Did I say the right thing?

[3OldPonies]

If not too late it's been said now but anyway here's the story.

I was texted this morning by a local lady who is very into her wildlife (goes on anti-badger cull marches and that kind of thing) about 20 or so ponies that had been reported abandoned locally and which the local council had decided to PTS. Now I'm really not sure what she wanted me to say - probably wanted me to round up fellow horsey people and launch a rescue. But rather than responding as she probably expected me to (and believe me if I had the land and the money I probably would have done - but I don't) I said that the ponies could have worse fates than that as they could end up with misguided, misinformed owners and be badly treated (there are already two in the village who were part of a rescue years ago and though they are looked after well, they're in their early teens now and have never been broken, just halter trained as the people who rescued them foisted them off on a kind hearted local with a field). I also explained that there is a massive horse welfare problem in this country thanks to indiscriminate breeding (some of the abandoned ponies are possibly (most likely are) pregnant) and that there are far more horses than good homes and that the welfare centres are pretty much full thanks to cases like these and that's why councils have been given the power to destroy abandoned equines. I did also apologise if I sounded harsh, after all I do love horses otherwise I wouldn't have two myself; and suggested if she were really concerned that she contact WHW or one of the bigger charities like Redwings who can co-operate with other charities and have done in the past with bigger groups of horses than these.

If you've got this far - well done and what do you think - did I say the right thing?

 

[Shay]

Yes - absolutely!

 

[DD]

Yes yes yes, and I would have said the same. Well done for educating the mis informed well meaning fluffy bunnies.

 

[rowan666]

Yes you did absolutely say the right thing but there is no telling those types, she'll probobly report your horses to the RSPCA now because you must be such an awful owner

 

[meleeka]

Absolutely the right thing. Charities are best equipped to make decisions on these things and more importantly vet any potential homes.

I know someone similar to this lady. We seem to disagree on the PTS issue. She's merrily rescuing ponies (usually colts) and finding sanctuaries to take them but what's she going to do when all those sanctities are full? At some point the decision needs to be made that some horses are better off pts and as much as we'd like to save them all there just aren't the homes for them.

 

[Wimbles]

Definitely. Unfortunately in this day and age there are lots more fates for horses that are worse than a humane end.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I would have said the same in your shoes. Well done for trying to educate her, hopefully she realises your words come from a place of compassion.

 

[3OldPonies]

Thanks everyone.

Being totally honest, I asked because when I told my Dad this morning - his reply was - 'you said what?' But then he knows what she's like! I did think it a bit odd of him though because when a friend of his mentioned he wanted a pony for his daughter and could get one for £50 'off a mate in Wales' he did a very thorough piece of education about the true costs and effort of keeping a pony, even if it did only cost £50 and another 'mate' was letting them use a bit of field to keep the grass down.

 

[meleeka]

That's the thing isn't it, a cheap pony costs the same to keep as an expensive one.

 

[chestnut cob]

I remember getting a FB message from someone I used to be on a yard with a year or two ago; novicey person, one of those who cuddles and kisses their horse all of the time yet it walks all over them, won't leave the yard, won't be caught for them, won't lead etc.

She said her niece had a 20yo horse with lameness issues which she needed to sell or loan immediately as she'd lost her job, and if she couldn't then the horse would be PTS. She unfriended me on FB after I replied that there are worse fates for a 20yo lame horse than to be PTS, and that people should take responsibility for their elderly, broken horses rather than pass them on to potentially end up with less-than-scrupulous people.

I did put it more kindly than that of course, but the principle is the same.

 

[skint1]

You said the right thing but it's hard to get through to people who are feeling emotional about an issue like that, they get so focused on "saving" the animals that they sometimes forget to check what they're saving them for.

 

[3OldPonies]

You're so right chocolatecob and skint1 - about being responsible and checking what they're saving them for. The two rescues I spoke of in my first post were 'saved' from the meat man along with three others. I don't know what happened to the other three, but I do remember the ladies who brought them to the village advertising for transport for them as they'd just gone to the auction off the cuff and felt so sorry for the poor things. Which as horse owners we all would, but we would at least have some clue what we were getting ourselves into. The next advert after transport was for somewhere to keep them, now they live in a field and are cared for by the person who keeps her horses in the field next door, I don't even know if the original rescuers are even involved anymore. But I doubt they will ever be anything useful other than companions, which in itself is no bad thing and they do at least get proper care - but it could have gone so badly wrong if we hadn't been such a horsey village at the time of rescue. They wouldn't stand a chance of getting anywhere to keep them if they tried now - with two big yards having closed space even in 'mates fields' is getting very hard to come by.

 

[jumping.jack_flash]

Totally said the right thing. Its sad to think of PTS healthy animals - but better than them queuing up in a slaughter house, being shipped, transported miles.... or generally ending up in horrible human hands.

You did the right thing. I bet the lady was shocked at your response though. But I find horse owners are more practical - mainly because we see through the 'black and white' and see the 'grey' areas in the equine world.

 

[smellsofhorse]

No you didn't say the wrong thing.
It's the sad truth.
Some people don't understand or realise.
We would all like to help and rescue animals but sadly can't alway.
As you said there are worse fates.

More people need to be shocked into the issues and then maybe more people with learn and understand and help prevent similar issues.

 

[Janah]

Absolutely said the right thing.

 

[Sparemare]

Quite agree with you OP. I've also seen a lot of horses in rescue centres who I would PTS due to their poor health and ongoing chronic conditions, but that's another story.

 

[Clodagh]

There is a field of horses up the road from me who have been rescues from the meat man. Looking at their hip bones and they quagmire of mud they live in I strongly believe a Findus lasagne would ave been much the better option. Yes I do phone WHW quite regularly about them.