Witches blamed for Sussex horse plaits (From The Argus)

So there have been at least 10 occurrences of this in Sussex over the past 2 months, none of which get any mention in the local paper, and none of which the police had linked to witchcraft, but as soon as some 'warlock' in Dorset phones the police and offers this 'explaination' its reported in the paper. Is this the Sunday Sport?

Has a crime been commited or animals harmed or distress - maybe the Bill should spend a little more time pursuing serious crimes!

This was reported in the Guardian months ago!

And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him.

Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter.

Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst.

Leave people's horses alone.

puddingandpi wrote:
This was reported in the Guardian months ago! And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him. Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter. Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst. Leave people's horses alone.

Having re-read what I wrote, I don't believe that I stated that it was harmless but that none were harmed (otherwise the report surely would have said so) - but stand by my statement that in terms of proportionality ie police time could have been better spent elsewhere.

Police are looking for a suspect wearing a pointy hat with stars and moons on it, a big hooked nose and a black flappy cloak.

I wonder why this continued attempt to blame Witches. I have been following this case and cases like it for years and never once has any evidence of Witches or Wiccans involved. Seems more like the people involved are trying to throw the police off track.
What saddens me is the media continued passing along this smear when there has never been any evidence of Witch involvement.

RickH wrote:

puddingandpi wrote:
This was reported in the Guardian months ago! And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him. Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter. Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst. Leave people's horses alone.

Having re-read what I wrote, I don't believe that I stated that it was harmless but that none were harmed (otherwise the report surely would have said so) - but stand by my statement that in terms of proportionality ie police time could have been better spent elsewhere.

I'm not saying you said it was harmless, but the article in the Guardian quoted a Wiccan, saying it was harmless.

I think you're right, the police do have better things to do, but they do have an Equestrian unit & HorseWatch, which are specifically for this sort of thing.

And, yes, it *is* Pagans, it's been admitted by them. It's Knot Magick, though they must know that the last thing Epona would want is for one of her children to be harmed.

It's one thing to do this to your own horse, or to a horse which is brought in at night (therefore meaning that any plaits would be seen & could be removed). My boys live out & so are outside overnight & could get into all sorts of trouble if their manes are plaited.

What I'm trying to say is: Keep your bloody hands off my ponies! They're not yours so leave them alone.

BEWARE the plaits are put on the horses that are due to be STOLEN it happened to a friend of mine who found plaits on the horse and thought it may have been kids 2 days later the horse had gone but they abandoned the poor horse at dover port as she was chipped! port authorities claim she would have ended up in ireland

please check this link for more info


http://www.horseandh
ound.co.uk/forums/sh
owflat.php/Cat/0/Num
ber/5010865/an/0/pag
e/3

cant believe how thick the police are do they not communicate with other counties or even research the net before blaming witches!!!!!

puddingandpi wrote:

RickH wrote:

puddingandpi wrote: This was reported in the Guardian months ago! And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him. Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter. Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst. Leave people's horses alone.

Having re-read what I wrote, I don't believe that I stated that it was harmless but that none were harmed (otherwise the report surely would have said so) - but stand by my statement that in terms of proportionality ie police time could have been better spent elsewhere.

I'm not saying you said it was harmless, but the article in the Guardian quoted a Wiccan, saying it was harmless. I think you're right, the police do have better things to do, but they do have an Equestrian unit & HorseWatch, which are specifically for this sort of thing. And, yes, it *is* Pagans, it's been admitted by them. It's Knot Magick, though they must know that the last thing Epona would want is for one of her children to be harmed. It's one thing to do this to your own horse, or to a horse which is brought in at night (therefore meaning that any plaits would be seen & could be removed). My boys live out & so are outside overnight & could get into all sorts of trouble if their manes are plaited. What I'm trying to say is: Keep your bloody hands off my ponies! They're not yours so leave them alone.

Fair enough - a simple misunderstanding. re the Pagans thing - its been admitted by a 'spokesperson' who I'm pretty sure doesn't speak for all. My mum-in-law and several of my family are pagans and don't take part it such rituals; although fully accept some may do so but don't fully undertsand their rammifications of their practise.

kateb1 wrote:
BEWARE the plaits are put on the horses that are due to be STOLEN it happened to a friend of mine who found plaits on the horse and thought it may have been kids 2 days later the horse had gone but they abandoned the poor horse at dover port as she was chipped! port authorities claim she would have ended up in ireland

Kinda makes sense - plait the hair and leave it a while. If the plait is gone, the horse is cared for and watched on a regular basis, otherwise nick the horse because its unlikely to be missed for a while. Then get some nut-job to ring the police, say its a pagan thing and put the police off the trail of any organised crime ring.

kateb1 wrote:
BEWARE the plaits are put on the horses that are due to be STOLEN it happened to a friend of mine who found plaits on the horse and thought it may have been kids 2 days later the horse had gone but they abandoned the poor horse at dover port as she was chipped! port authorities claim she would have ended up in ireland

when did ferries go from Dover to Ireland? It was probably going to make a nice barbecue item in France

kateb1 wrote:
please check this link for more info


http://www.horseandh

ound.co.uk/forums/sh

owflat.php/Cat/0/Num

ber/5010865/an/0/pag

e/3

cant believe how thick the police are do they not communicate with other counties or even research the net before blaming witches!!!!!

Kateb1,

Thank you for going to the trouble to do a bit of research, which apparently the newspaper and the police are a bit too lazy to do. I am not sure why the police can't do research, but with the newspaper they often seem to spice up a so so story by implying Witches, or Satanists have something do with the story. It is call a hook, something to make the story more likely to be read by the public and it may have nothing to do with whether it is part of the story or not.

Now as for Kevin Carlton, he is a joke that goes around seen in a red bath robe claiming to be King of the White Witches. There is no such office and it proves him to be a bit of a fraud and nutter. But the media seem to love to quote him because of it.

As for the reported warlock, a term no actual Witch or Wiccan would use, so another fraud.

As I said earlier it is likely to people actually responsible are trying to mislead both the public and the police and Kateb1 has shown that this has been common in a number of horse thefts.

Another poster who lost a horse mentioned the same plaiting.

RickH wrote:

puddingandpi wrote:

RickH wrote:

puddingandpi wrote: This was reported in the Guardian months ago! And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him. Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter. Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst. Leave people's horses alone.

Having re-read what I wrote, I don't believe that I stated that it was harmless but that none were harmed (otherwise the report surely would have said so) - but stand by my statement that in terms of proportionality ie police time could have been better spent elsewhere.

I'm not saying you said it was harmless, but the article in the Guardian quoted a Wiccan, saying it was harmless. I think you're right, the police do have better things to do, but they do have an Equestrian unit & HorseWatch, which are specifically for this sort of thing. And, yes, it *is* Pagans, it's been admitted by them. It's Knot Magick, though they must know that the last thing Epona would want is for one of her children to be harmed. It's one thing to do this to your own horse, or to a horse which is brought in at night (therefore meaning that any plaits would be seen & could be removed). My boys live out & so are outside overnight & could get into all sorts of trouble if their manes are plaited. What I'm trying to say is: Keep your bloody hands off my ponies! They're not yours so leave them alone.

Fair enough - a simple misunderstanding. re the Pagans thing - its been admitted by a 'spokesperson' who I'm pretty sure doesn't speak for all. My mum-in-law and several of my family are pagans and don't take part it such rituals; although fully accept some may do so but don't fully undertsand their rammifications of their practise.

No one person speaks for all Pagans. Actually, I'm a Pagan myself & I don't do these rituals either.
The thing about plaiting horses to be stolen is a myth. It's not just Pagans who plait horses manes, girls tend to do it too. If someone has put a plait in your horse's mane, it means there is access by the public, which means the horse is able to be accessed by thieves too.
Although the South Downs Way runs right past my field gate, there's no way anyone could get to my boys with a vehicle & there's also no way my boys would go with anyone out of the field. It's hard enough getting the little bu99ers to come with me.
Several times I've found a plait started in one of their manes but it's never a full plait. I assume it's at that point that the plaiter has been bitten & serve them right.

Thank You for some rational thinking kateb1, your words make sense! it's a shame the Argus/Sussex police consulted "high-priests" and blamed witches, giving people more targets to get worked up about, I hope they follow up with some practical advice for horse owners. WHAT CRIME WOULD YOU ACTUALLY PROSECUTE SOMEONE FOR IF YOU DID ACTUALLY CATCH SOMEONE PLAITING MANES? GET A GRIP SUSSEX POLICE!

This article is utterly offensive to pagans and witches everywhere. It is completely misrepresentative of our rituals and beliefs; badly researched, biased, lazy reporting. It is full of basic misinformation.

Who is this Kevin Carlyon? He certainly is not *my* High Priest and clearly knows too little of witchcraft to speak of it with any authority whatsoever. And, Argus, how dare you link witches - who live in harmony with the natural world - with such barbarism as mutilation?

If this were any other religious group, the Argus would be in serious hot water right now. I have complained, in the first instance, to the editor, demanding that the article be removed and an apology issued, and I strongly encourage anyone who believes in respect to others' beliefs to do the same.

Fail, Argus. Epic fail.

there is also a facebook page about thieves marking the horses. witchcraft?! how amusing, maybe they will find a unicorn next.

puddingandpi wrote:
This was reported in the Guardian months ago!

And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him.

Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter.

Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst.

Leave people's horses alone.

I'd rather get my hair caught in a tree than have some git jump on my back, dig their heels into my ribs and make me jump over poles.

I wonder if anybody has thought to question the Sothern Ramblers arm of the Apprentice Hairdressers Society?

Baldseagull wrote:

puddingandpi wrote:
This was reported in the Guardian months ago!

And, it's *not* harmless. The horse can get the plait caught on the fence or a branch & at the least rip the hair out. I've seen a horse get a plait caught & rip the whole clump out. The poor thing was soaked in blood when we found him.

Another horse got a plait caught on a branch, didn't rip it out but stood all night in the same spot, unable to lie down, eat, drink or shelter.

Luckily, all of my ponies bite like demons so anyone trying it on them will come off worst.

Leave people's horses alone.

I'd rather get my hair caught in a tree than have some git jump on my back, dig their heels into my ribs and make me jump over poles.

You've got the wrong idea. There are some really awful riders out there who do awful things to their horses, but we don't all.
I have a more democratic relationship with my boys. I have to be in charge or we could all be killed, but we negotiate, rather than me dictating. They are perfectly free to express their opinions but know if I insist, they must do as I say. Like children really.
You wouldn't plait a stranger's child's hair so don't do it to horses that don't belong to you. Thank you.
Blessed Be.

I am in agreement with Mrs.Bucket here. This article has been subject to sensationalist style of journalism.

People should remember that Paganism is a faith of sorts and that this type of material could easily be regarded as a form of religious prejudice.

I would feel uncomfortable with this article if I were the Editor in Chief.

If the story involved a mention that members of other popular faiths in Britain were involved, I think a different approach would have been adopted.

Personally, I think this is down to plain old ignorance as usual.

This has never happened to my Mighty Horse. I have informed the Editor in Chief.

This is pathetic, it is truely sad the someone called the police because their horses mane was platted, last time I checked the police had for more important things to do then deal with some horse hairdressing .... shame on you time wasters!