Horseytalk.net/Hoofbeat EXCLUSIVE
RIDER RIGHTS

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Says Steve YandallThis sign is illegal

Equestrians are entitled to use this route - legally.
There are thousands of other illegal signs all over the country banning equestrians.

THEY MUST BE REMOVED

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO CONTACT THE CANDIDATES WHO WANT TO REPRESENT MEMBERS OF THE BHS?


horseytalk.net threatened by the BHS

The BHS has banned www.horseytalk.net from using their logoBHS demand horseytalk.net removes its logo from the site

BHS threatens to take legal advice even though they awarded horseytalk.net their prestigeous
Elwyn Hartley-Edwards Award for
"an outstanding contribution to the communication of equestrianism"

It is possible to find out the address, telephone number and e-mail address of the Queen, the Patron of the British Horse SocietyIt is possible to find out the address, telephone number and e-mail address of the Queen, the Patron of the British Horse Society

It is possible to find out the address, telephone number and e-mail address of the Prime Minister, David Cameron

 

It is possible to find out the address, telephone number and e-mail address of the Prime Minister, David Cameron

It is possible to find out the address, telephone number and e-mail address of all 650 Members of Parliament

BUT IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CONTACT CANDIDATES STANDING FOR THE BHS ELECTIONS

All the candidates for election claim they want to represent members of the BHS and speak up for their interests.

But how can they represent members of the BHS if members are unable to contact them?

Horseytalk.net tried to contact them.

None of them give their addresses and/or telephone numbers on their election literature.
None of them are given in BHS literature.
None of them could be found via Google

The one exception, of course, was Bob Milton, who can always be contacted via www.horseytalk.net
Which is, obviously, why he is our FAVOURITE to win the Election.

THE STORY SO FAR

Monday May 13

Horseytalk.net e-mailed Mark Weston, Director of Access, Safety and Welfare, asking him for the e-mail addresses of all the candidates.

From: Peter Biddlecombe
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 11:36 AM
To: Mark Weston
Subject: BHS Election

Mark

Trying to drum up interest in the election.

Would like to send questions to the candidates

Is there any way I could get their e-mail addresses?

Thanks

Peter

He replied

----- Original Message -----
From: Mark Weston
To: Peter Biddlecombe
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 11:42 AM
Subject: RE: BHS Election

Hi Peter,

I have asked Emma Day, Director of Marketing and Communications, to get back to you re this.

All the best,

Tuesday May 14 .............................. Nothing.

 

Wednesday May 15 .......................... Nothing

 

Thursday May 16 .............................. Still waiting

 

Friday May 17 ..............................
Emma Day, Director of Marketing and Communications replied

Due to the Data Protection Act 1998 I am unable to provide you with the personal data of candidates.

Kind regards

Emma Day

Director of Marketing and Communications

Horseytalk.net replied:

Emma

Thanks for your reply.
Seems odd that whatever the Data Protection Act says, it is not possible to contact candidates standing for public office.

However it occurs to me that it just might be possible for the BHS to ask the various candidates standing for election whether they would like their telephone numbers and/or e-mail addresses made available to the people they are asking to elect them.

Thanks

Monday May 20 .............................. No reply.

 

Tuesday May 21 ............................. No reply

 

Wednesday May 22 ........................ No reply

Thursday May 23 ......................... Horseytalk.net
receives the following e-mail from the BHS

Dear Peter

We require you to remove our logo from your website.

The BHS logo is the subject of copyright and reproduction of the logo without a licence from the BHS constitutes a statutory infringement of this right. You are not licenced to reproduce the BHS logo on your website.

We would also remind you that the publication on your website of any content likely to damage the reputation of the BHS in the opinion of society at large is defamatory. The BHS will take immediate recourse to legal advice should it have any concerns in this regard.

You have 24 hours to comply with this requirement.

Yours sincerely

Emma Day

Horseytalk.net immediately complied with the demand of the BHS to remove their logo from our web-site EVEN THOUGH the BHS has neither responded nor complied with our request to ask candidates if they would agree to the BHS giving us their address, telephone number and/or e-mail address.

As the BHS threatened us with taking "immediate recourse to legal advice", horseytalk.net also took recourse to legal advice.

Said M'Learned friends of .horseytalk.net

 

The BHS should be careful making completely unwarranted and unsubtantiated threats.

To take their points in turn:-

REMOVAL OF THE BHS LOGO

During the time horseytalk.net has been in existence did the BHS ever tell you that you needed to sign their licence agreement before you used their logo?

Did the BHS tell you which section of the licence agreement you were breaking?

Did the BHS give you an opportunity to appeal against their decision as would be available to anybody in a free society?

Does the BHS bar every editorial outlet from using its logo unless they sign their licence agreement?

Are there exceptions?

If so, why?

Whenever you used their logo in the past, did the BHS also demand that you stop using it because you were not licensed to do so?

If not, why not?

If not, why are they now banning you from using their logo?

Is it because they are trying to censor your comments about their elections?

In other words, are they trying to use their powers to censor freedom of speech?

Did the BHS tell you that you needed to sign their licence agreement before you used their logo?

Did the BHS tell you which section of the licence agreement you were breaking?

Did the BHS give you an opportunity to appeal against their decision as would be available to anybody in a free society?

All the above would suggest to an independent, fair-minded person that the BHS are being arbitrary in implementing their licensing rules and regulations.

Rules and regulations must first of all be promulgated to the people likely to be affected by them and then implemented objectively, independently and judiciously across the board not on an individual ad-hoc basis.

If you can show cause to suspect such rules have not been implemented objectively, independently and judiciously you may have grounds for claiming unfair discrimination, victimisation and possibly have a claim for financial compensation for the damage such action has had on your reputation, which, of course, has been honoured by the BHS itself.

-  //  -

PUBLICATION OF CONTENTS LIKELY TO DAMAGE THE REPUTATION OF THE BHS.

This, again, is insulting, demeaning to the BHS and nothing but a hollow threat. In fact, the BHS, as I explained above, should have more concern for the financial and moral damage they are doing to your reputation as a fair minded, independent editorial platform.

What is the meaning of their words "damaging the reputation of the BHS?

To prove this, the BHS would have to prove that - first, they have a reputation and that that reputation exists across a wide-cross section of the opinion-forming community as a whole - second, that the damage can be independently assessed, verified and substantiated - third, that the damage can be assessed independently in terms of the financial loss they have suffered as a result of the damage to their reputation.

-  //  -

BHS WILL TAKE IMMEDIATE RECOURSE TO LEGAL ADVICE

This is absurd.
The term "legal advice" is obviously used as a threat although everybody knows "legal advice" is legal advice. Nothing more, nothing less.

To threaten somebody with the possibility that they may take "legal advice" is as empty and meaningless a so-called legal threat as it is possible to imagine

Meanwhile the question remains ....

Why are candidates for the BHS elections frightened
to allow members to contact them?

Why are candidates for the BHS elections frightened to allow members to contact them?QUESTIONS TO CANDIDATES WHO REFUSE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THE PEOPLE THEY WISH TO REPRESENT

Question No 1.

1. Should candidates standing for BHS elections be prepared to publish their home/business addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses on their election literature so that they can be contacted by the members they wish to represent?

Question No 2.

2. Access is critical for riders. Should all Trustees be fully up-to-date with the laws of access and have had practical experience of solving access problems?

Question No 3.

3. Trustees can only truly represent members of the BHS if they know what's going on throughout the organisation. Should Trustees be allowed to attend any meeting they wish which takes place within the BHS?

Question No 4.

4. Should Trustees be allowed to hold Executive positions within the BHS?

Question No 5.

5. Should Trustees be allowed to claim fees and expenses from the BHS when they are fulfilling their role as a Trustee?

Question No 6.

A QUESTION FROM MAUREEN COMBER
A QUESTION FROM MAUREEN COMBERWhat is the policy with regard to the support given to volunteers of the BHS by the BHS for the BHS? It is assumed as a volunteer for the Society the support would be automatic but to what extent is not known.

Is it reasonable for volunteers to expect support which is to the letter of the law? I am of course talking about all things horsey as per the Charitable aims.

Mark Weston, BHS Director of Access, Safety and Welfare, did not consider he was in a position to answer this ... and advised me to write to the BHS Board.

Perhaps we could have something put in the Constitution in this regard?

The other thing which I found disappointing while I was a Trustee is that although expected to take an all round interest in every aspect of the Charity, I was discouraged from sitting in on the various committees as and when they took place.

Obviously there would not have been time to go to each and every one but it would have helped me to build a better picture of issues raised and how they were being dealt with and by whom.

It may be that this has already been addressed in which case well done.

Says horseytalk.net
"Interesting point. Did you ever receive a reply to your letter to the BHS Board?"

Question No 7.

A question from Tony Barnett

A question from Tony BarnettAS BHS CANNOT INSURE HORSE OR RIDER AGAINST ANY MISHAP WHEN ACCESSING COMMON LAND, PUBLIC OPEN ACCESS LAND AND ANCIENT RIGHTS OF WAY WHICH ARE ACCESSED BY ONE'S OWN CHOICE, DOES THE INSURERS COVER THIS?

IN THE EVENT OF HORSE RIDERS CHOOSING TO ENTER INTO LAWFUL RIGHTS AREA'S WHERE THERE HAS BEEN PROVEN UNLAWFUL IMPEDIMENTS SITUATED ie GATES, CATTLE GRIDES, DITCHES AND FENCING, WHAT IS BHS PREPARED TO DO?

BRONZE MEMBERS THAT CANNOT GAIN INSURANCE COVER FROM BHS ARE INSURRED BY OTHER COMPANIES, THEY TOO CANNOT INSURE AGAINST SUCH CHOICES OF ACCESS.

SO WHY DO BHS PROMISE TO COVER HORSE AND RIDER WHEN CLEARLY THEY CANNOT?

 

If you have question for a BHS candidate who refuses to answer questions from the people they wish to represent, please e-mail it to www.horseytalk.net.

Says Maureen Comber

Says Maureen ComberI have been given an ASBO by the Hampshire County Council for standing up for riders rights.

How many other people have been silenced by Hampshire County Council? ........... read more

Read more here


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