The RSPCA revealed there have been several cases of horse cruelty in the run-up to Appleby Horse Fair – two ponies being dumped and a horse being struck inappropriately.
Crowds started building today for the annual event despite wet and blustery weather.
Cumbria RSPCA chief inspector Rob Melloy, said: “Unfortunately there are still a minority of people that come here who will abuse the animals and run the horses far too much and work them too hard, but that is what we are here for, we are here to try and find those guys and stop them.
“We have had a couple of ponies that have been dumped and we have an ongoing investigation into a horse that was being hit inappropriately.
“A member of the public saw the horse being hit and reported it, resulting in the investigation. We have managed to save that horse basically.”
However, he added that overall it had been a ‘good’ fair.
He said: “So far it has been a good fair for us, and in the run-up to the fair we have seen some really good animals, amazing looking, and some really good horsemanship.”
The incidents are understood to have occurred in outlying villages in the Appleby area over the last week.
Cumbria police said 49 arrests had been made in the area during the run-up to the fair.
Superintendent Daniel St Quintin, Gold Commander for the fair, said: “The most serious arrests we had yesterday were two drug drivers.
“That seems to be a theme this year where we are catching quite a few drug drivers, either for cannabis or cocaine and they are getting dealt with accordingly.”
The arrests generally relate to drug and drink driving, drug possession and low level public order and anti-social behaviour offences and involved a mixture of those living in the region and visitors.
