[snoopy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11339816


The telly broadcast also talked about a spate of horse attacks in the New Forest some time ago. The injuries that they documented were quite frightening indeed.

What is wrong with some people?

[JER]

Sad and shocking for sure. The owner must be heartbroken and horsepeople in the area must be fearful for their own.

However -- and I say this very gently -- it's a bit of an overstatement for the horse to be called a 'London Olympic horse.' (BE record here.)

[snoopy]

Sad and shocking for sure. The owner must be heartbroken and horsepeople in the area must be fearful for their own.

However -- and I say this very gently -- it's a bit of an overstatement for the horse to be called a 'London Olympic horse.' (BE record here.)

Yes well it makes good copy doesn't it?! The telly broadcaser was saying that when there was the spate of attacts in the past that people actually slept in the stables.

It seems that horse related crime is so much higher in the UK. EVERYTHING is bolted, chained, cctv'd, freeze branded, marked etc because of theft. Thankfully it is not like that in most places in the USA.

[JER]

Do you think one reason for the high levels of theft might be that a fair number of people in the UK keep their horses at rented grazing/stables where no one lives on the property?

This is quite different from the US and I imagine thieves would be greatly emboldened if they know no one is on/near the premises.

[snoopy]

Theft happens at high levels across the board whether someone lives on site or not. But you are correct in so far as the higher numbers of rented fields and no supervision.

[snoopy]

"It has dashed my Olympic hopes totally. I broke her, I produced her, it takes years and lots of time and effort.

"I now have to look towards 2016 with my young horse."


Strange though that the storyand her subsequent interview on TV made no reference to the fact that she may be devestated by the loss. I would like to think she is but to watch the piece we are treated to meeting her younger prospect.

I myself would be quite emotional if I had found my horse dead in the field from a suspected knife attack.

Maybe this is that "quality" you speak of when one is focused totally on Olympic dreams

[JER]

Honestly, snoopy, I thought I was reading a PR piece.

It's one thing to make lemons out of lemonade but this just struck me as odd. Especially when she expressed no fears for her young horse.

CCTV is everywhere in the UK but its value is questionable. Consider that recently the body of a standout GCHQ codebreaker was found stuffed in a padlocked sports bag in the bathtub of a high-security MI6 safe house in Pimlico. The so-called intelligence services have 'no idea' what happened.

[snoopy]

Honestly, snoopy, I thought I was reading a PR piece.

It's one thing to make lemons out of lemonade but this just struck me as odd. Especially when she expressed no fears for her young horse.

CCTV is everywhere in the UK but its value is questionable. Consider that recently the body of a standout GCHQ codebreaker was found stuffed in a padlocked sports bag in the bathtub of a high-security MI6 safe house in Pimlico. The so-called intelligence services have 'no idea' what happened.

I do not think it was high security. He lived on the top floor flat that was close to M16 but there looks to be no security for the building itself. M16 keeps the flat or building but it is certainly not secure.

I used to visit a pub at lunch time that was frequented by many from M16 and they were the worst for blabbing about stuff that I would have thought should not be discussed so publically.

[crittertwitter]

"It has dashed my Olympic hopes totally. I broke her, I produced her, it takes years and lots of time and effort.

"I now have to look towards 2016 with my young horse."


Strange though that the storyand her subsequent interview on TV made no reference to the fact that she may be devestated by the loss. I would like to think she is but to watch the piece we are treated to meeting her younger prospect.

I myself would be quite emotional if I had found my horse dead in the field from a suspected knife attack.

Maybe this is that "quality" you speak of when one is focused totally on Olympic dreams

Yah. Ya know, I'm always surprised - even though I shouldn't be at this point - when I overhear or read a statement that completely objectifies a horse. I overheard a very well known rider at a show office continually referring to her mounts as "it." "It seems to be getting sounder." "When I loaded it on the trailer this morning..." "It places the lotion in the basket..." Sensitive, irrelevant point, and of course the horses aren't that concerned about our perception of their gender, and those aren't the most dismissive comments I've heard, unfortunately, but it does make me wonder. Is the appreciation of each horse - their uniqueness and character - just a normal casualty of high ambition?

[JER]

I do not think it was high security. He lived on the top floor flat that was close to M16 but there looks to be no security for the building itself. M16 keeps the flat or building but it is certainly not secure.

The news outlets that seem to be the recipients of the most leaks in the case -- namely the non-Murdoch papers like the Telegraph and the Mail -- have noted numerous times that it was a high-security safe house. (There's also a record of the flat being used in the past as a safe house for foreign informants.)

From the Telegraph:

A further sign of Williams’s importance was that he had been assigned to live at 36 Alderney Street – a high-security apartment in Pimlico that MI6 would have previously used to debrief one of its agents or a defector. Like all safe houses, it was functionally furnished – but with a direct phone line to MI6 headquarters less than a mile away.

While I'm not usually a fan of either the Mail or the Telegraph, both papers do good work in certain spheres. The Mail has been outstanding and relentless on the David Kelly case; the Telegraph publishes some valuable intelligence info but is not to be trusted on anything having to do with Russia as they don't realize the Cold War is over.

And to get back OT, the Telegraph has the UK's best mainstream equestrian journalism. (It also has the greatest obituaries you will ever read.)

[snoopy]

Yah. Ya know, I'm always surprised - even though I shouldn't be at this point - when I overhear or read a statement that completely objectifies a horse. I overheard a very well known rider at a show office continually referring to her mounts as "it." "It seems to be getting sounder." "When I loaded it on the trailer this morning..." "It places the lotion in the basket..." Sensitive, irrelevant point, and of course the horses aren't that concerned about our perception of their gender, and those aren't the most dismissive comments I've heard, unfortunately, but it does make me wonder. Is the appreciation of each horse - their uniqueness and character - just a normal casualty of high ambition?

I know you are serious about your post but I must say I burst out laughing when I got to "it puts the lotion in the basket"!! Very witty indeed.

[see u at x]

(It also has the greatest obituaries you will ever read.)

OMG!!! Reading that is better than if I had seen it on A&E's Biography. Wow...I've never read an obit quite like THAT!

[snoopy]

The news outlets that seem to be the recipients of the most leaks in the case -- namely the non-Murdoch papers like the Telegraph and the Mail -- have noted numerous times that it was a high-security safe house. (There's also a record of the flat being used in the past as a safe house for foreign informants.)

From the Telegraph:


While I'm not usually a fan of either the Mail or the Telegraph, both papers do good work in certain spheres. The Mail has been outstanding and relentless on the David Kelly case; the Telegraph publishes some valuable intelligence info but is not to be trusted on anything having to do with Russia as they don't realize the Cold War is over.

And to get back OT, the Telegraph has the UK's best mainstream equestrian journalism. (It also has the greatest obituaries you will ever read.)

Yes well I quess I should not be expecting an "m16 safe house on a banner out front"

[JER]

OMG!!! Reading that is better than if I had seen it on A&E's Biography. Wow...I've never read an obit quite like THAT!

Well, put down your beverage and get ready. Here's two more Telegraph classics:

Lord Michael Pratt
Sandy Fawkes

[see u at x]

Oh, my....thank you so much! These are brilliant! You've completely made my entire weekend.

[Thomas_1]

It seems that horse related crime is so much higher in the UK. EVERYTHING is bolted, chained, cctv'd, freeze branded, marked etc because of theft. Thankfully it is not like that in most places in the USA.

You are joking aren't you?

Do you think one reason for the high levels of theft might be that a fair number of people in the UK keep their horses at rented grazing/stables where no one lives on the property?

Really???? Where's that then????

[Guin]

spaTe, not "spade". Unless the horses were buried with shovels.

[snoopy]

spaTe, not "spade". Unless the horses were buried with shovels.

Thanks and

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Well, put down your beverage and get ready. Here's two more Telegraph classics:

Lord Michael Pratt
Sandy Fawkes

Wow...

[snoopy]

You are joking aren't you?

Really???? Where's that then????

No, very serious! Having lived in both countries I can assure you of that. I am talking about horse related incidents. I never had to lock my tack, trailer, mark my rugs, my horse, worry about rugs being nicked from their backs, christ people are even stealing hay now. I can whole heartedly say, that if you stand still long enough in the UK someone would steal the fillings from your teeth. You are from the North, so you should be used to that.


As far as rented fields and people not living on site...it is far more common in the UK then in the US. I hardly see horses left unattended in fields on the side of motorways and A roads in the US. It is quite common to have yards that have no living accomodations.

So there...