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Several British horseracing groups have launched a horse welfare campaign, called HorsePWR.
The initiative is led by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), Great British Racing (GBR) and racing’s Horse Welfare Board (HWB), with financial support from the Jockey Club.
The HorsePWR campaign’s purpose is to share data, discuss the risks of horseracing and provide an objective platform for welfare concerns.
Richard Hoiles, Racing Broadcaster, said: “Following the welfare debates around last year’s Grand National it was felt the sport lacked a single source for accurate facts about racing, and this campaign fills that vacuum.
“This is about providing credible data and information, in the right context, so that people can make informed opinions.”
This will include horses who are actively racing, along with those who have left the sport and retired.
Gabi Whitfield, GBR Head of Welfare Communications, said: “The public want to know that horses bred for racing are leading good lives, that racing acts responsibly and in the best interests of the horse, and that all efforts are being made to reduce risk wherever possible.
“That’s why HorsePWR has been created.
“And it will cover the full spectrum, from helping rebut misinformation through to promoting the many aspects of racehorse welfare that the sport can be rightly proud of.”
Along with a website, www.horsepwr.co.uk, the campaign includes several posters that contain the core messages around transparency, responsibility and welfare.
Robin Mounsey, BHA Head of Communications, said: “The HorsePWR campaign sees the sport take a new approach when it comes to talking about welfare.
“It is about being up-front, open, and transparent.
“It is about tackling head-on the elements of the sport that we know are areas of concern and providing information to educate and reassure.”
This initiative comes after the BHA ran a campaign during Cheltenham regarding horse welfare.
