News Article

In a press release timed to come out days before the next New Forest market, Compassion In World Farming (CIWF), has revealed that New Forest ponies, are being cruelly and illegally treated.

A CIWF Trust investigation found cruel and illegal handling at market – Ponies being slapped, kicked, wrestled to the floor and grabbed and lifted by the neck and tail in breach of market laws and Government guidelines which state that horses require calm, sympathetic and unhurried handling.

Justin Wilkes, CIWF’s Parliamentary Officer, said

"The Government must launch an investigation into whether the welfare laws on the sale of wild horses and ponies at market are being broken. It is high time the Government conducted a major review of the keeping of wild horses in the Forest. "

After the sales, CIWF investigators trailed a consignment of 52 tightly packed ponies in a trailer from the New Forest to a slaughterhouse in Cheshire. During the arduous 7 hour journey two of the ponies had fallen down, unable to get up. Our investigators, concerned that the ponies were in danger of being trampled, intervened and a vet was called to supervise the unloading. And the fate of some of these ponies? To be slaughtered with the meat then being exported abroad.

Gem de Silva, CIWF’s Investigations Officer said:

"CIWF believes that the British public will be appalled to learn that these wild ponies are being slaughtered to satisfy the tastes of European horse connoisseurs. At a time when the European demand for beef has declined due to BSE, the horse export trade has almost doubled with 12,000 horse and pony carcasses being exported to Belgium and France each year."

For further information contact:

Justin Wilkes on 01730 233904
Gem de Silva on 01730 233904/01865 725763.