Editorial: Council's efforts misguided

HAVING been bitten by a horse in Whanganui, I am not going to advocate they all be shot.

Being nipped while leaning over a fence isn't the end of the world, and they are not going to do too much damage - except to your pride.

There are lots of horses kept within the city boundary and, as far as I know, they haven't seriously injured anyone.

Which is a long-winded way of comparing horses and dogs.

Horses kept in Whanganui will now need a permit - there is no deadline for getting the documentation to the district council, and no fee.

But there is a heck of a whack coming down the pipeline - in theory. If the horse is found wandering and hasn't got a permit, the owner could be fined up to $20,000.

And, though the council has said no charge for permits now, horse owners are right in thinking there will be a charge in future. You can bet the ranch on it.

There is something of the wild west about keeping horses in towns. I like it. As long as they are well fed, watered and under control, they aren't an issue.

The biggest issue is their droppings, not that they are dangerous beasts. It's not often you see riders with a baggie stopping to collect the droppings, and the Chronicle has reported horses roaming the beach at Castlecliff and leaving a mess. Gardeners may appreciate the windfall, but no one else.

There may be valid reasons for taking a census of the city's horse population, including returning them to the rightful owner when some idiot lets the animals out of a paddock.

But a simple note of where the horses came from should solve the problem. Is there an issue beyond that?

Last June, council adopted more stringent measures to control dogs. They are a plague in some suburbs.

It was a good move, and most of us would rather see the council put energy and resources into taking roaming and scary dogs off the street than worrying about horses.

Horses in paddocks or being ridden down the main street are, at worst, quaint; dogs at large in city suburbs are both a menace and not the best advertisement when trying to promote Whanganui as a good place to be.