AIBU to yell at the next person I catch...

[Pleasedontfeedme]

Yes it is a clickbaity title but hopefully what I'm saying might educate people who weren't aware...

AIBU to yell at the next person I catch feeding/throwing food and treats into the field where my old semi-retired pony is supposed to be happily living out the rest of his years?

Ok, I already know I'm being unreasonable but lockdown has made the footpath at runs along the perimeter of the field busier than I have ever known it.
OP (old pony in this instance) has some health complications now and has to have a pretty strict diet these days, he also seems to get fat on thin air and owing to his age and an old injury meaning he can't work off the calories like he used to and so a controlled diet is crucial in keeping him healthy. Yet EVERYONE keeps feeding him, I was only there 30 mins or so today and in that time I spoke (politely I might add) to 2 families giving him apples, carrots and treats, which may seem harmless but each one is akin to giving a toddler and chocolate bar (best comparison I can make). Fine if one person does it, but I'm not their 24/7 to stop everyone else and it's making poor OP a ticking timebomb, I worry I'm going to go see him one day and it's going to be his last, to put it bluntly.
I've got signs around the field saying please don't feed him, I speak to people and try and educate. Some people are really lovely about it and apologetic, others I've asked time and time again. Its not just apples and carrots, some people are throwing random kitchen waste in which is not suitable to be fed to him ( some foods cause colic or horses bolting food down can choke) and some people throw grass clippings In (again can cause colic). Before people suggest, he can't be fenced away from the path, plus from previous experience it doesn't deter people anyway ( I've caught people having a picnic In the field, sharing it with him before).
I just want the public to realise that whilst feeding other peoples people's animals may seem harmless, they might have specific dietary requirements or even just the owner doesn't want you to (some start to bite or it can cause injury if there's a couple of them getting aggressive over food).
I've started posting on local Facebook groups in an attempt to educate (near us one horse has died which was shared widely across Facebook as a result of being fed something she shouldn't have) and yet people are still doing it.
So yes IABU to lose my shit with the next person I see but hopefully the message will reach more people by posting on here.
(Sorry it was a bit of a long winded post!)

Lots of posts about this on my local FB pages, makes me really angry on behalf of the owners (and the horses obviously) and it seems impossible to get through to some people as nothing seems to help. I guess an internal fence/electric fence combo is your best bet if you have the space and the money.

I am disgusted with these people.
I have a question - I am the least horsey person ever, absolute city dweller. In the rare times I'm in the country and see a horse, is patting them ok (should they care to approach me, I'd be outside the fence, of course), or should I just leave them completely alone?

We have some fields with horses behind our house and the owners have had to put up signs and post of fb to tell people to stop touching and feeding them .
I don’t understand why people can’t work out for themselves that it’s not acceptable atm to stroke them ,let alone feed them stuff they don’t even know they can safely eat like grass!

Our house is meters away from my friends field where she keeps her daughters horses. She asked me if we see anyone feeding the horses could we call her.
We do multiple time’s a day, we go across the lane sometimes and say to families do not feed them, they will get ill.
But we’re only giving them an apple, carrot. Yes you and every family per day walking past.
Why do they think they can feed animals that are not their own?
Idiots.

You could also laminate some copies of vet bills and attach them to the fence. Obviously with your personal details blanked out and a brief note added to explain. I know they are unlikely to care about the expense for you but it might convince them you aren't just making it up. Not to mention that regardless of income, none horsey people are usually shocked by the cost and assume it must be serious to be so expensive.

@StrangeLookingParasite I’d leave them be at the moment , just like you wouldn’t stroke peoples dogs right now .
Safer for the owners/stable hands and you

Hah, there's absolutely zero chance at the moment, short of breaking into the Garde Républicaine, and I rather think they would notice!

But in ordinary circumstances (if we ever see them again...), patting would be OK?

@PlonkyPlink

I know nothing about horses so just a general question to horse owners as my kids love feeding them. We only ever give them a few handfuls of the long grass that is out of the horses reach, and there’s no sign saying not to feed them. I’d always assumed this was fine, but is that not ok either? Thanks.

No it's not really ok. A few reasons -

• the grass may have been sprayed with something with it being out of reach of the horses, it could be that it's out of reach for a reason.
• horses can be poisoned by a few naturally growing plants, most owners know what they are and ensure fields don't have them in, unknowingly you could be picking up stuff like that with the grass and feeding it.
• hand feeding horses can lead to them nipping because they expect food from people, which hurts and is a behaviour most owners will work hard to discourage.
• feeding more than one can lead to competition over the food source - you - and they can kick/bite each other for prime spot. So could injure each other, they could also catch you by accident, even through a fence I can tell you by experience that a back foot from horse hurts, as does a bite.

It's best just to not feed them anything.

Plonkyplink, think the best way to approach is not feed any horses anything unless you have the owner's permission. Too much grass is really bad for OP (it can cause laminitus), so if every Walker gave him a few handfuls of grass it starts to defeat the object of keeping him on bare land. Whilst OP is alone now, if he had field mates also on a restricted diet feeding them can cause arguments and they might kick out at each other.
The poster who asked about stroking, maybe not given the current climate and cross contamination but normally as long as your not feeding them and your not going in with them I don't think many, if any owners will mind you doing that, unless there are signs that say otherwise. But maybe leave them alone whilst covid is still an issue.
Fluffy butter, it's not just random treats that are bad for OP, too much grass makes him very Ill as well, I have to keep a very close eye on his diet and weight and balance this with exercise as best I can given his old age.

I got so sick of this I put up a sign saying that anyone feeding my animals should be prepared to have chocolate cake cake posted through their letterbox regularly for their dog!

Why do people feel entitled to treat other peoples animals as a petting zoo?

If you want to feed ponies, go and buy some, learn how to care for them and be responsible for the significant costs of keeping them healthy, before morons come and feed them shite.

Mine have been fed pepperoni pizza, mac Donald’s burgers, copious amounts of bread and apples, mints and the dreaded grass clippings, of course the litter has been left as a choking hazard too. I have all this to clean up every day. My ponies are also old with health issues, as am I. I am at breaking point with it and I have also had hundreds of pounds worth of electric fencing stolen. I feel your pain.

The problem with just stroking them is that if previous passers by have fed them, you risk getting bitten when they realise you have no food.

@Pleasedontfeedme yeah I said “like grass”
I wouldn’t feed someone else’s pet,doesn’t matter which type of animal it was

Btw I would never feed a dog chocolate. I would never take it upon myself to feed someone’s animal without permission at all. It just seems to be the only way some people understand what they are actually doing.

Apologies fluffybutter, I had completely misread your post, it's been a long day

@PlonkyPlink No. Firstly, they can still fight and cause serious or fatal injury to each other. Secondly you don't know what requirements the horses have. Eg I had a very elderly one with dental problems, they couldn't chew long grass and it just ended up jammed in the gaps, leaving them uncomfortable and unable to graze the shorter grass. And a current muzzled pony doesn't need the extra if everyone does it, plus it makes the muzzle clog up. Thirdly, you don't know what's on the grass, pesticides, weeds etc.

It's really quite simple, if it's not yours, don't feed it. However if people ask I'm quite happy to let dc feed a suitable one away from the others and under my supervision if it's possible. Partly because I'm not an ogre, partly because it's an opportunity to educate.

@StrangeLookingParasite not at all, it's completely fine and most owners are like me and more than happy for people to stroke them, it doesn't do any harm and who could be offended by someone wanting to do something their horse enjoys? The horses that don't enjoy it will move out of reach. I'd just advise watching your fingers incase it's one that's used to idiots feeding them. And not to take it personally if you think someone is watching from a distance, they'll just be checking you aren't another feeder.

@Fluffybutter I wouldn’t have an issue with you stroking my ponies but as theinebriati says there is a risk that you could be bitten by ponies that are expecting to be fed because of the behaviour of others.

Thanks @Unworthie, that’s really helpful.

As degrading as it may be for him, is there any way of putting a sign round his neck - in a material that is non-chafing and will break if caught etc - that says DONT FEED ME I WILL DIE? Or on his rug if he wears one?

I'm clutching at straws, I imagine people are wilfully ignorant of signposts but may pay attention if the pony is 'telling' them himself.

I feel your pain. My tiny laminitic pony has had to be moved away from one field after I found bits of Apple in his muzzle. He goes down with laminitis at the drop of a hat, and has to be very strictly managed from march to November. It's infuriating.

@Pleasedontfeedme no worries . I know the feeling .
@DrudgeDread sorry I’m talking about my local horse owners and the current situation , normally they don’t mind .

I would consider putting up signs that are not family friendly, in large type, laminated and well fixed to the fence: THIS IS NOT A FUCKING PETTING ZOO. STRANGERS FEEDING THIS PONY ARE SLOWLY KILLING HIM.

And then a nice picture of a dead horse.

Should make some of the idiots think twice.

I like the idea of defacing the rug. Maybe "fuck off you ignorant wankers" would do it.

My tiny pony needs his winter coat clipping off, I might write a message in it.

As it happens I did think about trying to use purple spray on him and write do not feed me down his neck, he's brown and white so it would show quite well
Another thing to mention, he often wears a muzzle, some people have mentioned in the past that they thought this was because he bites (whilst shoving a carrot through the hole!). Horses wearing one are doing so because their owners are trying to limit their grass intake, (though it does serve the purpose of stopping him biting I guess) so all the more important to not feed them anything, or take it off which has been another issue I've had. They can breathe and drink fine through them, and whilst OP may not like wearing his it is the lesser of two evils.

What about....." Warning: this horse is infected with parasitic worms which can be caught by humans and can lead to irreversible organ failure. DO NOT TOUCH/ DO NOT FEED"
That'll stop 'em!

Maybe 'Caution - this animal is infected with ringworm'