They're at it again! - trotters racing on the A3

[jaquelin]

Haven't seen this for awhile but our colourful "friends" were out racing young trotters on the A3 about 7 this morning (Sat!) One horse + sulky in slow lane & one in fast, closely followed by 2 horse trailers behind each to buffer from traffic - local colour, I suppose, but felt sorry for "horses" which looked to be about 2 YO, pounding down the A road. Anyone else witnessed this? Turned off at Cobham.

 

[TigerTail]

I hope you reported it. Very dangerous to road users and those poor horses.

 

[SKY]

on donedeal i saw 10mths broken in to cart and doing 28 miles an hour. for sale, i was disgusted. for sale on donedeal, how can a 10 mths be fit for that sooooo cruel.

 

[jaquelin]

I would have loved to report it, but this community - and it is established in enclaves up and down the A3, are ace in disappearing before they can get caught. They also have that weird protection in law as a "separate & unique culture" which I totally do not get, that considers it harassment when they get nicked for breaking laws. This use of youngstock is heartbreaking, but they fall back on the "cultural differences" argument. So sad...

 

[Becki1802]

I hate seeing the footage on the TV show MBFGW of the horses pounding the ground. It makes me sad! In the start sequence there is a horse that slides into the back of a car - how its unhurt I don't know!!!

 

[TigerTail]

I would have loved to report it, but this community - and it is established in enclaves up and down the A3, are ace in disappearing before they can get caught. They also have that weird protection in law as a "separate & unique culture" which I totally do not get, that considers it harassment when they get nicked for breaking laws. This use of youngstock is heartbreaking, but they fall back on the "cultural differences" argument. So sad...

Get your camera phone out and video it, write down number plate numbers do something else you are basically condoning it.

 

[showingmadfilly]

I have seem trotter racing and heard how some train it. I must say I feel its a waste and border cruel sometimes.

 

[perfect11s]

Get your camera phone out and video it, write down number plate numbers do something else you are basically condoning it.

Yes a great way of getting into a load of trouble ,I recomend walking around on broken glass it would be more rewarding , sorry but these people are above the law and are protected by the hand wringing do gooders
who are insulated by money and their lifestyle they dont care that wider socicity is affected by these people's actions.... sorry but the scum are not called "do as you likeys" for nothing !!!! for the record I have no problem with real and genuine romanys, sadly they are very rare.....

 

[The-mad-cat-lady]

You will fond the culprits in the Cobham Village Club most weekends.
It's used to be jam packed with them, buying and selling horses with their strange hand language ( its a bit like tictac)

 

[jhoward]

Get your camera phone out and video it, write down number plate numbers do something else you are basically condoning it.

I have seem trotter racing and heard how some train it. I must say I feel its a waste and border cruel sometimes.

these are attitudes tht make the world a sad place. youve HEARD have you ever been into a gypsies yard? no of course not. whilst i agree there will always be bad apples not ALL are this way. id put money on thoose horses having cleaner legs than the average all rounder you all have sat in a stable.

 

[Honeylight]

I saw two on a fairly busy road in Stockport on Friday at about 6pm, rush hour!
Two pacers, both skewbald, weaving in & out of buses & cars at a terrific pace.
No one seemed to turn a hair, we were waiting for a bus to take our sick cat to the vet.
Are the police bothered? I have seen them in parts of Manchester on Sundays & quiet times, but never on such a busy road before.

 

[Luci07]

Frequently see them using the rugby field in Brockham. On the fence on this as I don't know enough to judge. Should say they use the edge of the field.

 

[mon]

Is it illegal for them to be on the roads? After all lots of us hack on the roads or do we not like the culture.

 

[guido16]

these are attitudes tht make the world a sad place. youve HEARD have you ever been into a gypsies yard? no of course not. whilst i agree there will always be bad apples not ALL are this way. id put money on thoose horses having cleaner legs than the average all rounder you all have sat in a stable.

Have to agree with this.

There are some round here, their horses are in perfect condition, they boot them up and they are polite to other road users.

 

[Double_choc_lab]

Is it illegal for them to be on the roads? After all lots of us hack on the roads or do we not like the culture.

There is some strange act about "wanton and furious driving" which was introduced in the 19th century so obviously not aimed at motorised vehicles. Yes we can hack on roads but such racing is not allowed.

Also ( to an earlier poster) whats the point of noting down the registration numbers - do you believe the vehicles are registered to a permanent address where the owners live?

 

[arizonahoney]

I've seen them on the A3 before... Not recently though and always very early morning.

 

[guido16]

http://www.surrey.police.uk/media/news_item.asp?area=8&itemID=6559

 

[ester]

these are attitudes tht make the world a sad place. youve HEARD have you ever been into a gypsies yard? no of course not. whilst i agree there will always be bad apples not ALL are this way. id put money on thoose horses having cleaner legs than the average all rounder you all have sat in a stable.

but road racing is illegal (with good reason given the dangers to other road users) so why shouldn't tigertail suggest reporting it? tigertail didn't say anything about the state of the horses legs/welfare etc.

given that they ch4 have filmed evidence of it with presumably no further action taken I would guess that filming it yourself to report would be pretty pointless too

 

[ktsval]

There are good and bad in every walk of life, shouldn't tar them all with the same brush. Be be interesting to know how many of the people slating them have ever went round a hunter trial/cross country etc in mid summer when the ground is like concrete or been hunting and quite happily been flat out along a road etc, oh and how many of the horses were fit enough and not carrying any extra weight.

On the most part these people treat their horses fantastically, they are well fed and fit or they wouldn't win.

 

[jhoward]

but road racing is illegal (with good reason given the dangers to other road users) so why shouldn't tigertail suggest reporting it? tigertail didn't say anything about the state of the horses legs/welfare etc.

given that they ch4 have filmed evidence of it with presumably no further action taken I would guess that filming it yourself to report would be pretty pointless too

riding a horse on a footpath is illegeal, riding on a pavement is illegal. who are the gypsys hurting for a short trip, maximum they race is 2.5 miles honestly who cares?
everytime one of is on a hack and a car has to wait behind us we cause a hold up..

more to the point have they caused anythign barring a short hold up nope of course not.

live and let live and all that.

 

[ester]

cycle racers hold us up too, however I think it is certainly a problem and ultimately very dangerous when they are racing on single carriageways into oncoming traffic.

 

[Posie]

The gypsys round by me are lovely folk and actually put brushing boots all round on their trotters when they take them out in the cart. They care for their horses better than a lot of people I know on livery yards! They're not all bad eggs, its a few giving the rest a bad name, like any other thing such as snobby horse riders