18th April 2024 • The HERALD • Page 37 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES v ANIMAL MAGIC Visitors Asked Please Look But Don’t Touch New Forest Ponies e public are being asked not to feed or touch the New Forest’s free roaming ponies and donkeys when they visit the area. Doing so was made a neable o ence last year, in the wake of a series of injuries to the public and several animals dying a er being fed human food. Two Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) were introduced by New Forest District Council last July. e rst prohibits feeding and petting ponies or donkeys, and the second aims to protect the forest from wild res by banning BBQs and res. Anyone carrying out these activities is liable for a xed penalty ne of £100, rising to £1,000 following a successful prosecution. Over the rst three months of the new PSPOs being introduced, rangers used the new powers to intervene in 152 incidents involving over 700 people. More than 120 of the incidents involved petting and feeding ponies or donkeys. Charlotte Belcher, Community Manager for Forestry England, said: “When we speak to people feeding or petting ponies, they often think it’s not doing any harm and that as it’s something they have always done it must be ok. Neither is the case. These are wild animals and getting too close poses risks to them and the public. This is why these new rules are in place. To keep everyone safe, please enjoy watching these animals from a distance and let them get on with their important job of grazing and looking after the Forest.” A recent survey found that awareness of the request not to touch or feed New Forest animals was extremely high at 95%, however over a quarter of people were not aware they could be ned for carrying out these activities. Local residents or those travelling from nearby locations to visit for the day made up 65% of respondents with around 30% people on holiday in the Forest. Teams from Forestry England, the New Forest National Park Authority and the Verderers of the New Forest regularly patrol and engage with the public to explain more about the rules. Signs and information are in place across the Forest. Along with other key things to know about visiting the area, the rules are highlighted in the New Forest Code, widely publicised across the area and shared by local tourism businesses with many visitors before and during day, hoping for the best, you’re setting your dog up for failure. Think about all the processes that are involved and practice them separately. If your dog can’t hold a sit-stay on a mat in your living room for more than 10 seconds, they’re going to nd it incredibly hard to hold a stay on a mat, on a raised surface, in a salon for 90 minutes. Remember that your groomer is o ering a grooming service, not a training service. at means the time they have allowed, and the price they are charging is all based on grooming, not on training. Training for grooming needs to be done slowly over weeks and months, it can’t be done in 2 hours. Something else to think about if you’re getting a puppy, especially if you’re a rst-time dog owner with no training experience. When I meet a dog who is fearful of grooming, it’s rarely an isolated problem and the signs have usually been there from when they were puppies when we look back. O en the dog lacks con dence generally, nds it hard to concentrate for long or listen, there might be suspected pain, a limited tolerance for handling and more. To help them feel better at grooming, we need to look at the whole picture. If you’ve got a puppy who needs to be groomed or an older dog who already struggles, you can book a free chat via: www. littlerascalsdogcoaching. co.uk/#book-a-call I don’t know about you, but when it comes to hairstyles, low maintenance is top of my list of priorities. I have neither the time nor patience for anything that involves faff. Which is unfortunate when my hair type is more cockapoo than dachshund! Unfortunately for our dogs they don’t get a choice. Neither is it possible for them to comprehend why grooming is necessary. Your dog only knows how to be a dog, so when we take them to a groomer we are immediately setting high expectations that will test the patience of even the most placid of characters. Your dog will be bathed and dried, this involves constant touching and noise. Your dog is likely to be asked to stand on a table. e table is adjustable so inevitably there is movement, this involves confidence. Your dog will need to alternate between sitting and standing, including standing on 3 legs at certain times. is involves strength and stamina. If your dog isn’t con dent, they’re likely to be bracing for much of this. How long can you brace your legs for before getting tired? And again, the grooming process involves regular and invasive touching and noises for as long as 2 hours, more if you have a bigger dog. For your dog to be able to tolerate all this, without feeling like biting someone (because wouldn’t you?!), you need to break it down. Like training for a marathon, if you just turn up on the their stay. Cllr Dan Poole, New Forest District Council’s portfolio holder for community, safety and wellbeing, said: “Most people enjoying the Forest do so with great care and regard for the New Forest Code. But last year we saw a number of pony petting and feeding incidents, including in our car parks in Forest villages. It is so important people follow the rules, to keep themselves, and the animals safe.” Steve Avery, Executive Director at the New Forest National Park Authority, said: “Last year saw a rise in road accidents involving livestock, which is why encouraging ponies and donkeys near car parks and roads is extremely dangerous, particularly near New Forest villages. Please keep your distance and allow the animals to do their important job in creating and maintaining the exceptional habitats of the New Forest, so that other species can flourish.” e PSPO aiming to reduce the risk of wild res bans the lighting of res of any type including BBQs and any outdoor cooking facilities or equipment in the New Forest. It also makes it an o ence here to place, throw or drop items likely to cause a re such as lit cigarettes. More information on the Public Space Protection Orders can be found online at www.newforest.gov.uk/PSPO “My Dog is a Nightmare for Grooming” by Rachel Clark IMDT, ADT-DTC, Little Rascals Dog Coaching New Forest Pony (Credit: Forestry England) Janis and the animals at Barry’s Farm in Frost Lane would like to thank everyone that has made donations to the pot in e Herald o ce. Another £80 has been transferred to the Farm’s Mole Valley account to go towards food and equipment for the animals. If you would like to make a cash donation you can pop it into the pot in e Herald o ce or you can make an online donation via the gofundme page: gofund.me/c6f78f70 Thank You for Your Donations! MARCHWOOD VETERANS BREAKFAST CLUB Are you a service member of the Armed Forces, a Veteran, or family member of someone serving? If so, 17th Port and Maritime Regiment RLC would like to welcome you to their monthly breakfast club which is open to all current and ex-military services, all ranks, all ages and families. e aim is to come together as an Armed Forces Family, catch up with friends, help social interaction and mental health, talk about current and past experience, support towards housing (SFA’s and social), resettlement support for civilian life, job networking and o er tness wellbeing advice. Go along and enjoy a full English Breakfast at a very small cost of £5 with unlimited FREE brews at Sgts Mess, 17RLC, McMullen Barracks, Cracknore Hard Lane, Marchwood SO40 4ZG on the fourth Saturday of the month between 10am and 12noon. e next two meet ups take place on Saturday 27th April and Saturday 25th May. All personnel attending will need to book into the Guardroom on arrival and will need photograph ID, you will then be directed to the mess.
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