nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429 
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Post by nhg on Jun 5, 2014 15:22:33 GMT
I just need to vent about this. The place where we have our horses at the moment is really nice with great fencing and the owners are really nice people. My daughter is friends with their son which is how we ended up boarding there and they're giving us a great deal on board. However, they know very little about horses even though they've had them for years. The husband thinks he knows about them which makes it harder because much of his knowledge is wrong but he can't be told. I suspect that they've just been lucky because they've never had anything catastrophic happen to the horses. Yet.
We had our farrier out last night and offered to get their horses done as well since they haven't done it and we knew their horse were long overdue. I didn't realize how bad their horses are. Our farrier is really mad. Two of their three horses have foundered from the rich spring grass. Their feet were badly neglected and terribly overgrown. We hadn't realized how bad they were because when we go out to see our horses the other ones don't come over and are out in the field. Their sweet gelding can barely walk. One mare is pretty ouchy, too. Our farrier says they're foundered.
The owners have a lot of money and yet their horses are neglected this way. Their feet needed to be done when we first moved there at the beginning of January and haven't been done since. Last night we moved them back into a paddock where they'll be given a round bale of hay. So they'll continue to eat too much but at least it's not spring grass. I'm upset because we're moving our horses at the end of the month and I feel bad that we won't be there to make sure their horses are looked after. I know it's not my problem but it's upsetting.
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Jun 5, 2014 15:53:23 GMT
Oh NHG, how sweet of you to get your farrier to do their feet. It is upsetting that people will neglect their animals like this to the point where the animals are suffering. Unfortunately it sounds like there is not much you can do about it. Would it help maybe if your daughter talked to the son and maybe showed him how bad the horses are now because of the neglect. Perhaps the son might be able to pick up some of the responsibility that the dad is not showing?
Try not to worry to much about it (I know, easier said than done). You've got so much on your plate right now.
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Jun 5, 2014 16:26:39 GMT
Thanks MM, I really feel bad about their horses. To see the gelding barely moving because of pain was very hard to watch.
My daughter told the son but I don't think they really get it. The mom was out last night to watch about halfway through her horses getting done and made the comment that she was surprised that they got that bad so quickly. They're just not people that I'm comfortable trying to set straight. I think the saving grace for their horses has been other people in the past that have taken care of their horses for them. These are the people that recently installed cattle guards instead of gates for the field they want the horses in and my daughter has shown them pictures of horses stuck in cattle guards but they still like the idea. They care about they're horses but they're misguided.
Now we're going to get some wormer and do them all. Their gelding still has his winter coat. It's sad, if they really understood they'd do things right but the husband thinks he knows already and talks over us. And with nothing bad ever happening to the horses it's hard to tell him that they're doing it wrong. They spent a ton of money fencing the horse areas in wood and put up a brand new fancy barn a few months ago.
It makes me think of people who keep their horses in an area full of junk and with bad fencing that never ahve anything happen to their horses so they think they're fine and then someone who really cares has their horse get injured in an area that's as safe as it can be because the horse found the one spot that it could get injured. A friend of mine had her valuable working cowhorse get injured when she stepped in a spot in the field that a previous owner of their place had buried junk. The ground gave way and she had a terrible degloving injury. She recovered with surprisingly little scarring but it cost a fortune.
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Post by lorddaxter on Jun 5, 2014 16:57:42 GMT
I noticed on moving to canada from Europe that no one seemed to look after their horses generally as well as we did over there, it amazes me how many people trim their own horses and having seen their efforts I'm surprised their horses are sound, the fact so few people vaccinate for west Nile amazes me, it's like $12 for it, c'mon, as you said not much you can do, only when something serious happen will they possibly listen.
My farrier moved her horse to a barn costing over $400 month, outdoor board but use of indoor arena, she left after a month after walking the fields further out as her horse was missing and finding old half buried cars and barb wire, she now pays over $500 month for the same deal but fields etc are perfect, she's also just round the corner from me now so we are going riding together:)
Don't they ride the horses atall?
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Jun 5, 2014 17:27:09 GMT
Killing with 'kindness',.., some people do not realize that by over doing, over feeding, they are ACTUALLY killing their animals. I went to look at 2 QH/paint horses for sale once, that lived on a sod farm. They were FRIGGN HUGE! They looked like beef cattle  HORRIBLY, horribly fat, and their feet were a MESS! The guy who owned the farm, was allowing the owner to keep them there,., financial hard times for her, blah, blah,.., BUT, totally wrong environment, plus they were turned out 24/7 wag finger I told him they were at a terribly UNHEALTHY weight and condition,.., All he could see were his acres and acres of SOD and that the whole farm was beautiful, nice fencing, etc. and how could it be bad for horses!?? Oh so wrong for those horses to be that BIG smileys-home-510691 He was CLUELESS, and wanted to know if I wanted to ride them,..,  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt so sorry for those poor horses, they were eating themselves to DEATH! And no humans were saving them from themselves,.., it was sad  |
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Jun 5, 2014 18:51:07 GMT
My horse is now huge and I worry about him foundering. He has a rock solid crest on his neck. But he's in the paddock now so that'll help and when we move them he's going in the Jenny Craig pen. I won't be able to ride him enough to lose the weight so he'll have to just eat less. He's a horse that tends to being overweight anyway and normally would never be in grass full time in the spring.
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Post by lorddaxter on Jun 5, 2014 19:03:43 GMT
My horse is now huge and I worry about him foundering. He has a rock solid crest on his neck. But he's in the paddock now so that'll help and when we move them he's going in the Jenny Craig pen. I won't be able to ride him enough to lose the weight so he'll have to just eat less. He's a horse that tends to being overweight anyway and normally would never be in grass full time in the spring. Dax is the same, I've been locking him in the paddock 7:30-7, helps a bit but this rain is killing me, growing more grass! |
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Jun 5, 2014 22:46:01 GMT
Grazing muzzles really do work and help a lot  I have used them for both horses, now and in the past, with a breakaway halter. That and I stall, and have stalled at night, to keep from too much over indulgence apple |
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Jun 5, 2014 23:48:56 GMT
How sad that these people's horses are so terribly neglected, and that the people won't listen to you when you try to educate them. I feel bad for the horses. 
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Jun 6, 2014 1:20:01 GMT
I thought about a grazing muzzle but the horses are not being monitored at all and I'm scared he'll get it caught or something will happen. Moving him in and out of a dry lot isn't an option because I'd have to go do it myself and with my surgery coming up I won't be able to.
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kskatt
Junior Member
Posts: 833
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Post by kskatt on Jun 6, 2014 2:01:20 GMT
Have you tried calling a rescue and asking for advise?
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