WTF???

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

Have you seen this news report?

"All over England and Wales we're seeing land being taken over and fodder stolen by horse owners.
"The law demands that individual farmers take action when this happens, but often they're being badly intimidated by the owners.
"Farmers put a brave face on it, but when it starts to involve their families it can get very serious. We've heard instances of farmers' young sons and daughters being threatened."

source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7484909.stm

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Hmmmmmmm yep, but I think you will find that it should read 'pikey horse owners'....................especially as the artical also mentions - illegal encampments of caravans, theft, threatening behaviour and fly tipping.

 

[PeanutButterDragon]

Yes . . Because horse owners are a genuinely frightening and malignant bunch - lock up your sons and daughters!! The equine community is in town!!! YEEEEEHHAAAAAAA!!!!

Badly worded article

 

[lilym]

MEDIA HYPE, and so badly worded, BUT i don't think the article is getting at your average, mrs DIY horseowner, let's face it, most of us are a genteel bunch, too scared even to stand up to the yard knowall, let alone a pissed off farmer!!! i think this article is getting at the less than savoury "travelling" lot......SOD IT let's just call them pikeys, i am being racist, yes, but i'm not tarring romanies with the same brush, they are not pikeys, in any sense of the word, but a true romany is a dying breed, i stopped to talk to some once, and amazing experience, and boy, what a horseman. but pikey's on the other hand, we have sooo many problems with them around here, even dumping their stock on other people's property, and changing the padlocks....and if any of you are offended by the word pikey...is that so different from calling a chav a chav????

 

[skewbaldpony]

me, I get frustrated with the whole issue.
I WANT to like them, and defend their right to their lifestyle - I guess it's the distinction lilym made, I'm from Roma stock so I guess I would want to defend the true Romanies - buuuuuuut ... where ever they go, (the 'pikeys' or 'diddis' as they used to say round here!) they make SUCH a mess, and foul the place up, and stick horses in the most ridiculous places .... I CAN'T find a defence for them!
They're their own worst enemies.

 

[Weezy]

Jesus Christ, most farmers I know are willingly diversifying into the livery business to keep their farming lives possible!

 

[BBs]

[ QUOTE ]
Jesus Christ, most farmers I know are willingly diversifying into the livery business to keep their farming lives possible!

[/ QUOTE ]

Was going to say the same thing

a bit short sighted.

 

[Booboos]

The article is not particularly well worded, seems to go more for sensationalism than a more helpful report of the problem (which is very real), but on the whole I don't think the sentence about horse owners will be that misunderstoood when read in context. It is badly written and may mislead some people, but read in context it makes more sense.

On the general issue, I do find some things people say about travellers and gypsies to be quite offensive and racist (I am not referring to anyone on this post, but some other threads on HHO have been shocking). I don't agree with the idea that individuals should be tarnished by what a group does or what other people do. Many travellers own their own land or travel to approved sites (of which there are very few, so one would also want to ask why there isn't more provision for this kind of lifestyle in the first place). I am sure that at the same time some or even many people tresspass, illegally take over land for camping, litter to a huge extent and cause damage, but we should blame the people who chose to behave in this way, not the groups they belong to.

For example, on the littering issue, we bought a farmhouse and land from a farmer who had developped the adjoining barns into houses (13 of them!) and over the years we found rubble and litter (including fridges etc.) in every acre of the farm. It took us ages to clear it up at great cost, but I would not conclude from this that all farmers just dump stuff and have no care for the environment. I hold this man responsible for what he did and I don't care if he was a farmer, a townie or a traveller!