Great Britain’s leading equine welfare organizations and charities are once again gathered together under one roof at the Aintree Grand National meet, in Merseyside, England, to raise awareness of welfare issues across the equine population.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty To Animals (RSPCA), World Horse Welfare, the British Horse Society (BHS), and Retraining of Racehorses exhibited and talked to racegoers under the marquee banner of The Horse Comes First at Aintree. More than 150,000 racegoers were expected to attend the three-day meet (April 7-9). On each day an equine veterinarian was also available on the stand to answer questions about all aspects of horse health.

The Horse Comes First stand presented the opportunity to raise awareness both of the high welfare standards within British Racing as well as the wider welfare issues affecting the nonracing equine population in the U.K.

A number of horse welfare groups have a shared concern about the so-called “horse crisis” in the U.K., with more than 4,000 horses and ponies considered at risk of abandonment and neglect. The welfare charities are working hard to highlight this situation and make sure horses are given the care, attention, and the homes they need and deserve