Re: Abused horse?!?

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Posted by Nanci on February 28, 2004 at 17:17:27:

In Reply to: Abused horse?!? posted by Megan on February 26, 2004 at 19:34:24:

: I live nextdoor to some people that own horses and i think that they may be abused/neglected. i don't know for sure, and i don't want to offend the owners, so could you tell me if these are any signs? The horses are VERY dirty, i don't think they have ever been cleaned. I have never seen them ride them and i have lived here for over a year, about 5 months ago, me and my sister went to visit the horses and one of them was really friendly and came up right to us and ate some carrots that we had, and today, i visited them, and neither of them would come over to me, until i sat on a log a little bit aways and but some hay in their pin. They came over and ate it, but when i tried to feed it to them, they ammideitly backed up. so i got on my knees and kept feeding them. I think they started to trust me, so i stood up and tried to feed them again, but again, they backed up. The owners only come over to their pin when they are putting them in their stalls and i don't think they really want them. So do you think they are abused or just scared?? PLEASE e-mail me!!!!
: Megan

Hi Megan - What kind of condition are the horses in? Are they in good flesh (not overly fat, but not too thin either)and getting enough to eat? If the owners are putting them into stalls, they are probably getting fed. Dirt is not an indication of much of anything - horses like to stay dirty if they have access to a mudhole or the like they will roll in it in the winter for insulation against the cold, and again in the warmer weather for insulation against the heat.
Depending on how much handling they have had, it is instinctive with a horse to trust someone who is shorter than they are, so when you squat or kneel down they will come closer. Of course, it's hard to form an opinion knowing nothing at all about the horses, their background or their current situation, but if all they are is dirty and a bit spooky, that does not indicate abuse to me.

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: : I live nextdoor to some people that own horses and i think that they may be abused/neglected. i don't know for sure, and i don't want to offend the owners, so could you tell me if these are any signs? The horses are VERY dirty, i don't think they have ever been cleaned. I have never seen them ride them and i have lived here for over a year, about 5 months ago, me and my sister went to visit the horses and one of them was really friendly and came up right to us and ate some carrots that we had, and today, i visited them, and neither of them would come over to me, until i sat on a log a little bit aways and but some hay in their pin. They came over and ate it, but when i tried to feed it to them, they ammideitly backed up. so i got on my knees and kept feeding them. I think they started to trust me, so i stood up and tried to feed them again, but again, they backed up. The owners only come over to their pin when they are putting them in their stalls and i don't think they really want them. So do you think they are abused or just scared?? PLEASE e-mail me!!!! : : Megan : Hi Megan - What kind of condition are the horses in? Are they in good flesh (not overly fat, but not too thin either)and getting enough to eat? If the owners are putting them into stalls, they are probably getting fed. Dirt is not an indication of much of anything - horses like to stay dirty if they have access to a mudhole or the like they will roll in it in the winter for insulation against the cold, and again in the warmer weather for insulation against the heat. : Depending on how much handling they have had, it is instinctive with a horse to trust someone who is shorter than they are, so when you squat or kneel down they will come closer. Of course, it's hard to form an opinion knowing nothing at all about the horses, their background or their current situation, but if all they are is dirty and a bit spooky, that does not indicate abuse to me.

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