Horse Crisis?

[horseForce]

I know this might be a massive long shot as my means are a bit limited in terms of taking on big commitments, but is there anything that one can do for all these poor equines that are going to be in homes that might not be able to afford the upkeep due to furlough / job losses looming. Obviously massive sympathies to the people affected, I've been there and done it. Even won the rosette!

Don't want to doxx myself here but I'm already involved with a major equine charity as a volunteer and they're scaled back massively to keep their staff save due to Covid understandably so us volunteers are limited in use.

I'd just hate to think I sat by and did nothing for our equine friends during these tough times. Any suggestions?

 

[Chinchilla]

No suggestions but following with hope....

 

[canteron]

I think your time will come in the near future ..... I think the cost of keeping a horse this winter (hay£) is going to take some by surprise.

Also slightly disappointed by some of the charities who, I think, have scaled back their activities a bit too far .... at a time when domestic/animal abuse is soaring.

 

[scruffyponies]

Currently the sun is shining, it's been wet enough to keep the grass growing. People have lots of time at home, and the price of horses is higher than it has been for years. Anyone with a brain should be using that time to sell horses they can't afford to keep.

Sadly, the winter will show us what happens when the people who bought their first horse on a whim during lock-down hit their first winter / lose their job etc.

 

[Polos Mum]

There are loads of adverts around here for livery vacancies - I've no idea where people have moved horses to - I guess short term rented fields ? People have already started to feel the pinch I guess and down graded from the nice local yards (which don't usually advertise)

It's going to be really tough. So many people are walking around thinking they have a job when their employers have them on a redundancy list for as soon as government support ends. The Gov has delayed it as long as they can but come end Oct there will be 100's of thousands.
If there is a proper second wave and another lockdown it will be the end for even more.

What you can do is whatever you can to prevent a second wave - wear masks, social distance etc. and to spend money at home where you can spend it (not go on foreign holidays this year and if making big purchases do it from UK companies )

 

[tristar]

i think like this all the time, about animal welfare, but is the rise in horse prices due to less breeding, i am hoping it is a factor, and ther is still time to make hay, if we get the weather it will be a fair crop, everything crossed

 

[horseForce]

Fingers crossed. If only I had the time to just rent a field and take a few of the needy there. Love to organise some volunteers too no idea how I'd go about it.

 

[Kaylum]

We are a small charity and have this year been asked to check on over 448 as well as everything else we do. We have one welfare coordinator and one who works part time along with the retraining she does.

Their job includes checking on animals in all weathers, giving advice, helping owners, phoning round for places that could rehome them, sorting paperwork, vets, transport, return visits, multi charity operations, constant phone calls.

We also had a massive drop in donations but the demand on us is increasing. Please do not think all charities have scaled back they also have to work within government guidelines to protect their staff. If their staff are not available the animals will suffer. Also many volunteers have stopped helping again to keep safe.

Until you understand what actually goes on it is easy to judge from an outsiders point of view. On top of this some people who own these animals are not the nicest and relationships have to be built. Then there is the law which always has to be upheld. It really is a lot of work but that is why we exist for our passion for horses and their welfare.

 

[horseForce]

We are a small charity and have this year been asked to check on over 448 as well as everything else we do. We have one welfare coordinator and one who works part time along with the retraining she does.

Their job includes checking on animals in all weathers, giving advice, helping owners, phoning round for places that could rehome them, sorting paperwork, vets, transport, return visits, multi charity operations, constant phone calls.

We also had a massive drop in donations but the demand on us is increasing. Please do not think all charities have scaled back they also have to work within government guidelines to protect their staff. If their staff are not available the animals will suffer. Also many volunteers have stopped helping again to keep safe.

Until you understand what actually goes on it is easy to judge from an outsiders point of view. On top of this some people who own these animals are not the nicest and relationships have to be built. Then there is the law which always has to be upheld. It really is a lot of work but that is why we exist for our passion for horses and their welfare.

What would be your advice to someone, such as myself that wants to make a difference?

 

[Kaylum]

Well I think support your local charities but look into what they are doing first. We get so many calls to help rehome horses it is very difficult to help everyone. We have many contacts and people looking for horses, that we often put owners in contact with rehomers as they arent rescue cases just people in desperate situations.

The work for charities increases but the money decreases.

We need self starters and they are really hard to come by. Someone who can be given a task to do and can get on with it and even expand on it. It's not just fundraising, its marketing and promoting things that people can do without even leaving their houses.

It really is a difficult time for everyone and we dont judge, we can't judge. We can advise but every situation is different.

 

[Frumpoon]

I wish charities would stop busting a gut to save and rehome dozens of poor quality gypsy cob type animals.

 

[canteron]

I wish charities would stop busting a gut to save and rehome dozens of poor quality gypsy cob type animals.

Why ?! Would you like them to save only warm blooded horses?

 

[Frumpoon]

Why ?! Would you like them to save only warm blooded horses?

Because nobody wants them and they attract the wrong kind of person

If you look at any rehoming website right now it is full of 2 kinds of animal - elderly/lame/non-riding horses and page after page of gypsy cobs that were not bred for any athletic endeavour and stay on the charity's books for months and years

 

[horseForce]

Because nobody wants them and they attract the wrong kind of person

If you look at any rehoming website right now it is full of 2 kinds of animal - elderly/lame/non-riding horses and page after page of gypsy cobs that were not bred for any athletic endeavour and stay on the charity's books for months and years

My first horse was a 'junk breed' dumped and was pretty much pet food. Useless for dressage, jumping etc etc. But with love and nurture she became the best non human companion I ever had. We explored some stunning countryside together. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her.

Though, I do agree hate reckless breeding, but once they're here in the world which wasn't their choice they deserve a chance and people like me will give them that.

 

[Frumpoon]

My first horse was a 'junk breed' dumped and was pretty much pet food. Useless for dressage, jumping etc etc. But with love and nurture she became the best non human companion I ever had. We explored some stunning countryside together. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her.

Though, I do agree hate reckless breeding, but once they're here in the world which wasn't their choice they deserve a chance and people like me will give them that.

That is lovely but there are so, so many out there. More than you could ride in a lifetime....RSPCA centres, Blue Cross, WHW, local rescues...all full of the same kind of animal because nobody wants them...or rather the kind of people that want them would never get through a charity's screening process....

 

[Kaylum]

All the animals we have are kept on our books unless they have been with their owners for a couple of years and then we have the conversation about ownership. Even then if they have problems or fall on hard times we are there to support them. We get lots of shetlands in as people just cannot manage their welfare. Coloured colts are quite popular but they are usually the smaller ones. As many as possible are backed so they make useful riding ponies. Homes are very carefully and strictly vetted.

 

[gallopingby]

Sadly the breeding, whether accidental or not of the coloured cobs, is seriously detrimental to the breeding of British horses and ponies whose numbers are declining at an alarming rate. Far too many people have taken on rescues / projects because they are cheap to buy or borrow. Just look at the rare breeds survival trust website.

 

[Ozbride]

Oh dear I must be the wrong type of person. I love a cob and have two fantastic ones that were bought for just hundreds, are so safe and worth their weight in gold.

I do agree that they tend to be over bred irresponsibly, but they can make excellent ponies, and some people are just happy with this type of horse.

 

[Frumpoon]

Oh dear I must be the wrong type of person. I love a cob and have two fantastic ones that were bought for just hundreds, are so safe and worth their weight in gold.

I do agree that they tend to be over bred irresponsibly, but they can make excellent ponies, and some people are just happy with this type of horse.

If you are kind, knowledgable and competent then you definitely are not the wrong type of person

But that isn't the kind of person I am referring to....

 

[Ozbride]

If you are kind, knowledgable and competent then you definitely are not the wrong type of person

But that isn't the kind of person I am referring to....

I know what you mean, their low cost and general good nature means they can be abused unfortunately

 

[Frumpoon]

I know what you mean, their low cost and general good nature means they can be abused unfortunately

Low cost, stoic nature, huge strength to height ratio, unathletic looks and physique means people who think they are going to be cheap, easy to ride/start/make money on, slow, stupid, etc etc

By way of example, used to know a girl who got an RSPCA rescue cob on loan/for the £100 donation fee or whatever, within 8-9 weeks it was on Preloved for £3000....RSPCA were tipped off and it was removed sharpish

 

[Chinchilla]

I don't think the sort of horses in rescue is necessarily the problem; to my mind there is no doubt cobs are perfectly capable of doing the sort of things most horse owners want to do. (They might not take you to Badminton but let's face it most of us won't get to Badminton regardless of what we ride ?). But if you look at rescue centre horses they are all companions or projects, most people want riding horses who can dabble in a bit of everything which I think is why so many rescue centres have horses who stay for years and years.

It's a bit of a catch 22 though IMHO as the reason they can't is there's such a heavy demand on them to take these animals do they can't train them and give them a job /value! ?

 

[fredflop]

I wish charities would stop busting a gut to save and rehome dozens of poor quality gypsy cob type animals.

I whole heartedly agree with this. I was in a situation years ago with a horse that was ridable, and had a lot to offer, but stood a very good chance of ending up on the merry go round of bin end dealers. I’d been made redundant and had a whole plethora of bills I needed to pay.

I was desperate to sign him over to a charity ownership, as I figured it was the best way of securing his future. I rung about ten up, not one of them would help. Some of them couldn’t even be bothered to ring me back.

A shame that the local charity I drive past locally has fields full of old crocks/badly bred cob colts, but they wouldn’t help me.

I can also remember a post on here a few years ago about a girl who desperately needed to have her horse PTS, I think in circumstances similar to mine, and no charity would help her. Poor girl sounded absolutely desperate in her posts

 

[SO1]

A lot of charities are struggling due to a decrease in donations and volunteers not being able to come to the premises due to social distancing. A lot of sponsored activities have been cancelled. The demand for their services has increased but they can't magic money from no-where and they have to be careful about volunteers too. Slightly morbid though if a lot of people die they may end up with more legacies or things left in wills.

I think the difficulty will be for people who have horses that are not easy to sell or loan out, and who have complexed management requirements so that they cannot just be turned away temporarily at a basic retirement yard in cheaper areas. Horrible situation to be in hopefully opportunities will open up in other areas of work as different services are required due to the virus. I too have seen lots of livery vacancies advertised online at the more expensive yards that were normally full, I expect in some situations maybe horses that are not being sold or loaned are being retired early or turned away perhaps in cheaper areas of the country.

I agree it is not because they are a coloured cob they are not wanted it, it is because they are not trained to the level that makes them suitable for the coloured cob market. These types are often popular with more nervous or novice owners who perhaps would not be allowed to rehome a horse from a charity.

A well schooled, happy hacker, safe weight carrying cob who has seen a bit of the world and done perhaps some low level competitions definitely has a value, and a good one at that. The ones that need rehoming at the rescue centres are often young and not trained to that level, and required experienced people. Possibly the problem is that the rescue centres don't have the resources to back, school and get the horses out and about and trained to enable them to appeal to a less experienced rider and even if they did probably would only rehome to an experienced person.

I don't think the sort of horses in rescue is necessarily the problem; to my mind there is no doubt cobs are perfectly capable of doing the sort of things most horse owners want to do. (They might not take you to Badminton but let's face it most of us won't get to Badminton regardless of what we ride ?). But if you look at rescue centre horses they are all companions or projects, most people want riding horses who can dabble in a bit of everything which I think is why so many rescue centres have horses who stay for years and years.

It's a bit of a catch 22 though IMHO as the reason they can't is there's such a heavy demand on them to take these animals do they can't train them and give them a job /value! ?

 

[Pippity]

Another problem is that so many of the coloured hairies up for rehoming from charities aren't actually cobs - they're 12-13hh ponies who aren't capable of carrying an adult, aren't established as children's ponies, and are unlikely to appeal to families who are capable of turning them into one.

I was looking at charities at the same time as horse shopping a couple of years ago, and it was extremely difficult to find a 'cob' over 14hh. Those were snapped up immediately, whether or not they were broken in, leaving page after page of 12-13hh-ers.

 

[Widgeon]

Another problem is that so many of the coloured hairies up for rehoming from charities aren't actually cobs - they're 12-13hh ponies who aren't capable of carrying an adult, aren't established as children's ponies, and are unlikely to appeal to families who are capable of turning them into one.

I was looking at charities at the same time as horse shopping a couple of years ago, and it was extremely difficult to find a 'cob' over 14hh. Those were snapped up immediately, whether or not they were broken in, leaving page after page of 12-13hh-ers.

Yes this exactly. They're small hairy coloureds who aren't going to get any bigger than about 13.1hh so they'll likely never make an adult's ride. I was also having a look at charities a year or so ago and it's exactly the same now. I do believe they each have an intrinsic value as a living animal, but given the limited resources available I'm also a little bit skeptical about keeping fields full of them. But then I suppose The Public would never support a charity that PTS healthy horses.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The problems that I have seen are firstly that some charities spend a lot of money on a few horses/ponies that are in very, very bad shape. Such bad shape that PTS is possibly the kinder way forwards depending on the individual case. If these poor horses were PTS then that would free up money that could be spent on horses with fewer issues that possibly have a more useful future. These awful cases make good 'poster cases' though and get the money in, so I doubt this will ever stop.

Secondly they need more highly trained equestrian staff. Staff who can deal with breeds that are stereotyped as more 'highly strung' for example. I have a horrible suspicion that this was one of the issues that led the Peel Arabs to be dealt with in the way they were. That was a complete shit show and we should never forget it. Quality horses with people wanting them who (apart from the poor mare who broke her leg while being transported after being rescued) had comparatively minor issues were mostly PTS despite offers of help from the breed society. Even the guy who did the PTS apparently questioned the decision.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

The Public would never support a charity that PTS healthy horses.

See the Peel horses and the RSPCA.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Possibly the problem is that the rescue centres don't have the resources to back, school and get the horses out and about and trained to enable them to appeal to a less experienced rider and even if they did probably would only rehome to an experienced person.

Yes I absolutely agree that this is one of the issues.

 

[Kaylum]

We have offsite trainers and foster people who take horses train and break. They get them confident enough to rehome and then we provide support to the rehomers. It's a very interesting view of rescue charities people have. It's not a case of you pick and choose what you help. There was one tied to the same spot for 6 years we helped recently. This was reported to us in the depths of those massive storms in February. 6 years and people had kept feeding him bread and carrots and he nipped all the time as he was very hungry.
He has his own twitter page now set up by the person who reported him. You have to work within the law so the best way of doing that is talking to the owner. That is extremely difficult and it takes a very calm and non judgemental person to get the horse signed over. Social media is a terrible way of getting horses moved out of sight. We may get a report of a horse and then people start stirring it up online and the horse is moved and we cant find it. Alsorts of dangers are involved in this work.