Idiots feeding the horses!

Pedantic

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Had all this when I was at a public park, idiots would feed horse's ham sandwiches etc, even Potato peelings, woman would bring them in a bag FFS , right next to the signs saying DO NOT FEED THE HORSES, quite often arguments with people, how difficult can it be to understand, NOFA

Maybe Land Mines just outside the electric fence ;-)
 

Mince Pie

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I you shouldn't have to, but as these people insist on feeding your horses is it worth putting a bin with some treats that they van eat by the fence so that they don't get anything they shouldn't?
I agree its bloody annoying but you can't educate pork and these people are obviously going to do whatever they want regardless :(
 

Goldenstar

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Having had my childhood Shetland get laminitis because someone put grass clippings into his bare square it's my experience that nothing stops these idiots you just have to move senestive horses out of the way .
My mum had been to every house bounding our field to explain why the pony was where it was and why grass clippings can kill horses but someone still thought they knew better and put clippings in because he liked them .
It was perhaps the same person who phoned the police because we were blindfolding the horses , they were wearing fly masks .
 

3OldPonies

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I feel every bit of your pain with this one OP. My field has a footpath through it and people (despite the signs) were feeding them all sorts of crap. I caught the postman feeding P with dog biscuits one day :( Even my new landlady, although I've asked her not too before and since she became the field owner was feeding them, even more annoying when I'd told her they were getting sick because of it and when mini P was alive she was hand feeding him even though I'd explained he wasn't to be hand fed because I was trying to get him to learn not to bite people. I ended up running an extra electric fence about 3 feet inside the usual one so that she and others couldn't reach the ponies. I also put up an extra sign basically saying that the elderly ponies receive a nutritionally balanced diet designed for their ages and illnesses which has been discussed with their vet and that any treats would upset this. I even put pics across the bottom of polos, bread, apples, dog biscuits and carrots with red crosses over them for the benefit of those that can't read well or don't have English as their first language. That seemed to work, and as to the landlady well I just have to hope that when the boys move to the bit of paddock where she can reach them, that a fence inside a fence will work again and that just maybe she might take some more notice of me now that we get to talk more often and she's getting a little understanding of just how delicate a big animal like a horse can be.
 

scats

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We're on a private yard but we have caravan storage. A few weeks ago I caught a caravan owner feeding my friends horses something out of a bag.
I went over and asked what he was doing and he had given both horses a loaf of bread each and 5 apples. I very nicely and calmly explained that feeding horses he doesn't know is not a good idea and that there were reasons why we didn't feed horses things. He genuinely looked shocked and did apologise, but my blood was boiling.

Just across the path were my 2 horses, one of whom who doesn't have any form of treats as he is a colicker and has extremely unusual allergies.
 

Pinkvboots

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Firstly, sorry but he/she/they are not idiots. They just don't know better. He/she/they don't know that your horse does not tolerate cereals.Totally agree that he/she/they should not be feeding your horse but to many, horses = carrots, sugar lumps etc etc.

Secondly, just have a word - show them your posts on this forum. Or show them magazine articles. As you say, in their day it was "bread and oats". Not fair to say they don't give a crap. They may well, they just don't know.

they are idiots what is it with people and feeding animals, I would not dream of walking past other people's animals and feeding them with rubbish they don't need, the signs saying do not feed are there for a reason so don't feed.
 

Pinkvboots

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Having had my childhood Shetland get laminitis because someone put grass clippings into his bare square it's my experience that nothing stops these idiots you just have to move senestive horses out of the way .
My mum had been to every house bounding our field to explain why the pony was where it was and why grass clippings can kill horses but someone still thought they knew better and put clippings in because he liked them .
It was perhaps the same person who phoned the police because we were blindfolding the horses , they were wearing fly masks .

a friend of mine had a horse who died because a neighbour tipped grass cuttings in her field and he ate the lot and died of colic:(
 

Overread

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Thing is people feeding animals don't see the harm in it; they've seen others feed horses and want to partake as well; besides a tiny insignificant apple is seen as totally harmless. The huge (even a small one) is huge and its just a fruit so it can't possibly do any harm.

Thing is unless these people keep horses and unless they've experienced the problems as well as then they've no reason to be aware of these things. Heck consider that grapes are highly toxic to dogs and cats and yet most people will never be aware of that fact even if they've kept both for many years. Those who are aware tend to be those who've experienced the problems or know people who have done so.

I very nicely and calmly explained that feeding horses he doesn't know is not a good idea and that there were reasons why we didn't feed horses things. He genuinely looked shocked and did apologise, but my blood was boiling.

Sounds like the best result and approach; calm and informed without attacking the person. By making it a calm affair the person isn't put onto the defensive and instead is far more receptive to being told about the dangers and health risks. It also makes them more likely to respect you if you're calm and sensible about it.

Wild arms flying; shouting and all the rest can get their attention fast (and sometimes you might well have to end things at a distance fast) but making people take a defensive position doesn't always work well because then it relies on either their respect or fear of you. And if they just think "bleh busy-body know-it-all what does she/he know" you won't have won and indeed might even encourage them to keep treating (poor horse kept by such a horrible person they must be mean to the horse not to give it nice treats and only let it have nasty grass etc..)
 

YorksG

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Thing is people feeding animals don't see the harm in it; they've seen others feed horses and want to partake as well; besides a tiny insignificant apple is seen as totally harmless. The huge (even a small one) is huge and its just a fruit so it can't possibly do any harm.

Thing is unless these people keep horses and unless they've experienced the problems as well as then they've no reason to be aware of these things. Heck consider that grapes are highly toxic to dogs and cats and yet most people will never be aware of that fact even if they've kept both for many years. Those who are aware tend to be those who've experienced the problems or know people who have done so.



Sounds like the best result and approach; calm and informed without attacking the person. By making it a calm affair the person isn't put onto the defensive and instead is far more receptive to being told about the dangers and health risks. It also makes them more likely to respect you if you're calm and sensible about it.

Wild arms flying; shouting and all the rest can get their attention fast (and sometimes you might well have to end things at a distance fast) but making people take a defensive position doesn't always work well because then it relies on either their respect or fear of you. And if they just think "bleh busy-body know-it-all what does she/he know" you won't have won and indeed might even encourage them to keep treating (poor horse kept by such a horrible person they must be mean to the horse not to give it nice treats and only let it have nasty grass etc..)

If I can catch them at it, I may well attempt the education route, the biggest problem is I don't know who it is! I do know that they ignore signs and electric fencing (at least they have stopped knocking the toppings off the dry stone walls since we added the extra fencing). In the past we have had people tell us that they can feed our horses whenever they like! (this was when we were on a livery yard with footpaths crossing the land). My Grandfather was an early member of the Ramblers Association, who took part in the mass tresspass, but he absolutely respected the rights of the livestock owner to keep their anmals as they pleased and did not think that access allowed him to behave irresponsibly, he would be horrified that public access to land has led to this over entitled belief that everyone has the right to access all land and do what you please when you get there!
 

merlin100

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I check my new pony every day in it's field, even several times a day as I regularly go past on my travels. I've seen plants and flowers that have been dropped near the gate of other fields near the one I use that I believe are toxic. I think some well intended person or persons thought it would be a nice treat for the horses, without realising how deadly it could be... Having helped clear several fields of Ragwort certainly focuses the mind on toxic plants and makes me look at what's in the environs that could harm the horses. People are only ignorant until they've been instructed otherwise, perferrably in a diplomatic manner!

I'm more concerned at the moment with fly tippers throwing plastic and glass beer bottles into the field, etc. So I guess, some people just don't give a damn. :(

I would be concerned about putting up signs to deter worded on the basis of medicated diet, etc. in case some miscreant decides to take this up as some sort of twisted challenge. :(
 

case895

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I have had sacks of grass cuttings dumped in a paddock in use by a fly tipper. My neighbours give their horse grass cuttings and she is a veterinary nurse. They have a thriving crop of ragwort too.
 

YorksG

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An interesting update :) The signs made not one jot of difference, HOWEVER the wildlife camera, prominently displayed has :) We have had no more issues with the Young Appy going bonkers and have had some brilliant pictures of the hawk. I have now moved the active camera into the field with the older pair, having discovered cut fencing and an obvious trampled path between our fence and next doors barbed wire, also broken twigs/branches off the Elder bush, presumably to allow them easier passage to get to the horses, or to get their dog out of the field :0: I have put an old defunct camera in with the youngsters, so that people still think they will be "caught".
 

cremedemonthe

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An interesting update :) The signs made not one jot of difference, HOWEVER the wildlife camera, prominently displayed has :) We have had no more issues with the Young Appy going bonkers and have had some brilliant pictures of the hawk. I have now moved the active camera into the field with the older pair, having discovered cut fencing and an obvious trampled path between our fence and next doors barbed wire, also broken twigs/branches off the Elder bush, presumably to allow them easier passage to get to the horses, or to get their dog out of the field :0: I have put an old defunct camera in with the youngsters, so that people still think they will be "caught".

Good, you have far more patience than I have with idiots like that!
 
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