The plight of Hope

The Original Kao

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Shilasdair

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Please read this:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/168491569916823/doc/168493486583298/

Join the group and sign the petition. They really need help to get the other horses out of there :(
Petition is here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savethehorses/

Hope is the only horse they've managed to get out of that hell hole. Hopefully with more numbers the RSPCA will actually do something to help the rest.

I'm not a fan of the RSPCA.
If, however, there's any truth in this story at all, why does someone feel the need to write it in the style of Victorian melodrama, riddled with assertions which simply cannot be true?
For example:
People from the neighbouring equestrian centre began a two year vigil of complaints to the RSPCA about the terrible conditions the horses were subjected to, no shelter or food in the -15 degrees winter, and no water in the hot summer. Quickly the horses began to suffer from malnutrition and neglect, denied not only veterinary care, but basic and legal care.
If horses have no food and no water, they won't last two years for a vigil of complaints. And tell me - what 'legal care' do horses require for their welfare?
Gah, I hate lies/inaccuracies.
I'm out, as they say! :D
S :D
 

Cuffey

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Frankly I dont care about the wording
Lets find out about the truth of this matter and if more horses are suffering lets use the power of the internet to see people get off their backsides and deal with it.

The person leading this is a 'rookie'' vet who may have put herself on the line going public.
 

Shilasdair

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I do care about facts - and words describe facts.
I appreciate I am probably in the minority here though - as HHO likes nothing better than emotive unsubstantiated stories to be shocked and uphauled :p at.
S :D
 

JFTDWS

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It is real, I was at uni with the girl who rescued Hope. She's a vet now. Her mother wrote it up, god knows why the style is so absurd, but I'm confident the story is accurate.
 

The Original Kao

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I think the 'legal care' means the lack of passports possibly?
The owner was also feeding occasionally

'“The Owner” they told us “on occasions put some hay in the field because they had no grass.'

As for the water, I can only guess that the water was an occasional thing too apart from when they had access to the stream?
 

tasteofchristmaschaos

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If I had a horsebox and the address I would be driving up there now. Sometimes your conscience has to rule sensibility. Stories like this are exactly why I gave up giving money to the RSPCA a long time ago, they're about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
 

Rowreach

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I do care about facts - and words describe facts.
I appreciate I am probably in the minority here though - as HHO likes nothing better than emotive unsubstantiated stories to be shocked and uphauled :p at.
S :D

I shall join you on the minority bench, and go further to say that I am increasingly of the view that it might not be in the best interests of these suffering horses to be "rescued", especially when many of them end up being euthanased in the end anyway. Maybe a policy of humane culling would be better - the suffering ends, the persons responsible can be prosecuted, and the problem of rehabilitating and rehoming equines at a time when there are simply not enough resources/new owners out there is removed.

Would the donations not be better spent campaigning for welfare organisations to have some teeth, and prosecuting the g*ts responsible for the plight of these animals?

On the rare occasions I go to our local horse sale, the state of the animals makes me feel physically sick, but when people say to me "doesn't it make you want to take them all home with you" I reply that no, imo it would be better if many of them were euthanased.

I am sure that this doesn't fit it with the mainstream attitude on HHO but I am not a heartless uncaring person - quite the opposite when it comes to the treatment of horses in fact.
 

Shilasdair

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I shall join you on the minority bench, and go further to say that I am increasingly of the view that it might not be in the best interests of these suffering horses to be "rescued", especially when many of them end up being euthanased in the end anyway. Maybe a policy of humane culling would be better - the suffering ends, the persons responsible can be prosecuted, and the problem of rehabilitating and rehoming equines at a time when there are simply not enough resources/new owners out there is removed.

Would the donations not be better spent campaigning for welfare organisations to have some teeth, and prosecuting the g*ts responsible for the plight of these animals?

On the rare occasions I go to our local horse sale, the state of the animals makes me feel physically sick, but when people say to me "doesn't it make you want to take them all home with you" I reply that no, imo it would be better if many of them were euthanased.

I am sure that this doesn't fit it with the mainstream attitude on HHO but I am not a heartless uncaring person - quite the opposite when it comes to the treatment of horses in fact.

Yay, it's nice to have company! :D
The harsh facts are that there are not enough homes to go round; that rescuers although well intentioned often lack the resources to care for the animals they take on; that a horse is expensive at the best of times and vet bills can become spiral very quickly.

Regarding HHO I fail to understand how some posters can on the one hand suggest that the two TB broodmares going to slaughter should be rescued with the incentive that the rescuer could take a foal from them, and on the other hand condemn the owner of the horses above who is clearly overstocked.

Stop breeding people, and allow others to PTS extraneous stock without interfering.
S :D
 

Cuffey

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The Shire horse is on the at risk list of endangered animals. To suggest euthanising this wonderfull breed rather than helping them is absurd.

If? some of these horses are in a very poor state--and we do not know that yet, it may be best to euthanise them now.
Crosskennan Lane have had to that in the Antrim Rescue, some were past salvaging.

If, and it is suggested that they are pure bred Shire horses, perhaps some of the breeders might be able to help--does anyone have any contacts?

It would be good if posters took useful action instead of starting an argument
 

The Original Kao

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TBH what does it matter about any other threads etc?
These horses need help now, either to end their suffering or find them somewhere where they can get back on their feet.
Fact is right now nothing is being done at all.
 

Mince Pie

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The Shire horse is on the at risk list of endangered animals. To suggest euthanising this wonderfull breed rather than helping them is absurd.
So you would keep a dying horse alive just because it is an endangered breed? If the horses are so ill then euthanasia may well be the only option.

Rowreach, I agree with you 100%
 

Rowreach

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The Shire horse is on the at risk list of endangered animals. To suggest euthanising this wonderfull breed rather than helping them is absurd.

I actually couldn't give a stuff what breed a horse is, if it is suffering and the best option for its welfare both immediate and future is to euthanase it, then that is what I believe should happen.

"Rescuing" these horses is not always the best option. In my opinion.
 

JFTDWS

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"Rescuing" these horses is not always the best option. In my opinion.

Is pts not just another form of rescue? Surely these animals should be "rescued" from their current situation in order that they can be euthanased or re-homed as appropriate?
 

cassie summers

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so very sad but not surprising i have no respect for the RSPCA i never report anything to them as they never do anything years ago i use to go southall market every wednesday there were some appalling sights there the RSPCA officers were always there but never did anything i once reported the state of 2 lovely shire mares who were skin and bone feet discusting the officer said there wasnt anything they could do they were just there to observe WTF same as at Appleby just there to observe i always go to the WHW who are great but their local guy in surrey has just retired which is a shame as he was so good i have a shire x and she has such a gentle nature its so sad to see these wonderful horses treated this way :mad:
 

Rowreach

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Is pts not just another form of rescue? Surely these animals should be "rescued" from their current situation in order that they can be euthanased or re-homed as appropriate?

Well I would have hoped so, but I think the perception of "rescue" is often of removing these stricken animals from wherever in order to make them better. When you hear news reports of these cases, the reporters sound apologetic when they say that x number of horses "could not be saved" and then they go on to say that others "may not survive" - if that's the case, why not do the right thing and end the suffering straight away? In which case, yes, euthanasia is indeed another form of rescuing these animals from their situation.
 
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