To ask people to tell everyone they know NOT TO FEED HORSES THAT DON’T BELONG TO THEM

[YeahBabyYeahYeah]

I won’t post the article as it made me cry and may be more triggering for others, but the most beautiful pony is in the papers today. He died because someone ignored “do not feed” signs and fed him a fucking potato.

Why oh why do some people (who in this case clearly know fuck-all about horses if they are feeding them whole potatoes) think it is OK to feed other people’s animals without their permission?

AIBU to think there should be more awareness about this, especially with more people going for walks at the moment. It is never OK to feed a horse unless the owner tells you it is OK and approves the food.

@Maverickess

TheBuffster

"Another solution could be to leave a bucket of appropriate feed by a sign explaining what horses can eat and why (a bit like at a zoo).
People are much more likely to comply with something presented like that than a posh person ticking them off.
I think it's rather sad the way people who express interest in animals are demonised on this thread.
People should not feed hedgehogs milk either, but I educate them why instead of calling them thickos.
Most people are not privileged enough to own horses, but many people like them. I guarantee most people it's coming from a good place.
Bit ironic as well you sneering at people using horses for their own gratification too as I am not sure you chucking all that uncomfortable equipment and sitting on it is for the benefit of the horse."

I have no words. A bucket of food! Perhaps you'd like my tackleft out so anyone who fancies can ride him as well

My God, I'd misread that as a bucket left out for other people to leave the food.
It's not a good idea for so many reasons, not least that handfeeding causes behavioural issues in some horses.
Ooops there I go again, posh person ticking someone off!

I have no words for why leaving a bucket of food for Joe Public to dish out is just beyond stupidity. Does anyone else put tins of Pedigree Chum on their doorstep so they can feed their neighbours dog when they feel like it?? Firstly there's no rights to feed anyone elses horse, secondly horses need to be fed hard feed set amounts at set times not just ad hoc. Thirdly if you leave food lying around you attract rats. Fourthly it could effect the horses behaviour....and that's just off the top of my head. I never feed my own horse treats by hand. The delinquent Connemara can't handle it. He just turns into a complete thug and forgets all his manners. So he gets nothing and is a much nicer person because of it. If randoms started feeding him, he's the sort who would literally break the fence down (or jump it) to mug them.....

@Fiadh79

I don't feed horses anyway, as I'm too scared. But can you more knowledgeable people explain, surely the horse is in the field eating grass from the ground, so what's wrong with feeding them grass? Is it the quantity with it being grass clippings?

www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/horse-health-and-sickness/grass-cuttings

This article also doesn't mention that some horses are deliberately kept on a low grass diet (especially in spring and summer) to avoid too much sugar in their diet which can cause a range of metabolic issues.

Horses can't be sick, so eating anything dodgy is much more serious for them than other animals.

@BillyCongo

And knowing these things, but still doing it would make us as owners, really irresponsible in my eyes too. We don't want people feeding our horses for very good reasons, all explained at length here, to still be met with "posh horse owners" attitude and ways we can facilitate something we don't want to happen.
Education has failed, horses are still dying. Yet here we are being blamed for it by people who won't let go of their precious stereotype and think the public are more entitled to feed our horses than the horses are to be safe or the owners are to keep them safe.
Utterly ridiculous.

If I was of the mind to feed horses, the prevailing attitude here definitely would not have convinced me otherwise

And there we go.

I was trying to outline why you may have misunderstandings and came up with a few ideas, for which I was ridiculed for.

We know why it's happening, it's not as simple as you're trying to make out though. Yes, some people are doing it out of kindness and stop when they know what the concequences are, many do not and further to that get aggressive about it. It's like you think we haven't thought about it, like we haven't taken measures about this, like we haven't tried the options. And you've been ridiculed because you're coming across as defending people who are doing it, and with more suggestions like you're the only one that can. The majority of horse owners on this thread have already stated the lengths they've gone to. Yet you know better.

The posh factor came into it because it was coming across as very entitled to not understand why people want to pet animals. I never said I agreed with them. Now we're having shoot people comments and that's supposed to be a better solution than educating people.

As I said in a previous post, education is clearly not working, because there are campaigns, signs, people telling people. Yet horses are still dying. Again, I understand why someone might want to pet my horse, I don't understand why they take it upon themselves to feed him, handle him and try and ride him when they know nothing about horses. I also don't understand why people think the fact I'm perceived as posh is a good excuse to just do it anyway.

Now we're having shoot people comments and that's supposed to be a better solution than educating people.
Who said anything about shooting people? If livestock are in immediate danger from a dog then the farmer has every right in law to shoot that dog to protect the livestock. It's incredible that someone would lift a dog over two fences to put it in a paddock with a flock of pregnant ewes.

Now that you mention it though, I wonder if a "trespassers will be shot" sign suitably peppered with exit holes might act as a good deterrent. It's certainly briefer than some of the rather wordy signs which others have suggested.

No but if someone is continuing to do so after they have been warned of the consequences, have ignored/destroyed signs, climbed over fences or if they are feeding the horse with something that anyone could see was inappropriate (bread in plastic bags being one example from this thread), then they can only be one of two things: thick or downright evil. I like to think the best of people so 'thick' it is.

@CaraDuneRedux

We had a couple in the summer, climb two locked gates barred with electric fencing, whilst lifting their dog over.....to get into my private paddock full of very pregnant and lambing ewes.

I have no words!

Hope you've got a shotgun.

Although I would be lawfully allowed to shoot any dog worrying livestock on my property, unfortunately I can't sit around all day rocking on my porch with a shot gun on my lap like some old western (although if I ever win the lottery that might just be my life goal ) We're not actually farmers, we just have a few acres. While DH has shot his fair share of possums, I'd be a dreadful aim. I'd probably hit the bloody sheep. I also don't actually want a gun in my house. We are nice normal people, we'd just like random people to stay off of our property unless they are invited. Surely that's not so unreasonable?

I'm not talking about those people though, but admittedly haven't read the whole thread so have missed that.

So you've missed the answering of questions that has happened, you've missed the discussions about owners having signs ripped down, about being met with aggression and entitled attitudes when they approach people politely, about the campaign's on social media that are being shared about. You've missed people saying they've had electric fencing designed to keep people away unhooked and switched off. The discussion about how when some people are approached, they fall back on the posh snob stereotype (like you did).

And still felt justified in lecturing us all on how we should educate people, or how to facilitate something happening that we don't want to happen for very real reasons, and how our own attitude is the problem. You've failed to recognise that many horse owners have tried the options, the ones that are appropriate, and this is still happening.

I don't advocate calling anyone thick, but some of the examples on this thread are exactly why horse owners are so frustrated with this problem, and how we're facing an almost impossible task to keep their horses safe. You've just made assumptions and run with them.

I honestly don't get why anyone would feed an animal that's not theirs. Just why would you? Why should owners need to educate people why they shouldn't feed certain things to their animal? If it's not yours, don't feed it as you don't know what it can eat or if on a diet etc, so just don't.

Why are people so entitled that they feel they are owed an explanation?

twitter.com/1GarethWynJones/status/1353020764103049218
Listen to Gareth

How would you describe people who don't realise that it not a good idea to mess with other people's property, especially if it's an animal?
I know what it's like to be hunkered down in a freezing cold barn at 2am praying to every god I've ever heard of that my horse is still alive in the morning having eaten the wrong thing. He wasn't. That was the wind blowing it in, if it had been caused by human I would have hated them for ever and no pain for them would have been enough.

This is complete derail - sorry, I know you are responding to a pp. But bad riding practices have nothing to do with this discussion

Sorry didn’t mean to derail, it was an interesting question and I got sidetracked 😳

Just seen this on facebook and the people involved are nowhere near us so people are spreading the message but I agree a news article or panorama show should be considered to broadcast even further.

Don't know why people would do it SO irresponsible and ignorant. Like pointed out these people would go mad if some one fed their dog chocolate or heaven forbid their child.something inappropriate

@Embroideredstars let's be honest, I've certainly seen threads on here where someone's PFB has gone for a playdate and the parent is furious they were given nuggets, chips and squash.

You get plenty of people on those threads agreeing it's awful and their child has practically been poisoned.

But someone else's horse is fair game apparently

Then take the time to learn, if they're genuinely that interested, or admire from afar and continue on with the day

I’m sure many people do admire from afar and don’t feed them. I certainly don’t know anyone who feeds horses in fields and I give unknown horses a wide berth.

But some people see horses as beautiful furry farm animals and want to touch them and interact. Especially on lockdown with so many people tramping over the fields for exercise. It doesn’t mean they want to do a stable management course (or have the time or inclination to volunteer at a rescue centre). They simply don’t realise feeding a carrot or handful of grass could harm this lovely animal, for them it’s maybe a 5 minute pleasant interaction on an otherwise lonely country walk.

Most reasonable people respect signs but ‘do not feed the horses’ is a bit vague so I can understand why someone might think a few blades of grass is ok, especially if picked from next to the fence. A sign explaining why this is harmful, maybe mentioning the effect it could have on herd behaviour too, would make more people stop and think. And most people, when told politely of the dangers, will never do it again.

I know people keep asking the same questions on here but lots haven’t RTFT so I think it’s unfair and harsh to call them stupid and make fun of them. We need to patiently explain it, politely, again and again, without name calling or reinforcing the negative stereotype of horse owners.

Sure the ‘bucket of food for visitors’ was an odd suggestion but clearly that poster was trying to help, and had limited knowledge as to why the idea was flawed. Did she/he deserve such venom and sarcasm?

Yes, some people are doing it out of kindness and stop when they know what the concequences are, many do not and further to that get aggressive about it

Why do they do it then? What’s their motivation if they know it’s harmful and dangerous? Until we understand that how do we stop them?

How is "do not feed the horses" in any way vague? I can't find any other meaning than "do not feed the horses".

When you have a sign up saying
"Please do not feed the horses ANYTHING. They have an illness and need a special diet. Thank you!"

And people still feed them - I am entitled to think they must be either thick or deliberately trying to hurt my horses.

@DdraigGoch

How is "do not feed the horses" in any way vague? I can't find any other meaning than "do not feed the horses".

It's not vague. People just don't want to be told not to do something.

Ah, they don't want.. I want I want I want like a toddler

Adults should know life isn't about getting what you want.