What practices in the horse world do you consider cruel?

[horsesatemymoney]

I don't mean the obvious things, like violence, rolkur etc, but the things that you often see on yards/hear of people doing. For me, it's keeping horses in 24/7 with no option for turnout, even in a yard/paddock. That would be my top one. Second is linked to the above, but with an owner who can't be bothered goint and dumps their horse on others.

 

[Shysmum]

clipping then not rugging properly

 

[Montyforever]

A girl who had 4 horses and not a clue how to care for them. Barely came up and had a severely laminitic gelding who I was pretty much looking after/feeding for months otherwise he would have been stood in that stable with nothing until she decided to turn up and then she would turn him back out still crippled and leave him again for days until one of us gave in and sorted out bedding/feed to bring the poor boy back in she also lied to our face that the vet had been up but they never called the vet once. All her other horses were left in a insecure field that they kept escaping from with no water whatsoever - again down to us to sort out water for her horses and get them back in the field before they ran off down the road.

That is what I would call cruel! Just no excuse for it, she was chucked off the yard and by that time you could physically see his pedal bones had rotated and were pushing through his soles

RSPCA, WHW etc all called not one did a visit and by the time we heard back we didn't no where the horses were. I just hope the poor boy was PTS he must have been in so much pain

 

[indie999]

Giving horses tons of painkillers to be able to satisfy the human need to ride. Some folks need to strike the happy medium of keeping joints moving and also relief from the injury by not riding(example horse was jumped when it was clearly sore on landing but the parents kid had a pony club class they wanted to compete in..as long as kid was ok so the lesson continued). I was advised to ride old boy arthritic "oh just bute him"...er no.

Twitching I think is cruel paricularly for farrier, I find that unbelievable and very sad. (Ground manners were clearly not instilled early on).

Rugging is my biggest blooming bug bear something so simple and overused that boil in a bag. Fair enough you are going to a show want them clean etc but take them off when thick rug and the temperature rises.Its the temperature that is my problem....they are not people. Fat horses the cases of laminitis, people that nitrogen their grazing etc etc what a waste of time. Frost causing laminitis etc

Selling a useless horse on. Shameful thing to do.

 

[Littlelegs]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

 

[Goldenstar]

Fat horses the perception of what is a fat horse or a thin horse and changed so much since I started out horses where kept much leaner.
I will stick my neck out and say its cruel to let horses get fat .
It's cruel to buy a horse rent a field with no thought as to how you are going to manage the horses wieght and then throw up your hands and say what can I do when it all goes wrong I have no issue with people keeping horses and ponies as pets but I have a big issue with this.

 

[poghag]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

That was pretty funny.

 

[Kokopelli]

Overweight horses, I would rather see a lean horse than a fat one. Drives me mad when people say my boys are thin, no they just aren't hippos.

 

[Gingerwitch]

Smacking a horse when he/she has raging mud fever that you could not be bothered to treat until the poor animals legs are in a right state.

Washing a horse in cold water when the wind chill is on a minus and leaving horse tied up to dry off on the corner of the block - where the wind is at is worst - whilst you pop for a warm and some food at makkie D's !

Stealing hay off a horse at night because you are a theif and leave a poor horse with nothing to eat

Taking a horses shoes off to save money and the following day going for a 2 hour road hack and wonder why the poor critter isnt forward !

 

[[59851]]

Overfeeding and over rugging of show horses - especially native ponies.

 

[Auslander]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

Smirks!!

Your festive name...I think you could be done under the Trade Descriptions Act. You are a bad woman!!

 

[Littlelegs]

Sorry, I did briefly consider 'hark_the_herald_littlelegs_posts' but thought tfc might consider it too long!
I'd also like to add
-any bits that can be described in two words or less, eg snaffle, pelham, weymouth, bridoon. 'neue schule tranz angle elevator with peanut' is much better.
- using boots/bandages
- not using boots/bandages
- keeping field ornaments
- riding
- owning a horse without either an annual income of £100k +, or savings of £300k +.

 

[fburton]

-handfeeding treats.

Potentially troublesome if not done right, I'll grant you that - but cruel??

 

[Persephone]

Over rugging and over feeding

Whydo some feel the need to dress their horse upin various outfits whether it needs it or not?

 

[Littlelegs]

Yes fburton, very cruel. Much kinder to balance them on your head & allow horse to pick them up. Not that I would ever do anything so un bhs. And I certainly wouldn't allow my hatless 7yr old to hold one end of a carrot in her mouth while my oldie picks it up from the other end. Definitely not.

 

[Rollin]

Starving laminitics.

Keeping a horse in solitary confinement

Stable 24/7 and schooling in an arena with no hacking.

 

[Wagtail]

Keeping horses alone, clipping legs in winter (trimming fine), over rugging, under rugging, using draw reins, using overly severe bits, riding horses into a strong unyeilding contact, over feeding, underfeeding, not checking at least twice daily, leaving ragwort in fields, smacking with whips and ramming with spurs, yanking mouths...

 

[little neddy]

Not using good old common, bl**dy sense !!

 

[FionaM12]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

 

[smokey]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

You missed inappropriate use of the carrot stick, and witholding sugary treats as a punishment.

 

[Goldenstar]

Things you personally don't do and cruel are not the same thing .
Riding itself may be cruel but is not if done acceptably .
Clipping legs is not cruel it's may be a practice you don't agree with or do but cruel no .
The list could go on and on .
But we devalue the word to over use it
Things that are definatly cruel nailing a stallion that was bad to handle into a stable and leaving it to die .
Storing slaughter horses till the price is right some with very severe injuries .
Failing to treat minor issues so they cause the horse severe discomfort live feather mites and the like .
And failing to to take the desision to PTS soon enough before the horse suffers badly all these things and more I dealt with and seen with my own eyes we devalue the term cruel by over using it

 

[DragonSlayer]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

...so are you into budgies then?

 

[Wagtail]

Things you personally don't do and cruel are not the same thing .
Riding itself may be cruel but is not if done acceptably .
Clipping legs is not cruel it's may be a practice you don't agree with or do but cruel no .
The list could go on and on .
But we devalue the word to over use it
Things that are definatly cruel nailing a stallion that was bad to handle into a stable and leaving it to die .
Storing slaughter horses till the price is right some with very severe injuries .
Failing to treat minor issues so they cause the horse severe discomfort live feather mites and the like .
And failing to to take the desision to PTS soon enough before the horse suffers badly all these things and more I dealt with and seen with my own eyes we devalue the term cruel by over using it

I do agree with you. There are degrees of cruel however, and much of it is in the eyes of the beholder. That is especially awful about that stallion. What happened? Was anyone prosecuted?

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

Tying up a horse, and then tying the headcollar round the neck while putting on the bridle having not undone the lead rope

 

[Nicnac]

Tying up a horse, and then tying the headcollar round the neck while putting on the bridle having not undone the lead rope

In what way is that cruel?

 

[FionaM12]

In what way is that cruel?

I can see it could be risky (strain on the neck if the horse pulls back) but I wouldn't call it cruel.

Something I hate to see is horses standing for many hours without any forage. I'd rather they had doubled-up nets, trickle nets or just more hay/haylage than risk finishing their supply and being without.

 

[windand rain]

The worst cruelty that seems acceptable to many people is keeping horses in a stable 24/7 with only access ridden for 30 min in a school or bunged on a horse walker.
Horses being too fat
Horses neglected and underfed
Rugs and various modern fashions are not cruel just a matter of choice you either chose to do it or not they dont do physical or mental damage the way the other things do

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

In what way is that cruel?

MEant to say on a horse that is known for pulling back and resists the bit going in so has the the headcollar at full tension digging into either the base of the ears, or strangling itself and the rider doesn't notice and bring the horse forward.

And on one occasion, freaked the horse out by going in all guns blazing and horse pulled back and as was tied to double twine, and neither the rope or headcollar gave way and the horse panicked and tried to run forward but because the headcoller was round the neck it panicked some more and slipped over sideways.

Spent 4 weeks on box rest as couldn't wait in a straight line, and while could've happened if tied normally, horse only seemed to panic when it felt the pressure round its neck and ears.

The woman knew the horse was known for pulling, but refused to at least unknot while bridling so it would teach the horse manners.

 

[Ibblebibble]

In no particular order:
-barefoot
-shoeing
-anyone over 8 stone riding.
-anyone over 5' & over 16 on a pony.
-clipping, at all, ever.
- not wearing hat, bp, reflectives when handling.
- not using matchy-matchy & sheepskin
-handfeeding treats.
- not owning ariats.
- not getting back, teeth, saddle checked every 3 weeks.
-feeding hay from the ground, trickle nets are much better.
- people who don't use duallys, they are labelled as 'natural' so they must be kind & fluffy.
- horses wearing rugs
- horses not wearing rugs
- horses out 24/7
-horses in overnight
- horses stabled 24/7
And probably more I'll think of later.

I'd also like to add
-any bits that can be described in two words or less, eg snaffle, pelham, weymouth, bridoon. 'neue schule tranz angle elevator with peanut' is much better.
- using boots/bandages
- not using boots/bandages
- keeping field ornaments
- riding
- owning a horse without either an annual income of £100k +, or savings of £300k +.

yep think you've covered just about everything although i think you may have missed mane pulling and hogging

 

[Nicnac]

MEant to say on a horse that is known for pulling back and resists the bit going in so has the the headcollar at full tension digging into either the base of the ears, or strangling itself and the rider doesn't notice and bring the horse forward.

And on one occasion, freaked the horse out by going in all guns blazing and horse pulled back and as was tied to double twine, and neither the rope or headcollar gave way and the horse panicked and tried to run forward but because the headcoller was round the neck it panicked some more and slipped over sideways.

Spent 4 weeks on box rest as couldn't wait in a straight line, and while could've happened if tied normally, horse only seemed to panic when it felt the pressure round its neck and ears.

The woman knew the horse was known for pulling, but refused to at least unknot while bridling so it would teach the horse manners.

That makes sense now