Hello and welcome to the 32nd Straight From The Horse’s Mouth podcast on Horse and Field.
This is a podcast interview with a bit of a difference, as rather than simply shining a light on a local person in the equine world, this time I had a great chat with Superintendent Joanne Gibson from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, otherwise known as the PSNI, who is involved in Operation Gallop - an initiative to raise awareness and to prevent equine crime.
It is really encouraging to know that Joanne has a great interest in and knowledge of horses, having ridden from the age of four and she currently has two horses and two ponies and enjoys show jumping… when she has the time!
During our conversation, Joanne talked about her horsey background - including her introduction to riding lessons, how she asked her parents for a pony every day until she eventually got one, her Pony Club days and her love of show jumping - and then about Operation Gallop, what elements it covers and what the PSNI hopes to achieve.
We then had a chat about a variety of equine crimes and what horse owners should do in different situations. These crimes come under a number of pillars - namely engagement, crime, welfare, road safety and safeguarding. These have all touched the equestrian world to some extent and there are things that can be done to try and deter criminals whilst protecting yourself and your property.
I found our conversation to be an enlightening and informative one. My hope is that, in raising awareness of crimes or potential crimes in our equestrian world, people will be more mindful of the safety and security of themselves, their children, their horses and their property.
I wish Superintendent Gibson all the best with Operation Gallop and with her own horses and I hope she can continue to get out and enjoy some show jumping!
Stay tuned for the next Straight From The Horse’s Mouth podcast on Horse and Field.
Thanks for listening!
