Health and Welfare Strategy for the Horse, Pony and Donkey
Barry
Gardiner MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Rural Affairs, Biodiversity
and Landscapes, and Minister for the Horse, announced the launch of the
Equine
Health & Welfare Strategy for Great Britain (Link to the Equine
Health & Welfare Strategy website) at the National Equine Forum in London
on 22 March 2007.
Barry Gardiner MP said;
“The Equine Health & Welfare Strategy will provide vital guidance to horse owners for the next decade. My department, Defra, has been pleased to be a partner in this Industry-led initiative.
The Strategy will help us to improve disease surveillance, and help us to prioritise resources for tackling these diseases.
BETA estimates that there are over a million horses in this country, looked after by nearly three quarters of a million people. We want to encourage these people to adopt the new Equine Health & welfare Strategy and make it a part of their everyday actions”.
The Strategy sets out the vision for equine health and welfare in Britain and is divided into Eight Aims which support its delivery. Each Aim has a named Champion body, responsible for ensuring that the Actions underpinning the Aim are delivered.
The 10 year vision of this Strategy is to achieve high standards of health and welfare of equines in Great Britain and to ensure that everyone responsible for equine health and welfare understands and fulfils their duty of care.
A list of organisations that have been consulted on the strategy is also available.
Further information is available: www.equinehealthandwelfarestrategy.co.uk.
Related links
- Veterinary surveillance: Horses
- Gateway to equine issues in Government
- Farm Animal Welfare Council's five freedoms
- Draft contingency plan for certain Specified Type Equine Exotic Diseases (STEED)
- Horse tracing and identification
- British Equine Veterinary Association
Page last modified:
May 23, 2008