International Meeting on Horse Welfare: Sabrina Gurtner Visits Belwade Farm in Aberdeen
Sabrina Gurtner (back row, second from the right) with other horse advocates from various countries.
The horses, ponies, and donkeys at Belwade Farm all have a difficult past.
Here, they can recover and simply behave like horses again.
The farm provided the perfect setting for the animal advocates’ gathering.
In mid-April, our project manager, Sabrina Gurtner, traveled to Aberdeen to meet with experts in horse welfare from across Europe. The event was organized by the Eurogroup for Animals—the umbrella organization for European animal welfare groups—and brought together 19 participants from various countries.
The meeting took place at Belwade Farm, a facility run by World Horse Welfare. The farm is home to around 65 horses, ponies, and donkeys from across the UK that are in need of care and require professional rehabilitation. Dedicated staff support the animals on their journey back to a happy life.
The participants presented their latest projects. As part of this, Sabrina Gurtner shared the latest findings from our ongoing investigations into horse meat production at EU-approved facilities in Argentina and Uruguay. She also informed participants about a new research study that we commissioned together with the Eurogroup for Animals at the University of Bologna, which focuses on the welfare of so-called “blood mares.” The Eurogroup for Animals also pledged its support for the submission of our petition, in which we call for a ban on the import of horse meat from cruel production methods.
We are convinced that international exchange with other animal welfare organizations not only strengthens our network but also sharpens our shared focus on systemic abuses—and our determination to combat them together.