End of an era for Cockington horses as hundreds come to say goodbye
Hundreds of people today turned out to mark the last day of horses in a Devon village - following a row over Winter grazing rights.
Last updated 10th Oct 2021
Horses and horse-drawn carriage rides, have been a part of the picturesque Torbay village of Cockington for generations - but that ended today.
K&H Carriages which six years ago took over the village business today held a goodbye event for its horses - as they prepare to relocate the animals in the coming days.
Hundreds turned out to say goodbye to Annie, Cowboy and Patrick the Pony who are being moved to private locations - on the edge of Dartmoor - because the business is no longer viable.
Despite months of discussions with Torbay Council, the Torbay Development Agency and Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust the carriage business were unable to agree on a suitable Winter grazing site - after a vet voiced concern about the one offered.
The family of the previous owner of the business say they used a different site in the past, but officials have not given permission for it to K&H Carriages.
The carriage company is also know for Patrick 'the celebrity' Pony who's placed temperament means he's being trained up to become a therapy horse - working with school children and those with mental health difficulties.
In a joint council, TDA and Countryside Trust statement, they say they 'recognise the heritage and tradition the horses bring to the site'.
It reads: "Since May, we have made sustained efforts working with K&H Carriages and Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust to find a solution in this ongoing dispute over winter grazing.
"TDA commissioned an independent land agent assessment of the grazing which concluded that, whilst not ideal, the current winter grazing fields are workable.
"In addition, TDA has carried out searches for alternative grazing sites both in 2018 and again this year. However, a solution has not been found that has been acceptable to the current operators.
"As the council’s appointed operators of Cockington Court, TDA has continually supported K&H Carriages since they based their business at the site. In recognition of the heritage benefits that the horses bring to the site, TDA offered a peppercorn rent at the start of the lease, which was offered for an extended period. In addition, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust (TCCT) offered a discounted rent on the winter grazing fields.
"K&H carriages have been offered business support and advice from TDA Business Advisors; the business advice offer was not accepted. In further support of the business, TDA also supported K&H Carriages with their request to run their Purple Poppy Appeal from Cockington Court.
"Over recent weeks TDA and Council representatives have met with K&H Carriages with the aim and hope that a solution could be found and have recently proposed a change in the operating requirements to resolve the winter grazing issues.
"While it has not been possible to reach a solution, we are deeply saddened to see K&H Carriages remove their horses and we continue to recognise the heritage and will continue to work to protect this tradition.”
Our previous report about Patrick and K&H Carriages