Licence to Ride?

An article my mum read to me in our local paper today has got me pretty annoyed. The writer suggested one of the ways to cut the cost for the Chancellor in the big cuts schemes was to stop those claiming winter fuel when they live in other, warmer, climates. That was where this woman's good ideas stopped and the crazy began. This Oldham chronicle reader suggested that horse riders should have to undergo a riding test to obtain a riding licence, thus creating jobs for examiners and instructors having to be registered and licensed to teach the relevant things such as "no entry to horses" signs and such. This creative genius also suggests that if all equestrians were licensed and were forced to ride with L plates, then they could be prosecuted when they don't pick up after their horses, "Little accidents". I think this idea is ultimately preposterous and quite idiotic! First of all, picking up your horse's excrement is probably one of the most ludicrously stupid ideas I have potentially ever heard! Not only do you see more dog do-do on the pavements than horse droppings on the road, but dismounting a horse, to dispose of its business, is dangerous both for horse, rider and lots of other people on the road. I for one, would not be bending down, beneath any horse I trust essentially with my life, but holding up traffic while doing so would essentially end in tragedy on so many levels. Clearly, this woman has never been around horses! Now for the licensing issues. We've been using horses for over a thousand years, and we have survived without licensing so far, why introduce it now? Besides the fact, it is absolutely crazy to introduce such a clearly money motivated scheme, that has few benefits to the vast community, [unless you count the horsey do-do issue], but what about those of us who would never be eligible to take a riding test? What about riders who could not dismount and mount without some assistance or specialist equipment? What about sensible young people who ride well enough. Why restrict such a beneficial hobby for the sake of what? This crazy idea, has clearly come from someone who does not think things through properly. And at the risk of sounding childish, horses were here first! There's a reason we have the right of way on the road. But sadly, it'd be an awfully thoughtless idea as this that this government would jump on. I'd love to hear your thoughts. would this idea ever work for everyone, fairly? Can you see possible benefits? The only one I can see would be where animal cruelty is concerned but then I think those being cruel would just go underground. What do you guys think?