Been threatened with the RSPCA!

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TwoStroke

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Well, I've never been so insulted in all my life! A random idiotic member of the public has threatened me with the RSPCA! Aparantly my thoroughbred is starving. I'd condition score him 2.5 on the 1-5 scale, at worst! I can only assume it's because I have very little grass, but the horses have 24/7 access to ad lib hay!

I really hate having a footpath on my land. It's sooo tempting to padlock the little gate they come through - then I might not have to pick up litter from my fields all the time!

Is there an organisation I can report officious busybodies to??

Just hope they don't take it upon themselves to feed him up - he's VERY sugar sensitive. But there's no way I can keep them out if they decide to :(.
 
I'd maybe stick up signs at each end of the field saying that the horse is allergic to sugar and certain food preservatives (or similar) and must not be fed or he will get sick
 
Someone near me has a footpath running down the side of their field, and has fenced it off. There's still access to the footpath, so they aren't going to get in trouble for that, but the walkers are separated from the horses. The fence is decorated with big signs giving an emergency phone number, saying that the horses are visited at least twice a day, that they're freeze-marked, that they should NOT be fed, etc. Would that be a possibility for your footpath, or does it go through the middle of your field?
 
I could possibly fence off the footpath, but it would mean the horses couldn't get onto the yard, as I can't fence that bit (hardstanding). Grr, why do people have to make life hard??

Oh, and there are some charming people in the area who like to steal electric fencing :mad:.
 
I would either tell them to go ahead and report you, the RSPCA will have to come out and you can then tell the interfering ****** that your horses are healthy and have been checked, or tell them the RSPCA will be wasting their time and resources and while they are doing the check on yours they will not be able to get on with real welfare issues.

Fencing the path would be a good idea as well as some notices, "do not feed due to serious allergic condition" may work.
 
If horsey is condition score 2.5 (i.e. ideal for this time of year) I would be tempted to stick up a poster showing the various condition scores on the gate. So many horses (and dogs) are so fat that few people have any idea what a correct weight looks like - I seem to get the impression that condition score 4 would be considered normal nowadays.
 
Well, it's not like the RSPCA are strangers to wasting money :rolleyes:. I'm more worried about what may be happening whilst I'm not there. Would explain why I've been having issues with his feet, despite having no grass!

I suppose I'll have to fence it off so they can't access the yard :(.

ETA: I hadn't thought of that, wishful! Maybe worth a try. They were non horsey, so clearly are used to seeing hippos!
 
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Put up a sign ASAP explaining why he shouldn't be fed tidbits ect.

For the non horsey, if a horse comes over and takes a tidbit or something you hear people saying "oh look, he's hungry".
Also I know this sounds daft, but I have heard people saying hay isn't "proper" food. If the field has little grass, that's it as far as the non horsey are concerned.
(I dunno what they think it is when they see horses munching on it, bubblegum?)
 
Fortunately one of our branches at work does reprographics, so I'll sponge some nice weatherproof signs :D.

I mean honestly, why would anyone call the RSPCA about this, he's obviously well cared for:

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:D

(For the record - in the photos he was enjoying his first day out without a rug! He wasn't covered in mud when the people saw him!)
 
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Signs are a good idea.

It must be really frustrating for you, but if it was reported in well-meaning ignorance then at least it shows people care.
 
Been there, and it's a horrible feeling. Mine are out 24/7/365, and by the end of the winter the field does look a little bare. I had people phone the RSPCA a few years ago without first asking to speak to me (everyone knows they're mine). Worst thing is that the RSPCA 'officers' (self-appointed paramilitary death-squad) don't know one end of a horse from the other. They'd put your horse down as soon as look at it, because its cheaper and more convenient than looking after it.

Haven't had it for a while, but this year someone call the WHW, who at least knew what they were talking about, and agreed that all were fine, with some still a little fat, despite 'poor' grazing. That's natives for you.

What are they eating? Well right now it's mostly weed from the river. ;o)
Don't let them get to you.
 
pennyturner said:
Been there, and it's a horrible feeling. Mine are out 24/7/365, and by the end of the winter the field does look a little bare. I had people phone the RSPCA a few years ago without first asking to speak to me (everyone knows they're mine). Worst thing is that the RSPCA 'officers' (self-appointed paramilitary death-squad) don't know one end of a horse from the other. They'd put your horse down as soon as look at it, because its cheaper and more convenient than looking after it.

Haven't had it for a while, but this year someone call the WHW, who at least knew what they were talking about, and agreed that all were fine, with some still a little fat, despite 'poor' grazing. That's natives for you.

What are they eating? Well right now it's mostly weed from the river. ;o)
Don't let them get to you.
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Thanks :).

So long as they look but don't touch I'm not that bothered. It's only if they start feeding things that I'll get mad. My other horse is fat, too, so definitely doesn't need any 'help' (apart from fat club).
 
What an absolute tard of a woman! Your horse certainly dosnt look starved by any stretch of the imagination, I would definatly put signs up and maybe get a phsyco people eating horse that will bite and kick that will soon keep the morons off the field regaurdless of the public footpath
 
ARRGH!!

Do gooders that do not know what they are talking about!


My parents had the same issue a few years ago, not with their horses, but a flock of rare breed Soay sheep that shared the field with them, why? because they had hanging bellies and tufts of wool hanging off. They were like that as they were struggling to "stop" them eating too much and they were in fact "fat" and naturally shedding their last coat at the time.


RSPCA just laughed when they saw the sheep and said they were literally "sheep in clover" and were living the fine life not a hard one.
 
I agree its a horrible feeling when someone reports you to the RSPCA, even when they are misguided but well intentioned. A couple friends have been reported too, either due to malice or the public being unknowledgeable.

We had a footpath running along our field and dog walkers would let their dogs chase the horses on a daily basis. What planet are these people on ?

However, putting up a sign is a good idea, a few people do it for laminitics.
Its pretty common for the public to think a horse isn't looked after A field near me had two very neglected shetlands with matted, dreadlock manes and tails, full of burrs. When I first saw them, I thought, B***** Hell !. However, looking around the field, I saw fresh water, it had been poo picked and the field shelter was clean.
The clues were there for horse aware people to work out that these were rescues.
Few days later, I noticed a sign with a contact number for people to call if there was a problem and I though, yep, someone's called the RSPCA.:rolleyes:
Within a week, the shetlands had had their manes groomed and de matted and were looking bright and very much improved.
Sometimes, people don't stop and ask, before thinking the worst.
 
At least I'm not alone!

It probably doesn't help that the TB's been out of work for a year (and about 50% of the previous two years!), so has no topline. He's back hacking again now though, so with that and spring with any luck he'll be stacked in no time :D.
 
rowan666 said:
What an absolute tard of a woman! Your horse certainly dosnt look starved by any stretch of the imagination, I would definatly put signs up and maybe get a phsyco people eating horse that will bite and kick that will soon keep the morons off the field regaurdless of the public footpath
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Having walkers attacked by a horse could open up a whole new world of pain.

Is tard short for retard?
 
A man came running onto my former livery yard saying that a horse had a plant pot stuck on its face.
The YO said, 'I doubt it, are you sure it's not a muzzle ?'
The man was insistent that it was a plant pot and the YO should help it immediately.
She went to the field with the man, and sure enough, found a Shetland grazing in a muzzle.

Good intentions, I suppose.
 
Don't expect the signs to work :( We had a sugar and cereal intolerant mare (refined sugar made her appear to be psychotic :eek: ) We put any number of signs up and we don't even have a right of way through our fields, but it didn't stop some idiot leaving a stash of boilled sweets in our wall to hand over each day :mad: It also didn't stop them feeding white bread! This was to 4 seriously good doers who were constantly on diets and looked like beached whales if we didn't keep on top of the feed control!
 
pennyturner said:
Been there, and it's a horrible feeling. Mine are out 24/7/365, and by the end of the winter the field does look a little bare. I had people phone the RSPCA a few years ago without first asking to speak to me (everyone knows they're mine). Worst thing is that the RSPCA 'officers' (self-appointed paramilitary death-squad) don't know one end of a horse from the other. They'd put your horse down as soon as look at it, because its cheaper and more convenient than looking after it.
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Ouch!
 
I like the idea of some signs too - but I'd put up one's declaring some obscure disease demanding an exclusion zone and advising people on no account to touch or interfere with the animals and seek medical attention if they suffer any of long list of symptoms.

Warning! Districtus Somes Morbus Outbreak! That's the best I can do straight off - it means Busy body disease.

Your horse is fine BTW - I've seen Michael Stout saddle far thinner chaps than that at Ascot and Newmarket.
 
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Been there, done that - several times. Let the person report you then laugh;)
I would rather someone did this than ignore a genuinely starving horse.
 
Put a note up saying To the Busy Bodies who poke their noses in, these horses are fed ad lib hay have water and are cared for so please keep your opions to yourself as you do not know what you are talking about, or something similar. Dam cheek of some people.
 
Aarrghimpossiblepony said:
Also I know this sounds daft, but I have heard people saying hay isn't "proper" food. If the field has little grass, that's it as far as the non horsey are concerned.
(I dunno what they think it is when they see horses munching on it, bubblegum?)
Click to expand...

I was once reported for having the goats out all day in summer at a fete with NO food put in at all and NO shelter.

They had a pop-up gazebo and trees which they don't bother with as prefer sunbathing. And aside from the fact they're fed twice daily (morning and night, not with joe public) and the ******s used to have my sandwiches and bananas for lunch and there was a little fruit and veg pot that people could feed them from.... they were in a mini paddock full of grass and trees. Mind boggles sometimes.

I'd definitely get a sign up OP and consider fencing off the yard. When we were threatened with this last time (repeatedly from same people and in text that they'd report on x day if we hadn't coughed some cash up) we phoned bhs and pre-warned them. Not happened since and bhs advised us they did not tolerate timewasters.
 
Only thing to do is ignore it and take it on the chin really. If there's no problems, then let people waste their time. :) Incredibly infuriating yes. But no harm *should* come from it so just repeat that and carry on your business and just remember they're probably just no-nothing silly numpties. Put your number politely on the gate perhaps for any problems/concerns.
 
For goodness sake; your horse is fine!

The (towny) girlfriend of my neighbour threatened to report me to the RSPCA as my horse was wearing a rug at the height of summer. Yes, she was. A Boett rug!

I told neighbour that his new girlfriend was a div and he dumped her! Felt a bit bad about that for a nanosecond....
 
The RSPCA are only interested if the horse is out 24/7 with no access to food, water and shelter.

There was a horse near us which was left in the field for years untouched but because he had water, a field shelter and grass they said that this was fine, I really wouldnt worry about it.

They would probably laugh when they see your pampered ponies!!! :D if they do bother to come out.
 
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