Welfare Statement

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Welfare Policy

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As a long established business, we have a lifelong commitment to animal welfare and the prevention of any kind of unkindness or cruelty to animals. We adhere to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council regulations as a Licensed Hackney Carriage Operator. This requires the following key activities are completed annually:

• Horses vetted for general health and soundness to work.

• Carriage and Harness safety assessments.

• We also have our own Windsor Carriages Hackney Carriage regulations and operating processes built from experience over the past thirty years in which all coachmen and grooms are trained. These ensure the best possible welfare for the horses, maintenance of the carriages and equipment and preservation of our traditions.

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We welcome questions from conscientious visitors and encourage discussion.

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Since 1849, we've been licensed for operations within Windsor Great Park and Windsor town. All necessary licences and permissions to access this exclusive royal estate are in place, including comprehensive insurance up to £5 million. A thorough risk assessment is conducted for every event. Our staff, dressed in country attire, are polite and courteous, ensuring you / your guests have a safe and pleasant trip. Our commitment to animal welfare is paramount; our beautifully turned out horses are at the heart of our business and your experience.

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Extreme Weather Policy

 

Hot Weather

While heat may not be considered extreme in the UK, caution is taken when we experience a prolonged period of abnormally hot weather. We deem this to be when temperatures are consistently above 30 degrees for more than a few days. Under these heatwave conditions both horses and humans are at risk of collapse from heat exhaustion, so in this situation, consideration and care is taken and bookings may be cancelled and or rescheduled to the cooler times of the day. This is in our terms and conditions of your booking. 

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Horse have regular access to water at regular intervals with most of their work being in the shade. Our business approach allows their work to be carefully scheduled and for us to change your visit schedule when we need to move rides to cooler parts of the day. It also means horses do not stand for long periods waiting for work in the hot sun. Ever. 

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If you have any welfare concerns please contact us as we are always happy to speak about this subject. If you do not find our answer satisfactory you can contact the Windsor Licensing Team to make a complaint. Sadly there are no UK licensing regulations around temperatures only that horses are permitted to work up to 8 hours per day. Windsor Carriage horses do not work the permitted 8 hours per day. Windsor Carriage horses have their workload scheduled, thanks to your advance booking, and so their daily work day is on average 2 hours. They do not work every day. They work a maximum of 2 to 3 days per week and very rarely consecutively. Every horses' fitness and health is considered in all we do. Horses do and will always come first. Thank you for reading this and being a conscious traveller. 

We support Conscious Travel = Being mindful of the impact and opportunities within travel as hosts and visitors and taking action to advance the best possible outcomes for all.

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Wind / Rain / Snow

We take guidance from the Crown and if Windsor Great Park is closed for safety; carriage operations would also be suspended.

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