Appleby horse Fair is a traditional, annually held fair where Travellers from around the United Kingdom buy and sell horses, meet with friends and relations, and celebrate their lifestyles.

It is one of the oldest horse fairs in existence, as it has been around since the reign of James II who allowed a horse fair to be held near the river Eden by Royal charter.

It is held every year in early June. It is currently under way, with the 2013 dates being the 6th to 12th June. It also sees many thousands of visitors.

The tradition continues until this day. Many people welcome, and visit the fair, however many people also cast a negative light upon the fair, giving the whole setup, and the travellers who attend it a bad name.

Recently, twenty men were arrested on their way to Appleby Horse Fair, by police, who claimed that they had the intention of ‘causing grievous bodily harm’.

Some people living in the area shut themselves away, or even leave temporarily in order to escape the fair, others exploit it as a business opportunity. All in all, those who are not fans give the fair a bad name, and cast the fair in a negative light.

People have created a petition to ban the horse fair, as they have reported incidents of abuse, where people have supposedly whipped, kicked and manhandled terrified horses into the river.

Other people report great experiences from the fair, having viewed, or even been involved in, the transaction of a horse or two. Over all, the fair is a long standing Traveller tradition, which is often given bad press by judgemental outsiders.

Countryside Blog