Letter: Reflecting on animal safety in the New Forest

THE commoning community often rightly criticise some other Forest users for their lack of concern regarding road safety and their livestock.

I regularly use the roads frequently involved in these incidents. Recently I conducted a simple observational survey on the number of animals (excluding cattle) wearing a reflective collar. I estimate I’ve seen at least 60 different animals in varying locations. Of these only 55% of ponies and almost all the donkeys either did not have one or were wearing ones in a very poor condition.

The chief agister featured in last week’s BBC Country File programme on the New Forest very strongly recommended and endorsed these collars’ use for preventing accidents in poor visibility. Why do his colleagues in the commoning community not exercise a greater responsibility for the safety of their livestock by adopting his advice and employ this cheap and simple measure to a far greater degree than they seem to be doing at present?

Peter Williams
Lymington