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

Wow people are 'ignorant' again! They need to be 'educated'
First world problems

We used to feed the horses polo mints and sugar cubes

And that was at the stables I went to

Electric fencing far enough away from footpaths borders would work.

@HRTQueen

We used to feed the horses polo mints and sugar cubes

And that was at the stables I went to

The understanding of feeding and feed related issues has come on so much in recent years.

[quote BettyBag]@WildFlowerBees

They don't have to use the bad ones do they? They choose to. I honestly cannot believe that horse owners are the ones screaming entitlement on this thread.[/quote]
Yes, how very entitled to ask people not to engage in a deliberate act that is potentially harmful and where the concequences are not met by those engaging in the deliberate act but by primarily the horse and then it's owner/carer.
It's not like you accidentally feed a horse is it? It's a deliberate act, and usually one done for the pleasure of the person doing it. Though increasingly it seems through sheer malice too.

Ffs. This doesn't need 500 posts. Not your horse=leave it alone. And no , you don't know better.

And I don't even have a horse, but I've known them have to be put down over this.

Can someone please explain why it’s entitled to expect someone not to feed your animal without permission?

@Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious

Out of interest, why do people feel entitled to feed someone else's horse? What is it about horses, that gives a random stranger, the right to feed them? If you want your child to feed / pet an animal, take them to your local petting zoo.

I think this is part of the problem, though. To many of us, and to our kids, our only encounters with animals apart from cats and dogs is at a petting zoo - where we are frequently actively encouraged to pet and feed them. And of course animals in a field are different, but if you've been "trained" by petting zoos that it's OK to feed goats, pugs, etc - it's easy to see why people think it's fine outside a petting zoo, too. I've learned a lot on this thread that I didn't know before.

Someone said here that horsey people like horses because they are not great with people. I am in a people-facing role where my tasks include keeping many, many people safe from their surroundings - and keeping their surroundings safe from the people. Sometimes yelling at them helps. But it more often makes them defensive and more inclined to carry on with the behaviour you want to stop. People also get to a point where they don't notice signs any more, but there's tricks that help, eg handwritten signs, and signs that have someone's name on them, so people connect the sign as a real person asking them not to do something, not a standard bit of bureaucracy that doesn't matter. (Eg not "Feeding the horses is forbidden", but "Molly the horse will get sick and may die if you feed her anything extra, even grass. Please help us keep her safe! Signed Jo and Freda, from the farm". It's amazing how much difference it makes.)

In the end, you can yell all you like, and you may be absolutely correct in what you are saying, but when it comes to matters of life and death, you have to work with how people are, not how you would like them to be. It's not enough to be right, you need to be effective, and just yelling at people that they are entitled for being interested in your horses won't ultimately keep those horses safe.

I have fed a horse a handful of grass where it is desperately trying to reach some grass. Sometimes horses are neglected.

If you believe a horse is being neglected, ring RSPCA or World Horse Welfare. Don' t just take it upon yourself to feed someone else's horse.

I don't have a horse but my friend has two, a young horse and her old now-retired first pony. The old pony has to spend a proportion of the day in a starvation paddock or he would literally kill himself by overeating. She puts blood, sweat and tears into managing his two conflicting conditions - arthritis and laminitis - and she does so under advice from the vet. He needs to be turned out to keep his joints supple but giving him hours on end in a field of lush grass would be the equivalent of putting a junkie in a room full of heroin. So she balances his day - so much time outside in the bare paddock, so much time in a field with grass. Plus a small bucket of low-calorie food to feed him some various supplements to help his joints and feet once a day.

If you saw him during the few hours he's in his bare paddock, you might think he was starving - he'll contort his neck under the fence as much as he can to reach any grass growing just outside, he'd rival a champion limbo dancer. But he isn't starving, he's greedy. He's being fed an appropriate, vet-approved amount of grass and hard feed for his size and the fact he's retired from being ridden. My friend monitors him like a hawk, one of the first thing she does every time she greets him or goes to move him between paddocks is check his feet to see if they're hot (a sure sign of impending laminitis, apparently).

My friend did have someone report her to the RSPCA once because they saw him in his starvation paddock and assumed he was neglected. She said she didn't mind, she'd much rather that than people take matters into their own hands and potentially kill him through 'kindness'. (Apparently after she showed the RSPCA inspector around they were happy he is well-cared for, and they recommended she put up a sign explaining the pony is on a diet on vet's advice.)

So no, don't turn a blind eye if you genuinely think a horse is being neglected but please contact one of the organisations who can do something about it. But don't assume the brief snapshot you see is the whole picture or that you know better than the horse's owner and so can feed it what and when you like.

I’ve read the first couple of pages of the thread and found the ‘he’s mine, I pay for him, no-one else should get joy from him’ posts odd. I have dogs and it’s lovely when they have attention from strangers, brightening someone’s day with something so innocuous. It’s weird to be possessive about your pets, they are sentient beings in their own rights, not possessions.

I’m frightened of horses so no axe to grind about touching or feeding them, but I had no idea that grass could be harmful. I’m sure signs educating the people who don’t realise this would help, leaving just a belligerent few to deal with.

I do pet and make a fuss of farm animals who appreciate it too. The calves are utterly beautiful- inquisitive and lick your hands all over.

@AllOfUsAreDead

Excellent. Seriously I am pleased there are some responsible horse owners on here who are able to keep their animals safe. Perhaps you could give the less responsible owners some advice?

This thread is more about irresponsible public that feed animals that aren't theirs. I am lucky that mine aren't near idiots, others aren't. That's not their fault, they put up signs and idiots being idiots ignore them and think they know better.

Other than sterilising such idiots so they can't breed more idiots, nothing we can do is there? Other than traumatising them I guess with my suggestion, but the #bekind lot would take offence to that.

If you can't keep your pet safe you are irresponsible and shouldn't own it. One of the things you have to keep it safe from is other humans. I wouldn't leave a dog unattended in a publicly accessible area as I am a responsible human. Many horse owners in this thread seem to think that this doesn't apply to them.

Not you obviously, you are an responsible owner who is able to keep their horse safe. I have no idea why you would encourage the ones who don't.

[quote lameasahorse]@Maverickess I am well aware of the danger of a field of very lush grass, I have a farming family. I don't accept there is a danger if a horse is in a muddy field with virtually no grass and no hay. I have fed a horse a handful of grass where it is desperately trying to reach some grass. Sometimes horses are neglected.[/quote]
Yes sometimes they are, I agree, sometimes that neglect is allowing them to become obese and suffer with laminitis. Sometimes it's horses that are left in bare paddocks with little forage to keep them busy and nourished when they don't need to be.
To be honest the size of my horse's gut, the field shelter, the good fencing and the clean and full water trough should be a give away to anyone, horsey, farming or not, that he's getting plenty to eat and well cared for, regardless of if he's got his nose strategically under the strand of electric fence, avoiding a wallop from it, to grab a few longer blades of grass - people are seemingly blinded to that bit though and would see the poor and neglected horse struggling to get enough to eat and that's all.

The gateway of my paddock becomes muddy when it rains as well as around the field shelter because it's where he stands to rest or wait for his feed. He has run of the field in winter so it doesn't tend to become a muddy swamp though that's dangerous and not so far in that it significantly reduces grazing.

But then someone who clearly knows so much better than I or the vet comes along and decides that as he's trying to get grass from under the fence he's starving and neglected.

My own horse gave himself colic due to gorging on a field which had been rested. He literally didn’t come up for air all day.

‘he’s mine, I pay for him, no-one else should get joy from him’ posts odd. I have dogs and it’s lovely when they have attention from strangers, brightening someone’s day with something so innocuous.

Is the attention your dog gets from strangers on his walk likely to kill him? Would you be so sanguine about it if they were walking up to him and feeding him handfuls of chocolate or grapes?

@GodspeedJune

I’ve read the first couple of pages of the thread and found the ‘he’s mine, I pay for him, no-one else should get joy from him’ posts odd. I have dogs and it’s lovely when they have attention from strangers, brightening someone’s day with something so innocuous. It’s weird to be possessive about your pets, they are sentient beings in their own rights, not possessions.

I’m frightened of horses so no axe to grind about touching or feeding them, but I had no idea that grass could be harmful. I’m sure signs educating the people who don’t realise this would help, leaving just a belligerent few to deal with.

I do pet and make a fuss of farm animals who appreciate it too. The calves are utterly beautiful- inquisitive and lick your hands all over.

Oh for god sake.

Try RTFT before commenting. I’ve explained multiple times about why I’d prefer people didn’t pet my horse in the field.

I’m sure it’s lovely when your dog gives strangers pleasure and joy. But a horse isn’t a dog. It’s a massive animal that if provoked could kick and cause death. One single kick in the head and the person will be dead. Thats why I’d rather people who knew nothing about horses stayed away from mine. They can still bring strangers joy and pleasure but from a safe distance.

My horse is the sweetest, loveliest horse ever (not that I’m biased!) but he is a horse. An animal. In a herd. He will get spooked at times, and when horses get spooked they can rear or buck. If that flying hoof hits someone that will cause death. Why is that so hard to realise? Stay back and away if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Yes I know they’re sentient beings, hence why I love mine and want to protect him at all costs. By petting him you could cause jealousy in the herd which can cause accidents.

A horse can spin and buck in a split second. You don’t want to be on the other end of that flying hoof so stay back. It’s not difficult

Excellent post @ArcheryAnnie, thank you.

@VeryLongBeeeeep

‘he’s mine, I pay for him, no-one else should get joy from him’ posts odd. I have dogs and it’s lovely when they have attention from strangers, brightening someone’s day with something so innocuous.

Is the attention your dog gets from strangers on his walk likely to kill him? Would you be so sanguine about it if they were walking up to him and feeding him handfuls of chocolate or grapes?

But many posters have said just a fuss. I have only fed horses I have had permission to feed. But if there are horses next to a fence and they let me fuss and stroke them I will. Same with a cow or a sheep, dog or a cat.

Many animals roam freely all over the U.K. and have always done so - livestock like cattle and sheep, deer in parks, ponies and pigs in the new forest.

To say nothing of cats.

Learning the rules for dealing with animals is a fairly normal part of life, and it should be as normal a thing to learn about as the dangers of sun burn.

I would however say that in my experience the people most likely to approach a strange animal are those who have experience with that animal, including horses.

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

So you’re happy to carry on petting horses in fields even if owners don’t want you to? All because the horse is in its own field so you therefore have the right to touch it?

I hope you would know what you’re doing if you’re petting a horse and other horses get jealous and a fight breaks out. Unfortunately that can and does happen. I hope you’d know who to call if you saw a horse break a leg during one of these fights.

If not, leave them alone. Appreciate them from a distance. Unless you have permission to touch them, don’t do it.

Just laughing at how many people seem to think us horse owners are rich 😂😂😂 hahahaha I’d be rich if I DIDN’T have them. I live in a small flat, drive a 16 year old car, still using an old hand-me-down iPhone 6 and haven’t bought any new clothes in about 5 years - that’s how I afford my horses. By sacrificing what others may see as normal living costs.

Out of curiosity - to those who do think it’s ok to let their little darlings feed horses, what would you do if they got bitten and hurt? No doubt sue the owner for not supervising your own kids 🤷‍♀️

@Iamclearlyamug

Just laughing at how many people seem to think us horse owners are rich 😂😂😂 hahahaha I’d be rich if I DIDN’T have them. I live in a small flat, drive a 16 year old car, still using an old hand-me-down iPhone 6 and haven’t bought any new clothes in about 5 years - that’s how I afford my horses. By sacrificing what others may see as normal living costs.

Out of curiosity - to those who do think it’s ok to let their little darlings feed horses, what would you do if they got bitten and hurt? No doubt sue the owner for not supervising your own kids 🤷‍♀️

You could have described me in your first paragraph too🤣 all my clothes are worn and old but as long as my horse has the latest le mieux colours (bluebell, I’m in love with it!) that’s all that matters! The idea that horse owners are all rich and snobby is hilarious and so far from the truth for most owners

[quote Pineapplechickenpizza]@AllThingsServeTheBeam

So you’re happy to carry on petting horses in fields even if owners don’t want you to? All because the horse is in its own field so you therefore have the right to touch it?

I hope you would know what you’re doing if you’re petting a horse and other horses get jealous and a fight breaks out. Unfortunately that can and does happen. I hope you’d know who to call if you saw a horse break a leg during one of these fights.

If not, leave them alone. Appreciate them from a distance. Unless you have permission to touch them, don’t do it.[/quote]
Some of the horses are kept in fields that you have to walk through. So yes I will touch them if they come up to me. Maybe the owners should shift them out of a field where people need to walk? I've had to physically untangle a tethered horse that couldn't move. No idea who the owner was. Should have left it to die. I'll do that next time.

@NetflixMom21

Completely agree - it drives me mad when people feed other people’s cats too. The cat could be on a special diet, have an allergy or medical condition etc

Or just be a fat bastard. My vet is always telling me off for my overweight cat who is a proper Six Dinner Sid. We’ve tried posting notes through the neighbours houses, we’ve tried a collar with a massive, neon yellow “DO NOT FEED ME I AM A FAT BASTARD” collar. But still he has about ten dinners a day.