By institutionalised abuse, I mean that I can't think of any other sport or activity where animals regularly die in numbers, often several on one day, and this is considered to be an unfortunate but acceptable by-product of the sport. Never mind the sort of public flaying frankie dettori gave to his horse last week - again, a slap on the wrist resulted, not a public outcry.

This is being compared to activity like tethering ponies at the side of the road and their risk of being hit by a car.

I did not mean to cast personal aspersions - I'm sure you're a fine chap who loves his horses and his mum. But, as has been demonstrated ad infinitum, there are a hell of a lot more horses dying on the "respectable" fields and courses of the racing industry than at Appleby. And not just because there are more race meetings: take an annual event like the Grand National. One day per year. A lot more horses dying than ever do at Appleby Fair.

I did say earlier that I don't think a blind eye should be turned to the abuse which is alleged to happen at Appleby, but the response DOES have to be a sensitive one. You, on the other hand, came out all guns blazing against the event: "Culture - my arse!" - they are only pikeys, after all, eh, PA?

Somehow it's okay to watch horses being whipped, drugged to the eyeballs and killed, so long as you're wearing a nice hat. Okay, yah.