Horses march through London to support other horses

Supporters of new animal welfare Bill ride to Parliament to highlight plight of horses exported live for slaughter

On Tuesday, 18 April, a group of horses and their riders from World Horse Welfare rode to the Houses of Parliament to press for the passage of the Kept Animals Bill and raise awareness of the live export for slaughter of horses.

The ride marked the start of the charity’s appeal #StopHorseSmuggling, which aims to ban the live transportation of horses to other countries from Britain for slaughter. The Kept Animals Bill, which would make this illegal, was first introduced into Parliament in June 2021, but despite cross-party support, it has still not been enshrined in law.

Any horse can potentially be exported for slaughter, from outgrown ponies through to ex-competition horses, and in some cases the seller is unaware of the purchaser’s true intentions. Horses can be smuggled out of the country in poor welfare conditions to have their lives ended in the slaughterhouse.

The horses for the march were supplied by Carol Andrews, owner of Wimbledon Village Stables, and, for safety, riders were escorted by the Metropolitan Police’s Mounted Branch as they made their way from South Carriage Drive in Knightsbridge, through Hyde Park to Constitution Hill and along The Mall before arriving at Parliament.

A few familiar faces also joined the march, including a number of famous entertainment and equestrian personalities, such as YouTuber This Esme and Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox.

This Esme, who rode on the march, said: “Today was a great day, a great ride, with a great charity for a great cause. Nobody wants to see the live export of horses for slaughter, and we all want to support these beautiful and sensitive animals.

“Anything we can do to increase awareness brings us a few steps closer to getting the Kept Animals Bill passed and putting a stop to this barbaric end for our precious horse friends.”

For more information, visit worldhorsewelfare.org