6,000 horses potentially at risk this winter

Well, we could send THEM to the lions instead of the ponies?

*waits for button to be pushed patiently*

:D
 
I think it would make more sense to offer free or very cheap castration, & pts & disposal for those on low incomes, same as they do for pets. It would reduce suffering, cost less, & it would mean sanctuaries could concentrate on giving more chances to horses with a chance of being rehomed easier.
 
littlelegs said:
I think it would make more sense to offer free or very cheap castration, & pts & disposal for those on low incomes, same as they do for pets. It would reduce suffering, cost less, & it would mean sanctuaries could concentrate on giving more chances to horses with a chance of being rehomed easier.
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And this is just for the owners!
 
littlelegs said:
I think it would make more sense to offer free or very cheap castration, & pts & disposal for those on low incomes, same as they do for pets. It would reduce suffering, cost less, & it would mean sanctuaries could concentrate on giving more chances to horses with a chance of being rehomed easier.
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One look in a cats & dogs home will tell you it doesn't work.
 
There are so many issues, but vets I know are exasperated at the amount of indiscrinate breeding there is. And not just horses either. Thoughtless people out to make a quick buck with a second-class animal, as one of them said to a group of us recently.

Perhaps obligatory castration, and a licence to breed, with swingeing fines for ignoring the rules, might work .... but I doubt it.

It is indeed a bleak outlook, and not just for this winter.
 
The BHS did a cut price castrate in County Durham this spring and are doing one this autumn near us. Seemed a good idea. Also BHS and council providing grazing (at cost) near us.
 
I see what you're saying Tallyho, but cats & dogs are easy to dump, not much effort required. Whereas a quick phonecall is probably easier than the trouble of dumping a horse.
 
I don't know about a licence for ownership but I think it should at least be necessary to have a licence to breed! Its ridiculous the amount of poor quality horses that are bred as well, there should at least be some sort of regulations on it.
 
We should go back to licensing ALL stallions IMO and it should be an offence to have a stallion (over 2) without a license, with a VERY hefty fine for non-compliance. This would stop some of the indiscriminate breeding.
TBH I'm not really sure what the problem is about feeding ponies to the lions, so long as they've been humanely slaughtered - it would be different if live ponies were being sent to Longleat to be chased round by the lions prior to being caught and eaten but that isn't the case! The lions have to eat meat and it might as well be pony as anything else.

There is no way as far as I can see that 6000 equines can be rehomed over the winter, a large number of people can only just keep their own animals in this current financial climate, without taking on any more. Better that there is a cull with horses being humanely slaughtered before they become neglected and start to suffer.
 
It is the English attitude towards horses, how many people out there have got horses/ponies that are lame and old and struggling to feed them and thier families? How many have bought horses/ponies who have turned out lame or just not able to ride it but feel guilty of having it pts so just struggle on and keep it as though it is their burden to carry in life. No pleasure anymore. A good horse is better to keep than one you struggle with. A poster on here was concerned that she could not find a decent horse or indeed even a rescue one from a Charity what could be rode. The answer is the ageing horse/pony population of the UK. Most people cannot feed two mouths so decide to keep the old horse and forgo a younger one what could be rode. I am just saying it as it really is. I am as guilty. I live in another Country but have an old cob I still keep on a friends farm in the UK. I still ride him when I come over.
I am not saying go out and have them all pts but they are better off pts than end up starving.
 
It's nothing to do with people keeping oldies imo. I could indeed have my old pony pts when she retires & save a younger one from being pts. But no way in hell would I dream of it. But, if I couldn't afford to provide basic care, I'd find the cash for the hunt or a knackerman before she went without. As you say bobajob, a good horse costs as much as a bad one, so no excuse to dump or neglect the bad ones cos they aren't rideable. Decent people would always humanly destroy rather than neglect them.
 
bobajob said:
It is the English attitude towards horses, how many people out there have got horses/ponies that are lame and old and struggling to feed them and thier families? How many have bought horses/ponies who have turned out lame or just not able to ride it but feel guilty of having it pts so just struggle on and keep it as though it is their burden to carry in life. No pleasure anymore. A good horse is better to keep than one you struggle with. A poster on here was concerned that she could not find a decent horse or indeed even a rescue one from a Charity what could be rode. The answer is the ageing horse/pony population of the UK. Most people cannot feed two mouths so decide to keep the old horse and forgo a younger one what could be rode. I am just saying it as it really is. I am as guilty. I live in another Country but have an old cob I still keep on a friends farm in the UK. I still ride him when I come over.
I am not saying go out and have them all pts but they are better off pts than end up starving.
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I understand what you are saying, but I think it's peoples personal choice whether they PTS or not, obviously if the horse is suffering or they cannot afford to keep him/her I totally understand, but it's a bit unfair to say that people who keep there old horses are contributing to the crisis of unwanted horses, when IMO, it's the opposite. Some people can't just put a horse down when they are old, and just because a horse can't be ridden, doesn't mean they don't bring pleasure.

IMO people who keep there old horses, rather than passing them from pillar to post as companions, are usually responsible owners. As are the ones who PTS if the horse is in pain, or PTS rather than passing horses around, especially those who are old or injured.

I think the whole thing stems from overbreeding. A lot of horses are breed, with no real purpose (mine included, so no offence to anyone) - Mine is bred out of a great TB mare, out of a very average TB stallion, with bad conformation. I think people should breed with a purpose in mind, rather than "Oh, my mares pretty, she should have a baby!". Okay, so if your mare is pretty, what is her temperment like? Her conformation? Her parents temperment? Her parents conformation? And then the same, if not more questions for the stallion.

There are too many people breeding for no reason, there is always a market for good quality foals, it's the ones who are (sometimes) bred without full consideration who usually have the faults, and end up unwanted. It's sad, cruel and shouldn't happen, but IMO it will until breeding is controlled.

Sorry went on a rant, slightly off topic :o
 
costs for any animals have sky rocketed just the same as the cost of living for people in general there is always going to be some fallout from it :(

Sadly and much as I don't like to put any animal to sleep that is fit and healthy sometimes there just aren't any options and you have to be able to give those with the best chance of survival/rehoming the opportunity. I do rescue and its a heart breaking process looking at the finances and then at the animals in need. What does annoy me are those that get shot because of a fad or inconvenience rather than need :(
 
Ok, well I keep my mare on a farm just around the corner from my house. It's nasic, but cheap, plenty of grazing, and a small sand menage. I could take on another horse, a rescue one opr whatever, bt how would I go about ding that?
 
chrisharri said:
Ok, well I keep my mare on a farm just around the corner from my house. It's nasic, but cheap, plenty of grazing, and a small sand menage. I could take on another horse, a rescue one opr whatever, bt how would I go about ding that?
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Contact charities like Blue Cross?
 
Cortez said:
I agree with you quite seriously, a supervised cull would help on every level. And could people PLEASE stop breeding without a market?
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It would help if the goverment stoped giving them a house the moment they spat out a sprog and yes there isnt a market for them ..we import eastern europeans to do the work they would have done in the past.... Oh you mean unwanted ponies !!!:D
 
:D:D:D

Would love to see stallion licensing with hefty fine, but it would need to be enforcable. Some of those involved in high production / low quality would claim they were unable to pay the fine due to poverty. Those that breed this end of the market really don't give a toss about the suffering of their animals. No way they'd get a licence, just ignore the system as always.Trouble is there has to be no money in it for them to stop, but becuase there is no money the animals they have will be more neglected. Toughen up laws so more can be forceably removed & humans banned from breeding or keeping them (with the ability to back this up). Would be nice if more people realised that if a mare is useable for health/mental/lack of ability, then she should not be bred from.
 
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