Sad case of horses found at Dover highlights need for vigilance about equine welfare

We will soon be getting to that time of the year when racehorse welfare appears on the radar of the wider media. The Grand National and, increasingly, the Cheltenham Festival will come under scrutiny and the usual faces will be wheeled out to attack racing before disappearing for another year.

For those in the sport, the subject of equine welfare is a 365-days-a-year issue, the importance of which has been brought into sharp focus by recent events.

Last week World Horse Welfare (WHW) revealed it had found 20 horses at the port of Dover who had been discovered travelling on illegal transport in what the charity described as "horrific conditions".