A NUMBER of famous faces will be among those supporting a new welfare campaign to be launched by the British Horse Society (BHS) at Badminton.

The society’s Drawing the Line on Indiscriminate Breeding campaign will see a host of celebrities from the horse world and beyond producing original works of art that will be auctioned in support of the BHS campaign against the over-production of horses.

Several equestrian greats have shown their support, including Lucinda Green and triple Olympic gold medallist Matt Ryan. Many other celebrities will produce their own piece of artwork over the coming year.

Mary King is one of the riders supporting the campaign. She said: “In the UK, we end up producing too many unsuitable horses and ponies which face an uncertain future. That’s why I support the British Horse Society’s campaign.”

As one of the UK’s leading horse welfare charities, the British Horse Society takes the view that most of the welfare problems in this country can be traced back to one cause – we simply have more horses and ponies than we have experienced and knowledgeable homes to care for them.

The issue has been brought into even sharper focus by the economic difficulties faced by many horse owners in the recession. Equine charities have been reporting a huge increase in the number of requests for help for some time.

The British Horse Society, in common with other welfare organisations, responds annually to hundreds of reports of suffering and neglected horses.

At some markets, it is currently possible to buy a young, unhandled horse for just £30, a similar price to a rabbit from a pet shop. The future faced by horses changing hands for such small sums of money has to be open to serious question.

Lee Hackett, head of BHS welfare, said: “Putting an end to the indiscriminate breeding of low-quality horses and ponies will mean a more secure future for those that are bred.

“Put simply, fewer horses means better welfare.”