TRAVELERS HAMMERING POOR PONIES ON ROAD

Wundahorse

Wundahorse

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While out hacking with my friend this afternoon our peace was disturbed by two travelers racing their carts past us without any thought to us or their own horses.Both of their horses looked no older than yearlings and were exceedingly thin.They also wore some sort of device which held their heads in a fixed position so they could hardly move from the neck up.In addition,they were whacking them with whips to force them to go faster.As these people have a difficult reputation,we did not feel brave enough to say anything about their so called horsemanship,which makes us cowards i agree.However,they know where we come from and are notable for reprisals.For this reason there is probably nothing we can do,but felt i needed to share this.Where we are based there are many traveling families so we have to be careful.
 
This is, sadly, what they do. And leave dead ponies on the side of the road when they collapse through being raced when not fit/old enough.
 
I witnessed this driving home this evening down an A road and little cob must have been very young as still had "foalie tail" and the size of the man sitting in the trap plus had two kids running after trap as they wanted to get in too
:(
 
whilst disagreeable, nothing there is illegal, no difference between a travellers trotter in harness at 18 months old, than a racehorse under saddle and raced at the same age. The strap your talking about I believe is an 'over check', carriage horses also have these. I'm not saying I agree with it, but that there is nothing a welfare organisation could do. (unless the thin body condition you mention is actually underweight as opposed at an angular fit young growing horse) the police can intervene if they are on/blocking a carriageway.
 
I would argue that these are not horsemen, but travellers, entirely different IMHO

All horses that I have come across by what I would describe as a ' reall gypsy' have been quiete and calm and produced a good all round horse.

These are doing the real community a disservice :(
 
What a shame. I work for a sanctuary and we have a 5yo TB who's legs have had an absolute battering from where he was road raced by travellers. He's also a very ill mannered horse and is always bringing his back legs and teeth out. It's upsetting because I adore him and would love to see him in a home, but the travellers have done no good for him at all. He's constantly lame and has wobblers. poor boy. It's a shame cause it was for no good at all.
 
Orangehorse said:
This is, sadly, what they do. And leave dead ponies on the side of the road when they collapse through being raced when not fit/old enough.
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Thank god we dont have these sorts of travellers up here. I've never seen any with horses in my area (only the usual vans and caravans). I dont think I could hold my tongue... Horrid. I guess reporting them to the RSPCA will do nothing. Such a shame when animals are involved.
 
competitiondiva said:
whilst disagreeable, nothing there is illegal, no difference between a travellers trotter in harness at 18 months old, than a racehorse under saddle and raced at the same age. The strap your talking about I believe is an 'over check', carriage horses also have these. I'm not saying I agree with it, but that there is nothing a welfare organisation could do. (unless the thin body condition you mention is actually underweight as opposed at an angular fit young growing horse) the police can intervene if they are on/blocking a carriageway.
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Ummm slight difference between concrete and tarmac and a grass racecourse. Slight difference between being beaten if they break into canter and flipping right over onto their back on the road and being beaten again and the flat whip allowed in racing. Slight difference between being abused until they are dead and then their corpse being thrown out of the entrance to the travellers site or being so maltreated that they have to be PTS. Slight difference being raced on a road when their hooves are so narrow that their foot goes down the GAP between the bars of a road drain. Carriage horses also have overchecks but rarely done up so tight that their head is permanently held staring up into the air.

If you saw the bleeding mouthed, beaten and dead horses I have around the local travellers site you would struggle to make the comparison. Dont get me wrong, I also disagree with 2 year olds racing and believe it should be banned but it isnt even in the same galaxy of cruelty and abuse that I have seen inflicted on horses by the local travellers - clearly this is only one site in one area but it IS based on direct experience.
 
I have to agree with compertiondiva , I don't at all agree with it
But I also have seen many people who do have a passion for horses do very much the same with trotting and cantering on Tarmac surfaces very hard
 
driving home from yard tonight with hubby we saw a "group" of traveller kids hammering a coloured pony in a battered old cart down the road, as they rounded a corner I nearly died, it was so young is still had the foal coat and the curly mane/tail it was definitely no older than a yearling but looked younger than that, felt so sorry for it since i'd just left my own yearling lounging round in her field with lots of hay, company, and having just had a lovely long groom and lots of cuddles etc.
 
It's horrible to see.
We have some who have just recently started regularly ragging a couple of ropy looking trotters up and down past our yard on narrow country lanes with blind bends in half light.
It is only a matter of time before something terrible happens. Despite there being a lot of horses in the area, people still fly round these corners too fast in their cars. It's bad enough if you meet one in another car, but in a sulky...:(
The horses always look stressed and uncomfortable, but, I am ashamed to say we too are a bit afraid to challenge them. In fairness, the horses don't look terribly poor, but they do look very unhappy, and their legs must be shot.
They also have been seen trotting youngsters up past the yard being towed behind 4x4 with someone sat on the tailgate holding them. :(
 
alliersv1 said:
They also have been seen trotting youngsters up past the yard being towed behind 4x4 with someone sat on the tailgate holding them. :(
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Thats more than our lot bothered with, they just tied the horse directly to the back of the Transit and drove off, no person - horse was at full canter trying to keep up the pace - if they had to brake or turn it would have been a goner. Called the police after that one, but since OH was punched by them more than once for intervening when they were beating the horses and friend shot in the face with an airgun it's fair to say they were pretty much out of control....

Have no issue with a travelling lifestyle at all but a big big issue with the extent of animal cruelty and criminality I saw - nowhere should be a no go zone for police/RSPCA but far too many sites are without armed/helicopter support, and it needs to stop.
 
In my town, there are a few settled travellers (see, they can buy a house!) and they trot their ponies and horses up and down the streets, including the A roads at night. I don't know how they get away with traffic regulations as they are often out in the half light with no reflectors, no lamps, nothing. You can only see them if the horse has some white on its body. They do look young too, not yearlings but definitely under 4.
 
Some of them are really horrible. Some of them whip their horses to go faster and faster but the cart thing can't let them canter so all they do is have to go in a faster and faster trot :'(. But not all the travlers with horses are bad to them.
 
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