Appleby Horse Fair: Thousands enjoy event amid high temperatures

Many attendees to the Appleby Horse Fair ride their horses through the River Eden

Thousands of people have arrived in Cumbria for the annual Appleby Horse Fair.

The event is one of the largest gatherings in Europe for Gypsies and travellers.

A celebration of the heritage of the travelling community stretching back at least 300 years, it also provides an opportunity for trading horses.

Fairgoers have been advised to make sure their animals get plenty of rest and rehydration amid high temperatures.

This year's event began on Thursday and will run until Wednesday.

The RSPCA has encouraged fairgoers to make sure their horses are well rested and watered

The traditional Romany caravans are a colourful sight

Fairgoers have been greeted by hot and sunny weather

Organisers said about 10,000 members of the Gypsy and travelling community were expected to attend along with about 30,000 other visitors.

Among those at the fair on Friday were the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, and the Bishop of Carlisle, James Newcome, as part of a church initiative to reach out to Gypsy and traveller communities.

The fair sees travellers of all ages riding horses through the town

The event has been staged for more than 300 years, organisers say

The Archbishop of York and Bishop of Carlisle visited in an effort to develop closer relationships between the Church of England and travelling communities

With Cumbria having seen hot and sunny weather for several days, RSPCA chief inspector Rob Melloy said the welfare of the animals at the fair was paramount.

"Just as it's important for us to drink plenty and not work too hard in hot weather, it's important for our horses," he said.

"They need to have regular access to water, be drinking after being worked and be tied up in the shade.

"Owners may need to have more patience than normal as horses sometimes don't want to drink if they are in an overstimulating environment.

"Due to the nature of any horse fair, where animals are traded, and especially given that Appleby comes off the back of [an event at] Kirkby Stephen, owners may not know how much their horse has been worked beforehand so we want to encourage people to err on the safe side and not overdo it."

A blacksmith removes a horse shoe

Stalls sell a variety of items to the fair's thousands of visitors

Fairgoers began arriving earlier in the week