FFS DONT feed horses in fields !!

[Thoroughbred5]

Honestly it blows my mind that this is still a problem but it is. Just wanted to post since it’s coming into nicer weather and more people will be out and about.

caught 3 separate families over the weekend feeding my horse treats when he was out in his field. I spoke to each and 2 were clearly annoyed but did stop, the third just threw their apples and other treats into the field anyway. We have signs, CCTV, double fencing, we have everything. Every summer is the bloody same- people feeding the horses.

DONT feed other people’s horses or ponies. Firstly, nobody is entitled to feed another persons animal. Secondly, you have no idea what that horses specific diet is. Would you be happy to pay for my horses laminitis bill? Or colic? And honestly, it’s best not to feed handfuls of grass either. It doesn’t matter that the horse is in a field full of grass. Feeding horses by hand in the field can cause jealousy amongst the herd and can cause horses to become nippy and bolshy towards people at fences and gates

It’s only may and already it’s a problem. I love the summer but I’m fed up of worrying if my horse is safe in his own field. Anyone else in the same position? And if your reading this and you’re one of the people who feed other people’s horses, please just fucking stop

Would you be happy for people who can't have kids to randomly feed yours cakes and chocolate? If not, why can't you just be kind and realise they only want to do a nice thing? Sure not being able to have children of their own makes them sad so they should be allowed to.

I agree people shouldn't feed horses and educating people on that and telling them off when they do it is all fine but a horse is not equivalent to someone's child and you don't need to make a such silly comparison to make your point.

A lot of horse owners now seem precious and entitled and forget that there are lots of people who would love to own a horse but cannot afford to.

What a bonkers comment! Imagine everyone making free with others' property because they couldn't afford their own. "I just thought I'd sit on your Harley Davidson for a while because I'd love one but can't afford it"

TF do you mean entitled? It's MY fucking horse, of course I'm entitled to choose what it's fed. Why do you think you're entitled to feed my animal just because you can't afford one? Do you think it would be appropriate to pop into someone's garden and feed their dog just because you can't afford a dog? Why do people think horses are public property?

A friend of mine's pony died this year because some entitled bozo like you fed it something poisonous. I hope they experienced an appropriate amount of delight to make killing my friend's beloved companion of 15 years worth it.

@Lampy123678 , I could have said cat or dog, but they are often not in a field.
Suppose I saw a dog or cat when I was out walking and I fed it something I thought was a treat but was toxic to them. What if I fed some chocolate raisins to a dog in someone's garden because I wanted to? They're toxic to dogs.

I'm guilty of doing this aged 10. I got told to stop and did

People always say this on animal threads. My horse (and dog) are more important to me than someone else's child 🤷‍♀️ They are living creatures and they are part of our family.

YANBU. Unfortunately a lot of people are ignorant of the issues they’re potentially causing by feeding other people’s horses. They just see it as a leisure activity with the kids, a bit like feeding the ducks in the local park (also problematic as it happens). We actually had someone try and sit their child on the back of one of our ponies once. Ridiculous and very dangerous.

I would love a Chanel handbag. I can't understand women in restaurants who get Bolshy with me when I want to take pics with their handbags. They should have more consideration for women like me who'd love a designer handbag but can't afford it. I just want to touch it and maybe try it on. It's not like I'd ever plan on borrowing it or taking it. If they don't want me to it's really up to them to educate me.

Nothing but solidarity from me. It’s bloody infuriating. The sense of entitlement is off the scale imo.

We also have similar issues with people walking and riding their bikes across our fields and arguing when politely challenged.

So do you not care if a living creature suffers if it's not your child? If someone else pays the potentially massive vet bill. If someone else spends the night sitting with their horse praying to every god that ever existed that it's still alive in the morning and ready to call the vet out at 3am to pts if it takes a turn for the worse? Because that is the risk.

Clearly it is exactly the sort of comparison that needs to be made given some people are apparently too thick to understand.

"Lampy123678
I agree people shouldn't feed horses and educating people on that and telling them off when they do it is all fine but a horse is not equivalent to someone's child and you don't need to make a such silly comparison to make your point."

Unfortunately we do because lots of people are idiots who need it spelled out in terms they understand.* * And yes in the grand scheme of the world you could argue that a horse is probably not equivalent to a human child. But to the person who owns and loves that horse, who are you to define how much it means to them?

Which is why I used it.
A horse isn't equivalent to a child but can live to about 60 yrs of age. A random person won't know how old the horse is, its veterinary record, its dental condition. its dietary requirements etc.

Sometimes I am shocked by the stupidity and entitlement of others. It seems like you can spread awareness as much as you like but some people just do not care.

Yes! This!!

My animal is far more important to me than other peoples kids. They are members of my family and I love them very much.

I don’t care if someone else’s child is upset because I won’t let them feed my horse. After all, they don’t seem to give a shit whether my child is upset if her pony dies because they’ve fed them something they shouldn’t have.

I’ve had a horse colic because some entitled idiot kept chucking grass clippings in her field (having trespassed on private property to get to it) when they’d been told dozens and dozens of times to pack it in. Walking and walking round and round to keep her on her feet waiting for the vet, the tube up her nose, the frantic call to the vet to come back out at 3am as she’s taken a turn for the worst, waiting for transport, the dash to the equine hospital. Then the bloody massive vet bill at the end of it.

It’s not difficult, leave other peoples animals alone.

Give people a break and stop being so aggressive. People that don't know about horses and try to feed them are not morons. A polite sign explaining why (e.g. health reasons) Neddy cannot eat apples, carrots or grass would work much better. I've seen such a sign attached to a koi pond which is in a restaurant and it works perfectly. Nobody throws food in the pond because they know not to. Lots of people who cannot afford horses will not know that there could be severe consequences of feeding a horse an apple. Older people will have grown up with feeding Neddies apples. These people would appreciate a sign explaining why things have changed. It isn't fair to be so aggressive about people who don't know these facts.

@Vanessasbag , but people would probably ignore the sign because their little darling wanted to feed the pretty horsey. Read the thread.

@alloalloallo put up signs, which were ignored and/or torn down, @Vanessasbag.

"I’ve tried all different signs.

Polite, short and to the point, longer more educational ones, one that was quite long and had a lot more information on it.

All were ignored - several were just ripped off the gate and fence and thrown into the field."

Why is it so unreasonable to expect grown adults to know that you shouldn't feed someone else's animal, unless you have permission from them, and to act accordingly (and supervise their children too)?

And I suspect I would be 'aggressive' if I had seen animals suffering and even dying because people felt entitled to use a living creature as a plaything, and to ignore the very reasonable requests of the owners.

The point is that you should never feed any animal that doesn't belong to you!
It costs me over 6K per year to keep my horse, keep your hands off my property.
FYI they are called horses, not neddies.

I'm not sure I ever seen a horse in a field that DOESN'T have at least one sign asking not to feed. I know next to nothing about horses except they have four legs and you don't bloody feed them if they are not yours. Not sure how, by now, anyone has missed the message, tbh.

But then, people still buy dogs from shitty breeders so, similarly, I am forced to conclude it's willful ignorance. They just don't want to know.

Yeah, I was expecting the snobby response to my colloquialism.
Never mind dear.

Not snobby, just correct.
But there again you are undoubtedly one of the 'fur baby' brigade..

Not a clue what a fur baby is!

Genuinely, what do you have to say about all the anecdotes where people put up signs and members of the public read them but ignore them, then tell you to fuck off when you politely ask them not to feed your horse as per the sign? This isn’t an individual experience- there are SO many horse owners on here explaining they have tried signs, tried double fencing, tried every polite deterrent but people still choose to ignore it anyway.