To wonder why people see large animal as public property?

[lastqueenofscotland]

I have two ex racehorses. Both slightly institutionalised, if you understand horse behaviour they are fine, but they aren’t docile or all that tolerant. They are also huge.
Both can be quite aggressive over food so we do not hand feed them at all.
They live with a family member of mine ina field on the edge of town. We’ve had a lot of issues over the 2 years they’ve been there of people trying to feed them anything and everything, ham sandwiches, and very concerningly on one occasion, a binbag full of grass clippings.
As one of them is VERY aggressive around food and the other has turned into a hugely fat blimp since his retirement from professional sport we put up signs on the field asking them to not feed the horses. This was largely ignored so we got some electric tape fencing and put it about a meter inside the post and rail. (With signs pointjng out this was electric)

Today someone has knocked on my aunts door fuming that her daughter has had an electric shock trying to feed the horses.
When my aunt politely pointed out that the blimp and the thug really don’t need anymore food this woman goes off on one about how we are stuck up snobs and her daughter enjoys feeding the horses so she will continue to do so.
What the fuck is wrong with people

It is amazing the entitlement people have around horses and Ponies.

We keep ours on a yard and people will let themselves in through the first gate to feed the Ponies. Great as the little one is prone to laminitis 🙄

The little one was my nieces pony. When they were out on grass livery two local girls thought they could ride the pony. So basically ragged her around the field (nervous disposition when being ridden by strangers). Next time my niece rode her, she bolted and nearly killed my niece. Now she is a companion pony.

Put up a new sign:
"These horses may bite. It will harm them if you feed them. The wire fence is electric and will give a shock if touched. If you ignore this, are injured and bring a claim, this sign will be Exhibit 1"".

Are you sock-puppetting under a different name then Goat since that comment was clearly in response to LitteredHouses and marked as such

That’s odd, because you said @Goat

My old pony used to be kept in a field which bordered a monthly car boot fair. I once found a family throwing donuts over the fence to her, and when I asked them to stop got told she’d already finished a packet of haribo! From then on I used to spend all day at the yard on boot fair days to keep an eye.

My current horse is scared of small dogs after a few incidents out hacking where they’ve run around his legs yapping. The stock response is always ‘oh don’t worry, it’s just playing’. Really?! Will it still just be playing if my horse launches it with a back hoof? Or when my horse decks me? Or when he bolts and ends up loose on the road?

One time we went for an early morning beach ride, and as soon as we got over the dunes a little yappy handbag dog zooms over and starts jumping around his legs. Mum and 2 kids just behind it, me expecting them to be panicking - but no, ‘oh look isn’t that cute, he wants to be friends with the huge horse!’ Then her children walked straight over and tried to stroke my horse! He was standing still getting tenser and tenser - I yelled at the kids to back off and the Mum to put dog on a lead before she caused an accident. Small girl started to cry, Mum huffed and then tried, unsuccessfully, to catch dog. My horse started to dance about and she told me to keep him still before he hurt the dog!
Afraid I let rip then. She finally caught the dog, called me some names, and told me that I shouldn’t take my horse out in public if he was unsafe . Because, you know, he caused this whole situation didn’t he

This makes me so angry. I have lost it a frw times with people as annoyingly we have a public footpath behind the back of our fields. MY horses are not YOUR pets aswell

As for the moronic famalies when you are out hacking, get the eff away from my horse. NO you cannot pet it. NO you cannot ride it!! And don't even get me started about large famalies taking up entire bridleways and then getting the hump eith you when you go galloping past and scare their darling children. Get the eff off the bridleway then!!

@Goat

I strongly suggest that you go back and read the full thread since you’re derailing with your constant insistence on misreading my comments.

My message at 11.24 in the 03/08/2018 was NOT directed to you and did NOT have @goat anywhere in it. Yet you’ve decided it was ‘unfair’ And weirdly decided it was a personal attack on you and your child and have persisted in derailing the rest of this thread in regards to it.

I’ve only ever responded to comments that you began by copying and pasting my comment to another poster and claiming that it was ‘unfair’ that I said that an animal’s health and welfare should be prioritised over a child’s desire to feed. As I said before - if you think that that prioritisation is ‘unfair’ that’s your right, but to chase me around this thread claiming that I directed that initial comment at you or your child is ludicrous.

However I’m also aware that I can’t reason with unreasonable people and so in the interests of not derailing this thread further, feel free to consider that you’ve ‘won’ or whatever it is that you need to feel validated. I’m off

to chase me around this thread

Says the person who has constantly ailed posts at me and just written a long essay to get the last word and be right.

Won’t even bother pointing out all the holes in your post. You’re right. I’m wrong. Hope you feel better now. Close the door on your way out.

I agree Upstart most people (including many horse owners!) don't understand the nuances of training/ feeding etc.

But the main point that we need to get across is that horses don't make friends with each other by bringing each other food. They follow social behaviour and hierarchy and mutual grooming (a good scratch!!!) to enhance bonds. I think it is a shame that more people don't start their interactions with animals from this perspective. Same with dogs. If you are good with animals then you don't need food bribes.

My brother was a ranger at Yellowstone National Park. He spent vast amounts of time explaining to parents that it was really not a good idea to place their toddlers on the backs of bison. He had to shoot a bear that was removed several times to the back country as it had become accustomed to human food. The bear came back every time and was finally deemed a threat to people. Killing that animal broke my brother’s heart.
I can’t understand how some people have no common sense or respect for boundaries when it comes to wild or domestic animals.

This thread has been really interesting - I’ve never owned a horse myself and can’t believe the ridiculous things the general public do to other people’s animals!

I’d like to ask the horse owners here though; whilst I would never feed a horse in a field for all the reasons stated here, would you mind people petting your horses, assuming the horse/pony came up to the fence of its own accord and was happy with the attention? This is something I have done and I’m now wondering whether I shouldn’t?!

Windmyonlyfriend

Personally I’d have no problem with people stroking and fussing my horse if he came over to the fence :) It’s food that causes bother.

Yep I have no problem in people petting my horse if he ambles over to the fence. It’s a simple childhood pleasure isn’t it? It’s the food that’s causes a problem.

Oh good! I love saying hello to any friendly horses I encounter on my walks/runs.

I used to help out at a friend’s stables as a teen in exchange for a ride but I’ll sadly never be in a position to own my own horse. Making a fuss of other people’s is the nearest I’ll get!

Maybe the response to people asking to ‘have a go’ on an eventer / ex racehorse etc is ‘Would you learn to drive in a Ferrari?’ Absolutely barking mad, Don’t they use their eyes and see a very fit and switched on animal?

I had no idea horses had such sensitive stomachs. I wouldn't feed them though because presumably their owners feed them, also they are a bit scary and I don't want my hands chomped off.

Littlered

Yes, it would be wrong to feed that pony. You should NEVER feed livestock (not just ponies) anything without the express permission of the owner.

There are many reasons for this: 1) you have no idea of the animals medical issues and the impact of what you are feeding it; 2)they may be aggressive or dangerous- you don't know so why put yourself in danger?; 3) they may not be dangerous now but hand feeding them can make them expect to be fed from the hand and they start biting; 4)maybe you give them one carrot- but how many other people give "just" a carrot/apple/mint or whatever? How much extra food is that animal getting that the owners don't know about? Also, what some people give animals is bonkers and unsafe for them to eat.

Callingdannyboy - I don’t think non horsey people (or non animal people that should be) would recognise a fit, keen eventer to be any different from say a 14.2hh pony club all rounder. At most they would distinguish between a Shetland and a racehorse. But everything in between looks the same as them. I have been asked how I can tell the difference between all the brown ones in the field before now. Also had a conversation with someone about dogs, who genuinely didn’t realise that Labrador’s, retrievers, huskeys, and GSD etc were all v different breeds. Just thought were largish hairy dogs in various colours. I guess if you aren’t used to it and are not that interested you just see ‘horse’ ‘dog’ etc.

To be fair I wouldn’t know the difference between a Ferrari, a Maserati or a Porsche if they didn’t have badges on. But I guess I would be able to make a judgement that they are all fast performance cars and not suitable for a learner driver 😁 I also wouldnt touch one without explicit invitation as I know nothing about them...

This is a really interesting post. I really think there needs to be more awareness raised about what's acceptable and what isn't. Like the recent push to discourage people from feeding bread to ducks. I mean, that's a classic childhood joy from the olden days, but obviously now we all know it's not good for the ducks!

My mum used to take me round our local lanes to see the horses. We would pat them and give them a handful of grass picked from around the gate. Presumably this is OK, as the horses would be grazing on fresh grass in their field anyway? But I get that it's probably still not a great idea, in case of nibbly accidents involving horse teeth and small hands!

A dog owner let his staffie chase the horses in our front field. When bollocked-the horses were stampeding in fear-he claimed they were all playing nicely together.

A guy had a picnic with his mate and was merrily strumming his guitar in the middle of th field. Another guy decided to set up his tent in the field and have a fire! How he wasn’t trampled in the night is a miracle.

People are stupid round big animals, there are articles every day, like the one about the tourist petting a lion then being seriously injured.

I would say to the pp who asks if it’s ok to pet a horse, use the same caution as you would approaching an unknown dog. The ‘tourists’ who think it’s ok to come onto my yard to stroke/feed the horses, especially the very cute, very laminitic Shetland need educating. We have the half sibling of a very famous racehorse on the yard. He kicks, but is beautiful so people want to stroke him, bad idea!

I’ve always found horses to be creepy fuckers, so have hung back, but useful to know there are good reasons not to feed, and to be mindful about patting.

Ploppy That is about the extent of my ability to distinguish horses They’re either small and a bit scary or huge and terrifying!

I can sympathise OP.

We have had issues with people trying to this with our livestock. I have, on more than one occasion, had to stop parents who have wandered into our sheep pens from putting their small children into the pens with the ewes and their lambs. They want them to "pet the lambs"- seemingly oblivious to the danger they are putting their DC in. We have had similar issues in the field with both lambs and calves. It is mind-boggling really- why do they feel entitled to wander round our property, never mind the stupidity of putting your small child in an enclosed space with a protective mother. The risk to your child and my livestock is significant. People are unbelievably stupid.

We also have issues with people feeding the horses, trying to pat them- including mare and foals. We have signs up asking people not to feed and warning re dangers of mares/foals and the electric fencing. We now have ours double fences with high voltage electric fencing. There are warnings, if someone ignores them then they do so at their own risk. I have had a few complaints from idiots who have got an electric shock (or whose children have)- I just point out the warning signs. I also point out they shouldn't be wandering around my property uninvited, in the same way they'd be pretty annoyed if I wandered into their garden or hours without permission (though do have right of access over land due to right to roam legislation- there are specific provisions in the legislation in relation to farmland).

Also have had a surprising number of random people turn up and ask for riding lessons (live quite rurally). When I have said no, they often get quite cross. I do explain that I am not a qualified instructor, not insured to give lessons and don't really have suitable pony even if I was any of the above. It's bizarre- why do people think I am desperate to give their children riding lesson/pony rides?

I notice it with most animals to be honest. I am an animal lover but I do not attempt to feed or touch unknown animals as you don't know what their temperament is. Currently trying to teach DD she can't cuddle all cats

I have been asked how I can tell the difference between all the brown ones in the field before now.

As a horse owner - I can’t tell the difference either

I know DD’s is the white one, but the rest are all various shades of brown to me

One of the other owners asked me to bring her horse in once - I had no clue which one it was so had to FaceTime her so she could show me

i once brought in some one else's horse when I was hungover, instead of my own. The worst was, I passed a couple of kids who said, "That's not xxx." "Of course it is!" I snapped. only to realise once I got to my stable that the horse who had been following me very politely was a 16h chestnut sports horse and not a 15h black cob! I had to walk past those kids again to put the mare back out in the field and catch mine....

@PirateWeasel

My mum used to take me round our local lanes to see the horses. We would pat them and give them a handful of grass picked from around the gate. Presumably this is OK, as the horses would be grazing on fresh grass in their field anyway? But I get that it's probably still not a great idea, in case of nibbly accidents involving horse teeth and small hands!

I mentioned earlier that in addition to the food issues already covered (risk of being bitten, horses fighting over food, encouraging biting etc) horse owners generally keep their paddocks clear of anything that can harm the horse, poisonous plants, pesticides etc. Grass from outside the field can easily contain a plant poisonous to a horse and you wouldn't even know. I found some ragwort - highly poisonous to horses - in with a handful of grass thrown over my gate. Ragwort is rife, and hard to spot unless in full bloom. And the main problem with it is that once it starts to die it becomes highly palatable to horses, so pulled up and left in the field to wilt and die could cause a problem. Maybe not one plant as a one off, but one plant, every day, for a week...
And add to that if the owner doesn't know the horse has access to ragwort it could end up costing hundreds in tests to find out what is wrong and then treat, hopefully. Ragwort poisoning can be and is fatal.