you’ve got room then you can do an awful lot of good by rehoming. Sadly we read about the many horses that World Horse Welfare has rescued as part of the horse crisis at the moment, but we don’t hear about what happens next. It’s very disappointing to hear that the charity is finding it so difficult to rehome horses when people could rehome so easily, and make space for others that need help.
“Rehoming from a charity may be the best way of finding a horse because you know so much more about the animal you are getting. You get told about their quirks, how easy the horse is to manage, their physical limitations, if any, and what their needs are. All of this is important information when getting a horse that you rarely get when buying one.”
World Horse Welfare Chief Executive, Roly Owers says:
“Once again our President HRH The Princess Royal has shown outstanding support by rehoming World Horse Welfare Annie, especially now that Britain is in the midst of a horse crisis. Our Rescue and Rehoming Centres are full to bursting – and there are thousands more horses who need our help. By rehoming Annie, our President is making space for another horse to get their care it needs and we urge other members of the public who can to do the same before winter sets in.
“Everyone thinks of rehoming a dog or a cat from a rescue centre; it should be the same with horses. People are still buying horses when rehoming from a charity has so many advantages. If you can provide a good home for a horse, please come visit us or look at the horses available on our website. We are calling for the public to help, because without the public we simply will not be able to cope with this horse crisis alone.”
HRH The Princess Royal continues:
“I hope more people at least find out what is involved by calling the charity or visiting them because rehoming a horse is not as difficult as you think, especially with the degree of knowledge that World Horse Welfare has and the detail that the charity knows about each horse’s history.
“My advice to someone looking for a new horse is to go to the charity and see what is available.
“If you are lucky enough to find the right horse then you will get a lot of help with the animal. That help is always there no matter what happens. And of course if it isn’t working for you, you won’t have all the agro of looking for someone to take your horse, because with rehoming you have not only the expertise of the charity to try to make it work, but if it doesn’t the charity will take the horse back into its care. It is very reassuring to know that this backup is there.
“I hope Annie enjoys it here with me. We will be doing some hacking and she will be helping me herd the sheep and cattle. I’m just really glad World Horse Welfare didn’t find somebody else for her!”
Interested in rehoming? Check out our horses and ponies who are ready to find new homes.
