Smithfield Horse Fair: Piebald or Skewbald? (Part 1)

In this video officials from the DSPCA, backed by Gardai, dispute the definition of a skewbald horse. One official removes the registration number from the owners horse passport and refuses to give it back.

This is how the Irish Piebald and Skewbald Association defines Piebald and Skewbald horses:

Piebald:
Large irregular patches of black and white (usually black on a white base).

Skewbald:
Any other colour or colours and white i.e. Bay, brown, chestnut, grey, dun or palomino and white. There may be some black marks in addition.

For over a year now Dublin City Council has been making every effort to put an an end to the traditional Smithfield Horse Fair. They have been doing this by putting every type of pressure possible on Dublin horse owners and spending large amounts of taxpayers money on various measures. In a city already desperately short of Gardai the first Sunday of every month, when the fair takes place, can look more like a Garda fair than a horse fair. Although illegal unregulated, untaxed trading can be seen in many parts of the city on Sundays, for example, Grafton street and Temple Bar, the Revenue can only ever be seen in Smithfield Horse Fair. In the last year each horse fair sees Gardai, Customs, Revenue and DSPCA officials turn out in force. Despite the shortage of Gardai in the city each road into Smithfield has a roadblock of 3 Gardai in place from the night before. The City Council will spend any amount of money to directly attack the culture of ordinary Dubliners but they have never spent any money promoting it. Horse owners have appealed continually for proper regulation of the horse fair but have been ignored by DCC.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Smithfield Horse Fair
• November 2011