Charity rescues horses 'crammed in lorry' at port

A charity has rescued "bewildered" horses and ponies that were being illegally smuggled out of the UK for suspected fattening and slaughter in Europe.

Twenty animals, including racehorses, were found in "horrific conditions" in a lorry at the Port of Dover in December, seven months after the ban on live exports.

World Horse Welfare (WHW), which is based in Snetterton, Norfolk, said it was caring for eight surviving horses, including a pregnant mare and foals. Five Irish Thoroughbreds had to be euthanised.

"It was an incredibly sad sight to see this very mixed group of horses, some of which were fully clipped and shod, so previously well cared for, now looking bewildered, poor and depressed, with vacant expressions," said WHW field officer Rebecca Carter.

Many of the horses were too sick and weak to travel and were crammed into an unsuitable lorry where one foal was on the floor and unable to get back on its feet, the charity added.

Port officials - who have been praised by WHW for their vigilance - redirected the lorry to a holding yard for further checks.

"I was faced with a heartbreaking scene," explained Ms Carter.

"The equines were so still and quiet and appeared shell-shocked from their ordeal.

"A number of the horses were underweight and had strangles, a highly contagious bacterial and potentially fatal infection – with the infected horses suffering from painful abscesses and fever."

Two of the animals had pneumonia, some were suffering from skin conditions and various health issues, and unhandled foals were matted with faeces, she added.

"They were completely terrified and when I approached them, they buried their heads into each other and huddled together in a corner of the stable."

Two Irish Thoroughbreds are recovering and are expected to be rehomed and seven horses in better health were claimed by their owners.

The discovery was made one year after WFW helped rescue 26 horses, including pregnant mares, which had been crammed into a transporter at Dover.

WHW chief executive Roly Owers said: "We always knew that the passing of the Animal Welfare (Live Exports) Act 2024, whilst a huge step forward, was never going to work in isolation.

"Nevertheless, it is shocking to have been involved in another high-profile rescue of equines at Dover, many of whom were very likely being exported for slaughter."

He said the welfare of transported equines would "never be fully protected" without a digital identification and traceability system.

An investigation into the transportation of the 20 horses, which originated in Ireland, is ongoing.

A spokesperson from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said that the government did not comment on individual cases, but added: "It is illegal to export horses for slaughter under the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024.

"We have put in place measures to ensure this law is enforced robustly."

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