Cannot believe what I just saw on BBC1

Rollin said:
Sadly as I don't do facebook I cannot comment.
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Try this instead then: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-11829989

It really is awful that he did that- any horse would have been terrified in that situation no matter how much training they may have had. Must have been a very stressful experience between the fireworks and the mobs of people walking towards them.

Just saw that the link has already been added..oops!
 
Hmm, having looked at that twice I don't think he is "beating" the horse. Its hard to describe but those sticks they carry (don't know the correct name) are a bit like a magic wand, in sections and they have to be snapped to become one rigid baton, it looks to me as if he was just fixing the baton before he approached the crowd.
 
I personally dont call that a beating.
It got two cracks on the backside, it had a sheet on. It spun round and shouldnt have- the others backed away, quite reasonably.
 
TBH, they probably do training for this, and maybe the horse shouldn't have reacted that way. I see the horse got hit, but couldn't see that it got a 'beating'. It also as a rug on, so most of their hits (if they went on the rear?) would not have been felt as much anyway.

I far more disgusted at the total pr*ck that let the firework off in the first place. :mad:

There are far far worse acts of cruelty to worry about. Its a high stress situation I can imagine, and the horse perhaps needed bringing back in line to make it safer for everyone involved.
 
MurphysMinder said:
Hmm, having looked at that twice I don't think he is "beating" the horse. Its hard to describe but those sticks they carry (don't know the correct name) are a bit like a magic wand, in sections and they have to be snapped to become one rigid baton, it looks to me as if he was just fixing the baton before he approached the crowd.
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/\/\this/\/\
 
I have complained about the person riding that horse to the Avon and Somerset Constabulary. You expect it from the yobs throwing bloody fireworks but you dont expect to see a police officer hit a horse with something he/she uses as a weapon against thugs!!
 
I didn't see any beating. I sawtwo smacks on a reflective rug..so not much impact made there..
A police horse has to go forward when asked or they are no use as a police horse. Those are despicable people who THREW the firework in the first place, and I guess that particular horse along with the others may well undergo further training to deal with fireworks etc.
 
MurphysMinder said:
Hmm, having looked at that twice I don't think he is "beating" the horse. Its hard to describe but those sticks they carry (don't know the correct name) are a bit like a magic wand, in sections and they have to be snapped to become one rigid baton, it looks to me as if he was just fixing the baton before he approached the crowd.
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That is what I thought, it didn't appear that the rider was making contact with the horse, but waving it at the crowd.
Poor horses! How on earth they remain able to stay with 4 feet on the ground is a miracle to me!
 
well whatever you want to call it, a whack or whatever, it shouldn't happen. that horse should have been reassured not whacked in my view, regardless of whether it had a rug on or not!
 
Nope, don't see a problem there.

If he wanted the horse to go forward and it wouldn't, a couple of cracks on its backside is the right thing to do.
I don't think you actually get the full sequence of events from that clip.

As for complaining about the officer, I am gob smacked :eek:.
 
SusieT said:
I didn't see any beating. I sawtwo smacks on a reflective rug..so not much impact made there..
A police horse has to go forward when asked or they are no use as a police horse. Those are despicable people who THREW the firework in the first place, and I guess that particular horse along with the others may well undergo further training to deal with fireworks etc.
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I agree with this. These are specially trained horses. It got 2 smacks, on top of a sheet, to go forward. What did you want the officer to do??? Pat it on the neck, while it wiped out a MOP or officers on the ground reversing backwards? :confused:
 
I agree with MurphysMinder.I don't think he made any contact with the horse anyway - I think he was sorting his baton.

The batons the police use are SOLID (I know because my dad was a copper, I don't get arrested regularly:p), if you whacked a horse with one you would get one hell of a reaction IMO! I don't believe that the horse was hit with the baton.
 
I don't see why it makes a difference that the horse was wearing a reflective sheet. It doesn't having any filling to absorb the blow. Surely you feel the same pain whether you're smacked with or without a windbreaker on (the equivalent of a no-fill sheet)??
 
lastphoenix said:
that horse should have been reassured not whacked in my view, regardless of whether it had a rug on or not!
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Reassuring scared horses makes them worse - it confirms to them that there was something worthy of being scared of in the first place. You need to be firm so that they take confidence from you. Pretty much what the policeman was doing.
 
I dont think he is hitting the horse either it looks more like he has thrust his baton to his full length then is directing the men on the ground.
 
quirky said:
Nope, don't see a problem there.

If he wanted the horse to go forward and it wouldn't, a couple of cracks on its backside is the right thing to do.
I don't think you actually get the full sequence of events from that clip.

As for complaining about the officer, I am gob smacked :eek:.
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Ditto this.

ETA. The batons the mounted officers have, are solid. Unlike those on foot who have Asp's that extend. However, despite this. I still believe he was directing the other officers / getting ready, and not "beating" the horse.
 
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