From modest beginnings at the turn of the century, the ILPH has become the pre-eminent organization for protecting the welfare of this most noble creature. The story begins with the remarkable Ada Cole. After witnessing British horses being unloaded nearly dead from ships in Belgium, she lobbied MPs, raised money and public awareness of the dreadful state of the continental horse for slaughter trade. The ILPH are now involved in all aspects of equine welfare, from the rescue of the Lipizaners from war-torn Bosnia and the support of shocking programmes for draught horses in South America, to the supervision of standards of care for leisure horses the world over.