What were they thinking?

[Sussexbythesea]

I’m all for continuing riding low-key and sensibly at the moment but taking your horse for a gallop on the beach doesn’t come into that category.

https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/ne...alloping-through-worthing-town-centre-2845610

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Some people really are idiots!

 

[dogatemysalad]

Oh my goodness, so glad the horses, riders and public are ok. I suppose on the flip side, it's fortunate that the streets are on lockdown, otherwise the town would have been packed with shoppers and traffic.
Well done to those that caught the horses and kept them calm.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Oh my They are not exactly putting horse riders in the best light

 

[tiahatti]

Only good thing is that the streets were quiet.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Oh dear .

Looks like lockdown will be easing soon, but it’s daft stunts like that which could easily have led to a blanket ban on riding. Allowing people to judge for themselves what are acceptable actions doesn’t always give a good result.

Well done to those who caught the horses. Lucky that no innocent members of the public, or the horses, were hurt.

 

[Keith_Beef]

To be fair, the article doesn't say that the riders took their horses "for a gallop" on the beach, just that they had been ridden on the beach, thrown their riders and then "galloped" (though I suspect that they cantered, really) through the town centre.

If the horses needed exercise, and the beach is the best place for that, then I don't see how its happening during The Confinement makes it any worse.

 

[HBB]

Prime example of what not to do in a virus emergency! Riders falling off, horses getting loose, emergency services called and members of the public involved with catching them. The outcome could have been far worse. As for viral load and exposure, hopefully nobody has come into contact with it due to this unnecessary act of selfishness.

 

[holeymoley]

I suppose it depends on whether they boxed up to get there or could access the beach by hacking a short distance. If they’ve boxed up then yes, disgraceful. However if they’ve hacked a short distance to get there then not really any different to any one else having a gallop along a field etc. Or maybe it is as I suppose a field wouldn’t be a public area...

I’m not for it at all, just trying to see both ways. There’s still people in my area going out for hours on end and using main roads. Really really riles me. So stupid.

 

[HBB]

@holeymoley I agree with you, I am still riding but it is at home in a contained environment.

It is different guidance in Scotland where if you are travelling to your horse it must be for basic welfare needs like feeding but my FB page has daily updates of people out hacking in public areas with their friends and dogs trotting along off the lead. It's frustrating.

Travelling to care for animals such as horses
You may travel to meet basic animal welfare needs, for example to feed horses in stables. When doing so, you must follow social distancing guidance so you don’t come within two metres of people who are not part of your household.

 

[emilylou]

Having looked at the article and footage it appears the horses were being ridden bareback, and were steadily trotting and cantering through the town centre.
Not ideal and perhaps a lapse in judgement on the owners part but the image of the riders looks like two young teenage girls. I certainly did sillier things on my ponies when I was younger than riding bareback on the beach so perhaps they don’t need to be subject to mass condemnation on the internet

 

[Tiddlypom]

Lots of us have ridden bareback one the beach. But during lockdown?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I live fairly locally and I’m pretty sure there are no stables that have direct beach access in that locality although they may have ridden along roads to get there rather than boxed. Apparently they were in a group and also no way I’d take a horse on the beach at the moment. It’s usually pretty exciting at the best of times. Also riding is not allowed between 10am and 6pm this time of year.

They have saddles on in the film of them cantering through the town centre. I don’t think they’re teenagers either from other local posts.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

After reading about the horses, I saw another article on that page which also fits in the "What where they thinking" category, and forgot what I wanted to say about the horses being ridden on the beach. After all the talk the last few years about how important pollinators are, and bees dying due to ie herbicides, someone still have destroyed several beehives, killing over 600.000 bees.

https://www.worthingherald.co.uk/ne...hood-after-630000-bees-killed-vandals-2658524

 

[Identityincrisis]

If they boxed up and rode on the beach that is not acceptable, but if like me, they live 100 yards from the beach, what is the difference beware riding on bridleways and this?

I'm not riding on the beach as I've only hadmy horse 10 months, he's 6 and an Arab...... it could go wrong very quickly ?

 

[Miszeemare]

I don’t think they boxed to the beach as they had to walk them back the 4/5 miles through Worthing (past my house) as they had no available transport. There are some horses kept quite close to Lancing beach and I imagine they came from there.

They were incredibly lucky no horse or human was injured. My son actually saw them cantering down what is normally a busy road near the railway line and I struggled to believe him when he told me until I saw them being led down my road after capture.

 

[holeymoley]

I don’t think they boxed to the beach as they had to walk them back the 4/5 miles through Worthing (past my house) as they had no available transport. There are some horses kept quite close to Lancing beach and I imagine they came from there.

They were incredibly lucky no horse or human was injured. My son actually saw them cantering down what is normally a busy road near the railway line and I struggled to believe him when he told me until I saw them being led down my road after capture.

If that’s the case then that’s absolutely shocking. Really reckless.

 

[MrsMozart]

It smacks of some people treating lockdown (and furlough, etc.) as just a long holiday.

The temptation is high. Of course it is. Time off and we're actually having some good weather for a change, but it's really not worth it, not now when apart from the strain the NHS is already under. People with heart attacks aren't going to hospital for fear of catching Covid-19, so why the heck would one willing put oneself into a position where a hospital visit is a potential outcome?

I'd love to get Titch going, but it could/possibly/probably/maybe end in me getting hurt at best and him getting hurt at worst (no school), so instead we're doing gentle groundwork and I'm making plans on what we can do when the lockdown ends.