The RSPCA has commissioned a research project to find out more about the use and care of equines across England and Wales to help understand the management, ownership, population and welfare of horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids across England and Wales
The RSPCA has gathered a specialist team from The University of Bristol, Human Behaviour Change for Life, and University College Dublin who are collaborating and working to understand the current equine welfare crisis that England and Wales are facing.
The team will gather research that will look deeper into specific horse, pony, and donkey welfare subjects including breeding practices, availability of appropriate places to keep horses and patterns in abandonment.
The first step is to understand the equine population in England and Wales and this is where your help is needed. A survey has been created and the teams behind it are trying to get to as many members of the equine community as possible to get a wide representation of views from different sectors.
Specifically, they are interested in the supply and demand for horses, ponies and donkeys in these countries and the impact this has on equine welfare and the population.
The survey can be accessed here onlinesurveys.ac.uk and will close to responses at midnight Tuesday 31st January 2023 so please ensure you complete the survey by then.