Painting pony parties - yay or neigh?

[Paintedponio]

I have just seen a post on Facebook, shared from a national news station, about pony painting parties and some people that are protesting them and trying to get them stopped on the grounds that they are animal cruelty.

The responses were largely agreeing that it is cruel, and should be banned, that it teaches children not to respect animals, though there were some saying the opposite. Many replies were angry, saying it's exploitation, cruel, abuse and all in the name of making money for the owners.

The organiser of one of the companies that runs these parties has stated that the children are supervised, and wear protective equipment, the ponies are not overloaded, one party a day, and the paints are not harmful to animals, and washed off afterwards, and applied with soft brushes, much like grooming the pony.

Personally, I really don't see the problem. I think it's a great way for a retired, older or unridable pony to have interaction with people, and many ponies love the attention of children fussing over them. I think it is a lovely way to introduce children to horses, without them having to ride, which they could be too scared to do, and they are supervised and wearing the right equipment. Some comments said it wasn't fair on the pony because it doesn't have a choice, and some people were furious about it, but I don't understand why, horses have no sense of self, show them a mirror and they think it's another horse, and as long as the paint doesn't irritate them then it is probably easier to get off than stable stains or mud!

The ponies feel the brushes, but much like they are being groomed, which just about anyone who's ever had anything to do with horses will tell you is an activity that is essential to a horses well being.

When I trained with horses, the college used to paint the skeletal structure on one side and the muscle structure on the other side of a grey horse and lunge him (long line so the horse goes around you in a circle while you stand in the the middle) to demonstrate how the muscles and bones work while walking/trotting/cantering and jumping, it was amazing and such a good teaching tool and the horse was happy and healthy.

So what does the MN jury think? What is your opinion of pony painting parties and do you think they should be banned?

I think @smallchanceofrain son sounds like a sensible little dude........

If people stopped riding horses the first time they bucked or shyed, or stopped jumping them when they refused their first jump then there would be precious few horse ridden House. Fact is they're made to do it again and again until they accept it.

I don't think there is cruelty involved these days (horses aren't "broken' the way they used to be). I understand that it is a gradual acclimatisation to having a weight and then finally a person on their back.

Of course at the beginning their instinct is to buck to remove it, but when they realise that it isn't a dangerous thing (eg a cougar attack), they become happy to allow it.

Dogs also fight a leash at first, and a lot of blokes fight commitment. Then they realise that what they get in return makes the compromise worth it )

Self-indulgent, cruel and exploitative. The ponies are surrounded by excitable noisy children who may or may not be careful with how they treat the animal. The ponies have no say in the matter. I've already signed the petition to get these parties banned. What next? Dog makeup parties?! It's bloody disgusting imo

DemocracyDiesInDarkness
Your son sounds a treat

He has an Asperger's diagnosis. He just says what he sees. We had a look at some pony party pictures and videos on twitter and he wasn't impressed.

He's unusual in that he has little empathy for people but loads for animals. He understood the ethics of vegetarianism by the time he was 4 and elected to be vegetarian - even though no one else in the family is. I'm just thankful he hasn't gone full vegan - yet.

He's into animal activism and Greenpeace. He says that his generation can save the world. I doubt they can but you can't blame him for wanting to try. So yes, he's a treat.

I think it could only be described as cruel if the ponies are traumatised by the washing off that presumably occurs after the painting is over... however, ponies are often washed off after getting sweaty/muddy and nobody goes to the papers.

Do people get their knickers in a twist about groups of children brushing ponies? I used to work at a stables where small groups of thrilled children would gently and reverently brush a pony while it chewed on a haynet. I can’t see how swapping a body brush for a paintbrush would be traumatic.

Now, whether it teaches children that ponies are nothing but playthings is another matter. But let’s not pretend that it’s a cruelty issue in itself. I dare say if you asked your average riding school pony if he’d rather do another lesson or stand and chew hay while a group of little kids dab at him with paint brushes he’d choose the painting any day.

He has an Asperger's diagnosis. He just says what he sees. We had a look at some pony party pictures and videos on twitter and he wasn't impressed.

Asperger's or not, he is a young man to be proud of smallchance. Tale no notice of spiteful comments. Your son is right - it isn't a good thing to do.

small groups of thrilled children would gently and reverently brush a pony while it chewed on a haynet. I can’t see how swapping a body brush for a paintbrush would be traumatic.

Really?

Really, Basic?

You can't see a difference in the mindset involved?

Caring for and cherishing a pony/horse as opposed to using it for entertainment?

Horses ARE used for entertainment every day! Go to the races, show jumping, eventing, hunting, dressage and so on. The bond that can be created between a child and a pony is lovely. The horses and ponies love the attention of being groomed. Do you think all the beautiful horses you see get called in from the field, a saddle slung on and off they go? Their mane and tail is pulled, they are shampooed, groomed, coat conditioner sprayed on, clipped and primed, and shod. Worked most days and some rarely ever see a field. A few kids messing around painting their coat really is not cruel to the horses. Whether you are teaching children the right values is something different.

Ponies are not meant to be drawn on , any more than your lounge carpet is ! I agree that it's the mindset of this that is so wrong , no , the ponies might not care but it's the idea that people can do almost what they like , just because they can is what's wrong .

No! Worse than cake smashes! What a shit idea.

A pony is an animal capable of killing a human any time it feels like it. But hey if you think letting your child paint one is a fabulous idea, go right ahead

I really don’t agree with this (own a pony days where you learn to groom etc are better) but my bigger concern would be the inevitable filtering down from professional stables doing it on rare occasions with animal-friendly paints, to ramshackle outfits packing in parties 7 days a week with no consideration for the animals’ welfare - all in the interest of making as much cash as possible (usually advertised on Facebook 😑).

Another trend I’ve seen recently is ‘unicorn parties’ where ponies are
painted bright pink and have a horn stuck on their head...

I’m more upset about horses being driven thousands of miles across Europe to be slaughtered
www.worldhorsewelfare.org/live-transportation

Live horse export for slaughter is not allowed in the U.K.

Schadenfreud - yes. If you read my post again, particularly the beginning of the third paragraph you’ll see I acknowledged mindset.

But as Jack points out, horses ARE used for entertainment. I wonder how many horses die as a result of painting parties as opposed to the racing industry.

And Oddcat - you might as well say ponies aren’t MEANT to be ridden.

Agree with you there 8Gin* - but I suspect that people who regard ponies as chalkboards will also be the ones who dismiss concern about this cruelty as "sentimental".

Yes it is read the link 30000 horses leave the uk for slaughter

But if you stop the parties then the owner can’t afford the pony and sell it, he could end up on it’s way to Europe, which is worse? Horses are expensive to keep

Absolutely bloody NOT

As long as the pony is calm, obviously not distressed and the kids are calm and nice to the pony, I don't see the problem. They use non toxic paints and it gets washed off the same day I imagine.

Maybe target the idiots who dye their dogs different colours for shows, or dock the tails etc.

I'm more concerned about the horses in this country that are either over rugged and over fed, sometimes for the benefit of a rosette, or the ones being starved and abused. A healthy pony being painted on and doesn't care is at the bottom of my worries.

Gin people have owned horses for years without having to resort to painting them in order to afford their upkeep !

Big no from me. What does it teach kids about how we treat animals? And why the fuck would painting a pony be fun? Why even thought it up? DD has pony parties on the whole but they are of your common or garden 'go for a ride' type jobs. Why on earth would you paint a pony??

Thousands of horses are sent to sale every day because people can’t afford them, if they can’t be ridden a lot of them go to slaughter, even if they are healthy, a fact of life i’m afraid

Absolutely not. Never, ever use poor animals as a source of entertainment for young children. They aren't prepared for it and they will inevitability find the loud noise distressing.
Leave animals out of it when you're organising your dc parties. They feel stress and fear 1000% more than we do. And the dressing up of some poor pony as a unicorn is just grim. None of us would like to be dressed up in a ridiculous costume and paraded about for the 'delight' of others especially noisy small children So why inflict it on a defenseless animal? I just don't get it

Device is playing up tonight and this has accidentallyposted as two separate posts.

Speaking as a horse owner, I don't think this is a good idea.

My daughter's riding school used to have occasional days during the summer or Christmas holidays for example, the pupils dressed up in costumes and were allowed to plait ribbons in to their ponies manes and tails, and parade for 20 mins or so and perform badic ground work in front of parents. But in that situation, the children know the ponies and vice versa, it's done under the close supervision of experienced instructors in a teaching context with no more than one or two pupils per horse. The children are taught that the welfare of the horse comes first (along with their safety) and the plaiting etc is really a fun way of improving advanced grooming skills. And these are long term pupils in the main who are on their way to being accomplished little riders.

The things that would worry me about this being done for commercial reasons in different domestic settings with groups of excited children are:

• the values it teaches the DC (ie you are not grooming it to keep it clean and healthy, but drawing on it exclusively for your entertainment with the pony being treated like a passive canvas not a living creature)

• safety ie ponies are not machines and even the most calm animal can occasionally kick and bite (Shetlands are strong!!) especially when confronted with lots of excited dc who haven't been taught about horse safety and don't know one end of the pony from the other.

• the potential distress of an animal being taken from pillar to post for commercial reasons every Sat and Sun to strange places, surrounded by excited young strangers and potentially being exploited in the process.