The horse racing community is starting to feel the tightening grip of the countryside's latest crisis.

Though horses do not suffer from foot and mouth disease they can carry it and that has prompted the Government to ban their movement around the UK.

"If this goes on much longer I am definitely going to suffer," says Mr Camacho, who has bred horses for racing in Norton for many years.

"I am a flat race breeder so the cancellation of race meetings hasn't affected me much yet.

"The problem is, I have about ten brooding mares at my stables and I can't take them to other stables to be with stallions. If they don't mate I will be left with no foals come next year."

Many stable owners, like Mr Camacho, rely on the income from the sale of bred foals to keep them in business.

"I am hoping that the Government will start allowing some restricted movement because my mares will soon be due to go to what is called a stallion station in Cheltenham to mate," he said. "If the crisis continues it has the potential to do some real damage to the racing community.

"Owners like myself tend to get their fees even if a race is cancelled so that is not the main concern for me.

"But then there are the jockeys and the stewards who get paid per race - they're the ones who are being hardest hit at the moment.

"And of course there are other people who make their livings at race meetings such as those who sell food at these events - these people are losing their livings."

Mr Camacho said some people in the racing community felt the Jockey Club should have stuck its neck out and opposed a ban on moving horses.

"They say that there is no danger of the disease being spread by horses, but I happen to think the ban makes good sense," he said.

"We need to do all we can to stop the spread of foot and mouth disease and farmers need all the support they can get.

"As far as I am concerned the sooner the crisis comes to an end the better."

Updated: 12:01 Monday, March 05, 2001