http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-14097779

A pony harnessed to a trap died after it was forced into a Hampshire lake by a dozen people, the RSPCA has said.

A member of the public who tried to rescue the animal from Hawley Lake on Saturday afternoon was taken to hospital after the pony kicked out.

The animal was dragged down into the lake by its trap as it tried to swim.

Police also think an attempt was made to push a second pony into the water. Officers and the RSPCA are trying to establish a motive.

An RSPCA spokesperson said the group had lined up three ponies and encouraged them into the water.

Just read this one myself. The mind well and truly boggles.

some disturbed individuals about. Why would anyone do this ?

Why would anyone do this ?

Um, cheaper than disposing of sick ponies the legal way?

We have ‘traveller’s’ ponies on land near us, not the most well looked after animals you have have seen. Just about every week the newspaper prints a letter from a concerned member of the public, but apparently nothing can be done (Yeah, righto. Probably more like ‘nothing can be done with out an outcry from the PC brigade).

I can’t remember, are we allowed to use the ‘P’ word on here still?

As usual it will be a fine and a order to stop them keeping ponies for a few years. Lock the bastards up or better still throw them into a lake with lead around their ankles and see if they can swim out.

I can’t remember, are we allowed to use the ‘P’ word on here still?

Dunno, can you use it at work or in the pub? If you do then you shouldn’t shrink from using it on here should you?

I can’t remember, are we allowed to use the ‘P’ word on here still?

I think so, but if in doubt use ‘little horse’ instead.

Police also think an attempt was made to push a second pony into the water. Officers and the RSPCA are trying to establish a motive.

this is the bit i wonder about, they tried the same with a second pony, and if you read on they were last seen taking it away when they failed.

Wouldn’t surprise me if the second pony turns up dead, or maybe it won’t after being turned into meat. Do have to wonder about some people.

sick individuals yes, but you’ve got to have a proper odd psyche to have a “group” do something like that.

And as for pikeys disposing of ponies, they dont throw away valuable traps at the same time. Im sure its much easier for them just to leave the pony somewhere on the verge far enough away from the site.

So what group of people did this? I need to know before making some sweeping generalisations.

You’re an Irish fella aren’t you DD? It was probably you or one your many brothers or cousins or something wasn’t it?

are the culprits not just a bunch of semi-feral teenagers or something then..?
or is it more sinister than that..?

So what group of people did this?

well, that is the question indeed.

Sounds very much like someone had a score to settle, I expect there is more to this than is being reported.

whoever they are, I doubt they nicked three ponies with traps attached. To harness up takes a bit of knowledge…

meet Micky, my bro’s trap pony:

It’s stories like this that remind me I’m right to be leaving my estate to the donkey sanctuary.

Here’s the web page if anyone wants to make a donation.

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/

Watch this space for more donkey related charity fund raising ideas.

There is a large community of travellers in Yately where the individuals were reported to be headed after the incident. Heading there in the travellers second most preferred mode of transport, the pony and trap.

Entirely co-incidental of course.

Is it not possible that someone stole them from travellers..iirc the populace views them with suspicion and treats them with contempt..and then drove them into a lake. Why would a “pikey” do this. It is like firebombing your own car and I doubt they have insurance for a pony and trap.
So lets ease off the prejudices guess worl for a minute and lets all agree it is cruel before deciding with no evidence that it was pikeys wot done it.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/868877-gang-of-travellers-hunted-by-police-after-drowning-pony-in-lake

Like the stock “pony” image 🙂

Daily Wail on the case also 😉

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2013181/Gypsy-gang-deliberately-drowned-elderly-pony-lake-horrified-families.html

yossarian, it’s just as well oi’m in a good mood today, else you’d be destined for a bunch of foives ye big fat racist. 🙂

Why would a “pikey” do this. It is like firebombing your own car and I doubt they have insurance for a pony and trap.

Assuming it’s your own car..

aye fair point it may be the settling of a score.

Um, cheaper than disposing of sick ponies the legal way?

Hawley Lake is surrounded by 1000s of acres of land open to the public, if they just wanted rid of them they could have just released them and let someone else sort the problem out. This is plain cruelty.

🙂

Hawley Lake is surrounded by 1000s of acres of land open to the public, if they just wanted rid of them they could have just released them and let someone else sort the problem out. This is plain cruelty.

Ah, wouldn’t work if they were homing ponies see! 😆

So lets ease off the prejudices…

Um, did you mean lets ignore the reported facts and pretend it was someone else? Wow, now that really is PC.

Sadly it’s not just Ponies people are cruel to.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-14088144

Forty seven baby and two adult pipistrelle bats have been found dumped in a box in Wiltshire, the RSPCA said.

The protected bats were discovered in a box at the side of a polo pitch at Perham Down near Tidworth on Wednesday.

Two females bats, one with a fractured wing, and 47 babies were taken to the Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital.

The BBC link , which I based my comments on , does not mention Pikeys. The metro one does in the headline but not in the story.
Oddly, and totally out of character, the Daily Mail mentions travellers in the text
I get a feeling you are putting more weight on the Daily Mail report than the BBC one though. Is that unPC gone mad 😉

Pikeys eat bats so it wasn’t them

We have ‘traveller’s’ ponies on land near us, not the most well looked after animals you have have seen.

All the horses I’ve ever seen around my neck of the woods owned by pikey’s (in Addington and Hackbridge) have always seemed to be extremely healthy to me. But then I am neither an expert on horses nor do I have innate prejudice against pikey’s, so I could be wrong.

.

Just about every week the newspaper prints a letter from a concerned member of the public, but apparently nothing can be done (Yeah, righto. Probably more like ‘nothing can be done with out an outcry from the PC brigade).

I’ve never before heard of the RSPCA, which can and will prosecute, putting political correctness before animal welfare. In fact the suggestion sounds so ridiculous to me, that I suspect it is in fact complete bollox.

Ah, wouldn’t work if they were homing ponies see!

Good call. It never occured to me that they may be migratory ponies. 😆

Pikey, sound a little like ****, and just as offencive, would we be saying a bunch of ‘darkies’ quite so lightly? I daren’t even use the ‘N’ word as an example!

There is no doubt whahappeneded to these animals is wrong and the people who did it may or may not have been members of a travelling community but does thamakeke the crime any better or worse? Is a black man who commits a crime and worse than a white man who commits a crime?

So my vote is for sympathy and concern without a touch of racism 😉

pikeys you say?

Pikey, sound a little like ****, and just as offencive, would we be saying a bunch of ‘darkies’ quite so lightly? I daren’t even use the ‘N’ word as an example!

Well the word pikey does indeed share 3 letters with the word **** so yes, I guess it does sound a little like it. But no, I don’t consider pikey to be offensive – I have had a couple of proper romany pikey friends which used the term freely about themselves and others. Even though it is an all-embracing term for travellers.

I see no problem with referring to gentlemen and ladies of the road as turnpike travellers.

Mind you I am notoriously unPC ……. so you might want to discount my view on the matter on those grounds.

Politically Correct: A term to elevate the user. 🙂

so you might want to discount my view on the matter on those grounds.

when there’s so many other grounds to choose from GG?
😉

It was an accident. 🙄

Hampshire police received conflicting stories about what happened, but said today the pony died in an accident.

Well you were not there and the police have conflicting reports. That said like you I see no reason to believe there view of events when we have a lynch mob ready here to go after the pikeys.

Well the word pikey does indeed share 3 letters with the word **** so yes, I guess it does sound a little like it. But no, I don’t consider pikey to be offensive – I have had a couple of proper romany pikey friends which used the term freely about themselves and others. Even though it is an all-embracing term for travellers.
I see no problem with referring to gentlemen and ladies of the road as turnpike travellers.
Mind you I am notoriously unPC ……. so you might want to discount my view on the matter on those grounds.

I think a lot of people use the term to specify someone who they look down on, rather like chav. A term of exclusion, usually sneeringly delivered. On that basis I don’t like it or use it. Some of the traveller kids at my college call themselves and each other pikeys. I wouldn’t, just like I wouldn’t call a black guy a ****.

There is zero respect for travellers in the uk. I reckon that if Cameron brought in a law banning their lifestyle it would be supported by most.