Britain’s Princess Anne has opened an equine rehabilitation centre.
The Princess Royal officially opened the state-of-the-art facility at Brooksby Melton College in Leicestershire on Wednesday (13.05.15), where she unveiled a commemorative plaque and observed a demonstration of the centre’s specialist equipment.
The 64-year-old royal – who is the mother of Peter, 37, and Zara Phillips, 33 – is known for her equestrian interest, having been the first member of the royal family to compete in the Olympic Games, and having won two silvers and a gold medal at the European Eventing Championships in the 1970s.
And recently, the princess – who is president of World Horse Welfare – has been vocal in criticising the inhumane conditions suffered by horses at the hands of hauliers and the meat industry.
Writing about the worsening conditions for horses in a foreword for a new book on the subject, she wrote: "The greatest suffering continues to be in the inhumane transportation of horses across country borders to slaughter houses.
"Matters seem to be getting worse as a result of over-breeding, doping and indiscriminate horse trading at markets where welfare is of little interest to those involved.
"The greatest suffering continues to be in the inhumane transportation of horses across country borders to slaughterhouses, matched only by the thousands of horses, donkeys and mules working long hours in the developing world."
Princess Anne opens equine centre
