I am starving my horses apparently.

MrsElle

MrsElle

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Blue (Fell) and Lola (Welsh) are kept on a bare paddock with supplimentary hay/chaff/whatever I can get if I can't get hay. When I say their paddock is bare, it is bare. Not an awful lot of grass but enough to keep two good do-ers looking, in my opinion, rather well. No ribs can be seen and you have to poke pretty hard to feel ribs at all.

One of the neighbours called me over today to express concern about the state of our grazing and the fact the horses have nothing to eat. If they had nothing to eat they wouldn't be the round and shiny, happy and healthy pair that they are. I tried to explain about native ponies being scavengers, not needing good grazing, living on fresh air etc etc etc but she got that look on her face, that cynical, smug face that people get when they don't believe you and think they are right. I told her the dangers of rich grass, the fact that they are in perfect health and Blue is a mardy greedy get when he doesn't get fed but if I gave in to him he would be the size of a house.

AND........she told me when he comes near her garden she squirts him with the hosepipe to make him go away.........

How I kept my temper after that one I don't know. How stupid is this woman who professes to know horses? She used to ride when she was younger you know, probably a donkey on Scarborough beach every summer mind, but how stupid do you have to be to think that scaring a horse with a hose is a good thing? I can just see the battle I am going to have if I have to hose Blue's legs or give him a bath. Absolute nightmare.

I am severly peed off. I am now also pretty certain it was she who reported me to the RSPCA last year when Ellie was ill (and being treated by the vet), despite denying it to my friend who asked her.

Here are my underweight and starving ponies: (pic taken about 4 weeks ago but they are the same except a bit less fluffy!)

Photo1451.jpg
 
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Very nice too, look perfect to me! I have a good doer so know how hard it can be to keep it off!

Trouble is some people think they are like cows on green green grass!!
 
Clearly a little knowledge is a dangerous thing for her :rolleyes:


Was that picture taken today? If so we better expect the RSPCA arriving at our yard pronto then :eek: You have more grass than we do with a lot more horses on it. Mind you all of ours are good do-ers too and a blade of grass can add pounds :p ;)
 
Absolutely awful, every bone is sticking out. You should be ashamed i shall ring the RSPCA! haha :D

No seriously they look fine, definately dont want any extra feed, is the grass levels still the same as in the piccy or is it actually bare? You are not starving them and if any authorities think you are they are mental! just make sure they have water :P
 
You just have to walk away don't you? As for the hose, are you sure that won't turn into a game for your boy? He might decide it's fun.
 
I have the same problem with my natives, they are most definitely starved! :rolleyes: I would be furious if someone said they aimed a hosepipe at my pony though!! I have to admit the grass doesn't look as bare as I thought it would and the ponies don't look half as fat as I imagined either :D It is so difficult managing ponies' weights and it certainly doesn't help when people think they know better! Even worse when the start feeding them treats :eek: :mad:


ETA: Didn't realise photo was taken a month ago, hence the green, green grass :p
 
I have been told this myself aswell, both look lovely to me. At the end of the day she will be left looking a fool if she reports you and the RSPCA tell her they are fine. keep your chin up and ignore the silly woman :)
 
There is less grass than that now with not having had rain for several weeks but there is some. Enough that when we chuck hay over they aren't overly bothered about coming over and eating it anyway.

Some people just really annoy me! She has moved her garden boundary about 3 feet into the field and then complained that Blue nibbled the top of her willow screening (another example of him starving - eating the twigs!). Move your fence back to where it should be and the problem will be solved!

Grrrrr! I will be having words about the hose thing, that has really got my goat, but will wait until I can have a rational conversation instead of losing it as I would have done today.
 
MrsElle said:
She has moved her garden boundary about 3 feet into the field .
Click to expand...

:eek:

who owns the field? She should be made to move her boundary back to it's correct position immediately. Can you imagine what would happen if we all started moving our fences to gain more land? You should advise the landowner that she has done this. If it is your field, then get some legal advice.

As for the hose - tell her that if you hear she has done this again, you will be coming round and turning the hose on her!

And your ponies look fab - perhaps you should take her some information, with photos, of ponies in the grip of laminitis and ask her if she really wants your ponies to suffer slow painful deaths.

You could ring the RSPCA yourself and ask them to speak to her about your ponies - that would put her in her place.
 
Blimey we will get a visit from the RSPCA then if yours are starving and underfed!!! ours are on far less than that! and we are still trying to get weight off them, some people just need to stay indoors away from the general public! grrrrrrrrrrrr
 
They look great, they really do.

If that's no grass don't let her come and see ours, its a lot worse than yours with plenty of bare patches - and ours don't get hay/chaff etc to supplement it :eek:
 
MrsElle said:
She has moved her garden boundary about 3 feet into the field
Click to expand...

Applying her logic, surley that is grounds to turn a hose on her?

:D

They look perfect to me!
Id watch out she doesnt start trying to feed them grass clippings she sounds like the type of ejit that would..

Hosing my horse (not Morgs cuz he loves it!) but my TB would get me putting some lovley, attractive heras ( ;) ) fencing pannels to improve her view from her garden and stop her complaining.
 
That's very nice of her to provide a fence for your 3 feet of muck heap :D :D
Ponies look lovely. People just don't have a clue.

One of my geldings loves being chased with a hose -- there are worse thing the neighbour could do to scare them off!
 
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