Sports Letter: Caution needed over research

Sir: Regarding your racing report 'Virus appeal' (The Independent, 16 August) stating that Lord Carnarvon has launched a pounds 2m appeal to promote research into equine herpes virus: before responding to this appeal, we recommend that potential donors investigate precisely what kind of research they will be funding. Animal Aid has just published details of herpes virus experiments carried out by the Animal Health Trust on Welsh mountain ponies and funded by the racing world. In one recent experiment, 12 heavily pregnant mares were infected with the virus. The results were horrific: five of the ponies aborted; three others suffered paralysis and all were severely sick. All 12 were killed immediately after the experiment for post-mortem examination. The experiment merely confirmed the findings of previous work. We trust that Lord Carnarvon's appeal will only be raising money for humane methods of research; unless, of course, he decides to regard some horses as more equal than others.

Yours faithfully,

GILLIAN EGAN

General Secretary

Animal Aid

17 August