Fides
Well-Known Member
Being a total soft touch I responded to a Facebook appeal
40 horses need moving tonight as going to slaughter tomorrow!
Initially I thought it was a scam so just watched the posts but as people started posting pictures and saying they would deliver for fuel, it became apparent that it was genuine. So a 9pm with fading light me and my OH drove the 20 miles to go an have a look.
We got there and there was about 12 left, corralled in a little pen. They were being chased round by men trying to catch them. What I witnessed was barbaric! They were being caught by being grabbed by the ear, the guy then clung on while the pony did laps of the coral until 2 other guys were able to help wrestle the poor thing to the floor and get a headcollar on. The ones that were more 'sprightly' ie kicked and bit, had ropes thrown round their back legs and were tripped up then pinned. The whole thing made me feel sick and made me all the more adamant that 2 were definitely going to get a better life.
Not having transport at the minute, I opted for the delivery option (to be delivered the next morning) and paid a deposit to cover fuel. I picked out "my two" - a lovely blue colt standing at about 13hh who looked about 18 months old, and a pathetic little foal who looked totally bewildered and too young to have been away from his mum
I'd have put him at about 4 or 5 months going off what my boy looked like at that age.
So I went home and debated in my head what was the best thing to do with them initially. My options were:
1) turn out in the 'fatty' paddock which mine are in during the day - size about 3 acres. Having had youngsters before I knew that if I did this I would spend weeks (with these being feral) before I would be able to handle them. So I eliminated this option. Plus it would mean mine would be on full fat grass 24/7...
2) Put them in the 'trash paddock'. It is what the previous owners used for winter turnout. It is half an acre or so and has a field shelter. Decided this option was out as the field directly next to it is 11 acres and I am loaning it to a local farmer to out his calves on. If they got out I'd never catch them, and if the cows caught anything of the horses I wouldn't be popular.
3) put them in the back garden as the lawn needs cutting - it's not as silly as it sounds. My two go in periodically if the grass gets on top if me. This may be an option for initial turnout but I settled on option 4.
4) stable them and have yard turnout during the quarantine period to prevent the fields being contaminated by worms. Then put them in the garden for a couple of weeks. This will allow them to talk over the fence to my two, before being introduced to the big, bad grown ups.
So I went to bed dreaming of these cuties and trying to think of names
The be on the far right is blue and white but very deeply snowflake dapple. Absolutely lovely! For a cob
He was standing about 13h2 so I'm guessing will make 15hh
This is a closure but it was such a crush it was hard to get a nice pic
Then there was this little guy. Totally bewildered, lost and sad looking. Only a foal standing about 12h so potential of 14-15hh...
-
SLEEP
-
I woke up somewhat hopeful and rushed to get everything ready for the dentist (who was turning up that morning to sort mine). Quarantine are was setup by the time the dentist arrived and I prayed that they wouldn't arrive before mine were back out. They didn't. In fact they didn't turn up at all I had been scammed.
After about half 4 I put appeals on the FB posts to see if someone had contact details but no one did. I did however find out that they own a scrap yard, have 300 horses and the husband of the family is in prison - hmmmm
One girl contacted me saying that there were another 18 and she was going with a livestock trailer to get one and would I like one picking up. So basically someone else picked for me. He was delivered at about 10pm and seemed totally chilled about the whole thing.
He is about 11h2 and judging by the fact he has a fullish tail he's about 18months old. So is not going to make anywhere near what we need - so he is either going to be backed and rehomed when he is old enough, or be kept as a lead rein pony for ready for when we have kids. Either way he isn't going to be put in a tin
So this was him on his arrival - he has mild ringworm, a big wormy belly and a sunburned nose
And this was him this morning after a night in the stable - I am going to learn a lot about stable stains it seems...
He is all grey on the body (pink skinned) apart from one blob on the other side. So we have decided to call him Oreo. Not sure whether we are going to give him a 'full' name but if we do it will probably be Rishton's Dunkable Oreo.
The vet is coming out tomorrow to check him over, sort out worming, vaccinations, ringworm treatment see if he is chipped and sort a passport.
So now for the COST (not a final total for the vet yet)
£50 for the horse
£20 scammed out of fuel money
£36 callout for the vet
£24 examination fee
£33.24 for anti fungal shampoo (for horse and surroundings)
£18.08 wormer
Plus whatever it costs for jags and passport
So so far the £50 horse has cost £181.32
I'd like to add at the end of this - I am not penny pinching by listing the costs. The idea of this thread is to give anyone who is thinking of rescuing a meat horse an idea of the real costs involved and also to give a warts-and-all account of the highs and lows.
So that is Oreo
40 horses need moving tonight as going to slaughter tomorrow!
Initially I thought it was a scam so just watched the posts but as people started posting pictures and saying they would deliver for fuel, it became apparent that it was genuine. So a 9pm with fading light me and my OH drove the 20 miles to go an have a look.
We got there and there was about 12 left, corralled in a little pen. They were being chased round by men trying to catch them. What I witnessed was barbaric! They were being caught by being grabbed by the ear, the guy then clung on while the pony did laps of the coral until 2 other guys were able to help wrestle the poor thing to the floor and get a headcollar on. The ones that were more 'sprightly' ie kicked and bit, had ropes thrown round their back legs and were tripped up then pinned. The whole thing made me feel sick and made me all the more adamant that 2 were definitely going to get a better life.
Not having transport at the minute, I opted for the delivery option (to be delivered the next morning) and paid a deposit to cover fuel. I picked out "my two" - a lovely blue colt standing at about 13hh who looked about 18 months old, and a pathetic little foal who looked totally bewildered and too young to have been away from his mum
I'd have put him at about 4 or 5 months going off what my boy looked like at that age.So I went home and debated in my head what was the best thing to do with them initially. My options were:
1) turn out in the 'fatty' paddock which mine are in during the day - size about 3 acres. Having had youngsters before I knew that if I did this I would spend weeks (with these being feral) before I would be able to handle them. So I eliminated this option. Plus it would mean mine would be on full fat grass 24/7...
2) Put them in the 'trash paddock'. It is what the previous owners used for winter turnout. It is half an acre or so and has a field shelter. Decided this option was out as the field directly next to it is 11 acres and I am loaning it to a local farmer to out his calves on. If they got out I'd never catch them, and if the cows caught anything of the horses I wouldn't be popular.
3) put them in the back garden as the lawn needs cutting - it's not as silly as it sounds. My two go in periodically if the grass gets on top if me. This may be an option for initial turnout but I settled on option 4.
4) stable them and have yard turnout during the quarantine period to prevent the fields being contaminated by worms. Then put them in the garden for a couple of weeks. This will allow them to talk over the fence to my two, before being introduced to the big, bad grown ups.
So I went to bed dreaming of these cuties and trying to think of names
The be on the far right is blue and white but very deeply snowflake dapple. Absolutely lovely! For a cob
He was standing about 13h2 so I'm guessing will make 15hh
This is a closure but it was such a crush it was hard to get a nice pic
Then there was this little guy. Totally bewildered, lost and sad looking. Only a foal standing about 12h so potential of 14-15hh...
-
SLEEP
-
I woke up somewhat hopeful and rushed to get everything ready for the dentist (who was turning up that morning to sort mine). Quarantine are was setup by the time the dentist arrived and I prayed that they wouldn't arrive before mine were back out. They didn't. In fact they didn't turn up at all
I had been scammed.After about half 4 I put appeals on the FB posts to see if someone had contact details but no one did. I did however find out that they own a scrap yard, have 300 horses and the husband of the family is in prison - hmmmm
One girl contacted me saying that there were another 18 and she was going with a livestock trailer to get one and would I like one picking up. So basically someone else picked for me. He was delivered at about 10pm and seemed totally chilled about the whole thing.
He is about 11h2 and judging by the fact he has a fullish tail he's about 18months old. So is not going to make anywhere near what we need - so he is either going to be backed and rehomed when he is old enough, or be kept as a lead rein pony for ready for when we have kids. Either way he isn't going to be put in a tin
So this was him on his arrival - he has mild ringworm, a big wormy belly and a sunburned nose
And this was him this morning after a night in the stable - I am going to learn a lot about stable stains it seems...
He is all grey on the body (pink skinned) apart from one blob on the other side. So we have decided to call him Oreo. Not sure whether we are going to give him a 'full' name but if we do it will probably be Rishton's Dunkable Oreo.
The vet is coming out tomorrow to check him over, sort out worming, vaccinations, ringworm treatment see if he is chipped and sort a passport.
So now for the COST (not a final total for the vet yet)
£50 for the horse
£20 scammed out of fuel money
£36 callout for the vet
£24 examination fee
£33.24 for anti fungal shampoo (for horse and surroundings)
£18.08 wormer
Plus whatever it costs for jags and passport
So so far the £50 horse has cost £181.32
I'd like to add at the end of this - I am not penny pinching by listing the costs. The idea of this thread is to give anyone who is thinking of rescuing a meat horse an idea of the real costs involved and also to give a warts-and-all account of the highs and lows.
So that is Oreo
