10 month old, shod up and broken to drive...can anyone help?

What to do though? Do you take the view that one saved is worth it - someone mentioned the starfish on the beach the other day...
Or do you take the view that if people keep buying these poor little mites then you just give the owners the money to do it all again.
I sometimes wonder if Dragon Driving advertisers read these threads and rub their hands.
:-(
 
I doubt she'd be cheap to rescue - the stud fee alone is 400 for her sire, so buying her would only fill the owners pockets for the next one.
It ought to be against the law to drive horses younger than 2, the RSPCA could be campaigning for that instead of harassing hunts...
 
Just read down the page. Hardly alone at being broken this young. Others were as well, they are just further on in their 'careers'. Until you change the mindset of the owners, breed prolifically, break early, sell on, make cash, there is no point in buying them. You only put cash in to make the cycle repeat. Until these horses don't generate cash, it will continue unchecked. Tragic for the animals (like the 18 month old just introduced to hobbles), but the abuse will continue.
 
As sad as it is by "rescueing" her you are fuelling them to do the same with many more.
I know of the people selling said mare, friend bought one from the same place, you will be lucky if she is cheap anyway :eek:

As harsh as it is, they also know they can put these types of mares who aren't as useful to them (too slow/temprement) on websites and they will get people who want to rescue them. There is also another on there slightly older for sale very very close by to that one.

It's one of those things, your feeding a market that's now out there sadly.
 
I still believe this is a welfare issue along with starting all babies but where could you draw a line? There is so much industry clout it would be very hard to achieve imo.

I have come to believe that we must stop pity buying to help stop over breeding etc.
 
Sadly this goes on all over the place every day. I know of a filly around the same age as this one being driven daily. She is the sweetest little thing and it's sad that babies can't be left to be just that. Unfortunately I also agree with the comment about funding them to do the same again. This isn't the first youngster that I know of being driven at such a young age and this one can aparantly already clock over 30mph. Makes me cross just thinking about it.
 
In this sort of situation the argument "buying it will just fund more" is completely irrelevant, and just an excuse to turn a blind eye.
It may be true of, say, puppy mills and the like, but not here. These horses don't get bred to fleece ignorant buyers. The advert wasn't put up to tug at heartstrings. Whether the filly is sold or not makes no difference to the breeders and sellers. If no one buys it and it ends up broken down and chucked aside, there will still be more to take it's place because breeding is a way of life for these people, not an industry, and they will carry on regardless.

So if a few end up being bought by people willing to give them a better life, it won't change how things are, but it will change everything for that particular horse.
 
LittleBlackMule said:
In this sort of situation the argument "buying it will just fund more" is completely irrelevant, and just an excuse to turn a blind eye.
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I don't think I am using this as an excuse to turn a blind eye, happy to have someone who bought one off the same family. Know them and live close by so have experience of how this group work. There are more adverts under different names and different types of horses that have been on DD from them over the last year :)
 
D d said whilst they agree with my concerns there is no age limit on backing horses and that race horses are raced at 2. Whw said it would be hard to prove welfare issues.
 
I've just looked through about 70 adverts on DD and not seen one decent looking horse!

Such a shame for the horses, most will probably end up in the sales or in the back of a meat wagon.

Though, there isn't much that can be done. It's evident that this is happening nationwide and unless the Government step in and completely overhaul the whole horse system in this country i can only believe that things will just get worse.

Why are there so many ugly crap cob stallions on that website!
'Loads of feather' surely cannot justify keeping a colt entire!

:mad:
 
The solution to this issue is for each and every person that believes this to be cruel practice is to write to WHW (World Horse Welfare) and express your views and the arguments for them. If enough people contact WHW then they will eventually have no option but to take an in-depth look at this issue and decide what actions they need to take to resolve it.
 
zoon said:
Someone ring and find out how much she is - am scared of ringing the gypsies!
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Scared of ringing them? :rolleyes:

Sorry but isn't that a bit hysterical? Also, if you're interested in buying her, how will you achieve that if just speaking to them on the phone frightens you?

There are definite welfare concerns within the traveler community. But demonising and hysteria won't help. I hardly think they're going to do anyone any harm over the phone.:rolleyes:
 
No idea how to quote on phone but agree with FionaM12 over the I'm too scared to ring.

I've been to that yard with a friend and on my own, still living to tell the tale ;)
 
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