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

This thread is bonkers! People have made it safe for people walking through public rights of way, they've fenced it off, in most cases double fenced that's electrified yet still some people feel it's their right to cross a boundary knowing it's not an area they should go into.

What else can people do? Keep them in their back gardens??

@WildFlowerBees

This thread is bonkers! People have made it safe for people walking through public rights of way, they've fenced it off, in most cases double fenced that's electrified yet still some people feel it's their right to cross a boundary knowing it's not an area they should go into.

What else can people do? Keep them in their back gardens??

Don't be silly, someone might feed them over the fence

They should clearly be kept in an inner room of the house so nobody can see them, let alone touch them

But @fairylightsandwaxmelts and @AllThingsServeTheBeam

1. a horse is different than a cat because you HAVE to let it out. I can’t speak to what cat owners would or wouldn’t like re petting but as this thread shows, there’s a divide and
2. the point is I don’t know the cat. If I pet it it could (and this is my personal experience and why I hate cats!) decide to scratch or bite me or my children. I certainly wouldn’t let my children pet a cat, dog or any other animal they don’t know.

Petting a horse you don’t know can cause huge problems. They are coming over to you for treats or petting; yes. That doesn’t mean they should get treats and/or petted. Because you don’t know what food they have eaten and can eat. You don’t know if they bite. You don’t know if it will cause issues with the other horses in the field. As another poster said, it’s a vicious cycle because they are coming over as they are used to getting treats etc so will continue to do so when people go to them and feed them.

It’s not fun for the owner to deal with at the end of the day when the horse gets bargey and rude and expects treats (trust me they can get extremely silly and it’s not funny when they are big horses shoving you around for treats as some one has been feeding them!).

Whereas a right of way is just that - a right of way. It means you have the right to cross the field if you want to, but it doesn't mean that the landowner has to prevent their animals from touching you or approaching you in any way

A right of way means nothing if it is blocked, either by barbed wire fences or by keeping dangerous animals in the field.

You can't have it both ways. If you bear no responsibility for your animals approaching or touching members of the general public, then you can hardly complain when members of the general public interact with your animals.

(At least you've dropped the pretence that horses are anything but a leisure activity, same as any other leisure activity practiced in the country.)

Btw I didn’t know
That about lambing and dogs and miscarriage. Very very sad. I would never take my
Dog to a field of sheep and let him
Off anyway (because common sense) but that’s very sad all the same.

@ArcheryAnnie

But your horse isn't "livestock" - it's not part of a working farm. It's an extract, a pet, a hobby, a leisure activity. You and others have - rightly - made it very clear that horses are potentially dangerous animals that should not mix unsupervised with the general public, both for the safety of the humans and the safety of the horses. Why should your leisure activity (keeping horses) interfere with other people's leisure activities (walking)?

Keep horses is private fields that don't have rights of way over them.

I've got four ex-racehorses on my farm. They're livestock. The opposite of livestock is dead stock sadly. I'm not a horsewoman and very wary about going in the horse field. A mere gust of wind can change the horses' mood and they start charging around. I leave their welfare to others

yet still some people feel it's their right to cross a boundary knowing it's not an area they should go into

Then those people should be sanctioned, just like anyone else who trespasses or causes damage should be sanctioned. But that doesn't mean responsible people who responsibly use public rights of way should be denied use of those rights of way.

derxa you sound very sensibly wary! And I can't imagine you would put them in a situation with random other people, which is what I've been talking about here.

People shouldn't interfere with horses, I accept that! But people who own horses should make sure that those horses don't interfere with people, either.

@Giraffesandbottoms

But *@fairylightsandwaxmelts and @AllThingsServeTheBeam*

1. a horse is different than a cat because you HAVE to let it out. I can’t speak to what cat owners would or wouldn’t like re petting but as this thread shows, there’s a divide and
2. the point is I don’t know the cat. If I pet it it could (and this is my personal experience and why I hate cats!) decide to scratch or bite me or my children. I certainly wouldn’t let my children pet a cat, dog or any other animal they don’t know.

Petting a horse you don’t know can cause huge problems. They are coming over to you for treats or petting; yes. That doesn’t mean they should get treats and/or petted. Because you don’t know what food they have eaten and can eat. You don’t know if they bite. You don’t know if it will cause issues with the other horses in the field. As another poster said, it’s a vicious cycle because they are coming over as they are used to getting treats etc so will continue to do so when people go to them and feed them.

It’s not fun for the owner to deal with at the end of the day when the horse gets bargey and rude and expects treats (trust me they can get extremely silly and it’s not funny when they are big horses shoving you around for treats as some one has been feeding them!).

Where did I say cats and horses were similar? I was just responding to you never touching a cat. That's you not the owners.

@ArcheryAnnie

Whereas a right of way is just that - a right of way. It means you have the right to cross the field if you want to, but it doesn't mean that the landowner has to prevent their animals from touching you or approaching you in any way

A right of way means nothing if it is blocked, either by barbed wire fences or by keeping dangerous animals in the field.

You can't have it both ways. If you bear no responsibility for your animals approaching or touching members of the general public, then you can hardly complain when members of the general public interact with your animals.

(At least you've dropped the pretence that horses are anything but a leisure activity, same as any other leisure activity practiced in the country.)

A right of way means nothing if it is blocked, either by barbed wire fences or by keeping dangerous animals in the field.

Being "blocked" means physically blocked due to it being overgrown or the gate being locked. Legally keeping an animal in a field doesn't mean the right of way is blocked.

You can't have it both ways. If you bear no responsibility for your animals approaching or touching members of the general public, then you can hardly complain when members of the general public interact with your animals.

I'm not complaining. I don't even own a horse, lol. But I realise that landowners can keep horses on their land regardless of whether it makes me feel unsafe or not.

(At least you've dropped the pretence that horses are anything but a leisure activity, same as any other leisure activity practiced in the country.)

I haven't done that at all, I don't think? But it's irrelevant whether horses are kept for work or leisure - it's not your land regardless. It's the landowners land. If they want to keep their horses there, which is perfectly legal - then it's nothing to do with you. You can either cross and ignore the horses if they approach you, or turn around and go another way if you feel unsafe being in there.

The landowner is under zero obligation to fence off their footpath or do anything to keep their horses away from you - keeping horses in a field is perfectly legal and isn't inherently a dangerous thing to do.

@PurpleParrotfish

I genuinely had no idea this was a problem until another MN thread a year or two ago. As a kid I was taught by grown ups how to feed grass to horses keeping my hand flat, there were loads of references in children’s (and some adults’) books about feeding apples to horses as a lovely thing to do. So as a city dweller it took me until my early 40s to find out that you shouldn’t do it and why. Lots of people don’t know. Maybe it should be taught in schools? I remember learning ‘shut gates you open, don’t leave litter etc’.

^This I never feed a horse or any other animal now.

Genuinely didn’t see the problem with giving them a handful of grass if they’re in a field of grass, but wouldn’t anymore.

@Giraffesandbottoms

But *@fairylightsandwaxmelts and @AllThingsServeTheBeam*

1. a horse is different than a cat because you HAVE to let it out. I can’t speak to what cat owners would or wouldn’t like re petting but as this thread shows, there’s a divide and
2. the point is I don’t know the cat. If I pet it it could (and this is my personal experience and why I hate cats!) decide to scratch or bite me or my children. I certainly wouldn’t let my children pet a cat, dog or any other animal they don’t know.

Petting a horse you don’t know can cause huge problems. They are coming over to you for treats or petting; yes. That doesn’t mean they should get treats and/or petted. Because you don’t know what food they have eaten and can eat. You don’t know if they bite. You don’t know if it will cause issues with the other horses in the field. As another poster said, it’s a vicious cycle because they are coming over as they are used to getting treats etc so will continue to do so when people go to them and feed them.

It’s not fun for the owner to deal with at the end of the day when the horse gets bargey and rude and expects treats (trust me they can get extremely silly and it’s not funny when they are big horses shoving you around for treats as some one has been feeding them!).

1) a horse is different than a cat because you HAVE to let it out. I can’t speak to what cat owners would or wouldn’t like re petting but as this thread shows, there’s a divide and

You don't have to own a horse on land the public can access, though. If you want to own a horse and don't have private land or inaccessible fields, you need to accept you won't have 100% control over who interacts with your horse.

2) the point is I don’t know the cat. If I pet it it could (and this is my personal experience and why I hate cats!) decide to scratch or bite me or my children. I certainly wouldn’t let my children pet a cat, dog or any other animal they don’t know.

And that's a perfectly valid choice. But by letting a cat out to roam, you're accepting the risk that children might touch it or pull its' tail, that the cat might eat something toxic or get hit by a car. If you don't want to take those risks, you keep your cat inside or don't have a cat in the first place.

Petting a horse you don’t know can cause huge problems. They are coming over to you for treats or petting; yes. That doesn’t mean they should get treats and/or petted. Because you don’t know what food they have eaten and can eat. You don’t know if they bite. You don’t know if it will cause issues with the other horses in the field. As another poster said, it’s a vicious cycle because they are coming over as they are used to getting treats etc so will continue to do so when people go to them and feed them.

Nobody is saying it's acceptable to feed a horse, but if a horse approaches a person and asks for attention, it's a bit silly to say it's wrong to give them that attention. Horses (like cats and dogs) are perfectly free to walk away or ignore humans if they don't want a fuss.

It’s not fun for the owner to deal with at the end of the day when the horse gets bargey and rude and expects treats (trust me they can get extremely silly and it’s not funny when they are big horses shoving you around for treats as some one has been feeding them!).

I know, I ride and I care for horses as part of my job, but owning horses is a privilege, not a right. If you don't want the public to ever interact with your horse, then you need to make sure you have a private field and set-up before getting one.

landowners can keep horses on their land regardless of whether it makes me feel unsafe or not

Hasn't this whole thread been about horsey people insisting that it is unsafe - not "feels" unsafe - for horses and the general public to mix, and that it is unsafe both for the humans and for the horses?

But it's irrelevant whether horses are kept for work or leisure

There's been plenty of people banging on about how the countryside is a working landscape, not just for leisure. I was making the point that horses are leisure activities.

it's not your land regardless

It's my right of way.

@ArcheryAnnie

derxa you sound very sensibly wary! And I can't imagine you would put them in a situation with random other people, which is what I've been talking about here.

People shouldn't interfere with horses, I accept that! But people who own horses should make sure that those horses don't interfere with people, either.

But as I've pointed out animals are unpredictable and common sense isn't very common among humans. You said that people should be able to walk leashed dogs. If you did that in my sheep fields I'd be horrified. Dogs can slip their leads. We've had sheep worrying here with a dog that was 'only playing'

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

Just to say I do have my horse in a private field and this isn’t an issue for me; but I feel for anyone who doesn’t have the same situation and I think people should not just feed or pet random horses.

owning horses is a privilege, not a right

I don’t understand this. Of course it’s a right to own a horse - what’s not a right is to just pet someone else’s. I’ve explained reasons (and you know them yourself) why petting a horse can cause problems, for the petter, the horse and the owner. So why would you do it, knowing the problems that may occur?

Dogs can slip their leads. We've had sheep worrying here with a dog that was 'only playing'

Then those dog owners have been irresponsible, and should bear the consequences. That doesn't mean responsible dog walkers who have securely kept dogs on a short leash should be banned from rights of way, at least outside of lambing time.

Hasn't this whole thread been about horsey people insisting that it is unsafe - not "feels" unsafe - for horses and the general public to mix, and that it is unsafe both for the humans and for the horses?

I thought it was about how it's unsafe to force interaction on a horse - eg. don't go up to them or force them accept fuss etc?

There's been plenty of people banging on about how the countryside is a working landscape, not just for leisure. I was making the point that horses are leisure activities.

Fair enough.

It's my right of way.

Absolutely, but that doesn't give you the right to say what the land is and isn't used for. If a farmer wants to keep sheep, cows, horses or pigs on their land, that's their choice - it's nothing to do with you.

Just to say I do have my horse in a private field and this isn’t an issue for me; but I feel for anyone who doesn’t have the same situation and I think people should not just feed or pet random horses.

But you can't control the actions of the general public. Petting a horse that is actively soliciting attention over a fence isn't on the same level as feeding them leftover roast dinner. If you don't want anyone interacting with your pets, keep them somewhere only you can access.

I don’t understand this. Of course it’s a right to own a horse - what’s not a right is to just pet someone else’s. I’ve explained reasons (and you know them yourself) why petting a horse can cause problems, for the petter, the horse and the owner. So why would you do it, knowing the problems that may occur?

Of course it's not a right - owning any animal is a privilege and you shouldn't get an animal (be it a hamster or a horse) if you can't provide appropriate food and accommodation for it. If you don't want to take the risk of the public going near your animals, then that includes private fields or land where nobody can access them.

@ArcheryAnnie

Dogs can slip their leads. We've had sheep worrying here with a dog that was 'only playing'

Then those dog owners have been irresponsible, and should bear the consequences. That doesn't mean responsible dog walkers who have securely kept dogs on a short leash should be banned from rights of way, at least outside of lambing time.

I'm in Scotland so no 'right of way' But why would you want to cause me the distress and worry?

@derxa do you have a right of way running through your sheep fields?

I'm in Scotland so no 'right of way' But why would you want to cause me the distress and worry?

I don't think people want to cause you stress and worry.

If you don't want dogs through your sheep fields (which is understandable) then you need to campaign to change the law surely, not demand that people stop doing perfectly legal things?

If you don't want to take the risk of the public going near your animals, then that includes private fields or land where nobody can access them

Sure, my horse is in a private field and no one can access her. But can you answer why you would pet a random horse, knowing the various issues it can cause the horse, the owner and you.

[quote Branleuse]@polkadotties of course I wouldnt feed a horse ragwort fgs. I know what ragwort is and what a dandelion is. Im not going to do it again anyway. Sad about it though[/quote]
Can you also recognise hemlock, or a sycamore seedling hiding in that bunch of grass or any of the other 50+ species of plants that are toxic to horses? Even if you can, it is not helpful for any of the other reasons given above such as EMS, herd dynamics, biting etc.

I hope everyone also knows not to feed or touch the free-roaming ponies in the New Forest, Dartmoor, Exmoor or anywhere else - they are not wild, they are all owned by someone like me and feeding them causes horrendous damage by attracting them to people, cars and roads.

@Giraffesandbottoms

If you don't want to take the risk of the public going near your animals, then that includes private fields or land where nobody can access them

Sure, my horse is in a private field and no one can access her. But can you answer why you would pet a random horse, knowing the various issues it can cause the horse, the owner and you.

Because the horse is approaching me and soliciting attention 🤷🏻‍♀️

I wouldn't feed it, I wouldn't approach a horse that wasn't interested and I wouldn't stroke a horse that wasn't asking for fuss either, but if I'm walking through/by a field and a horse approached me and nuzzled or stuck it's head out for a fuss then yes, I probably would fuss it.

You can jump on me all you like, but someone stroking a horse which is actively trying to solicit attention isn't the type of person that's causing owners problems.

Horses are smart enough to know what they do and do not what - if they don't want humans fussing them, they are perfectly free to avoid them and walk away.

But why would you want to cause me the distress and worry?

I wouldn't, derxa - and I certainly wouldn't want to cause any distress to sheep with an uncontrolled dog. But your distress is out of my control, and shouldn't stop me or anyone else walking where we are legally allowed to do so. Access to the countryside is an amazing thing - I say this as someone who lives a very urban life, with no routine access to nature or outside space - and banning me or other people from it has an effect on my wellbeing as well as yours.