Our Stop Horse Smuggling animation tells the story of Rosie, a much loved-loved riding pony who found herself at the ruthless hands of smugglers. Her story is based on our charity’s investigations and research work, including what we know about the ‘Dover 26’ a group of horses that came into our care after they were discovered being illegally smuggled into Europe.

Transported to and from the UK in horrendous conditions, deprived of food and water, kept in cramped and filthy, unsafe conditions - the frightened horses caught up in the horse smuggling trade are not only exhausted but experience rough handling and mistreatment, as well as being at high risk of disease. Some of these horses may be bound for slaughter but for the vast majority their fate is unknown and could be much worse.

The traders involved see horses as mere commodities. They do not care for their welfare and cut costs at every opportunity. By giving the horses new identities, they can hide a horse’s history and sell them on for a higher cost. Should the smugglers be caught then there are minimal consequences, meaning there is no deterrent or repercussions for these illegal activities.

For horses to be protected from horse smuggling, we must make it harder for traders to hide journeys and reidentify horses which is why our charity is pushing for a fully digitalised equine identification and traceability system and better enforcement.

Daisy was one of five pregnant mares who were part of a group of 26 horses rescued from being smuggled into Europe, read Daisy’s story - https://bit.ly/3UoSekD

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