Hackney horses at risk of extinction despite historic role in rural English life
As an animal lover I find this a sad story. It’s easy to think about butterflies in Africa or Pandas in China, this story remind us some key icons of our own rural life are vulnerable to extinction…..
Hackney horses are at risk of extinction, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) has said, despite their historic role in traditional British rural life.
The RBST, which works to save and safeguard rare native livestock and equine breeds, has today released its Watchlist, showing which breeds are seeing a recovery, and which breeds are currently most at risk.
While some animals are doing well thanks to a renewed interest in consuming local, traditional breeds, others are dying out because the modern world has no use for them. These include Hackney horses, whose breeding numbers are down to 129 from 158 last year. They were traditionally used for driving carriages, but there is now little need for them because of the rise of motor vehicles….