A farm and a popular Nova Scotia museum that was criticized on social networks last month concerning the concerns about animal welfare now indicate that improvements have been made.
The Ross Farm Museum in New Ross, NS, works as a living heritage site – giving visitors an overview of life in the 1800s.
Its executive director, Marc Tassé, says that it is difficult to balance its preservation with the installation of modern equipment.
“We have to portray how things happened. What is things like 200 years ago? So this balance between history and modern standards was something on which we have worked on rebalancing, “said Tassé.
The museum has faced recent criticism of its six horses. In November, a high performance equestrian coach was invited to assess the animals and said that it broke his heart.
In a telephone interview, Susan Fraser told Global News that horses were afraid and in bad physical shape – some suffering from extreme pain in their feet.
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She says that the site lacked a water supply and a space, the horses cut in stalls with standing space only
The horses were moved out of site in December and in the custody of Fraser. Two of these horses will stay with her.
“Some of them need a little rehabilitation because they were older, because there were concerns and things that were going on, but more importantly, because we have to make improvements in the establishment,” said Passé.
These upgrades include larger box stands, mobile fences, automatic watering systems and cameras for 24/7 surveillance.
The horses program is also evolving, the museum planning to operate as a demonstration farm. In the past, the accent was put on the rides.
It also builds new pastures so that horses can run and play.
However, Fraser says that she is still worried about horses that will return to the farm.
In response, Tassé says that the museum is now focusing on ensuring it to the public that horses will be well subject to their return.
“There have been a lot of questions, a lot of concerns and we overflured them as you go and it probably took us a little more time than we should answer them as and when,” he said.
“But the key is that animals are the first priority.”
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