[Brijjy]

And don't want to learn? It really grits my s**t! There's a woman up the road with a shetland type pony. She's doing up a ruin of a cottage and has no land. I saw this tiny pony in what used to be the outside toilet, a miniscule space. My other neighbour had a word with her and the pony is now on a bit of corralled off garden. Not belonging to her but to a house that's currently empty and up for rent!. I walked past this pony earlier to find that she's bought it a rug with a hood and the poor little thing is sweating buckets in it. When asked why she had the pony, she said it was her daughters (grown up) and aren't they just like dogs really? At some point very soon it will need its feet trimming. The pony is also entire else I'd say it could share Jimmys field. Why are some people idiots?

[Rosemary]

Why are some people idiots?

Good question. Maybe a call to WHW for some "official" advice for her?

[mowhaugh]

I had a similar type of concern locally a few years ago, and I phoned our area BHS welfare officer, who went for a visit and talked to the owner, in this case it was very positive and the owner took the advice on board and signed up for a horse owner's certificate course.  Might be worth a try ringing the BHS welfare officer for your area.

[ZaktheLad]

Unfortunately this happens with all breeds of animals.  Why do people get a puppy but have no inclination to house-train or socialise it?  Many people seem surprised that puppies don't come already housetrained and think that they don't bite the furniture when teething.  That's why so many end up in rescue centres as purchasers can't be bothered to learn how to look after the pup or put in any time and effort.

Same goes with horses/ponies, but with the price of ponies so low at the moment, many people think a cute little shetland as a pet will be a nice thing to have.  Strangely enough a friend of mine was only telling me last weekend how her neighbour has done exactly the same thing - gone out a purchased a shetland and a malnourished gypsy pony but has no prior knowledge of horses or what to do and things she can just leave them to it. 

Same could be said of people who take on pet sheep but don't bother to get them sheared etc or those that buy exotic animals and then release them in to the wild when they realise there's far more work involved in caring for them than they wanted to take on. 

Can't see it ever changing which is very sad for the poor animals involved.  At least there are people around like yourself who do notice and can act and offer advice if necessary.

[happygolucky]

Lots of people buy animals on the cute factor or a whim and have no idea. I always wanted a horse  but also knew how I would not be committed enough to look after one unless I had a house with my land surrounding it, horses are more visible than some animals and cats can usually get out, they, in my opinion get the better option...So many people have not got a clue!

[devonlad]

Unfortunately this happens with all breeds of animals. 

couldn't agree more. I believe that all our animals, pets or livestock rely on me to know what I'm doing as they are depending on me to get it right.. Not knowing everything about their care is I think forgivable, being too lazy or disinterested to ask, or read, or learn is far less forgivable in my eyes

[lachlanandmarcus]

Trouble is with horses they take more close attention to be looked after properly than most other types of animals ESP in the feet and weight monitoring department. A sheep whose feet aren't trimmed or sheared will probably survive ok but a horse needs regular attention.


It makes me cross too. Completely agree about ignorance being forgivable but unwillingness to put it right not forgivable.

[Garvie]

i am looking to get a horse but not until a) i can afford not just him but everything else and b) that i have the knowledge to care for him, it really bugs me when i see people who have horses/ponies that just have not put the effort into learning about their needs

[mab]

I must admit I had a guilty twinge when I read the title of the post, 'cos I didn't know much about keeping horses when I got Rosie, but I did at least know about feet and diet control for a shetland and having sheep & chickens was aware of the need to learn more

I must admit though, that in the first month or two the amount of work she represented almost made be give her up - she's much more work than the sheep.

[EcoGypsy]

I came accross lots of idiots, unfortunately. One of them rang RSPCA because thoroughbred yearlings had no rugs on them in winter... 

[happygolucky]

Horses and ponies used to be and still are seen as a status symbol to a life style for a lot of people, just like other trappings of a certain life style. People then buy them for themselves or their children and think they can put them in a field or pay a livery to look after them!! 
 

[midtown]

I came accross lots of idiots, unfortunately. One of them rang RSPCA because thoroughbred yearlings had no rugs on them in winter... 

Similar experience with a phone call informing me of a "white van" parked up and "someone in the horses field". Went down to find two uniformed members of a well known animal welfare organisation, there as a result of a report of a "horse seen limping with something wrapped around its leg"!

You would have thought any idiot would have seen the "something" was in fact a bandage but no, a vet had been summoned to assess the horse!

Under threat of calling the police if they didn't immediately leave my land, I subsequently telephoned my own vet, passed the phone to the inspectors in order they could be informed by my own vet that the horse concerned was in fact under medical care.

A couple of weeks later, I received a bill from the vet called by the RSPCA, for a call-out fee!

Worth remembering that sometimes it is not the owners at fault, but the interfering local busy body as in our case, and especially where a public footpath runs next to the field. We later caught her in the act of emptying a couple of bags of grass cuttings over a fence, in a spot where previously we'd found old bread and cake dumped!
She  thought "supplementary" feed was called for as there didn't seem to be much grass available.

It actually took a hand delivered, signed-for letter from our solicitor threatening legal action, in order to curtail her activity.