Posting because I'm trying to judge people's reactions and also raise awareness about this as it's becoming a problem everywhere.
I'm lucky enough to have my own horse and a field to keep him in just round the corner from my house. He has 2 horses friends in with him and between the 3 of us owners horses are checked, cleaned up after and fed every day.
As great as it is having a field so close to home it's now also becoming an issue in that random people walk past all the time and cross the road to see the horses and feed them.
Generally I don't mind people saying hello to the horses but surely people realise they shouldn't feed animals that don't belong to them?
Yesterday I could of lost my horse through colic if I hadn't been there at the time. I suspect someone had been feeding them something as he was very ill, in a lot a pain and lying on the ground rolling which could of resulting in him twisting his guts and having to be put to sleep.
I managed to get him up and with the help of several friends keep him up and moving around until the vet arrived to treat him.
I honestly was so scared he would die and all because people think they have a right to just feed animals that don't belong to them.
I've seen so many stories lately of horses dying because they have been fed unsuitable food from members of the public. I think it's getting more frequent as people are walking more and bored in lockdown.
Luckily my horse is fine but it could of been a very different story if I hadn't gone to check him at just that moment. Today while checking him I noticed someone had obviously crossed the road to the side of the field as there was a empty food water bag hanging in the hedge and then a great big dog pooh next to it that they had just left.
Aibu to put huge signs up around the horses and tell everyone to please please do not feed horses or other animals that are not yours?!
One of the other horses has a weight issue that could lead to her being put to sleep and the other one is so old she doesn't have the teeth to chew things. Not to mention horses can so easily choke or get poisoned because people don't know what they can or can't eat.
I feel bad for having to tell everyone to stay away as I know how lovely it is to see horses and be able to touch them...but Thier so called kindness could literally kill.