Hands Off Hartlebury Common

Numerous times i've used the common to ride out over but since the fences have been put up, i've had to dismount in dangerous places for both me and my horse with no other choice to open and close gates and this combined  with   the long horned cattle who are unpredictable at best, never mind  the unclipped horns that pose huge threats to all if caught in a stand off or stampede... 

No matter how careful you are out there, these cattle are a hazard to all who use the place and one day some one will get seriously injured, worse cases killed. I've already heard of stand offs by walkers, dog walkers and fellow riders who have had several near misses and suffered minor injuries

the land could easily be grazed and managed by goats or sheep of a more native breed than these highly unpredictable cows, although few in number their sheer size and weight are not something to mess with nor are they native to the common in ANY stages of it's history!
so why are they there??!

the fences are also a problem, used to keep cattle in but they cut the common up making access trickier than normal and restricting it greatly for all, never mind the disabled who i fear may now be put off visiting due to access problems.

Not to mention the cattle  rubbing the fences of neibouring property and that of the common thus damaging it, yet the council will not pay for the damage when it was THEIR stock that  damaged the property in the first place and they make the owners  pay for the repair of BOTH  the commons fence as well as their own.


what once was a lovely place for all to enjoy has now become the playground of the council to tear up ad destroy at their leisure!