Cross-posted from the Evening Telegraph
Lunar and her foal Lily were destined for slaughter until a family –- heartbroken at their plight –- stepped in and rescued them.
The Tansur family from Desborough paid 850 euros for the horses and even found the £580 transportation costs to bring them to the county.
Lunar and Lily were on a French ‘fattening farm’ awaiting transportation to be killed for meat in Italy.
The horse-loving family paid to have the animals rescued by a charity and now they are enjoying a new life on a Pipewell farm.
Mum Charlotte was searching the internet when she came across the website, http://www.equinesection.com, which gives details of horses facing the three-day journey from France to Italy.
She said she understood the horses travel in cramped conditions with no food or water.
The 28-year-old, her husband and two children, of Hereford Close, already have two horses in Pipewell and decided to save the animals from death.
Lunar and Lily arrived earlier this month and Charlotte said: “We picked them out from the pictures because they were the only mare and foal.
I’m sickened by this practice and I just wish I could do more.
These governments have had petition after petition about this issue and they have to act.
I know horses go for meat but it’s got to be done properly and they need to be transported properly. Lots of them don’t even make it to Italy.”
The arrival of the horses have delighted Charlotte’s two children, Mia, nine, and Dylan, four.
Dylan’s love of Lily has meant the family have decided not to sell her on as they originally planned.
Mrs Tansur said: “We were a bit nervous about their arrival as we weren’t sure what kind of condition they would be in but we’re elated that we got them. We have two horses already and we happen to have a field which is big enough for four.”
Mrs Tansur already has another horse, Michel, who was rescued from Germany after being beaten.
She said the farmer in France agrees to sell the horses to people who want to save them.
Tuesday's Horse 