STOP FEEDING HORSES THAT ARE NOT YOURS

[Pineapplechickenpizza]

Unbelievable that this is still a problem after all the hype on social media and the news but unfortunately it is.

Why do people think it’s acceptable to feed an animal that isn’t there’s? I don’t care if it’s an apple or carrot or just a few blades of grass. They’re not your horses- DONT FEED THEM ANYTHING.

If you feed horses in fields that are not yours, honestly, why do you do it?? Do you realise how your ignorance could make someones horse unwell?

Dreading summer holidays when more people are out for walks and think it’s acceptable to feed the horses in the fields

I don’t really have an issue with people petting my horse. He is a gentle giant 700kg lump. However, one of his field mates is a very anxious horse, previously abused in Spain. He will come over and investigate people but if you raise a hand to touch his nose or worse rub his ears he will spin and run, normally with a massive buck. That buck could catch you if you are hanging over the fence

[quote AProperStinging]@ForeverLooking

"My horses don't exist to bring joy to someone else's kid at the expense of their own health and my vet bills.

"I paid for them, pay for them and look after them every day, spent the money and time breeding them and keep them healthy and happy. They have a happy and healthy life and I don't want them to suffer from colic, laminitis, choke or poisoning from people feeding them shite over the fence which would cause them terrible pain and possible death. I didn't buy them to entertain the neighbourhood kids. They are on private land and I'm not a zoo. You want to feed and look after a horse, invest and buy your own, or at the very least ask. Or pay and visit a farm park where the animals ARE there for your entertainment."

It's so, so weird and very telling to frame it like this rather than simply saying, "don't do it because it is bad for the horse, makes them ill and could kill them".[/quote]
I paid for my dogs.

I pay for their food, toys and vet treatment.

I still don’t want you giving my dogs any sort of food whether they can eat it or not.

They are not there for the public happiness. They are here for mine.

You want a dog to entertain you? Buy one.

@XelaM

Nope, nowhere have I said that. You give the impression of being a bit hard of comprehension - are you sure you should be responsible for such a demanding pet?

It’s also no different to cat and dog owners who worry about their animals being injured on the road by people driving carelessly. You cannot prevent the existence of a small minority of idiots, whether they be speeding drivers or determined horse-feeders.

@BettyBag It's not. I care about my horse much more than I care about other people's kids so it's definitely not an equivalent. If you think it's ok to continue feeding other people's animals just because the owners of those animals are in a "middle class bubble" I guess there is no reasoning with stupid.

This thread is mad. I don't care if horse owners are rich as Rishi Sunak . I like to respect other people's property no matter what their bank balance is. And the horse's health of course!

They have explained in great detail why feeding horses is wrong, and you still have entitled posters arguing that they will continue to feed horses. They should not have to corral their horses away from public paths and put up Fort Knox level security to keep horses out. I didn't realise the public were so stupid as to actually scale fences to feed horses. Now I know.

Security to keep people out, I meant.

@MadameHeisenberg Right... I also had a dog and would not want anyone to feed it random stuff! Although dogs can vomit and horses can't. I don't know what car accidents have to do with anything.

You're just arguing for the sake of it.

Have a dog*

@CaliforniaDrumming

This thread is mad. I don't care if horse owners are rich as Rishi Sunak . I like to respect other people's property no matter what their bank balance is. And the horse's health of course!

They have explained in great detail why feeding horses is wrong, and you still have entitled posters arguing that they will continue to feed horses. They should not have to corral their horses away from public paths and put up Fort Knox level security to keep horses out. I didn't realise the public were so stupid as to actually scale fences to feed horses. Now I know.

I’m glad that some posters like you understand! Such a relief to know there’s sensible people out there.

Some commenters on this thread are just deliberately trying to be goady.

I used to do it as a child just out of ignorance. I had no idea it could hurt the horses. The adults around us never encouraged us but I often played out with cousins when visiting our grandparents in the countryside so the adults didn't know.

[quote AProperStinging]@ForeverLooking

"My horses don't exist to bring joy to someone else's kid at the expense of their own health and my vet bills.

"I paid for them, pay for them and look after them every day, spent the money and time breeding them and keep them healthy and happy. They have a happy and healthy life and I don't want them to suffer from colic, laminitis, choke or poisoning from people feeding them shite over the fence which would cause them terrible pain and possible death. I didn't buy them to entertain the neighbourhood kids. They are on private land and I'm not a zoo. You want to feed and look after a horse, invest and buy your own, or at the very least ask. Or pay and visit a farm park where the animals ARE there for your entertainment."

It's so, so weird and very telling to frame it like this rather than simply saying, "don't do it because it is bad for the horse, makes them ill and could kill them".[/quote]
Some of the posts on here are more about owners' rights, than horse welfare. I don't think one single person has suggested that it is OK to feed horses unsuitable food items, or to ignore signs. But still so much hyperbole.

It’s also no different to cat and dog owners who worry about their animals being injured on the road by people driving carelessly. You cannot prevent the existence of a small minority of idiots, whether they be speeding drivers or determined horse-feeders.

Actually, it's very different but even so, part of the reason I would ask drivers to be more careful is because they make the environment dangerous for everyone, including pets and wildlife.

As for the differences, people speeding on a public road are not equivalent to people going on to private land. Hitting a cat that's on a public road is not the same as actively going and feeding and a horse that's in a privately owned field. If you want an equivalent, it is as a PP said, going into your back garden and giving big macs to your dog.

And it isn't simplest to keep horses away from the public. It's simplest if the public don't feed or pet them. Contrary to popular belief, horse owners are not always rich. I can afford my horse. He was insured for vets bills. That's not an excuse for you to climb over a fence and give him a doughnut.

Oh, and I could afford him not because I'm rich but because I worked several jobs to keep him, don't own a home, have a crap old car, never go on holiday, don't get my hair cut, and so on, and so on.

Its massively entitled to think that you have a god given right to feed any animal that doesn't belong to you.
We have horses in the family ( aunt and grown cousins ) so I was brought up to respect and ask. ( also holidayed with them every summer growing up so can ride and have a fair bit of handling experience).
My new puppy was terrified of horses and I wanted to sort out his barking/ whining so we were not a danger to riders in the local area. I contacted a local farm that had horses with fields adjacent to the road nearby and asked if it would be ok for me to walk my puppy past every day , explaining why.
The owner very generously met me and allowed me to proceed , she was also very pleased that I had asked and would have been willing to take no for an answer.

"Unbelievable that this is still a problem after all the hype on social media and the news but unfortunately it is."

What hype on social media and the news?

Is this hype that people who don't move in equine circles would see?

YABU for putting it here.
Wouldn’t it be more useful to put up a sign near your horses? In the village? On gates etc?

@BettyBag

Ahh a horse thread. I love these because they always firmly answer the question "is MN a middle class bubble?".

Anyway, I often feed friendly horses who come close to me a bit of grass. If you don't like it keep you horse somewhere else.

What a nasty person it must take to continuing feeding a horse grass, even after it’s explained how unwell it can make some horses.

All because you have a personal vendetta against horse owners or people you assume to have money (hint hint, most of us don’t). To willingly feed a horse knowing you could make it sick is just disgusting behaviour.

@CaliforniaDrumming

I know - it’s almost like having a lockable front door is a ridiculous level of security, isn’t it? 🙄

Most people are reasonable, if unaware. A small minority are selfish idiots and no amount of shouting, screaming and declarations of how expensive horses are, is going to stop them in this situation, as in any other. Therefore, the onus is on the animal’s owner to protect them as far as possible from the hazards these morons pose.

I know commenters are well intentioned but it’s getting frustrating the number of people suggested extra fences and gates.

Thanks, nearly 20 years of horse ownership and I wouldn’t have thought of that

I appreciate people are trying to be helpful but RTFT for god sake. There are so many posts from other horse owners explaining double fencing, electric fencing, signs etc are clearly not working and people still feel entitled to approach and feed horses and go in the fields.

@TheOrigRights

"Unbelievable that this is still a problem after all the hype on social media and the news but unfortunately it is."

What hype on social media and the news?

Is this hype that people who don't move in equine circles would see?

Yes I think some are definitely over estimating how many people are aware of this. Tonnes of horses here, many along popular public paths and I've never seen a sign. I know not to feed them as my friend loves horses and told me a long time ago. For every 'malicious' feeder who knows and ignores signs etc I suspect there are several thinking it will do no harm. What do horse owners have in mind to spread awareness then?

I want to face palm into the wall at the amount of people who aren’t reading the full thread and still saying

“Fence them properly, put up signs, don’t have them near the public”

“Well I don’t care. Gonna give them grass anyway because I want to”

Horse owners are doing everything possible to warn public not to feed their horses anything

The public don’t care. They want to do it, so they do

@countrygirl99

Presumably you don't want people watering/weeding the flowers etc in your garden if you have one. If you objected would that make you an entitled wanker because people with no garden might get a lot of pleasure from your garden. Whatisthe harm if your drought loving plantsget watered 4 or 5 times s day by different people or those seedlings upu have carefully raised get mistaken for weeds. Silly you for having a garden next to the pavement, what do you expect? Not what I meant, though I agree that my original statement wasn’t explicit. I was trying to feed a baby at the same time.

Not what I meant, though admittedly my comment was pretty cryptic. (I was trying to feed a baby and express my frustration at the same time.) However, I explicitly did NOT say that it was fine to feed random horses.

My comment was about the TONE of the discussion from horse-owners here. Lots of smug eye-rolling about those not in the know, lots of comments about how very, very expensive horses are. And yes, I do understand why people have said that, it just struck me as an unfortunate emphasis.

People need education, not contempt. It was very common in the past for passers-by to feed random horses and think nothing of it. My grandmother kept sugar in her coat pocket for this very purpose, and she herself owned horses and hunted. Nowadays, with more horses in suburban or semi-rural settings where there are more people passing by, there are many more chances for something to go wrong. What hasn’t changed is the understanding from most people that it can be dangerous for the horse to feed them.

Raise awareness, go ahead. Campaign for this to be taught in schools, added to the Countryside Code, write to your MP, whatever. Just don’t expect everyone else to be in the same social media bubble as you and be surprised that they don’t know what you know.

[quote MadameHeisenberg]@CaliforniaDrumming

I know - it’s almost like having a lockable front door is a ridiculous level of security, isn’t it? 🙄

Most people are reasonable, if unaware. A small minority are selfish idiots and no amount of shouting, screaming and declarations of how expensive horses are, is going to stop them in this situation, as in any other. Therefore, the onus is on the animal’s owner to protect them as far as possible from the hazards these morons pose.[/quote]
So since you seem to have all the answers, what do you suggest for the many, many commenters saying that they’ve tried several fencing, they’ve tried electric fencing, they’ve tried signs, they’ve tried moving to isolated fields, they’ve tried CCTV. It’s such a widespread problem that we can’t just move them to a different area- it will happen there too.

a pp found a family eating a picnic in a field with her horses!

Since we horse owners have to be responsible for other peoples behaviour towards our horses, what do you expect we do in this situation? I’d be very interested to know.

@SoftSheen

A pony will not get laminitis from a child feeding it a couple of handfuls of grass. Not every child has the luxury of regular contact with horses, or animals generally, and this is a nice thing for them to be able to do.

Giving armfuls of hay/buckets of carrots- obviously YANBU.

So if you have a dog, is it Ok for random strangers to come and feed it sausages and peanut butter because it’s a nice thing to do and their child needs to have contact with animals.

I’m sorry, my horse my rules, don’t feed her, don’t touch her unless you are given permission. I couldn’t give a monkeys about someone’s precious pony deprived little darling needing to have the experience of feeding a horse, that’s what farm parks are for, unless of course I can send my vet bills to the child’s guardian when my horse (who btw is my pride and joy, and costs me a fortune to keep) gets ill.

This is why my horse odd more kept at a private livery yard, and field is miles from abs public footpaths, however some other owners are not as fortunate to have that option.

@SoftSheen

A pony will not get laminitis from a child feeding it a couple of handfuls of grass. Not every child has the luxury of regular contact with horses, or animals generally, and this is a nice thing for them to be able to do.

Giving armfuls of hay/buckets of carrots- obviously YANBU.

There are petting farms available should their parents want them to have some nice contact with animals, importantly WITH with the owners' consent. Clearly it's the latter phrase people like this poster don't give a shit about. Not their horse, not their emotional attachment to an animal or veterinary bill, so they're going to do as they damned well please.

Other people's horses are not public property and their owners quite reasonably don't want strangers unnecessarily putting their animals' health at risk. Why those strangers would do this, especially when there are notices up politely asking them not to, says everything about their outsized sense of entitlement.

Respect other people's property.

@TheOrigRights www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/oldham-horse-pony-dead-sign-19650592.amp