nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429 
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Post by nhg on Sept 12, 2014 15:15:47 GMT
I was looking at a page on FB for our province that was all horses under $1000. Which is super cheap for here. I was really taken aback by how many are horses that people have never bothered to work with beyond leading them around and brushing them or not even that. Adult horses, horses that are over ten years old. What the hell?? Who is going to take that on? Why do people get them if they can't be bothered to do anything with them? It's a hell of an expensive pet to have hanging around. I found it very disheartening.
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Sept 12, 2014 15:32:31 GMT
I've seen a lot of the same thing too. It is very disheartening. Especially when you can tell the horse has not been cared for like it should be.
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Post by diamondgirl on Sept 12, 2014 22:43:10 GMT
I'm not sure if it would be more of a risk to buy an untrained 10 year old, or a ten year old who has been taught all kinds of bad habits, by incompetent owners. I don't know how you could check an unhandled horse for soundness. I think most animals have the ability to pull it together and look quite sound, when they are under pressure. I wonder if those horse owners understand, where their horses are likely to end up if they sell them cheaply?
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Sept 12, 2014 23:14:52 GMT
Yup, we're only two hours way from the plant. We have a local rescue that often rescues former broodmares that have never been handled properly. It'll be a year later and they'll have a description saying "just learning to lead" or "starting to take treats from our hands". They just throw them in a huge field and pretty much leave them out there. Who's going to buy them? The worst is that they'll also have a two year old that was born there from a rescue and it's barely handled either.
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Post by lorddaxter on Sept 13, 2014 12:49:14 GMT
I'm now its awful isnt it:(
With the hay shortage here I'm already hearing of a few people looking to offload horses:(
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Post by 1fatmule on Sept 13, 2014 20:14:16 GMT
AND, it is happening everywhere, even with registered horses of all breeds. there are soo many breeders dumping their horses young, and old but especially in the spring. in search of the "one", they breed 6-7 others they consider inferior, and never bother to do anything with them including worming, or routine hoof care, then dump them at the local auction with no identity that may help them find a home, to make room for the 6-7 new "prospects" arriving in the spring.
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Post by shadowlark on Sept 13, 2014 20:21:39 GMT
Yup, we're only two hours way from the plant. We have a local rescue that often rescues former broodmares that have never been handled properly. It'll be a year later and they'll have a description saying "just learning to lead" or "starting to take treats from our hands". They just throw them in a huge field and pretty much leave them out there. Who's going to buy them? The worst is that they'll also have a two year old that was born there from a rescue and it's barely handled either. I'm assuming you're talking about that rescue with the name of a large animal that starts with a B in it's name? It's such a shame - they have a lot of nice looking horses but they aren't really adoptable with no handling. They have a lot of pretty horses that would catch the eyes of a lot of adopters (myself included) if they would just put the time and effort in. It's great that they are able to rescue so many (I think they currently have 150+ horses) but maybe rescuing less and putting the work in would be better... |
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Sept 13, 2014 23:21:26 GMT
Yup, that's them. They also take in crippled horses and I have an issue with an animal spending it's life in pain. Animals that don't have to spend so much time on their feet is different. They've been working with some of the young ones but I checked their site again the other day and was disgusted again with how many are unhandled. Particularly the ones that were born there.
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Post by shadowlark on Sept 13, 2014 23:58:16 GMT
Yeah, I follow them on facebook and saw that like 4 or 5 went to "summer school" and got some training, but what about the others?? And I feel bad for the crippled ones...if it's something fixable, ok fine, try to help, but then you still need to handle them and at least halter break them!! But how many are fixable? Ugh, drives me crazy!
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Sept 14, 2014 15:19:41 GMT
I was glad to see the summer school thing and I found a trainer through them because he'd been training former brood mares but the vast majority are apparently not handled. I think it's because they let them out in such a huge area and, if they foal there after being saved from the auction, they're still just hanging out in a huge area and because they can't get near the mare they can't get near the foal either. I respect that they care about the horses and don't want them to go to slaughter and the horses are quite happy to just hang out untouched forever but what a waste of money and resources.
Honestly SL, I've never been there. Have you? I just see what I see on FB and their page. When I saw the summer school thing I thought I'd check their page and see if they're doing more work with the horses but they're not. Or they're really bad for not updating their page and the horses' bios. Which wouldn't be very smart. And they have several that were adopted and have now come back after a few years and they're still barely handled.  Isn't the point of a rescue to try to rehome most of the horses they have coming through? |
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Post by shadowlark on Sept 14, 2014 21:21:11 GMT
I agree with everyone you said nhg! I've never been there either, just found them when I googled horse rescues in Alberta on a whim one day, just to see what was around here. I love the summer school idea, but wish more horses could go. Cause the 5 or 6 that went will be more adoptable, but they'll just replace them with 5 or 6 more unhandled horses. It's sad.
I don't think they're bad at updating their FB or website, I think they just don't have any updates cause they don't really do much.
I guess though, at the end of the day, those horses lives were saved, and as long as they aren't unsound/in pain, I bet they are enjoying just being horses.
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Post by horselady on Sept 15, 2014 0:31:55 GMT
It is sad to take on so many horses that are left unhandled. what if something were to happen and that horse needs medical attention.
or is it just shot to put out of pain?
i have a couple of horses that have never been saddled or ridden and they were born here. i decided that they do not have to be ridden and trained. but they are groomed and hooves are done and are tame.
(besides they are pretty to look at ). but as a rescue taking in horses that need training and no one is working with them or the foals. what a shame. think of the monies to feed and care and the room they are taking up when they can be adopted out as trained riding horses and make room for more.
such a shame.
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mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320
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Post by mingiz on Sept 15, 2014 2:47:26 GMT
I've noticed that too here. A lot of cheap horse but never broke. I have seen some nice horses also cheap. But why would anyone keep a horse so long and not use it? |
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