Netherlands | Zuidlaren | Horsemarket

Today our team together with Eyes on Animals inspected the horse market in Zuidlaren. Horses arrived during last night and the market closes at 16:00, but at 17:30 when is heavily raining there are still horses on the exhibition area. This market takes place every year together with a kermes and some measures have been taken to improve the welfare of the horses, regarding the exposure to noise and the possibility to offer food and water to the animals. Although, during our inspection we observe few water buckets offered to horses and donkeys and the tethering facilities are not adequate, it is easy for the animals to get their legs tangled up in the rope-railing and nobody is there to help them, especially at the end of the market when less attention is payed to leftover animals. The NVWA and market organizers should pay more attention to these problems. Even when there is an inspection of the animals at the entrance of the exhibition area, our team detects a horse with an open wound in his face and bleeding lesions in the front legs and calls the NVWA for assistance.

Export animals are in a separated area where they receive the export Certification. This market should not be considered place of departure as it does not comply with the requirements of EU regulation 1/2005 and the time the horses spend in the market should be considered journey time. A complaint will be sent to the competent authorities.