EDWARD de Bono, the father of lateral thinking, is a great go-to person for an appropriate quote. I sought him out this week for his thoughts on perception. This is what he said. “If you can change your perception, you can change your emotion and this can lead to new ideas.”

In Ireland, this is a relevant and appropriate saying in the context of a report launched on Thursday called Traveller Horse Ownership. This is a comprehensive study and one that could not possibly be summarised in a few words, but I would wholeheartedly recommend that all bodies who work within the equine and equestrian sectors, along with individuals, read the report which is available online at www.paveepoint.ie. There is much to learn from it.

What I will address here are issues around a passion for horses, mental health and a need for travellers and the wider community to be open to change, resulting in new ideas and opportunities. The passion among the traveller community for horses runs deep, but without proper support and facilities they are an open target for false accusations of welfare neglect.

Fewer opportunities to house their equines, leading to a decrease in ownership and an increase in seizures, should also be viewed alongside the scandalous figure of suicide rates among males being seven times greater than the national average. Addressing this alone would warrant a wholesale review of their needs and the needs of their horses.

There is so much to learn from this report, and hopefully Government, local agencies and anyone with an interest in the horse will take its findings on board, and the traveller community buys into it too.

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What unique distinction does the trainer Gay Kelleway hold at Royal Ascot? Don’t be thrown by my giving her the handle of being a member of the training ranks.

Yes, she is the only female to have ever ridden a winner at the meeting, quite an unwelcome distinction given that it happened 32 years ago. The horse was Sprowston Boy and he was trained by the rider’s father Paul. The familial relationship was significant, and the horse, a generally unconsidered 12/1 shot, left his rivals trailing in the two-mile, six-furlong Queen Alexandra Stakes.

This year there will be a number of female riders at Ascot, but currently none are due to partner any remotely fancied mounts. The chance of any of the current crop of female jockeys emulating Gay Kelleway is remote, and this is in marked contrast to the National Hunt scene were Rachael Blackmore, Bryony Frost and Lizzie Kelly flew the flag with distinction for their gender at Cheltenham, in a world where opportunities are still too few.