A very interesting article was published in The Guardian, a British newspaper, about the impact of drones on horses. Apparently the British Horse Society is quite concerned and it seems rightly so as more and more reports of horses bolting or even throwing their riders is becoming commonplace as drones show themselves up close and personal with horse and rider. And while I'm not a big believer in the creation of more and more laws, frankly we have too many already, I do think the problem is worthy of attention or at least awareness.
Being married to a "Horse Lady" and daily tending to horses in my "Horse Husband" duties, I know that animals of flight need to be dealt with carefully and with common sense. They are easily startled, like when a nearby, thoughtless hunter fires his rifle or scatter gun nearby. Even a falling branch can cause them to jump, so you can imagine what it must be like if they came in contact at close range with a drone. As we become more and more technologically advanced, it is critical that we understand the impact of that technology and behavior on the things nearby. Beautiful horses are included on that list.
The only situation I've been aware of regarding horses and drones in this area was when my wife served as a jump judge for the Ocala Jockey Club's Family Fall Festival. Drones were used in the skies above to video the event, a good way to keep a record of horse performance and possibly even resolve questions if they arose. These drones, however. were in the sky above, at least fifty feet above the horse and rider and were not even noticed by the participants. That's quite different from someone with a drone "snooping" on others, often on private property, and coming close to them. There is no reason why any private citizen should be able to spy on neighbors in their private lives with drones, be they horse owners or any citizen. That's just the way I see it.
In the case of government using them for a security measure, even then we have to be very careful with individual rights in their use, for we have seen the mischief that government has gotten itself into with abuse of power using advanced technology. And with drones, the issue of safety is also a big concern. Just how many drones can operate in the air without causing crashes with other equipment, airplanes or otherwise? And what about crashes due to their failure? We just haven't addressed many of the issues that certainly will happen. Unintended consequences will always take place just as they always have in the past.
There have been reports since the drone craze began of farmers and others shooting them out of the sky when they appeared to be watching them or invading their personal space. That's a natural outcome as we see more and more of them show up in the air while the individuals below treasure their privacy. And in the case of horse owners, something disastrous is likely to happen if the practice as seen in Britain continues. Here's hoping that our British friends come up with a workable solution and that we here in America nip it in the bud before it gets to that. Unlimited numbers of drones in an increasingly more crowded sky are not something that will end well. You can count on it.
Being married to a "Horse Lady" and daily tending to horses in my "Horse Husband" duties, I know that animals of flight need to be dealt with carefully and with common sense. They are easily startled, like when a nearby, thoughtless hunter fires his rifle or scatter gun nearby. Even a falling branch can cause them to jump, so you can imagine what it must be like if they came in contact at close range with a drone. As we become more and more technologically advanced, it is critical that we understand the impact of that technology and behavior on the things nearby. Beautiful horses are included on that list.
The only situation I've been aware of regarding horses and drones in this area was when my wife served as a jump judge for the Ocala Jockey Club's Family Fall Festival. Drones were used in the skies above to video the event, a good way to keep a record of horse performance and possibly even resolve questions if they arose. These drones, however. were in the sky above, at least fifty feet above the horse and rider and were not even noticed by the participants. That's quite different from someone with a drone "snooping" on others, often on private property, and coming close to them. There is no reason why any private citizen should be able to spy on neighbors in their private lives with drones, be they horse owners or any citizen. That's just the way I see it.
In the case of government using them for a security measure, even then we have to be very careful with individual rights in their use, for we have seen the mischief that government has gotten itself into with abuse of power using advanced technology. And with drones, the issue of safety is also a big concern. Just how many drones can operate in the air without causing crashes with other equipment, airplanes or otherwise? And what about crashes due to their failure? We just haven't addressed many of the issues that certainly will happen. Unintended consequences will always take place just as they always have in the past.
There have been reports since the drone craze began of farmers and others shooting them out of the sky when they appeared to be watching them or invading their personal space. That's a natural outcome as we see more and more of them show up in the air while the individuals below treasure their privacy. And in the case of horse owners, something disastrous is likely to happen if the practice as seen in Britain continues. Here's hoping that our British friends come up with a workable solution and that we here in America nip it in the bud before it gets to that. Unlimited numbers of drones in an increasingly more crowded sky are not something that will end well. You can count on it.
RSS Feed