I go to Appleby Horse Fair every year and this is what it's really like and the truth behind claims of animal abuse and antisocial behaviour

Daily Mail​

a day ago

A young woman who has been to Appleby Horse Fair every year of her life has hit back at claims of animal abuse and antisocial behaviour.
Lara Houlden, 29, loves the gathering of gypsies and travellers so much that she travelled from Lincoln to Cumbria for the annual celebration.
And she claims that reports of animal abuse at the festival have been 'blown out of proportion', with welfare issues happening 'wherever you go'.
This year cops made a record-breaking number of arrests at the fair - including on where a man allegedly punched a horse.
Some 123 people were detained by Cumbria Constabulary, 80 of whom were for drink or drug driving offences.
Separately, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) made 372 interventions at this year's fair - down on 438 last year, but up on 288 in 2023.
Ms Houlden, who works for a horse holiday business, said: 'With animal welfare issues, you get that wherever you go - even at a local horse show there's always going to be the odd one.
'But with the amount of people and the amount of horses, it's very very rare you will see a genuine welfare issue.
'Obviously horses are going to scrape their leg coming off the box, mine did it himself once, just came off the box and cut his leg.
'But it's very very rare there are actually welfare issues, it's massively twisted in the way it's represented.
'I think it's more to attract attention and draw people in, it's majorly, majorly blown out of proportion - it's very very rare you will see a serious welfare issue within the fair.'
The RSPCA, which attends the event annually, says a 'minority' of people at the festival work horses too hard and commit acts of abuse.
This year the RSPCA issued 18 warnings; removed, treated and returned 14 equines to their owners; has two ongoing investigations; and is caring for six horses who were abandoned or are subject to investigations; and removed one wild caught bird.
In addition, two horses were put to sleep because they were ill, which the charity said was on veterinary advice and with the permission of their owner.
On Saturday, police arrested a man after a report of a horse having been punched.
Aidan Tomlinson, 22, of Pudsey, Leeds, was later charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and was bailed to attend Carlisle Magistrates' Court on July 14.
Cumbria Police also arrested a woman in charge of a horse who had previously been disqualified from controlling animals. She was released under investigation whilst officers investigate.
Officers said they had issued 370 traffic offence report tickets during the event in Appleby-in-Westmorland, while 120 vehicles were seized - including those suspected of being stolen, used in a crime, causing an obstruction or driving without insurance.
The arrest total compares to 102 last year, and is the highest figure in records dating back more than 15 years - with the closest challenger year being 2009, with 106.
Out of the 123 arrests this year, 80 were made during the fair itself while the other 43 were in the weeks leading up to it as part of the overall policing operation.
But Ms Houlden - whose mother even went to Appleby while she was in her womb - delighted in the outfits and said she had even met a partner at the fair.
She described Appleby as a 'big social event' where people can catch up with friends and enjoy time with horses - and said it cost her just £15 to attend.
After getting home from the festival with her four-year-old horse Zorin, Ms Houlden continued: 'It's such a fantastic atmosphere, everybody's so kind and welcoming, the atmosphere's fabulous.
'Everybody's just happy and enjoying themselves, all the horses up and down.
'It's something you've got to see for yourself and experience for yourself at least once, it's something you can never get bored of.'
Ms Houlden attends the fair with her mother Vanessa, 60, who has been going for over 50 years and has never missed a year.
She said her mother, who has a visual impairment, feels 'safer walking around Appleby than she does walking through our local town'.
Despite seeing plenty of glamorous outfits worn at the fair, practical Ms Houlden says she took a different approach.
She said: 'Even with the horrendous weather we had on Saturday, there were some lovely outfits to be seen.
'I dressed for the weather, I don't deal with cold very well!'
She added: 'I stayed in my car on Fair Hill, which, with the horse box, cost me £15.
'If you take your own food and drink, you wouldn't need to spend more unless you wanted to buy from the market.'
Organisers said this year's event was 'one of the busiest in recent years', with a total of 1,307 caravans and bowtops in attendance - up on 1,287 last year but short of the record of 1,318 recorded in 2014.
The 2025 figures saw a drop in the number of traditional bowtops to 95, down from 112 in 2024.
There were 1,152 caravans, up from 1,078 in 2024, 46 tents and a further six vans, or wagons used as accommodation.
Meanwhile there was drop in the number of stalls at the fair this year with overall numbers at 231, including 25 food stalls.
This was down on the 268 recorded in 2024 and well below the 2016 record high of 276.
Data on arrests each year was compiled by MailOnline from the annual 'Learning Lessons' report released by the Appleby Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Coordinating Group (MASCG), which was established in 2008.
Comparative figures are therefore not believed to be available before 2009.
RSPCA Chief Inspector Rob Melloy, who oversees the animal welfare operation, said: 'Our interactions with the Fairgoing community have been overwhelmingly positive and interventions, when they've been necessary, have been cordial.
'People may have seen something they're not happy with, if it has been reported to us it has been investigated by our staff.
'Whilst we did see tired horses, none of those who were exhaustion tested were so bad that they needed to be removed from their owners permanently. When they had rested, we were able to return them.'
Steph Cordon, chair of the Appleby Fair MASCG, said: 'With poor weather forecast over the weekend of the Fair, which also coincided with the Epsom Derby, we did wonder if caravan and bowtop numbers might be lower this year.
'An initial reading of the count would suggest otherwise, but the recording of vehicles at the fair is now much more accurate using drone technology, so comparisons to previous years is not necessarily a helpful barometer.
'I'm pleased that this year's fair has passed without any major incidents and I'd like to thank everyone involved in the response to the Fair, for their hard work and dedication in making sure that this was the case.'
It comes after a huge operation to clear fields of discarded rubbish began yesterday as thousands of travellers headed home – with sofas, wooden furniture, bedding, food and toilet waste strewn across the picturesque countryside.
Appleby is billed as the biggest traditional traveller fair in Europe and takes place in the market town of Appleby-in-Westmorland every year.
Around 10,000 people from the gypsy and traveller community were expected to attend this year's event, outnumbering the local population of just 3,048 people.