AN Emergency Services Protocol and Fund to help horses caught up in accidents was launched on May 15 at Buckingham Palace.

HRH The Princess Royal presented the protocol, created by The British Horse Society (BHS) and the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), to representatives from all areas of the horse industry at a palace reception.

The protocol sets out a national standard with procedural guidelines for police and fire services with large animal rescue. Its creation was triggered by the rising number of horses dying slow, painful deaths in widely reported accidents on the roads and elsewhere.

The aim of the new code is to minimise delays in injured animals receiving veterinary care, to maximise the chances of a positive outcome for the animal and to ensure the safety of all those involved.

An Emergency Services Protocol Fund has also been established, kicked off with a donation of £6,000 by the BHS, which will guarantee that there is no delay in injured horses receiving veterinary care when their owners cannot be traced. The fund will also pay for rescue training and specialist lifting and rescue equipment for the emergency services.

Graham Cory, BHS chief executive, said: "It is clearly not acceptable that we should permit horses to suffer unnecessarily simply through want of immediate veterinary care and attention.

"That is why we worked with partners in the equine world, and with the police and fire services, and drew up this protocol."