A small celebration this morning as we have reached 50,000 SIGNATURES! I never imagined that we would get that level of support. Thank you all very very much and please keep encouraging other people to add their signatures too.

I have also been asked questions about what happened to Juma. At the moment the police are still deciding whether to prosecute. The officer who went to the accident wishes to proceed but has to put the facts in front of his Sergeant. There has been a publicised policy of non-prosecution in the Forest in the last few years because the Verderers are keen to encourage people to stop at the scene of collisions - as required by law - and not become a HIT and RUN. Hit and runs, especially where the poor animal is left alive but badly injured cause a lot of suffering. The officer and I hope that the facts of this particular case will merit a prosecution. 

Juma died of his injuries within five minutes of being hit - a small mercy - and I am told that a lady sat with him as he passed and even said a prayer for him. I am at least glad that his suffering did not last long and hope that the shock and adrenalin meant that he did not feel the agony of those injuries. Sadly, it is not always the same for many stock animals who have to wait for the agister to arrive to put them out of their misery, or worse still to be found the following day before they are dispatched. This is the sad truth about collisions on the Forest. 

The picture (Credit Russell Sach) shows another pony that was killed on the B3078 - vehicles slow down to look at a dead pony far more than they do a live one.