By the way, I hate horses and I count myself as one of those 'non-travelling people' who don't understand. The difference is, I try not to impose my way of life onto theirs.

I had a Romany friend when I was 5-6. Her family was Benham, from the Piddletrenthide camp in Dorset. I was one of the only children in the school who would speak to her or her sisters and I like to think we were friends. I certainly never teased her or told her she smelled like so many of my classmates did. At Secondary school, I was the only one who'd sit next to Peggy-Sue on the bus - her family moved onto the Piddletrenthide camp with the Benhams for a while, another Romany. Manitas regularly played at sessions with the Queen of the Gypsy Council, shortly before her death a few years ago. Josie's family still keep horses nearby so I am not totally ignorant of the Travelling way of life.

With all the respect the Travellers have for their horses, I'm not surprised people tried to help the horse out. I am surprised that a Traveller took it in. I'm not surprised that it was a male - the machismo of "taming" an obviously "wild" horse would have appealed to more than one person there. I'm pretty sure that with such clear pictures in the media, the Travellers know who it was. If it was another Traveller, the owner of the horse will have his payment by next fair. If it wasn't, then there is a whole network across the country who will point him out to the authorities.

LTS