Cont. From Fugly, I want your opinions
May. 23rd, 2009 06:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maggies_lensMadz, hope you don't mind if I expand on my thoughts here. I'd like to know what my Flist think.
I know most of you read Fugly Horse of the Day. For those that don't, she made a post today re rescues which in fact turn out to be living hell for the animals as the ppl who run them are hoarders, or worse, or the kind that can't say no to 'just one more', getting in over their heads. I thought it was quite valid considering the situation with Bundy in the past few months, and the past 3 days or so especially. That mare has been basically dumped there, she's 1/2 feral but quite good to handle on the ground, really. You just have to know what you are doing, and not push her. Realise she's barely been handled, and when she has been, it's been just to move her from paddock to paddock, or to be wormed. So, yeah, not for much. Yet you can lead her with just a rope around her neck, and I can pick out her feet in the paddock with nothing on her. She's a TBxWB, chestnut, big, solid. Not stupid. But she's not pretty. and she has a scar down her off side. No one seems to want her. I'm sure there are ppl out there who would be able to give her a good home, but in this economy, seems like noone wants an older, companion only horse. She COULD be ridden, I bet, but it would take a lot of time and effort. Noone seems to want to do that with a horse that isn't ever going to be a show horse. That leaves her, and thousands of other horses, in paddocks, rotting away. At least here in Australia they don't suffer too much from the elements; no snow. But the heat isn't too nice. But they are left there, no feed, no farrier care, no worming, no vet. When Bundy foundered, all we could do was move her to a JC paddock and I took it on myself to hose her legs down whenever I went down there. But simple fact is, I can't take her.
Nor could I take the Arabian stallion I fell in love with 4 years ago who is just incredible and yet left to rot in a field with no care. He and I bonded within minutes. Nor could I help any of the no-care horses at my last agistment, or the one before that, or the one before that. At least 20 horses I know of in that time. How many others are out there? I know full well that one day I will go down to the paddock and Bundy will be gone. And I am in no fantasy land about where I know she will end up. Either that or one day one of us will find her so sick she will need to be put down. Or she will be found DOA.
Does that make me or the other owners bad people? That we can't take her? What would happen if I DID take her, or had taken any of the others? I couldn't afford farrier care, for one thing. Or new rugs when required. Or feed. Or wormer. I have NO time for a 3rd horse. She would be a little better off, but Dan and Des's care would suffer. And that is NOT acceptable. I think you have to draw the line somewhere. If you find that the animals already in your care are suffering because you can't afford to care for them all, you need to cut back.
That doesn't mean you ignore what small things you CAN do. Like pick out the hooves of a dumped horse at your paddock, slipping it some bute in a carrot and wiping her eyes down each time you go down there. Like donating to peole like Nigels Animal Rescue, rescue org's like TREW, HOPE and the RSPCA. I think it's about finding a balance.
Where do you draw your line in the sand? Where do you think it stops being a genuine animal rescue and more a shit-house situtaion? Where do you step in when you see neglect? I'm sure everyone on my Flist could easily come up with examples of neglect they are have seen, Windy, you could probably write a book about it! Do you just walk away and mind your own business? Do you call the auth's when you see things like this? Thoughts....
I know most of you read Fugly Horse of the Day. For those that don't, she made a post today re rescues which in fact turn out to be living hell for the animals as the ppl who run them are hoarders, or worse, or the kind that can't say no to 'just one more', getting in over their heads. I thought it was quite valid considering the situation with Bundy in the past few months, and the past 3 days or so especially. That mare has been basically dumped there, she's 1/2 feral but quite good to handle on the ground, really. You just have to know what you are doing, and not push her. Realise she's barely been handled, and when she has been, it's been just to move her from paddock to paddock, or to be wormed. So, yeah, not for much. Yet you can lead her with just a rope around her neck, and I can pick out her feet in the paddock with nothing on her. She's a TBxWB, chestnut, big, solid. Not stupid. But she's not pretty. and she has a scar down her off side. No one seems to want her. I'm sure there are ppl out there who would be able to give her a good home, but in this economy, seems like noone wants an older, companion only horse. She COULD be ridden, I bet, but it would take a lot of time and effort. Noone seems to want to do that with a horse that isn't ever going to be a show horse. That leaves her, and thousands of other horses, in paddocks, rotting away. At least here in Australia they don't suffer too much from the elements; no snow. But the heat isn't too nice. But they are left there, no feed, no farrier care, no worming, no vet. When Bundy foundered, all we could do was move her to a JC paddock and I took it on myself to hose her legs down whenever I went down there. But simple fact is, I can't take her.
Nor could I take the Arabian stallion I fell in love with 4 years ago who is just incredible and yet left to rot in a field with no care. He and I bonded within minutes. Nor could I help any of the no-care horses at my last agistment, or the one before that, or the one before that. At least 20 horses I know of in that time. How many others are out there? I know full well that one day I will go down to the paddock and Bundy will be gone. And I am in no fantasy land about where I know she will end up. Either that or one day one of us will find her so sick she will need to be put down. Or she will be found DOA.
Does that make me or the other owners bad people? That we can't take her? What would happen if I DID take her, or had taken any of the others? I couldn't afford farrier care, for one thing. Or new rugs when required. Or feed. Or wormer. I have NO time for a 3rd horse. She would be a little better off, but Dan and Des's care would suffer. And that is NOT acceptable. I think you have to draw the line somewhere. If you find that the animals already in your care are suffering because you can't afford to care for them all, you need to cut back.
That doesn't mean you ignore what small things you CAN do. Like pick out the hooves of a dumped horse at your paddock, slipping it some bute in a carrot and wiping her eyes down each time you go down there. Like donating to peole like Nigels Animal Rescue, rescue org's like TREW, HOPE and the RSPCA. I think it's about finding a balance.
Where do you draw your line in the sand? Where do you think it stops being a genuine animal rescue and more a shit-house situtaion? Where do you step in when you see neglect? I'm sure everyone on my Flist could easily come up with examples of neglect they are have seen, Windy, you could probably write a book about it! Do you just walk away and mind your own business? Do you call the auth's when you see things like this? Thoughts....
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-24 05:53 am (UTC)They were recently escorted off the property by the sheriff, by the way.
*whistles to self*
I feel bad about all those horses too, and I also cannot afford to take any more on. Sucks. Not your fault. Just like humans, horses need to be bred less.