[Rider23663]

Originally Posted by mftx4

Maybe if we all stop talking on the internet about it and go out into our horse communities, we could get something done. Talk to your vets and farriers, find out some facts about the situation in your particular area. I live in Illinois and there isn't much I can do to organize people in Kansas, but you could, Stormy. Get a group of 'like minded' people together and find out the issues in your area. Find out if there are saddle clubs in your community and speak with some of them. We both know that the big breeders have their own way of dealing with problems. They aren't willing to kick $10.00 a month into a fund to help the little guy out. How many of them would volenteer to help teach and inform novice owners once a month? There are many talented and intelligent people right here that could be working in their area's to better enhance the live's of horses. How many do?

I agree, I don't have anyplace to put a horse right now, nor could I afford to board one and give it the full proper care a horse needs, but I can kick in $10.00 a month towards feed.....

Honestly, the more I think about this, the better of an idea it is.....
I'm seeing horses sponsored by a kids classroom, and a penny drive.

Maybe we can start with these ideas here.... even an imperfect solution is better than no solution at all.

John

[emilyz]

Originally Posted by Stormyheart6160

Opening up the slaughter plants won't stop people from being cruel to animals!

Originally Posted by emilyz
Please, I have seen some horses around here that are so skinny and starving, and the people are so desperate for money they wont even give them to a good home, everyone is holding out for that last buck, so I ask you this? , is it better to let them starve, (I see them starving in the farms all around me), or is it better to take them to auction? Probably better to take them to an aution. But, I have to ask you this.....are you gonna be the one to force these people who "won't even give them away", to take their horse to the auction, or have it shipped to Canada and Mexico?
(It is funny how for once, the Amish horses look better then the pets-in the fields!)
And NO the Humane Society wont do anything, especially now, since some think GRASS is a exceptable food source!
(to bad the grass is so short in most cases, the horses are not getting adiquet amounts!) Having been in involved in the rescuing of horses for as long as I have, What you are seeing isn't anything new....I can promise you that much!! When the plants were still open in the states, there was just as many, if not more skinny horses as there are now. The same idiots that were starving them then, are still starving them now. There were NO repercussions for their neglect when the plants were open, because NOBODY knew any different. All they had to do was send their horse to the plant in Illinois or one of the ones in Texas. They always got away with their crimes against these animals. The animals were suffering and paying the price then, and now the owners are getting to suffer and pay the price right along with them!! It's not quite as easy to have your emaciated horse butchered up and the evidence destroyed anymore!

Slaughtering horses doesn't solve the problem.....it only allows it to continue in a manner that nobody has to watch what these animals endure before they are even sent to slaughter.

Neglect and abuse are CRIMES!!! If your local officials don't do what they are suppose to do, then trust me, they too have a boss. You go a rank higher until something gets done to help those animals! Just because you tried once or twice to get something done, and didn't get the results you wanted, doesn't mean you just quit! Heck, if I had that attitude, I probably wouldn't of had half of the horses that I've had, or got better living conditions for some of the others that were left with their owners.
....


Oh no, I have never seen such bad looking horses in my life and i have been in the horse business my whole life, and everywhere I drive there are horriable looking horses, people are not feeding them, also just check out the classifieds and look at what they are trying to get $1200 dollars for , I wish people would feed them first, then try and sell them, also YES they would take them to slaughter becaue they get CASH to do so...

[mftx4]

I have spoken with my vet about the possiability of setting up a fund for basic annual shots. He will suggest certain individuals. The owners will have to meet certain guidlines to be eligable. He asked to be able to speak with our saddle club to discuss the possiable use of some of the funds to be donated towards discounted fees for gelding. It's a start.

[emilyz]

Originally Posted by mftx4

I have spoken with my vet about the possiability of setting up a fund for basic annual shots. He will suggest certain individuals. The owners will have to meet certain guidlines to be eligable. He asked to be able to speak with our saddle club to discuss the possiable use of some of the funds to be donated towards discounted fees for gelding. It's a start.

Yes it is a start, right now in this times of hardships breeding is the biggest problem, and as for the people that continue to breed because they have such GREAT stock, sure you may, but who is going to buy them? there were like 29 people at our local show last week, that is it, no one can afford to show and compete these great horses that keep getting
bred, and yet they have to make room for their new stock? nice!
Most average people can no longer afford horses these days, eh?

[mftx4]

What if people are able to take care of day to day expences. Perhaps last year at this time things were fine and during the course of this down turn in the econemy, can't afford annual shots or purhaps a float for that older horse. Purhaps some of us that are doing ok, could donate 5 bales of hay, or a round bale to someone with one horse. Maybe set up a co-op type situation with suppliers where basic feeds can be bought at discount prices.
Brain storm with other people in your area to see what's needed. Major medical costs are always an issue. Would any of the vets in your area be willing to work with equine insurances to defray costs or willing to do group rates for members of local clubs? How do large breeding farms handle those issues. Do they get cut rates for insuring 20 animals?
How many of you have equine or veteranarian colleges in your area? Do any of them provide services and how many 'everyday' horse owners know about them?
We seem to have many that say nothing can be done, but how do you know until you try?

[mehile]

Originally Posted by sorrell

If people were responsible, sensible, realistic and not out for a quick buck, then the problem would not exist....

I don't think we want more government regulation into how many children we can have according to our ability to raise them, nor be told we cannot own a horse because our income level is too vulnerable, etc. We don't want to be fined $1000 for not spaying our female pets or breeding them hoping to sell the babies and then finding no one wants them, etc.
It is a matter of taking personal responsibility for ones actions and doing the right thing...

That is the problem though there will always be those people that aren't responsible or sensible. I for one(personal opinion) think regulations would be a good thing. Even in the children department but that's a totally different topic. Anyone that is a good capable owner will be willing, annoyed but willing, to take the time and to deal with the regulations. The people that shouldn't be owning animals will not so that would take care of at least some of the problem. There should be a license that must be obtained to breed a horse. Nothing super expensive or hard to get but something that would take a little time and make a person think about why they want a foal and what it's purpose is. Also if a foal is born without the license then there should be strict fines. I think all registries should have much stricter culling methods for possible stallions. As in you can't just decide not to cut any yearling and stand them as a registered stallion. There should be conformation and performance criteria like in some of the warmblood registries. There should also be government supported disposal of animals(euthanasia and burial). If they want to make rules and regulations about where and how the animals need to be disposed of then they should have to foot some of the bill(yea right, I know, but it's a thought). Slaughter(pro or con) shouldn't even come up in trying to really deal with the on going situation. Sure there is an overpopulation for now but if we deal with it correctly and significantly drop the number of horses reproducing then within the next 20 years the problem will take care of itself.

[doublebarr]

Originally Posted by mehile

There should also be government supported disposal of animals(euthanasia and burial). If they want to make rules and regulations about where and how the animals need to be disposed of then they should have to foot some of the bill(yea right, I know, but it's a thought).

Just who do you think funds the government for these "programs"? That "government" money comes out of your and my pocket. So you are not penalizing the government, you are penalizing the people.

[Smartee Pants]

I've read most of this thread and usually don't get involved but I do have to put my 2 cents in now. I think it's great that people want to donate their money to help people that can't afford their horses but what if I'm not beating the world down and working two jobs and mucking a whole barn just to pay for my one horse - that I rescued - so he can have a good, safe, healthy life. He gets vetted regularly, farrier regularly, groomed and loved daily and ridden several times a week - and if a catastrophy hit I would be able to scrape to pay his bills - why should I have to pay for the next "guy" so he/she could have a horse? I had this same argument with a girl at work over Schwann's and their doggie ice cream and an issue they were having with people trying to buy them with food stamps. I'm sorry - if you need food stamps to feed your family - your dog shouldn't be eating doggie ice cream! I have two dogs, a pony a cat and two geckos. Have you ever paid an $80 vet bill for a $20 gecko? I have! But, don't tell me that I need to pay for someone else so they can have something they can't afford. I hope that i'm never in a position where I can no longer afford to care properly for any of my animals but if I am I certainly will not expect everyone else to be able to pay my bills so I can keep them! I don't like being told that I should have to pay for someone elses animals because they can't - i'm doing everything I can to pay for my own!

edited to add - I do donate regularly to a dog rescue and my local animal shelter but I do so because I want to not because someone told me I had to!

[KristinJ]

Originally Posted by Smartee Pants

I've read most of this thread and usually don't get involved but I do have to put my 2 cents in now. I think it's great that people want to donate their money to help people that can't afford their horses but what if I'm not beating the world down and working two jobs and mucking a whole barn just to pay for my one horse - that I rescued - so he can have a good, safe, healthy life. He gets vetted regularly, farrier regularly, groomed and loved daily and ridden several times a week - and if a catastrophy hit I would be able to scrape to pay his bills - why should I have to pay for the next "guy" so he/she could have a horse? I had this same argument with a girl at work over Schwann's and their doggie ice cream and an issue they were having with people trying to buy them with food stamps. I'm sorry - if you need food stamps to feed your family - your dog shouldn't be eating doggie ice cream! I have two dogs, a pony a cat and two geckos. Have you ever paid an $80 vet bill for a $20 gecko? I have! But, don't tell me that I need to pay for someone else so they can have something they can't afford. I hope that i'm never in a position where I can no longer afford to care properly for any of my animals but if I am I certainly will not expect everyone else to be able to pay my bills so I can keep them! I don't like being told that I should have to pay for someone elses animals because they can't - i'm doing everything I can to pay for my own!

edited to add - I do donate regularly to a dog rescue and my local animal shelter but I do so because I want to not because someone told me I had to!

I completely agree!! I work my *** off to take care of my horses, and have compromised A LOT, I put off college to take on a full time to job to be able to care for my horses. I'm sorry but I will NOT pay for someone else to keep theirs. A person with a horse or horses, KNOWS they are expensive (or should) and KNOWS there can be very large emergency bills. If they are not prepared for it they should sell/give away their horses, or figure it. To me it's like the welfare system .. people will use it and abuse it and I won't give them my hard earned dollars ...

[mftx4]

Why wouldn't you be willing to work with a group of people in your same position, to see if farriers or vets would give you discounts if they were to care for a larger group of horses at one time. As I said in my earlier post, my farrier discounts $5.00 a head if there are 6 or more horses at one stop. How will you handle emergency care if the need arises.