Appleby Horse Fare: any opinions?

[Keith_Beef]

I went up to Appleby for the Horse Fare in, I think, 1988, and wondered what it's like these days, 2016, 2017.

Anybody care to give an opinion on what it's like, either as just a day out or as a place to buy a horse, or to meet up with breeders with a view to future purchases?

 

[jumbyjack]

If you can stand the smell of human waste on the hill and the disgusting state of the public loos in the village plus some horses and ponies in shocking condition and the equally shocking cruelty to a lot of them then that's what you will see now.

Of course there are decent people there who care for their animals and take pride in showing them off but it's not possible to avoid the vile stuff.

 

[AdorableAlice]

If you have any compassion for horses it is not a place you want to see.

 

[Gloi]

Last time I went is going on 20 years ago now. I was standing watching the horses being trotted flat out up the road when one overreached, pulled a shoe off and it flew over my head and through the side of a horse lorry parked behind me. Scary moment. I liked it in the 70s but I wouldn't go these days.

 

[cobsarefab]

I wouldn't buy from there everyone puts a few extra padlocks round there yard round my way before the fair.

 

[Chinchilla]

Irrelevant but I've always wanted to go....following with interest.

Honestly I'd probably buy from there too.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Irrelevant but I've always wanted to go....following with interest.

Honestly I'd probably buy from there too.

Helping to fuel the bin end breeding of crap. Support good breeders that will provide you with a healthy, wormed and inoculated young horse.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Irrelevant but I've always wanted to go....following with interest.

Honestly I'd probably buy from there too.

If you want a cob - coloured of not I know of a few very good, reputable dealers with great stock that has been well brought up, well treated and sensibly priced! No need to get the dross from Appleby!

 

[Chinchilla]

I'd only buy from there to save a pony from a lousy life...I'm never *going* to go anyway - or not now certainly, the horror stories about the smells of human excrement above have put me off rather tbf anyway!! (lol)
And I have enough ponies for now anway

 

[Dave's Mam]

When I was a kid, I looked after & rode a horse bought from Appleby, imaginatively called "Appleby" or "Apple". She was an utter gem. Polite, brave & as safe as anything even in the heaviest urban traffic. The guy I worked for moved in Traveller circles in Ireland a lot & knew the good ones.

 

[dominobrown]

I have been once in 2016.
Its definelty a culture shock as its very much for the gypsies to get togather.
I didnt see much for sale, the odd gorse.
Didnt see any welfare cases etc. You do see the 'vans' travellimg through. Some of its quite quaint, ford transit vans not so much!
Depends what you want to see. I do question whether some of the people commenting have ever been mind...
( I am not saying its all brilliant, but neither is it shocking)

 

[meleeka]

If it’s anything like Wickham Horse Fayre it’s just a travellers meet up with a few horses thrown in for entertainment. I found it very sad and wouldn’t go again.

 

[Louby]

We went many years ago, I'd never been before so was really looking forward to it. There were horses everywhere, being washed in the river, stalls selling cheap poor quality leatherwork and horses being trotted at scary speeds up and down the road. The day we were there a horse drowned in the river and a poor shetland was dragged behind a trotter, it had fell because it couldnt keep up
I wouldnt go again.

 

[Blixen Vixen]

I think you would need to exercise extreme caution buying from there. Have heard a couple of horror stories about people handing over money only to have the horse they got taken back off them by the seller an hour later. So seller got the money and the horse and it was not the type of seller one could refuse, there were threats of violence. If anything goes wrong at Appleby calling your solicitor is not going to help.

 

[shirl62]

Not meaning to hijack this thread but has anyone been to the Tallow horse fair in Co Waterford? My inlaws live just a few miles from Tallow and way back in 1975 the horse fair was a great place . Yes there were some pretty knackered looking horses but i remember a lovely little pony who would have been perfect for me but at that time it was only a pipe dream ( sigh ).

From the comments on Appleby I would never go there...as I could not bear to see even 1 horse looking neglected

Shirl

 

[cornbrodolly]

In the 1980s it was still possible to buy at Appleby, but now [ havent been for nearly a decade] it s much more about the tourists and a very big gypsy gettogether. The litter was horrendous last time we were there. For a similar quality of horse go to your nearest auction mart - you ll probably see the same faces there too!

 

[Mule]

When I was a kid, I looked after & rode a horse bought from Appleby, imaginatively called "Appleby" or "Apple". She was an utter gem. Polite, brave & as safe as anything even in the heaviest urban traffic. The guy I worked for moved in Traveller circles in Ireland a lot & knew the good ones.

Knowing someone makes all the difference.

 

[Gloi]

A lot of the people with the horses no longer go to Appleby but meet up on various commons a few miles away. If you drive round the area you'll find them and the atmosphere is a lot more pleasant than in Appleby itself.

 

[jumbyjack]

Here's an Appleby Fair horror story from maybe 15 ish years ago. Someone in their wisdom started coach trips to the fair, result was people of all ages including babies in prams were wandering aimlessly about including in the flashing area! A young woman calmly stepped off the verge into the path of a racing trotter, probably doing in excess of 25mph. The shaft hit her in the back and threw her many feet forward, she was very seriously injured. She was obviously unaware of the warning shouts from the crowd as were the the people happily shoving prams into the road! No blame attached to the driver of the horse of course but highlights the dangers and probably not just for sightseers.