Protest trots along causing long Tipton tailbacks

Saturday 30th July 2011, 11:30AM BST.

Protest trots along causing long Tipton tailbacks

More than 100 horse owners filled the streets of a Black Country town in protest over a council crackdown on the roaming animals.

They took to the streets of Tipton yesterday, causing major disruption and long tailbacks on the roads as many of them travelled by horse and cart.

The protesters are against a scheme by Sandwell Council that sees bailiffs remove stray horses from public land. At least eight animals have been taken in recent months, with many of them removed late at night.

Council bosses say they are simply trying to make the town safer but horse owners are defending the tradition.

Yesterday, more than 100 people and at least 20 horses met at The Shrubbery pub in Horseley Road before taking their horse and carts on a drive around the town.

The route took in Horseley Road, Horseley Heath to the Great Bridge island, New Road and then back along Horseley Road to the pub.

Lisa Walker helped organise the drive along with husband Deano, aged 36, with whom she runs a demolition company.

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  1. 1
    John

    Did any of these owners go back and clean up the mess?

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    • Di

      Like you John we too pay council tax to assist with the clean up or all mess around the borough.

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    • Tiptonian

      I’m sure many of the members of the public cleaned up the mess for free and put it on their gardens, saves paying a fortune for it.
      Well done them, some traditions need to stay and I would like to see this as one of them!

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    • Stan

      Did anyone notice the difference? Look at the new health center in St. Mark’s road if you want to see a real mess; it’s looks like it was designed by Darth Vader.

      With regards to these horses, just designate areas of land where horses can be tethered. That way, you where they are. Do this instead of allowing countless houses to be built, thus making the place look even more drab than it is. Also notice..would the council be as quick to do this with Asian, polish or gypsy tradition? I doubt it very much. Make space for the horses if you want to keep them out of the way and stop the chav’s attacking them.

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    • HappyMom

      I assume you are joking John!

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    • tasha

      nope its still there now we went to a birthday party the roads were unreal

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      • Sarah

        Yee there might be abit of mess, so what?? i bet you all by it for ya gardens doe ya!!!And St Marks rd used to be open land with loadsa horses grazin on there and was called apondarosa after the tv programme bonanza

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  2. 2
    Tom

    If these “people” looked after them better the council wouldn’t need to get involved. Shame on these so called “Owners”.

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    • Sarah

      So called owners??? The horses that av been took am looked after proply, fed, watered, moved to fresh grass everyday!!! so you obviously doe no anything about these horses!!The council av employed a so called bayliff company that doe give out ANY warnings, ay even got bayliff licences and DONT know the first thing about horses!So i think youll find its the council in the wrong here NOT the horse OWNERS!!!!

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  3. 3
    Woody

    The answer is simple, don’t let them roam and put them in a paddock!

    This is the 21st century not the 19th century, where traffic is now busy at all times of the day and night. This is not safe for either the horses or the traffic.

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  4. 4
    neddy

    Easy solution, buy or rent secure pasture,like most decent horse owners do

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  5. 5
    Bob S

    If you want to own a horse then you take responcibility for it and its upkeep. You do not buy a dog and expect your neighbours to house,feed and clean up after it. Too many people with an “I want” mentality and a poor sense of responcibility.

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    • Sarah

      Everyone who owns the tethered horses take responsibility for them and look after em properly!! Theyve got constant food and water which the owners give them!!Yee people walking by them do give them bread etc aswell but that AY because the owners ay feeding them!!!!We all pay council tax!!!

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      • Bob S

        Ok lets take your statements
        1) Everyone who owns a tethered horse takes respocibilty for them. So those that have wandered free and been involved in RTAs ( reported in E&S )have been claimed by their owners and the damage paid for ( NOT ).
        2) We all pay Council Tax ? PLease show where on any council tax bill it states that any monoies paid are to be used for the upkeep of public grazing etc.

        Basically Sarah, you want to keep a horse on the cheap and expect the rest of us to act as your support system.

        Think again.

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        • Sarah

          Cars av accidents everyday!! The horses was kept on common ground, which has legal grazing rights for animals!!N as for wantin 2 keep a horse on the cheap is completely wrong, whether you keep them on common ground or in stables you still av 2 buy food etc, which we bought ourselves and isnt cheap! How am the horses hurting you!?They ay! People dont complain bout all the people coming into the country illegally which the tax payers am supporting but then you can come complaining about horses that ay affectin anyone and that am looked after propely by their OWNERS. I think you should think again!

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        • Sarah

          Cars have accidents everyday!!The horses was kept on common ground which has legal animal grazing rights, n as for wanting to keep a horse on the cheap is completely wrong cuz whether them in stables or on common ground you still av 2 buy food etc, that ay cheap! How am the horses hurtin u?? They ay!! People dont complain bout all the people on benefits, or illegally in the country which wem all supportin!!But u can complain bout horses that ay affectin u, n am looked after by their OWNERS!!?
          Think again

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        • Sarah

          U need to think again, all cars have accidents! n as for wantin a horse on the cheap is rubbish cuz whether u keep them on a common land which has grazing rights for animals (which the field where they was is!) or in stables it ay cheap. U still av 2 buy food etc!! Am the horses hurting u or anyone else?NO!! So maybe people should start showin concerns for issues that really need it instead of complaining about a tradition that causes no problems!!!

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  6. 6
    Isle of Wight Wolves

    Can’t see what their argument is. If people keep horses, then surely any reasonable person would have their own land to keep them in and not just leave them on public land. What about the times when they get free and get onto roads ect?

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  7. 7
    Nat

    Hang on if they own the horses it should be on there own land. If they can’t look after them don’t have them!

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  8. 8
    Charlie

    Great to see a Tipton/Black Country tradition being upheld.

    Charlie
    ATLANTA WOLVES

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  9. 9
    Paul

    how many of the carts were actually road legal, I.E insured etc,,,,,,,

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  10. 10
    Turkish Baggie

    I was born in Tipton but now live abroad. The sight of horses grazing was common place & caused no one any harm. This just another example of what living in the UK as now become, a place ruled by H&S where common sense as been replaced by ‘jobs worth’.

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  11. 11
    HappyMom

    Its about time these carts had to have some sort of mot to make sure they are safe and insurance. If one of these carts hit you what happens?

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  12. 12
    wolvogirl

    Theres lots of traditions that are now outdated. Like slavery and hanging. These gypsies need to move with the times or maybe go and live somewhere where it doesnt matter if a two tonne animal runs into a busy road.

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    • Sarah

      So if youve got a tradition you believe in would you change it because of people that ay gota clue what them on bout moans???NO exactly, so people cant expect others to change their tradition!Its like stopping people goin to church!!!The horses and people riding them ay hurting anyone!!

      Report abuse

  13. 13
    Abs

    I doubt very much if they did clean up the mess John, many a morning I have woken up and found horses on my front garden doing their business. Our street is often covered in horse muck. If the owners cared about the horses they would look after them properly. Tethering a horse on public land and leaving it for days at a time with a bucket of water is not looking after them. I am shocked at the RSCPA who have turned a blind eye to the suffering of some of these poor animals. I’m not saying all these horses are treated in the same manner but I have seen plenty that are. I think the council are doing the right thing in moving the horses at long last they are tackling this problem and it is a problem.

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  14. 14
    Red Rum

    I bet you the Council has considered blaming horse convoys for the atrocious traffic congestion in Tipton, as well as the ridiculous number of badly-designed speed-ramps. After all, it’s not like horses can speak back and air their discontent at what an absolute dive this place has become. Better to just lay those red routes and pass the buck..I smell something rotten and it sure is a lot worse than horse dirt. Congratulations, Sandwell Council, on acting like you care. Now all you have to do is repair rest of the damage inflicted on this hovel, by bureaucrats and self-important people who don’t have to live. Let’s re-tether them before we start fixing problems like this.

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  15. 15
    BORN N BRED IN TIPTON

    KEEP UP THE TRADITION I SAY!! U WOULDNT HAVE ROADS IN THE FIRST PLACE IF IT WASNT FOR HORSES, AN AS SO MUCH SANDWELL COUNCIL EMPLOYING BAYLIFFS, THEY AINT EVEN CERTIFIED BAYLIFFS SO TO ME ITS THIEFT! TOTTALLY WRONG! KEEP ON WITH THE PROTESTS I SAY!

    Report abuse

  16. 16
    Woody

    So two carts race each other on a main road and one crashes! These are not responsible owners but stupid individuals.

    If you want to own a horse and cart, be responsible, get the cart road worthy and the horses stabled correctly. The welfare of the horses should be paramount and I’m afraid the majority of these co-called owners shirk responsibility.

    Report abuse

  17. 17
    billy

    Long live the traveller tradition.

    Love to see horses and carts, the council have no right interfering into the traditions of the traveller people.

    The council needs firing!

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    • Woody

      Travellers who live in houses? now there is an oxymoron!

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      • Sarah

        well that must be cuz most of the people that live in tipton am friendly and they feel comfortable livin here. Shame bout the small minority of people that try and cause problems though ay it

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        • TIP-ton says it all

          True you think of Tipton and what springs to mind Horses being badly handled by unemployed tracksuit wearing chavs, smoking a J%%% and racing through residential streets, kick these hooligans off the dole into work and maybe these morons wont have time to cause havoc and breed more like them and then they might appreciate why us tax payers say NO MORE, and the majority who are happy living here as you say most proberly are your neighbours who have a horse roaming a field somewhere near? Sarah with your illeterate comments this does not put you as an intelligent individual but someone who only wants to put TIP-ton in a already bad light.

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  18. 18
    Sarah

    to all u that am sayin that the horses ay looked after properly shows how much you really no about it!!!!the horses am fed, watered and moved everyday, so why not go n moan about some real problems instead of goin on bout something that dnt effect nothin n thats a tradition!!!n the bayliffs ay even registerd bayliffs so its theft!!!!

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  19. 19
    TIP-ton says it all

    These horses are a menace through no fault of their own, they either roam free onto gardens scaring people or tied close to public walkways. The majority of riders dont use saddles which is cruel or on the back of carts and all these individuals are children and teenagers who seem to use them as a status. I am embarresed of Tipton when i have visitors, as at first site they see a horse badly handled by a chavy tracksuited teen, smoking??? who doesnt work or put anything back into community only anti social behaviour. I say take these lot off benefits and forced into work they wouldnt have time to cause uprour, mess and may appreciate why the tax payer is saying no more! Sarah to spell a word as it sounds is illeterate and does not give any weight to your argument, Dictionary my dear.

    Report abuse

  20. 20
    snetta

    All horses tethered or roaming loose on council land should be removed as soon as possible, and then even tax payers who are fearful of horses can use these recreational areas as well

    Report abuse

  21. 21
    Jill

    Sarah you have a short memory.What about the cob mare in Henn Drive? Left with no food or water and with its chain eating into its neck. Owner received a ban. Or another that lay dead in undergrowth for four days after it strangled itself?
    I`ve seen horses left until they are standing in dust or mud with no water.If you look at the grazed areas on Google they look like crop circles!
    I hope the Bailiffs take the remainder.Can`t come too soon for me.

    Report abuse



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