# Horse killed on A414 - loose horses



## lachlanandmarcus (9 December 2012)

Herts police Equine alert
"URN 13 08/12/12 refers to three ponies loose on the A414 at London Colney just after midnight. Very sadly one of the ponies strayed onto the carrigeway and was hit by a car. The pony suffered serious injuries and was PTS at the scene by an attending vet. Thankfully the other two ponies were safely returned to their paddock. 
Please check your horses paddocks regulary to ensure all the fencing is secure and fit for purpose to prevent such tragic incidents happening again"

Note: these are believed to be fly grazed horses ; horse owners with their own paddocks generally do ensure that fences adjoining roads are secure, this is one of a regular series of such horses along this stretch trespassing onto the dual carriageway. 

If there are any incidents along here that havent been reported to police or which the police didnt record formally, please do contact Herts police Equine facebook page or Herts police direct as statistics are being collated.

The sooner fly grazing is a criminal and not civil offence, the better.


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## giddyupalfie (9 December 2012)

Poor thing  why can't people be more responsible?!


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## lachlanandmarcus (12 December 2012)

Sadly another loose horse killed yesterday

from Herts police equine

"Sadly yet another horse has been killed as a result of being hit by a car. 
697 09/12/12 refers to an incident whereby a pony had strayed into the carrigeway in Newgate Street at around 21.45hrs. The pony died as a result of its injuries. 
To date, no one has come forward as the owner and we would appeal for anyone who knows who this may be to dial 101 and let us know.!


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## MerrySherryRider (12 December 2012)

Terribly sad, poor horses and poor drivers.

 I remember driving in a storm at night and was flagged down in the middle of nowhere by a white van man. Wasn't too sure about stopping but was so glad I did. He warned me he'd just killed a loose horse on the road (it was in front of his van) and that there were more horses loose. 

 Drove really slowly as oak trees were crashing down and blocking the roads (It was the Great Storm of 1987) and I passed a string of dead horses on the road that night. Probably the most awful sight I've ever seen.

From then onwards, good fencing is something I'll never compromise on. The suffering to horses and motorists could have been avoided if they'd checked the fences or moved them to safety.


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## criso (12 December 2012)

We driving in the lanes near Patchetts one night last year when two black ponies ran out in front of the car, luckily my friend avoided them and we got them cornered on a bridlepath till the police came.

Another two came through and were running towards the A41 but luckily another officer was with them.  None of the sites nearby would  claim  them   Eventually got headcollars on all of them and they were taken off to the Green Yard which is a sort of pound for  horses.  They were  yearlings and two year olds.

This was Nov and there were a few more incidents in the weeks after and the fact round here you seem to get alot in autumn/early winter makes me wonder if sometime they are abandoned so as not to have to keep them over winter.


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## Rollin (12 December 2012)

lachlanandmarcus said:



			Herts police Equine alert
"URN 13 08/12/12 refers to three ponies loose on the A414 at London Colney just after midnight. Very sadly one of the ponies strayed onto the carrigeway and was hit by a car. The pony suffered serious injuries and was PTS at the scene by an attending vet. Thankfully the other two ponies were safely returned to their paddock. 
Please check your horses paddocks regulary to ensure all the fencing is secure and fit for purpose to prevent such tragic incidents happening again"

Note: these are believed to be fly grazed horses ; horse owners with their own paddocks generally do ensure that fences adjoining roads are secure, this is one of a regular series of such horses along this stretch trespassing onto the dual carriageway. 

If there are any incidents along here that havent been reported to police or which the police didnt record formally, please do contact Herts police Equine facebook page or Herts police direct as statistics are being collated.

The sooner fly grazing is a criminal and not civil offence, the better.
		
Click to expand...

More than 30 years ago I passed London Colney on my way to work, less traffic then, but was appalled that horses were tethered so close to such a busy road.

Poor horses.


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## Jericho (15 December 2012)

I used to live in that area about 20 years ago and it was just the same then. Tethered horses, loose horses, horses being raced along the A414. Someone went into the back of my car after i had parked up to try and herd some loose ponies back to safety so accidents were happening then to.  They were all ponies belonging to the  'travellers' who lived on permanent sites. Police would do nothing. Sigh...


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## lachlanandmarcus (16 December 2012)

Its still exactly the same scenario :-((( Our YO at our old yard near there has had dead horses dumped in the lane outside the stables. Nice :-((((

Herts police set up a GreenYard so that horses loose on roads if they cld be rounded up can be taken to a secret location (secret otherwise a gang of men turn up and threaten people and steal the horses back). But unless the root issue is tackled (the fly grazing), nothing will improve either for the horses involved or the travellers who dont fly graze and love their horses and who get tarnished by the irresponsible cruel behaviour of those who do fly graze in insecure fields next to major roads.


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## criso (16 December 2012)

Green yard picked up the strays we found. 2 large men manhandled the ponies all together into an old  unpartitioned box. I know of someone who got to see the secret location and it was a dump with dead animals everywhere. Wouldn't have wanted mine to end up there.

Mind you the police were all for breaking into a nearby paddock and putting them in with the horses in there. We had to persuade them this wasn't a good idea especially with two being uncut colts.


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## ILuvCowparsely (16 December 2012)

RIP little ponies

 fields bordering roads how ever busy should be checked daily for broken parts to save  this tragic thing happening.

I like the fencing on the way down to new forest .  Its high green wire type at least 6 ft high.  This is what i would do if mine bordered roads.  Catlip farm in herts only has post and rail before motorway not good enough imo


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## mutley75 (16 December 2012)

Very sad. I saw these horses on the 414 over two weeks ago and helped the police get them back off the road. It was the 5th time that week they had been called to them! Unfortunately as winter hits and grazing disappears fencing that suffices in summer months doesn't stand up to the job. The amount of times these horses had diced with a major duel carriageway i am surprised it only resulted in one equine death, could have been far worse!


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## lachlanandmarcus (19 December 2012)

Word on the streets is that these fields may have been subject to a court order as long ago as 2 years ago - one has to ask how this is still going on - it just demonstrates the inadequacy of the current laws and the deadly risks for both horses and drivers (both innocent).

The more I think about it, the more I think those who fly graze should not only be guilty of a criminal offence but if a driver is killed by the illegally grazed horses escaping, they should be charged with manslaughter, since the breaking out and the accidents are so forseeable.


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## amc (25 December 2012)

lachlanandmarcus said:



			Word on the streets is that these fields may have been subject to a court order as long ago as 2 years ago - one has to ask how this is still going on - it just demonstrates the inadequacy of the current laws and the deadly risks for both horses and drivers (both innocent).

The more I think about it, the more I think those who fly graze should not only be guilty of a criminal offence but if a driver is killed by the illegally grazed horses escaping, they should be charged with manslaughter, since the breaking out and the accidents are so forseeable.
		
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Totally agree with this and now perhaps they will be prosecuting someone with manslaughter..............What a Christmas for this poor man and his family and all those poor horses..............

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-20841609

http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/u...rs_collide_with_horses_loose_on_a14_1_1752838


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## Superhot (25 December 2012)

This is the second time in about a month that horses have been killed in exactly the same location.  The people who had to clear up the carnage when 2 horses were killed then were extremely upset and angry at the waste of life...the 3 horses killed last night belong to the same travellers, surely now they should have their remaining horses removed???


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## Bigginge (25 December 2012)

Sickening, so sad. Disgraceful negligence with no care for human or horses life


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