You know what makes me mad?? (Sorry rant to follow)

F

Flicker

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 January 2007
Messages
4,004
Visit site
Girl on our yard has a really lovely gelding. He's like an ID x with something else huge and placid. The most gentle lad you could wish for, easily pleased, bombproof on the roads, great schoolmaster, honestly you couldn't wish for a nicer horse. Problem is, he's a bit prone to putting on weight and we all warned her in winter that she was going to have to be very careful with him in summer - she is very novicey. Anyway, being a stupid kid, she's gone and got herself a boyfriend and horse has been completely forgotten about. He is massively overweight and looks really uncomfortable. She comes up twice a day to do his stable etc, but nobody can remember when she last rode him. She says she 'has no time' - uh, might want to think about selling him then.
He's opposite me and I've made a few suggestions to her about managing his weight, like putting him on hay, restricting his grazing and working him more. I said to her that a fit metabolism burns calories more effectively than an unfit one etc etc.
Anyway, last night there she is, filling two huge nets of hayledge for him. I said 'should he not be on hay' and she replied that the hay was too dusty - which it is not, it is fine. I said 'you could always wet it'. To which her reply was to pick up her two nets of hayledge and walk out the barn.
Do people think that shovelling loads of food into their horse constitutes love? I'll not be sticking my nose in again, she's made it blatantly obvious that she's not interested in taking advice or help, but I do feel for that poor horse.
 
Outrageous!!! Bob is prone to weight gain - he only has to look at the grass & his waist line expands!!! Sure he'd love a big tea every night - unlucky!!!

I think maybe a chat with YO and if that doesn't get any results a call to a certain equine charity???
 
Good plan - I know one of the others on the yard has an OH who wants to learn to ride out on hacks etc. Our porky lad would be perfect for him and this girl wouldn't let him (her OH) do anything too novicey to hurt the chap. Might be worth seeing if they can do a deal.
 
You could also print off some photos of horses crippled by laminitis.

And actually doesn't your YO have some responsibility here uner the new Animal Welfare Act too? (may be wrong).

If she really doesn't do anything still after friendly offers of help then call the ILPH. Sometimes it isn't comfortable doing things like that, but this horse really could be in serious trouble soon, which would be avoidable if the owner stepped up to the plate and acted responsibly.

Sorry, will put soapbox away again.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Outrageous!!! Bob is prone to weight gain - he only has to look at the grass & his waist line expands!!! Sure he'd love a big tea every night - unlucky!!!

I think maybe a chat with YO and if that doesn't get any results a call to a certain equine charity???

[/ QUOTE ]

Totally agree with this, Jed is the same. People think im bad for giving him two sections of hay a night instead of half a bale! But ide rather have a hungry slim horse that a over weight uncomfortable one.

Isnt over feeding classed as cruelty as well? I would perhaps call the RSPCA and get some advice.
 

At least the horse would be exercised and if they did some chores too they could make sure on their days the horse was appropriately fed............ Perhaps they could make up hay nets in advance!!!!!
 
Perhaps a chat with YO or even to her parents (from YO).
Hw old is she? She clearly thinks that she is doing the best for her horse - it isn't always easy to take advice from others where 'pets' are involved.
I think a sharer is a good idea.

Just because she doesn't ride him, doesn't mean that she should sell him.
frown.gif
 
oh come on - this isn't an RSPCA case!!

Give the girl a chance. Yes, overweight horses ARE in danger but FGS, a quiet chat to highlight this would be a better approach.
 
i have the same problem where i am a woman has a 15hh clysdale cross cob and hes always over weight in summer so he has enough fat to keep him warm through winter but she always rugs him and gives him two 4lb feed one in morning and one at night and only does half an hour on weekends of hacking
i keep saying to her about it but do you think she listens no i have a welsh mare and all she gets is a handful of hi fi light and vits and hay through out winter and is never rugged
i really cant understand the logic of some people i really cant
 
it may not be a rspca case but they are getting very tight on laws on overweight horses they class it as neglect
as the same to under feed and neglected horses
 
Fair enough but to me this seems to be a kid (described here as 'stupid') who won't take advice from other liveries, possibly because she sees it as interfering, rather than well intentioned. She is coming up twice a day so she obviously cares for the horse. I just think that calling the authorities is harsh and unnecessary.

Perhaps there is someone the kid looks up to or respects that could have a word, or as i say, her parents.
 
i agree that would be my last option
and as surrgested possable loan would work
but it depends on if she wants to listen
as they say you can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink it i think thats the correct phase anyway please corrt me if im not at the end of the day youve got to do best by the horse
may i ask if she young where are her parents in all this ??
i take it they pay for it
 
I agree that horses get fat in summer - the mare gets a belly on her very quickly. And I also agree that it is possibly not a neglect case (not yet).
I am, however, frustrated on behalf of her horse, who is not getting any younger and looks uncomfortable and 'switched off'.
Too many people think that love = food but don't realise that sometimes love has to be tougher and a fit horse will be happier on one hay net than a fat horse will ever be with two.
I know deputy YM has spoken to her and made suggestions. I think she genuinely does love him and wants him to be happy, but is not prepared to put her own fun and enjoyment on hold. Also, I think the boyfriend pressurises her into spending less time with the horse.
She is spending a lot of money on livery and petrol, bedding, feed etc, and I can't help thinking that the money would be better spent at a riding school, having a couple of hacks a week on the beach and letting her super lad go to someone who would really appreciate him. What is even sadder is that people who know the horse's history said that his previous owner used to do everything with him: hunter trials, dressage, xc, the works. Fortunately they've emigrated because I think they would be devastated to see him now.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Couldn't agree with Arwen more.

Chill. Horses do get fat in the summer. You should see mine!

[/ QUOTE ]

lol - mine too
grin.gif
lives on thin air.

Flicker; I do see what you are saying but she's a teenager and unfortunately that is what they do sometimes when the hormones take over
tongue.gif
If she wants to spend all her money on livery & feed then that's her choice.
Just because he isn't out tearing up the countryside doesn't mean he isn't happy. (my mare would dearly love to be a field ornament). I would just keep an eye on it, maybe suggest a sharer to help with costs etc and get the horse fitter. She might go for that.
 
You could always tell her about the heartbreaking death of my mare due to stress (infection)-related laminitis. Coupled with the extra rich grass this year, it tipped her over for the first time in her 15 years of life. She's dead now and I was not neglectful like this girl. It makes me mad when people at the yard leave their horses out and because they are out they think they can just leave them for weeks without seeing them, or people who overfeed and say they can because their horse 'is not a laminitic'. Well durrrr, no he's not YET! Then people like me who are there 2 or 3 times a day, working their asses off for their horses, end up losing one of them in the most heartbreaking circumstances you could imagine.

Tell her to sell the horse to someone like me who actually gives a feck!
 
It is irritating whenyou see people doing things differently to how you would do it, especially when you are obviously more experienced and can see where she is going wrong...in my experience, sometimes getting involved backfires, its happened to me on a few occasions because I couldnt keep my mouth shut ( oops)....best option perhaps ask YO/YM to speak to her about diet/feeding/implication of being a fatty horse...but if you feel that stongly and arent arsed whether you fall out over it or not then then print out a load of info and make her read it, then she will know its not just your opnion but accepted fact..
 
Let the YO deal with it. Why should she listen to you? It would pee me off too if other people stuck their noses in on my business. You're simply another customer. If you have concerns have a quiet word with the YO. It's his/her responsibility to ensure the care of horses at his/her yard, and any advice will probably be taken a lot better coming from them, as they have some kind of standing of authority.
 
Hmm, sounds a tricky case. Sometimes though some people's idea of fat/overweight differs from others. I think it is the yard ownesr responsibility to have the horse on correct/restricted grazing as this would certainly help. If the owner doesn't want to ride/exercise her horse then that is their decision I am afraid and, provided the horse has adequate, food water and turn out I don't think there's alot you can do about that.

You don't say how old she actually is but, put yourself in her shoes - iif people keep going on and on about how she's treating her horse/feeding it too much etc, she is going to get fed up and basically put a barrier up and will ignore people. I think trying another approach would help. Maybe a nice suggestion of if she's struggling time wise how about letting so and so's OH take him out for some gentle exercise?

I just think there are ways of aproaching this that could be better as opposed to what may come across as 'lecturing'.
With regrads to the boyf, they come and go and it's down to her to decide who goes first - him or the horse!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Fair enough but to me this seems to be a kid (described here as 'stupid') who won't take advice from other liveries, possibly because she sees it as interfering, rather than well intentioned. She is coming up twice a day so she obviously cares for the horse. I just think that calling the authorities is harsh and unnecessary.

Perhaps there is someone the kid looks up to or respects that could have a word, or as i say, her parents.

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly.

You dont say whether you get on with this girl or not but as you have described her as 'stupid' im guessing not.

If the person in question isnt a fan of your then she is just going to see you as interfering ( even though you say you are not!)

she obviously cares for the horse - just needs a word from someone she actually respects.
 
might make ytou angry but if you've tried giving her advice and she hasn't taken it there isn't really a lot you can do, no matter how frustrating it might be for you to have to see it happening. i do understand how frustrating it is tho when you see blatently obvious mismanagement, i'm still learning to just bite my tongue rather than get involved
wink.gif
 
You are quite correct an overweight horse is not a healthy horse and can be treated as a neglect case under the new welfare act introduced last year.

I would ask the yard owner to intervene.

If they fail to change the ways of this young owner then ask ilph to send their local inspectors down to to pay the horse a visit. One of their primary concerns at the moment is the ignorance of owners of privately owned horses.
 
I have found that telling someone that they are no doing right by thier horse is like someone critisising your driving.

Yoiu can't say anything without an immediately negative response.

I am a novice at looking after my horse only had a horse for 2 months and there is loads I don't know or are probably doing wrong.

I made it clear to everyone when I joined my yard that if they saw I was doing something wrong or there is a better way of doing things then please feel free to speak up and tell me. Cause I want to do right by my horse

And I have had a couple of people pop thier head in a friendly manner over the stable door and said have you tired doing it this way or that.

Plus I am always asking am I doing this right or that.
You have to be realistic about owning horses no body knows everything, but everybody knows something.

I watched a girl starve a horse because she wouldn't buy food in the winter couse she could'nt afford it, when I politly mentioned that her horse was looking rather thin and needed feeding up we had a right set to. Nearly ending uip in fisticufs.
Then the next week her mother said the same thing to her and before you could blink the horse was on breakfast and dinner with all the trimmings.

If the girl does not want to hear it there is nothing you can do. Apart from find a way to get though to her if she won't listen to you then find someone she will listen to.
 
I'd not get involved too deeply, she's a teen for a start, it'd be debatable she'd listen to her parents much less you lol, it's up to the YO if the horse is in the state to which they don't want it on their yard, if they're happy, the owner is happy and the horse is, then in all honesty, it's nothing to do with other liveries, I wonder, if someone came along and said things how worded to others, if their reaction would be to think two certain words and walk off too, there's ways of telling people things they don't want to hear
wink.gif


I'd be more along the thought to get someone there with a weight prone ned who can stand near the girl and say 'oh it's such a struggle, have to do xyz to keep the weight off or he could be prone to abc problems in the future' that type of way, trying to force her won't work, not if she's a typical teen!
wink.gif
someone she's prone to talk too, not someone she feels is having a go at her?
frown.gif


a quiet word with her parents from the YO about the weight and not riding maybe, perhaps they think because she visits she IS riding him and would then lay down a ground rule of ride or sell/loan him if riding is what he needs?

spoken from someone with two fat neds who put weight on just by spying the grass on the floor LOL so with the weight I assume the RSPCA will be at all the showing venue's then to promote 'fit not fat'...or would that be too much to ask?
wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
it may not be a rspca case but they are getting very tight on laws on overweight horses they class it as neglect
as the same to under feed and neglected horses

[/ QUOTE ]

but it is patently NOT neglect - she attends the yard twice each day!! Yes the horse is overweight, but going down the lines or reporting her to the ILPH is way over the top - speak to your YO if you have concerns but leave it at that.

It really annoys me when people constantly poke their noses into others' business where horses are concerned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top