The two horses I met in Bulgaria

friesian80

friesian80

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
985
Location
Shetland Isles
Visit site
I went on a family holiday to Bulgaria last month, as usual I missed my horses like crazy and was disappointed that the treking centre which was listed as activities to do whilst there had closed a few months previous, so on a day trip to one of the islands when I heard the clipity clop of hooves on the pebbled street me and Chloe abandoned our pub lunch and ran like crazed idiots to see where they were going

We ran about half a mile till we found their resting spot and decided we would go for a carriage drive once we got there but to my disappointment on seeing them up close I changed my mind :(

They were dripping in sweat (it was quite hot so could understand that) but also their feet were in dreadful condition, they looked very uncomfortable and obviously were teased with the big bucket of water which was next to them but just out their reach.

Being an animal welfare officer I knew I had to approach this carefully, I spoke with the owner who didnt speak a lot of english but let him know his horses were beautiful and would he mind if I gave them a drink, I had also nipped up to one of the local markets and bought 4 carrots as I knew Id take much more pleasure in giving them a treat rather than making them pull me in the carriage.

Anyway both horses had a much appriciated drink, owner told me not to give them too much which I understood as it could bring on a colic if they had a long drink whilst on the job, I gave them a good scratch on their legs and pulled their matted manes out from the harness, when I lifted the big red pom pom which was attached to the browband I saw their eyes were all gunged up, so I wiped them clean in the hope they would feel a bit better for it.

TBH Ive seen skinnier horses but both could have done with a bit more meat on their slight frames.

Just makes me think how lucky our British horses are, all of us who care enough to be on a horse forum to exchange tips and health advice for our neddies is proof enough that we do all we can for our horses.

Here are the pair, if I could have smuggled them back in my suitcases I would have!!!

P1000629.jpg

P1000630.jpg
 
Last edited:
Poor things! :( But good on you for giving them some relief. I hope I would have both your determination to help and your tact if I found myself in such a situation.
 
I saw quite a few horses when I was in Indonesia, despite the fact that they seemed to be tanked along roads in trot in the middle of the day, the didn't seem too worse the wear for it, yes a little sweaty, but they were ponies, as opposed to horses and all bar one I saw were well covered.

Well done you for doing something nice for them, I feel too shy, and too much of a tourist in situations like that to do anything :o
 
Their feet do look pretty bad. Are there any horse welfare charities in Bulgaria? I would assume so. Weight wise, they are slender but not emaciated and I guess it's good that he's actually parked them in the shade at least. Our UK (in the main) are very lucky aren't they.
 
I do agree that their feet look quite bad. Good on you for giving them a bit of relief. Let's hope doing simple things like wiping their eyes may have educated the owner a bit. I saw a pony similar to this but was lame pulling a cart around in Tunisia about ten years ago, also had conjunctivitis. There's so little you can do when abroad, it's so sad.
 
Stencilface said:
I saw quite a few horses when I was in Indonesia, despite the fact that they seemed to be tanked along roads in trot in the middle of the day, the didn't seem too worse the wear for it, yes a little sweaty, but they were ponies, as opposed to horses and all bar one I saw were well covered.

Well done you for doing something nice for them, I feel too shy, and too much of a tourist in situations like that to do anything :o
Click to expand...

Yea they were below Uk standards but im sure if Id reported it to local welfare officers Id have been laughed at! They had been stopped in the shade and although very lean they were certainly not emaciated. I could tell they were unhappy with the conditions and were obviously very uncomfortable but hey what can I do! :(
I hope the 2 carrots each, a drink of water a bit of a scratch might of given them a bit of a lift but in the whole scheme of things there is nothing I could have really done to make a difference.

bumblelion said:
I do agree that their feet look quite bad. Good on you for giving them a bit of relief. Let's hope doing simple things like wiping their eyes may have educated the owner a bit. I saw a pony similar to this but was lame pulling a cart around in Tunisia about ten years ago, also had conjunctivitis. There's so little you can do when abroad, it's so sad.
Click to expand...


Their feet were pretty bad and I noticed they never stood on one foot longer than a few seconds before swapping sides, their hooves were very overgrown and I imagine the shoes were more than nipping their toes. Id have loved to give the owner a lecture and educate him a bit but it wouldnt have made the least bit of difference, he actually laughed at me the whole time I fussed over his horses :(
 
Last edited:
Well done - I felt helpless seeing some of the horses and donkeys in Marrakech. Some were well cared for but a few poor creatures were in a terrible state. I'm ashamed to say found myself looking away when they were driven past. :(
 
Well done :) where were they out of interest?
I have to say though my Uncle and Auntie moved out to Bulgaria 5 years ago now - they live right out in the sticks (Malak Manastir), 2 hours from Yambol - everyone who lives nearby has a donkey or a horse to help pull their karutsas but because they are their livelihood and help them to make their money, they are often better looked after than the owners are!
Their lifestyle is very different, but they are just used to it. It seems that horses in tourist areas are generally worse off than the horses in the more rural areas, where they are depended on for transport, work and income.
K x
 
KellysHeroes said:
Well done :) where were they out of interest?
I have to say though my Uncle and Auntie moved out to Bulgaria 5 years ago now - they live right out in the sticks (Malak Manastir), 2 hours from Yambol - everyone who lives nearby has a donkey or a horse to help pull their karutsas but because they are their livelihood and help them to make their money, they are often better looked after than the owners are!
Their lifestyle is very different, but they are just used to it. It seems that horses in tourist areas are generally worse off than the horses in the more rural areas, where they are depended on for transport, work and income.
K x
Click to expand...

These two were in Sozopol, the owner told me he had 5 in total so I guess he alternates between them so at least they arn't working every day. I actually thought at the time 'Id hate to see the horses in Bulgaria who arn't in the publics eye' but after your comment Kelly thats quite reassuring.
I know we can never expect Uk standards in these sort of countries as the ppl are so much poorer but it still breaks my heart to see them in such deplorable conditions and not able to do a damn thing about it.
 
friesian80 said:
These two were in Sozopol, the owner told me he had 5 in total so I guess he alternates between them so at least they arn't working every day. I actually thought at the time 'Id hate to see the horses in Bulgaria who arn't in the publics eye' but after your comment Kelly thats quite reassuring.
I know we can never expect Uk standards in these sort of countries as the ppl are so much poorer but it still breaks my heart to see them in such deplorable conditions and not able to do a damn thing about it.
Click to expand...

Yeah Sozopol is an up and coming tourist destination - they don't seem to rely as heavily on their horses for income for some reason! (You'd think that would be their main source!)
But no, my uncle's neighbour absolutely dotes on her donkey, Penniya and she wouldn't look out of place over here tbh in a field full of English donks! It often makes me laugh how they can let their horses roam in open fields without them beggaring off! The dogs are less doted on, they don't tend to be given names and live outside from a very early age often tethered in the same place for a lifetime to guard livestock or stop people thieving grain, but thats just what they are used to.
K x
 
This reminds me of years ago when my parents were out in Greece for a confrance, they met with some old Greek friends and the topic of my ponies came up. Mum was chatting about them and made a joke about how their shoes cost more then mine and needed new every six weeks or so, the guy was shocked, kept checking he was understanding, he couldn't understand a, having ponies for fun and b, spending that amount of cash on them, on the whole they just didn't think of animals in the same way and this guy was very well off and high up.
You gave them all you could and I am sure they were greatful, at the same time it is likely to be doing the best he can within his knowle
 
I agree, some countries just dont 'get' keeping horses as pets to have fun with, and yes I think the guy did care about his horses, just makes me think how lucky our horses are that we are willing to pay out more on their feet care than our own! lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top