International animal welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary,has revealed its latest television advert which shines a light on the donkey skin trade, the single biggest threat facing donkeys around the globe.It is the first time the donkey skin trade has featured in the charitys television advertising and reflects how the demand for donkey skin has grown alarmingly in recent years due to the popularity of ejiao.Ejiao is a gelatin product used in traditional Chinese medicine and commonly found in cosmetics, which is obtained from boiling donkey skin. It is believed that around six million donkeys are slaughtered each year for their skin.As well as showing donkeys threatened by the skin trade, the advert, which in entitled The Truth has beencreated by Fridays Child, an independent production company based in Brighton,alsohighlights donkeys suffering negligence in the UK, exploitation in the global construction industry and ingesting plastic at dump sites in Kenya.Watch the full advert now:Barbaric and unsustainable tradeThe truth about thisbarbaric and unsustainable trade is that donkeys suffer at every step from being transported long distances and held, often terrified and in overcrowded conditions, before being slaughtered and discarded after their skins have been removed, saidMarianne Steele, ceo of The Donkey Sanctuary.Donkeys are intelligent and sentient animals who deserve respect and protection. We will continue to work tirelessly to stop this slaughter and create a better world for donkeys everywhere.Chinas donkey population is rapidly declining due to ejiao production and consequently agents are targeting vulnerable donkeys and their owners in other countries.In 2021, the Ejiao Act was reintroduced in the House of Representatives to ban the sale and trade of ejiao in the US, which Brooke USA is lobbying to be implemented.Animal welfare groups including Brooke USA Foundation gathered outside Amazons headquartersin Virginia last October to deliver a petition of over 370,000 signatures to protest its sales of donkey skin products.Donkeys being transported by truck at a market in Tanzania. (Credit The Donkey Sanctuary)In February 2024, thanks to lobbying from Brooke and other animal welfare organisations,the African Union banned the donkey skin trade across their continent.Images The Donkey Sanctuary.Related contentRescue donkeys help create ideal habitat for rare fungi, flora and faunaNew enrichment paddock for some of The Donkey Sanctuarys smallest residentsThe Donkey Sanctuary rolls out vaccination programmes to prevent rabiesProtest outside Amazon HQ calls for sale of donkey skin products to be bannedThe post Animal welfare charity unveils new TV ad which focuses on donkey skin trade appeared first on Your Horse.

A foal has been born to a mare who was rescued as part of the Trafficked 20, a group of horses who were discovered at Dover being transported to an unknown fate likely a European slaughterhouse in horrific conditions.The healthy filly foal, who has been named Joy, was born at World Horse Welfares Norfolk Rescue and Rehoming Centre to Amy, who was pregnant when she was discovered as part of the Trafficked 20 last December.Of the 20 horses who were found, five had to be euthanised, seven were claimed by their owners, and eight including Amy were abandoned and signed over to World Horse Welfares care.Following a period of quarantine,the eight abandoned horses, which also included a pony called Kevin who was battling a severe skin infection, three foals, two Irish Thoroughbreds and a riding pony, were moved to the charitys Hall Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Norfolk.Some of the horses who were part of the Trafficked 20.Mare and foal thrivingGiven the horrendous conditions Amy endured during the journey and the condition she was found in, it is remarkable that both mare and foal are doing so well.Despite being sick and underweight, horses such as the Trafficked 20 are still profitable to unscrupulous traders,said Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare.Smugglers cut costs by cramming horses onto overloaded vehicles and skipping feed and water. If they dont sell for riding or breeding, some still end up going for fattening and slaughter where traders make a final profit, no matter how poor the horses condition.The ban on live exports to slaughter now makes it illegal to export horses from Great Britain for fattening and slaughter, but sadly it is still all too easy for once well cared for horses to be exploited by those who only view them as commodities. Those involved in the trade know they can operate with impunity as a result of a flawed system.Horses crossing borders with different jurisdictions and identification policies, and paper-based ID, the mainstay for most, simply isnt good enough to protect these vulnerable animals, continued Roly.One of the Trafficked 20 Irish Thoroughbreds at the holding yard.Digital equine ID system neededFor the evidence to be robust and those responsible held accountable World Horse Welfare is working with the wider horse sector, to push for a digitalised equine identification and traceability system in the UK and EU.Defra ministerBaronessHayman of Ullocktold theNational Equine Forumin London in March that while the government recognises the importance of equine identification and traceability, pressure on public finances means the project has been paused.She said: I do recognise that a key concern in the industry is the improvement of equine identification and traceability.The Trafficked 20 and other high profile cases have highlighted the need for acentralised and fully digitalised ID and traceability system across the UK and EU.Illegal tradeIn February last year, the Dover 26 a transporter crammed full of horses being exported to Europe were discovered. Many of the 26 equines on board did not have the necessary paperwork to travel.Five months ago,Your Horsereported onthe three-year-old ex-racehorse who suffered a fractured skulland severe wounds after being trampled by other horses in an overloaded lorry destined for slaughter.World Horse Welfare are not the only ones who are growing increasingly concerned about the impact that the absence of a digital equine identification and traceability scheme is having. Leading voices from the equine sector as well as the food industry are warning that theres a real danger that horses treated with lethal veterinary drugs could enter the human food chain undetected as beef.There is absolutely nothing stopping a horse euthanised with barbiturates rendering its meat a toxic hazard from being passed off as a clean carcass for human consumption, said Dr Jason Aldiss, executive director of theAssociation of Independent Meat Suppliers(AIMS).We are sitting on a ticking time bomb.Related contentHow to tell if a horse is happyUK bans live export of horses for slaughterPetition set up with the aim of updating the Dangerous Dogs Act to better protect horsesPublic attitudes towards horse sport on the right track but there is still more to doLearn to read your horses body language with this expert adviceThe post Miracle foal born to mare saved as part of the Trafficked 20 appeared first on Your Horse.

Welcome to Horse Illustrateds weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the ASPCAs Right Horse program. This weeks adoptable horse is Eemas Escape!Check back weekly for a new featured horse so you can find your Right Horse.Photo courtesy Days End Farm Horse RescueAdoptable Horse: Eemas Escape, a 30-year-old, 15.1hh American Quarter Horse mareOrganization: Days End Farm Horse Rescue, Woodbine, Md.Get to Know Adoptable Horse Eemas EscapeEemas Escape is a gentle 30-year-old palomino mare with a heart of gold and a story to match. She earned her name after being found abandoned in a state park, but her journey has led her to safety, care, and nowhopefullyto a loving retirement home.Eema is part of DEFHRs Guardian Program, which means all expenses related to her care are tax-deductible. While her riding days are behind her, she still has so much to offer as a sweet and steady companion.This super senior is the definition of calm and kind. Shes perfect for beginner handlers and absolutely wonderful with kids. Eema enjoys slow walks, quiet moments, and affectionate attention. She would thrive in a peaceful pasture setting where she can be spoiled and loved the way she deserves.Give this golden girl the soft landing shes been waiting forEema is ready to escape into your heart.Contact Days End Farm Horse Rescue today about ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, Eemas Escape!Photo courtesy Days End Farm Horse RescueASPCA Right HorseASPCA Right Horse is the online adoption platform of The Right Horse Initiative, a collection of equine industry and welfare professionals and advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition. A program of the ASPCA, their goal is to massively increase horse adoption in the United States. To find more adoptable horses and foster horses, visit www.myrighthorse.org. To learn more about The Right Horse, a program of the ASPCA, visit www.aspcarighthorse.org.The post ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Eemas Escape appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.