Horses to be drugged for Stones gig

[Mandeigh]

BELGRADE (Reuters) - A plan to sedate more than 300 horses stabled at Belgrade's racecourse to keep them calm during a Rolling Stones concert there has enraged Serb animal lovers who are lobbying to have the gig moved to another venue.

The concert is expected to draw more than 100,000 people to the Hippodrome, Belgrade's largest fenced space. The horses will be only a few metres from the stage.

"Horses differ, the same as people. Some are more nervous, more skittish," said hostler Jovanka Prelic. "If they get too nervous or start to panic during the concert, they'll get sedatives."

Serbia's biggest animal protection society, ORCA, says holding the concert there would be extremely harmful to the horses, and sedating them is not the answer.

"Research has shown that noise and vibrations are the strongest causes of stress to animals," Elvir Burazerovic, head of ORCA, told Reuters.

"Surely our big city has enough open spaces where even 150,000 people can fit in. We think the Hippodrome should be left to horses," he said.

The sedative would be diazepam. In Serbia it trades under the name Bensedin, a very popular drug during the 78 days of NATO air strikes in 1999, when much of Belgrade's adult population was on tranquillisers.

ORCA said that if it failed to convince the organisers to change the concert venue, it would contact the Rolling Stones directly and ask them to use their influence.

"I believe we'll succeed since such a reputable band will not allow such a stain on its record," Burazerovic said.

The band have never played in Serbia. A 2003 concert was cancelled due to the assassination of then Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, and a 2006 date scrapped after guitarist Keith Richards suffered a head injury while on vacation.
 

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20070418/tod-uk-serbia-stones-fec0afc.html

[cassiejane]

Oh how ridiculous. poor neddys.

[Heather]

WHAT???????? With Charlie Watts the owner of probably the largest Arabian stud in the UK, they should b****y well know better
 

 >:(Heather

[TashaKat]

I'm lost for words 

[ludlu]

I know nearer to Glastonbury Festival than my parents live people just keep their livestock in if they can't move them away, but I feel so sorry for them,  At my parent's hous miles away we here the music really clearly, and TBH, it quite clearly gets on the animal's nerves, as well as ours.  Its not so much when you hear the music, as whent he wind takes it away from us and you just fel the beat....

.....and then the traffic disturbance and rtas in the area....its a pain, the whole thing, and we are miles from it.,...


poor animals.

[twinkle11]

just see that on yahoo as was just about to put a post up but you have beat me :P

i couldnt believe it when i read it i think it bloady rediculous

[Flashback]

 

what the  is going on in the world?  ........... just move the gig or turn down the ruddy volume! 

[Diane Smith]

They'd have to drug me to listen to that lot too

[Heather]

They'd have to drug me to listen to that lot too

Well, if you cant beat 'em, join 'em Di!!


Heather

[Emma_R]

Yes I sure all the horses will respond fine to the sedative and that none will override it as horses can do or have any side effects whatsoever  >:( And Diazepam!!! That's some strong stuff  I'm pretty sure you would have to completely knock Saff out to get her to cope with that racket which of course would be immensely risky. Are all the horses fit to be sedated? When Saff had a slight squek on her heart the vet wouldn't sedate her, too risky, are that many horses really going to be ok to sedate? And then the poor things will have to come round from it, probably feeling rather woozy and horrible and unable to eat until they are completely awake in case they choke etc...how stupid would you have to be to come up with a plan like that??? 

They'd have to drug me to listen to that lot too