LETTER: Saucy horse-riders photos are going on my wall

I consider the publication of such photos to be extremely irresponsible journalism and setting a very poor example to impressionable young readers of your newspaper.

For example, in the photo top left, the young woman hammering at her anvil is clearly not wearing any protective eyewear, while her able assistant is bereft of the steel-toecapped safety boots which are an essential requirement of any such heavy blacksmithing task.

Meanwhile their young friend appears to be using a heavy duty coarse rasp to carry out remedial hoof dressing work on her mount. At least she has donned protective leather chaps, yet her mare is already shod and should therefore be in need of no such drastic work.

In another photo a young woman is seen mounted without the benefit of a saddle – a practice which is both insecure and detrimental for horse and rider alike, particularly with regard to chafing. Hardly surprising she seems to be having trouble sitting up, silly girl.

Finally, the idea of perching seven clearly fully grown women atop a five-bar gate might seem a witty notion to an ambitious photographer out to make a name for himself, yet it flies in the face of the fundamental principles of ironmongery. Does he not realise the intolerable strain it will place on the hinges!

I fully intend to fasten these photos to the wall of my toolshed without delay as a permanent reminder of the dangers inherent in such foolhardy behaviour. I have also ordered a personal copy of the calendar to carry out a thorough and detailed investigation as to whether it contains further examples of such cavalier and downright dangerous activities. Shame on you ladies! (although in every other respect your pioneering work in the field of minimalist equestrianism is utterly commendable).

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