Zara Tindall has suggested that Brexit is to blame for the downfall of horse welfare, as the royal explained the complications leaving the EU has brought.
Mrs Tindall, 44, spoke with a panel at the World Horse Annual Conference, as she discussed the problems people face with looking after horses.
Speaking to journalist David Eades during the discussion called “Through the Horse’s Eyes”, the royal explained how travelling with a horse after Brexit now has several complications.
Mrs Tindall said: “If we’re talking about legislation and how we have gone back in time, sort of post Brexit, our travel time for horses and their welfare has definitely gone downhill.”
She continued: “You know, I took a horse abroad at the end of October and I know people are doing it less and less now because it’s such hard work.
“It’s more stressful on the horses than it used to be. It’s got worse.”
Princess Anne’s daughter explained that even though technology is “so much better”, the travel time is “so much longer”.
Mrs Tindall explained: “That poll we did before is like so much longer, it’s incredible.
Mrs Tindall said the increase in travel times has made it ‘more stressful’ for the horses
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“To prepare your horse for a competition or even just to travel it comfortably. That has definitely something that has gone back in time.”
Zara, a patron of World Horse Welfare, told the audience that focusing on the welfare of horses is “such a great thing” because “it’s not just health, it’s everything”.
She continued: “It’s how you look after the horses. It’s their environment, and understanding their environment.
“There’s also very much recreational horses, and there’s this kind of blueprint that’s out there, you know, on how to care for your horse.
Mrs Tindall said horse’s ‘welfare has definitely gone downhill’ since Brexit
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“But actually, you know that’s mucking it out, feeding it, you know, that kind of thing. That blueprint can be expanded on how you understand the animal, how you care for it.”
The royal shared that her horses “get looked after very well”, with them being treated “like an athlete”.
“I think for us, you know, getting people to understand how our welfare for our horses is… The wider public, because I don’t think they really understand that much…
“It’s important that they see us doing the right thing.”
Mrs Tindall won silver at London 2012 in eventing
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Zara, a renowned equestrian, secured silver in eventing at London 2012 and holds world championship titles.
She regularly supports racing events across the country, recently being seen at meetings at Cheltenham.
Last month, she brought her eldest daughter, Mia, 11, to Cheltenham’s season opener in a rare joint public outing.
Zara and her husband, Mike Tindall, typically shield their three children from media attention, maintaining their privacy away from public scrutiny.