Kipcha
Well-Known Member
Something has been on my mind lately and I just cannot help but rant a little.
I've come to the conclusion that, for the most part, horse people are jerks. At least, most of the ones in Alberta. Not just a year ago I had been in horse 4-H for 2 years, I enjoyed going around and experiencing things with my horse. Ben enjoyed it as well, we always took it easy with him since he is still young and adjusting. He is an extremely spooky boy (Young Arabian, it's what you expect) and while it can be very frustrating, we're always calm and patient with him.
But we see how so many people treat their horses. I am appalled at some of the things people stick in their horses mouth to keep them "under control" (Things ranging from "gag bits" to actual chain!) and some of the teachings that 4-H shows just isn't the kind of thing we agree with, and is the reason I NEVER allow anyone else on Ben.
Ben was abused before we got him, that much we could tell even though we were lied to about his story (We were told he was a 9 year old, when instead when we got him he was more 5-6 years, making all of his backstory moot) and since no one was buying him, she was considering shipping him off for meat since she would rather get the price by the pound then sell him for cheaper to someone who may have worked with him. He was very sweet on the ground, but when you got on him he was very unsure and rather flighty, especially when you even touched his sides with your heel, we suspect spur abuse.
So instead of simply taking it easy and working with him at the slow pace Ben does need, we heard some bad stories about him, one involving a lady who was thrown off him screaming when she ran him into a bush. Getting him to the point where he was "unsellable". Ben is smart, he learns very quickly and is a good horse, but because he was/still is flighty and timid, he's something that should be shipped off to the meat packer. Thank goodness we found him first.
Then there is the mess that was our poor boy Buzz and the years of abuse he endured before we got him, that effected him to the point where we had to have him euthanized April 30th of this year from the accumulation of it all.
So anyway, leading up to this, there is a lady we board with that had two horses, one of which she had for 20+ years. She claimed to love him, he was her soul mate, a very important horse to her. She's also very into trail riding and goes on mountain trails very often. This past summer, she noticed he was having trouble going on the mountain trails, was getting tired easier, and was in other words, getting older. So what does she do with this animal that she loved and adored all these years?
Sells him. Without a second thought because he just wan't capable of doing what she wanted anymore.
Can you imagine if you treated every pet like this? People seem to think that just because you ride horses around, that makes them little more then a car. We saw it all the time in 4-H, people having a horse and using it until they move up to the next model, usually by ruining the previous ones.
We've seen people gallop horses down concrete, resulting in ruined feet and no doubt, premature arthritis.
We've seen horses, starved and terribly thin, being used as children's ponies because they don't have the energy to buck or bolt anymore.
We've seen horses that do not receive water or hay in the winter because they can eat the snow or burrow down to the already overgrazed pasture and fight for food.
We've been to places where there are pony rides, horses attached to a hot walker and forced to walk in circles for hours at a time without breaks.
We've seen horribly foundered horses being used in petting zoos, being used as a toy for children because he couldn't kick anymore.
In fact, he can hardly stand. I have seen him is MANY places, and what's worse, I even approached the Humane Society AND City Bylaw at the particular event as they had booths, and nothing is done. The poor thing was turning over on his ankles, could hardly walk, and yet it's not considered something of concern by the law. Nothing was done.
So why is it that this isn't considered cruel? Just because they are considered "livestock"?
Don't even get me started on the things I have seen done to goats, sheep and cattle.
Argh, it's just so frustrating.
I've come to the conclusion that, for the most part, horse people are jerks. At least, most of the ones in Alberta. Not just a year ago I had been in horse 4-H for 2 years, I enjoyed going around and experiencing things with my horse. Ben enjoyed it as well, we always took it easy with him since he is still young and adjusting. He is an extremely spooky boy (Young Arabian, it's what you expect) and while it can be very frustrating, we're always calm and patient with him.
But we see how so many people treat their horses. I am appalled at some of the things people stick in their horses mouth to keep them "under control" (Things ranging from "gag bits" to actual chain!) and some of the teachings that 4-H shows just isn't the kind of thing we agree with, and is the reason I NEVER allow anyone else on Ben.
Ben was abused before we got him, that much we could tell even though we were lied to about his story (We were told he was a 9 year old, when instead when we got him he was more 5-6 years, making all of his backstory moot) and since no one was buying him, she was considering shipping him off for meat since she would rather get the price by the pound then sell him for cheaper to someone who may have worked with him. He was very sweet on the ground, but when you got on him he was very unsure and rather flighty, especially when you even touched his sides with your heel, we suspect spur abuse.
So instead of simply taking it easy and working with him at the slow pace Ben does need, we heard some bad stories about him, one involving a lady who was thrown off him screaming when she ran him into a bush. Getting him to the point where he was "unsellable". Ben is smart, he learns very quickly and is a good horse, but because he was/still is flighty and timid, he's something that should be shipped off to the meat packer. Thank goodness we found him first.
Then there is the mess that was our poor boy Buzz and the years of abuse he endured before we got him, that effected him to the point where we had to have him euthanized April 30th of this year from the accumulation of it all.
So anyway, leading up to this, there is a lady we board with that had two horses, one of which she had for 20+ years. She claimed to love him, he was her soul mate, a very important horse to her. She's also very into trail riding and goes on mountain trails very often. This past summer, she noticed he was having trouble going on the mountain trails, was getting tired easier, and was in other words, getting older. So what does she do with this animal that she loved and adored all these years?
Sells him. Without a second thought because he just wan't capable of doing what she wanted anymore.
Can you imagine if you treated every pet like this? People seem to think that just because you ride horses around, that makes them little more then a car. We saw it all the time in 4-H, people having a horse and using it until they move up to the next model, usually by ruining the previous ones.
We've seen people gallop horses down concrete, resulting in ruined feet and no doubt, premature arthritis.
We've seen horses, starved and terribly thin, being used as children's ponies because they don't have the energy to buck or bolt anymore.
We've seen horses that do not receive water or hay in the winter because they can eat the snow or burrow down to the already overgrazed pasture and fight for food.
We've been to places where there are pony rides, horses attached to a hot walker and forced to walk in circles for hours at a time without breaks.
We've seen horribly foundered horses being used in petting zoos, being used as a toy for children because he couldn't kick anymore.
In fact, he can hardly stand. I have seen him is MANY places, and what's worse, I even approached the Humane Society AND City Bylaw at the particular event as they had booths, and nothing is done. The poor thing was turning over on his ankles, could hardly walk, and yet it's not considered something of concern by the law. Nothing was done.
So why is it that this isn't considered cruel? Just because they are considered "livestock"?
Don't even get me started on the things I have seen done to goats, sheep and cattle.
Argh, it's just so frustrating.