REGARDING the tethered horses featured on Soapbox on August 6 – gypsy horses are well bred to survive harsh conditions, they are often “good doers” and will nibble the grass quite short, their mouths and teeth have evolved to do this.

Yellow ragwort should be “pulled”

on a regular basis to prevent them eating it, but as yellow ragwort is a natural environment of the cinnibar caterpillar it should be left once pulled for the moth to emerge.

Gypsies have ancient rights to graze their horses on “common land”. This is denoted by long-established boundaries.

The horses that I see from the photographs do not look undernourished and it is quite common to see one or two ribs in grass fed horses. This is called a “grass belly”.

Grass naturally ferments gently in a horse’s stomach and is a natural part of the digestive process. I hope that the horses that were removed were not used as horsemeat as can often be the case when the wrong people interfere!

I would urge people to visit Hamble Common to pull ragwort, taking apples and carrots which have been cut in half and leave these within reach of the horses. Do not approach horses from the rear as they are inclined to kick out if threatened. Do donate to the RSPCA, which is often underfunded for its considerable work.

I would also suggest contacting the Environmental Health Department if the remains of horses are found anywhere as this can lead to the proliferation of large, green bottle flies, which appear to be around in large numbers at the moment!

Ms ANN MacGILLIVRAY, Southampton