The National Equine Welfare Council, also known simply as NEWC, is not an independent body, but an umbrella organisation that brings together more than 60 equine groups and charities from all over the UK with an interest in upholding good welfare standards. Members include sanctuaries, breed societies, veterinary groups, equine sports regulators and research organisations. The combined knowledge, expertise and areas of interest of their members make NEWC a central player within the equine world.

The work of the Council is steered by its management board. The board consists of six representatives elected by the whole NEWC membership every three years. Redwings representative has been successfully elected to be part of the management board since 2002, and in May 2009, Redwings' Head of Welfare, Nic de Brauwere was elected chairman of the board.

All members of the National Equine Welfare Council have to meet certain welfare standards to make them eligible. For a sanctuary to join the council, they must undergo a rigorous inspection to ensure that the work they carry out is in line with best practice for both their equines and their staff and volunteers.

Membership of NEWC has many benefits. Every member has the opportunity to meet and interact with a wide range of other organisations and share ideas and information. Larger charities are very supportive of smaller welfare organisations and can offer practical help in many ways. Redwings has assisted a wide range of small organisations that have come to our attention through NEWC.

In September, the National Equine Welfare Council launched the third edition of the Equine Industry Welfare Guidelines Compendium at this year’s British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in Birmingham.

This third edition reflects the significant changes in animal welfare legislation as well as improved scientific knowledge of welfare issues.

Whilst previous editions were used extensively in supporting welfare investigations and legal proceedings, the new edition is designed to assist anyone responsible for the welfare of horses, ponies and donkeys in meeting their obligations under the new welfare legislation in England, Wales and Scotland. Click here to download the new Compendium from the NEWC website >>>>>>>>>>>

We have also worked with other members of NEWC on two leaflets in response to the high number of requests for help that their members are receiving from horse owners struggling financially across the UK. “Responsible Re-homing” and “Cutting Costs without Compromising on Welfare” are the first to be produced by the group and available to download here free of charge.

To find out more about the National Equine Welfare Council, their members and work, view the NEWC website.

• Welfare leaflets