Crammed into trucks without food or water for hours on end. That is the grim reality that horses like Victor face, as they are smuggled across Europe.

Victor is just one of 20 horses that were discovered at the English port of Dover in December last year, as they were being smuggled from Ireland, through Britain, to the European mainland. It is believed that Victor, along with some of the other horses on the lorry, were likely destined for slaughter.

Every year, thousands of horses, ponies and donkeys are subjected to long and gruelling journeys across the UK and Europe, forced to experience awful conditions, as they are smuggled towards an unknown fate. We need MPs to speak up and use their influence to ensure laws are put in place to protect these vulnerable animals from horse smugglers.

On the 2nd of April, World Horse Welfare is hosting an event in the UK Parliament to raise awareness of horse smuggling and to let MPs know what they can do to help tackle this horrific trade. As MPs have busy diaries, we need your help to ensure they prioritise helping horses like Victor by writing to them to ask them to join us at the event.

Victor was being moved with other Irish Thoroughbreds, Connemara ponies and unhandled youngsters, alongside animals that were being moved legitimately. Many of the horses were too sick and weak to travel yet had been crammed into an unsuitable lorry which was stopped due to welfare during transport concerns. Victor was found to be suffering from pneumonia, while others were infected with the highly contagious respiratory disease, strangles. Victor is one of the lucky ones, as he is now receiving the professional help and care he needs at one of World Horse Welfare’s rescue and rehoming centres. Other horses are not so fortunate, and we need to be their voice in Parliament.