More Horses Than People.

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Ok, my title is an exaggeration, but it definitely feels like that sometimes in my home town - there are around 5000 horses in the area and only about 15,000 people. I live in the East of England in the racehorse capital of the world, and probably half the households in the town have someone working in the racing stables or on the out-lying stud farms. Horses have priority here, and though they have their own designated horsewalks, they still hold up the traffic when they cross the roads. Vehicles sometimes have to wait for quite a while if a string of 30 or so are crossing. We are surrounded by acres and acres of grassland which are used as training grounds for the horses, and the majestic sight of them sweeping up the 'gallops' is really worth seeing. These gallops have been lovingly tended for hundreds of years and so are the finest in the country. Charles II was a frequent visitor to our town in the 17th century, and he used to bring his lady love (Nell Gwynne) with him. He is credited with starting racing here. There are 2 separate racecourses, and they are either side of the 8 mile long earthworks called the Devil's Dyke. This dyke is an Anglo-Saxon defensive barrier consisting of a steep bank and a ditch dating from at least the 10th century. It's great for walking your dog along as you get panoramic views of the racecourse, gallops and training grounds. If you ever come to England I hope you can pay us a visit - I'm sure you would enjoy it. ---------------------------- Photo is of me leading in one of my charges after winning a race many years ago. I wrote this in response to @suziecat 's post about her home in North Carolina which you can see here: http://www.mylot.com/post/3018879/what-do-you-like-about-where-you-live