To ask you to please not feed horses you don’t know

[lastqueenofscotland]

Out walking after work this afternoon and saw someone with some young children feeding a horse in a field leaves and various crap picked off the ground.
I’ve hear stories of people who’ve dumped grass clippings on the ground horses have eaten these and got colic.
My previous horse was a blimp and was on strip grazing/already grazed down fields and I once caught someone feeding him slices of bread
Please don’t do it, horses can’t vomit and get very ill if something doesn’t agree with them.

I remember a friend taking me to feed apples to the horses behind her house - we were about 10yo - and the owner steaming up to us screaming not to, shouting they had laminitis.
I had literally no clue, thought she said something about lemons , but from that second on never fed an unknown horse again! Now I understand her fury, but at the time it would have been more effective if she'd actually said "You're making them ill", rather than expect random strangers to know equine terminology.

There's a popular notion that it's a nice thing to do, like feeding bread to the ducks at the pond.
Both harmful, both assumed to be harmless.
It's a matter of public perception, and takes a lot of work to correct, like people walking their dogs off lead in farmland. Photos of mauled ewes are more effective than a thousand polite notices. Not sure what'd work with horse feeding.

FancyAPint, you need to appreciate how much people care and worry about their animals. It’s not a funny subject when they’ve seen first hand how much harm an ignorant stranger can do, even if they’re well-meaning. And it’s completely outside your control, which makes it really scary.

I don’t think the aggression towards posters asking questions on here is helpful or reflects well on equestrians. Most people are trying to be kind, it’s better to educate with manners.
And yes I do have horses.

Ahem

Peace and love?

@Doobigetta

I think you may be muddling me up with another poster I didn't say anything about finding it funny.

MIL has put a sign up saying may appear friendly but this horse WILL bite you, for this very reason. Horse-in-law is a lovely old thing really

And I disagree about carrots and laminitis (not that anyone should feed someone else’s pony)

www.thelaminitissite.org/articles/who-said-stop-the-carrots

@FancyAPint sorry, I missed the part where I was aggressive towards you...

Perhaps you've learnt more than just not to feed horses on this thread?

Threats of violence are really not cricket, thankfully your angry post has been deleted now. Have a cup of tea and chill out.

I would never feed a random unknown toddler, who might have allergies, chronic conditions like IBS, diabetes .....

Why would I feed a random animal that's not mine ?

Animals aren't toys

Horses can be on a low sugar diet for a variety of reasons, not just laminitis. The point is that nobody should feed horses anything. Even if you're offering a handful of tasty grass you could cause one horse to hurt another by arguing over it. It takes one kick to break a leg and then it's end of horse. (And you don't even want to guess how much it costs to get a horse put to sleep and disposed of). That's the hard facts.

I have fences around my fields, people used to climb them to feed the horses and I had a complaint one of my mares had bitten a child when they were trying to feed the foal. Well, yes she will do that given they entered her field with her foal in it. The mother was screaming at me while I stood and rolled my eyes - she could not understand why her child should never have been in the field in the first place nor why it dangerous to try and feed a foal 🙄. She was lucky the rest of the herd were behind electric fencing tbh.

We see all kinds of stupid, people trying to pet lambs, people let their children chase (and try to kick) our free range chickens and people picnicking on land with massive ‘keep out dangerous water’ signs. Last year’s hot weather brought the most stupid out! We had numerous families climb gates and carry their children over them to go and sit by the pond. The pond is actually over 10 metres deep and looks calm on top. In reality a stream flows into it and out of it, there’s ledges around all sides and the signs are there for a reason. My children never went near it when they were small and I don’t allow my dogs to swim in it either YET some tossers think they know better...

regmover hence I specifically referred to the post referencing laminitis...

And also reiterated that no one should feed anyone else’s horse.

But thanks for clarifying.

My point was that the aggressive posts were not necessary.

Slightaggrandising
@FancyAPint sorry, I missed the part where I was aggressive towards you

You did?! Well luckily MNHQ didn't miss your very aggressive initial post to me - they have also deleted yours . Perhaps a self awareness course for you?

I've allowed nettles to grow up on the far side of my fencing. There is a good metre of tall nettles now between my gang and the public. I'm also planting hawthorne all along the fence line. Horses love it and it has a satisfactory amount of thorns.
Having said that, I am sad for the people who had their innocent enjoyment of the horses spoiled by the selfish actions of the few who ignored the signs asking for no feeding. My horses are friendly and were perfectly happy to come to the fence for a fuss, no bribery required.

Most ponds have a "Don't feed the ducks" sign. Most fuckers ignore it because they and their children are special and therefore the sign doesn't matter.

I don't feed dogs, children, ducks and random teenagers. Just dogs I know whose owners I know don't mind it.

@Processedpea
I got it was a joke. Hence the whole packet comment!
I dont think many non horsey folk understand how dangerous and also how complicated horses can be. It’s not as simple as food in and (lots of) shit out. Many horses need their feed highly controlled and feed particular supplements etc.

Slightly off topic I know but as a child I went to the funeral of a 2 year old girl killed by a horse. (Not their horse) She was in the field feeding the horses with her dad and older sister when it kicked out and killed her.

Horses are beautiful creatures but so many people approach them without really understanding how much we can hurt them or they can hurt us if we are not sensible.

YANBU but I do think there is a massive lack of awareness, not just individual people who know the risks and are reckless.

I'm thinking our next field will be surrounded by nettles and hawthorn and quite possibly machine guns on towers...

I don't want either them or people to be hurt.

@Fucksandflowers

I see your point, but some people are very determined! And obviously owners need access to the field and a way of getting the horses in and out, without having to unhook/take down fences every time.
My old horse was on a lane, with gate access to the field. I padlocked the gate, and then put electric fence with signs in front of the gate. The results? People throwing stuff over both fences to feed him! Standing on and slowly breaking the gate, and moaning to the livery yard owner their small child, and dog (!!) Had been zapped by the electric fence. Moving the fence further back loses grazing - how far is far enough?
And I do understand why horse people get defensive - I've been called all sorts, had grazing muzzles removed, people trying to ride my horses, people feeding them God knows what and when I've asked them not to, been met with a load of abuse, sarcasm and my fences trashed. I don't own anymore, but have many friends who do and this is a problem.

One of mine gets savage when we feed her by hand
She bites pockets, sleeves or anything she can grab after even one treat.

She’s never fed a thing unless it’s from one specific bucket for this very reason!

The other is obese which is reason enough.

If someone goes under the electric fence and pats my horse and the horse kicks them and they die or are injured, i am liable. So you can be sure i have double electric fencing and signs. People STILL go in there.

I don't feed any animals I don't know (except a cat but I vaguely knew who the owner was). You don't know about their specific diet and animals can have allergies too.

It's probably from a nice place but horses digestive systems can be surprisingly fragile considering the sheer size of some.

The public awareness films of the 70's should be brought back.
I live in a town now but I have farmers & smallholder in the family and my dh was brought up on a farm. We are 😦 when we see/ hear about some of the stunning stupid behaviour on our families land and around their livestock.
It's like they see animals as some sort of toys !

Oh and unfortunately OP people do feed random dogs outside shops - happened to ours.

Some people think 'cute animal' and all sense is lost. Instead of asking the owner if they are around and if not or they say no, accept you can't.

”Horse-in-law is a lovely old thing really”

at calling him horse-in-law, so funny!