National Equine Welfare Protocol Update

NATIONAL EQUINE WELFARE PROTOCOL - UPDATE September 2008

Following the large equine welfare case centred on Amersham the Princess Royal called together a meeting of the main organisations involved to see what improvements could be made to the handling of equine welfare problems in this country. The review was chaired by Major General Robert Gordon CMG, CBE and produced the National Equine Welfare Protocol on how welfare problems could be better handled in the future. Most of the leading welfare charities are signatories to the Protocol, as are the police and government, and they have agreed to work more closely together in the future. But, as always, it is easier to agree what needs to be done, than to actually arrange to do it.

A number of measures were suggested in the Protocol on which NEWC feels it might be able to take action; as usual the stumbling block is money. Nothing much is likely to be achieved unless it becomes somebody’s job to do it, and the majority of the people on the NEWC management board are fully occupied doing the jobs for which their own organisations pay them. Accordingly NEWC has developed some draft plans to present to the next protocol meeting., which, provided funding can be found, it feels it could take forward by employing those with the necessary expertise. These include :-

Regional meetings organised from a central base, with the aim of improving collaboration between the representatives of the various welfare organisations, the police and local government in the local area. By organising meetings from the centre, information can flow down to the local participants about new national developments and back to the centre from those who have to deal with local problems.
Better training for welfare officers. Different organisations recruit and train their welfare officers in different ways. By offering more formal and comprehensive training for welfare officers it is hoped that organisations will better understand each others strengths and weaknesses and how they can work together for the good of the horse.
Better understanding and use of improvement notices which are a powerful tool supplied by the recent Animal Welfare Act. However, like any other tool it needs to be used correctly and carefully if it is not to do as much good as harm. Developing standards and procedures for the use of improvement notices could produce a significant increase in equine welfare in a relatively short space of time.
Developing an approval scheme for sanctuaries could help all concerned to know where a horse could be safely placed, and what that horses future might hold. One bad apple can spoil many and it is sad that many small but dedicated organisations across the country may suffer for the poor reputation of the few.

The Equine Industry is not an impoverished one, and it is hoped that with NEWC’s ideas and expertise, backed by funding from other organisations much could be achieved. NEWC will be presenting its ideas to the next Protocol meeting in September, when it is hoped they will receive support from a wider audience.