World Horse Welfare is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and Scotland that was previously named The International League for the Protection of Horses . Anne, Princess Royal

Anne, Princess Royal

Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...

 is its patron.

History

World Horse Welfare was founded in 1927, as a campaigning organisation to prevent the export of live British horses for slaughter. The charity's founder, Ada Cole, was spurred into action after witnessing a procession of British work horses being unloaded and whipped for four miles to slaughter in Belgium.

In 1937 after political lobbying by the charity, The Exportation of Horses Act is introduced to protect the welfare of horses destined for the slaughterhouses of Europe. This introduces the concept of ‘Minimum Values’, which effectively stops the export of live horses for slaughter from Great Britain.

The charity opened its first horse rehabilitation centre in Britain, in 1949, and started a first international training course in Morocco in 1985.

Aims

World Horse Welfare works in the United Kingdom recovering, rehabilitating and rehoming horses. The charity has 16 full time based around the UK who investigate concerns reported by the general public.

Horses needing attention are taken into one of charities four Recovery and Rehabilitation Centres, based in Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...

, Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

 and Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire

Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...

.

The charity works in the developing world

Developing country

A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...

 training local people in skills such as saddlery

Horse tack

Tack is a term used to describe any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals. Saddles, stirrups, bridles, halters, reins, bits, harnesses, martingales, and breastplates are all forms of horse tack...

, farrier

Farrier

A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...

y, nutrition and horse management.

World Horse Welfare campaign to achieve welfare improvements through changing policy, practices and attitudes.

External links

World Horse Welfare websites:

• World Horse Welfare's web site
• World Horse Welfare on YouTube
• World Horse Welfare on Facebook

World Horse Welfare in the News:

• Obese horse numbers 'increasing' (BBC News, 20 Aug 2008)
• Horse rescues 'more than double' (BBC News, 7 Apr 2009)
• Five guilty of neglecting horses (BBC News, 8 May 2009)