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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

STOP FEEDING HORSES THAT ARE NOT YOURS

956 replies

Pineapplechickenpizza · 18/04/2022 21:25

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 fieldsSad

OP posts:
veronicagoldberg · 18/04/2022 22:20

Horses repulse me. I would rather chew barbed wire than go near one to offer victuals.

Original poster
Pineapplechickenpizza · 18/04/2022 22:21

@hangrylady

The only thing I do when I see horses is say good afternoon to them in a posh voice. It's the law.
That made me smile! Maybe one day they’ll say good afternoon back!
OP posts:
tara66 · 18/04/2022 22:21

OK - but never see them anyway!

Branleuse · 18/04/2022 22:21

@Giraffesandbottoms

Ffs you shouldn’t be sharing a moment WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S PET. Honestly wtf
HmmConfusedGrin

Couldnt give a shit if you pay thousands to take ownership of that living creature and noone else is allowed to interact with it. You sound unhinged about it tbh. Ive seen horse fields double fenced, or electric fenced. Maybe try that. And a big screen or wall in case anyone enjoys a moment looking at your horse.
Jeez, I said i had no idea it was bad to give it grass, but you want to stop people interacting with it too? What if it comes up to the fence?

DarkShade · 18/04/2022 22:21

Oh no, me and DS have been known to feed local horse apples, what does it do to them? I won't again. To answer your question: because I didn't know it would hurt them..

NewYorkCityDreamer · 18/04/2022 22:22

I will always offer a horse a little stroke if they seem keen but I wouldn’t ever feed one

PineForestsAndSunshine · 18/04/2022 22:23

I used to wonder why on earth anyone would think it would be ok to do this, but I now think it’s simply a case of people not knowing what they don’t know.

I suspect they see horses as wildlife and feeding horses akin to putting food out for the birds.

LouMoo13 · 18/04/2022 22:23

@Pyri @SpaghettiNotCourgetti the problem with hand feeding them grass is that they may not chew it the same as if they were grazing. Cut grass is worse though as it ferments. Small handfuls of grass isn't a massive problem but again multiply it by everyone who walks past in a day and it might become one.
Also in some cases the grass may be more lush/ richer outside of the field, especially if the horse is on restricted grazing for laminitis etc...

MrOllivander · 18/04/2022 22:23

You can always ask, if someone is about
I'm without a horse ATM but if I was out riding and someone asked. I would always stop so they could pat her, give her an apple etc. Because I knew what she had eaten, she wasn't laminitis prone and I'm not a total monster! I remember being that horse mad child begging for a ride on any horse, sitting on a gate just to see a glimpse of a horse and working all day for a 10 min ride

WisherWood · 18/04/2022 22:25

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.

For anyone wondering why you shouldn't do this, horses and ponies are quite often on restricted diets. Most modern grasses are a very rich food for horses. As an analogy, say you were on a diet and thought 'oh it's only a little bit of chocolate' and then did that fifty times a day, you'd slowly start to put on weight. Same thing with horses.

Plus IME most people don't really recognise what it is they're feeding to horses. Not all green stuff is the same and whilst generally horses avoid stuff that's poisonous or bad for them, a hungry horse may eat things that are bad for them.

If you genuinely are concerned that the horse is mistreated there are various ways in which you can report this. If you want to interact with horses, giving them a scratch somewhere they can't reach is better for them than feeding them stuff. If you don't know how to do that then you can ask. But it's potentially dangerous for you and the horse to feed them random stuff and you're not going to be the only person doing it, so it will add up.

Original poster
Pineapplechickenpizza · 18/04/2022 22:25

@Branleuse

Yeah if caring about my horse and wanting him to be safe in his field makes me unhinged then I’m happy to be unhinged.

Thanks, would never have thought of electric fencing or double fencing, and the hoards of other horse owners with the same problem can’t have thought of it either Hmm

You’d be surprised at what people throw over the fence. Or decide to just come in the field anyway. Signs and fencing apparently aren’t enough for some people.

If a horse comes up to the fence then I would recommend doing the same thing you would do if a dog walked past you in the street. Smile and leave it alone.

OP posts:
Branleuse · 18/04/2022 22:26

@OhMrDarcy

The problem with feeding even a handful of grass to a horse isn't so much the few bits of grass, its the behaviour of the horse afterwards.

I've got three horses in a field together and they're fine and happy all day until they think one of them has a treat and the others don't. Herd dynamics are interesting but effectively, what happens is if you feed one, the others will rush up and barge the first one out of the way. Lots of wheeling around and kicking can ensue, which is dangerous especially in a muddy field. Think of them as a bunch of feral kids with no manners. So then you've got horses that are het up and cross, and likely to snatch and bite next time there is a treat on offer.

These are my beloved horses and I never take treats into the field with me as it is frankly dangerous.

I honestly had no idea that was a thing. Not many horses round here, but I will remember that. Its easier for me to remember it for the benefit of the animal reasons.
SScoobiedoo · 18/04/2022 22:26

The moral seems to be don't keep your horse in a field next to a park or footpath.

NewYorkCityDreamer · 18/04/2022 22:26

And even then I only stroke horses in my village so I know their owners

mummydoris2006 · 18/04/2022 22:26

My DD's horse is on a livery yard that also has a caravan club site attached to it. All stables have signs saying they are on special diets, don't feed etc. He is the last stable on a block that is out of the way as it is alongside where the hay is kept and it just has a passageway to the stables.
The caravaners are told is out of bounds both verbally and in writing!
One morning we got there as usual at 7.30am to turn him out before school and a man shouted to me to ask if it was our horse. I replied that yes it was and was waiting for the normal line we get "they'd seen it laid down in a field yesterday and we should call the vet"🤦🏻‍♀️. Instead though he told me that his DC had been to his stanle this morning and he nearly bit one of them! I responded that it was his breakfast time and he'd be expecting food and also that his DC shouldn't be near the stable but if they wanted to meet him then to ask us when we were on the yard. I was gobsmacked when he told me his DC could go to his stable whenever they liked as they'd paid for a caravan pitch. When I explained the stables were completely separate he accused me of thinking I was better than him and that I'd be sorry we he sued me for the horse biting his kid 😯

Eaumyword · 18/04/2022 22:27

For the folks asking what the issue is about just feeding a handful of grass for example:
Horses are like humans - most are nice, but some are not! I had one who you had to be careful of in the stable not to get pinned and squashed against the wall. He was lovely otherwise, just found it amusing HmmGrin
It's the same as feeding most other animals, you just don't want to encourage biting, nipping and rushing to the gate. Trust me, it is scary if a stampede starts!
If they are turned out with other horses, there is a pecking order and competing for attention or treats means they can get aggressive with each other. It's funny, you'd expect the biggest to be 'in charge', but it's usually the bolshy bossy tiny one. But it can lead to them injuring each other. The pecking order is natural to them and how they live together, but introduce an offer of food (any food) and that's when their manners go and they can get toothy with each other and the person at the gate, which is why it's best left to the owner.

Namechangenumber1 · 18/04/2022 22:27

Do you horsey people mind if people pet your horses? I never feed them, but always feel a bit embarrassed if I'm caught by the owners fussing one 😂

Giraffesandbottoms · 18/04/2022 22:27

but you want to stop people interacting with it too? What if it comes up to the fence?

Would you pet a cow?! Just say hello and go on your way. Some horses do actually bite and I’m sure the people commenting on this thread would be the first to complain to the yard or farmer if they were bitten.

There are some mental comments on here about the money as well. Horses are expensive but by all means plenty of people who own them aren’t “rich”, they just make huge sacrifices to own them, either with time/work/effort or financially. @AProperStinging you sound either extremely jealous or like you have a horse sized chip on your shoulder. Or both. Odd

WildFlowerBees · 18/04/2022 22:28

@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.

And this is why we have a problem, pure entitlement coupled with total ignorance.

Luckily my yard is off the beaten track but a friend had to run an extra fence a few feet from the actual fence to ensure people couldn't get to them. People are dicks.

SpaghettiNotCourgetti · 18/04/2022 22:28

[quote LouMoo13]**@Pyri* @SpaghettiNotCourgetti* the problem with hand feeding them grass is that they may not chew it the same as if they were grazing. Cut grass is worse though as it ferments. Small handfuls of grass isn't a massive problem but again multiply it by everyone who walks past in a day and it might become one.
Also in some cases the grass may be more lush/ richer outside of the field, especially if the horse is on restricted grazing for laminitis etc...[/quote]
That's really interesting, and not something I'd ever have thought about - thank you for explaining Smile

As I say, I'm not a big fan of horses so I'd not be feeding them anyway, but I'd never wish any harm on one so it's good to know.

Branleuse · 18/04/2022 22:29

I would definitely pet a cow if she was behind a fence and she let me 😍

Original poster
Pineapplechickenpizza · 18/04/2022 22:30

@SScoobiedoo

The moral seems to be don't keep your horse in a field next to a park or footpath.
Nah, the moral seems to be don’t feed animals that don’t belong to you.

Not everyone has multiple fields and even then, people climb through fences and fields and under gates to interact with horses that don’t belong to them. I think they forget that horses are not always cute cuddly animals and can infact kill if spooked and kick out etc

OP posts:
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 18/04/2022 22:30

@SScoobiedoo

The moral seems to be don't keep your horse in a field next to a park or footpath.
Yes, because there are thousands of empty, suitable fields up and down the country for horse owners to move their animals into at a moments notice Hmm
SpaghettiNotCourgetti · 18/04/2022 22:32

Would you pet a cow?!

Yes - there used to be a friendly herd in the field behind my ex's outing hobby venue and I used to give them a scratch if they were around and amenable 🤷🏻‍♀️

ForeverLooking · 18/04/2022 22:32

[quote AProperStinging]@ForeverLooking

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.
I wouldn't stroll into your garden because my kids thought it looked nice and I fancied a look round or a pick of your flowers because some kids don't get to see flowers often. Look by all means. Don't feed other people's animals.

I could not be less interested in feeding or looking at any horses.

I don't treat large, intelligent mammals as playthings for my own amusement, and I don't think that having lots of money makes it ok to do so either.

It's very telling how many financial references you made in just that one post.[/quote]
Grin you couldn't be further off the mark with the financial assumptions, but whatever suits your narrative 👍I won't bother to explain my entire background and bank balance as I'm sure you couldn't give less of a fuck and I can't be arsed either. Se
Some of my horses are used for RDA and charity work including visits to under privileged areas and hospitals (ponies!). When they are at home they don't need feeding for someone else's entertainment because this isn't healthy FOR THEM. I'm more that happy for people to look at them and admire them with no feed. Just as when they are used in hospital visits. We don't do treats -it encourages nipping. Anyway, I've justified myself far more than I needed to.