I'm not quite sure I have this in the right thread or not, but I hope somebody can help me!
Everyday I pass by a farm that has one large horse and one small pony/mini horse, and today for the first time I saw the pony attempting to walk. From what I saw it looked extremely foundered. Both the equines are in a big grass pasture. I was wondering if that would be considered as illegal? I'm located in Ontario, Canada.
So long as there is food/ water and the animal is healthy in appearnce most ac won't do anything. You could still call and voice your concern for the animal but it is unlikely they will actually do anything. However it also depends on the specific laws in your area too I think. Where I live our ac are incredibly lazy, we had 2 pit type dogs tied up across the street that got increasingly skinny and when we called they did nothing, even when I stopped one who was picking up a stray and pointed them out they didn't do anything.
I think you are going about this a very confrontational way. Have you stopped and gotten acquainted with the owner? The owner may not know any better. Most people do not keep horses fat and on good grass because they hate them or want them to be in pain. Most grass foundered horses get that way through ignorance.
Are you an adult?
If not, get a reasonable and knowledgeable adult to go with you. Go talk to the owner in a friendly and non-confrontational way. Accusing someone and threatening to 'turn them in' will get you no where.
Cherie is right. If it is more neglect than abuse, then not much can be done by animal control. Talk to the owners and see if they are approachable. They may welcome your concern and help. Let us know what happens.
Yep, I'd definitely say something about it... but to the owners first if at all possible. Yes, this is unacceptable, if the horse is left lame & untreated, but I do believe most cases of cruelty or neglect are unintentional, that people may just be ignorant to problems or options. ...& I'm sure we've all had at least one or 2 experiences of feeling bad about something when we learned better, to understand & forgive ignorance. I would go to animal control or whoever only after I'd attempted to speak to the owners.
Offering to help goes a long way, if you are in a position to help them. I had a neighbor who was not having her horses trimmed because she had trouble affording it and was physically unable to help the farrier hold them. She was happy to let me help trim them, or hold them for the farrier when I didn't have time to do the trimming. I also helped her rehome them once she came to terms with not being able to care for them.
It's also possible that they know, and are working with a farrier, but aren't very educated about taking the pony off grass. I was terrified someone would call animal control on me when I first brought my pony mare home. She was skin and bones thin (the vet told my mom to starve her) and badly foundered and living on a dry lot. It probably looked like I was torturing her to people driving by. Keep in mind that you don't know the whole story, so try not accuse them of anything until you talk to them.
A lot of amateur/new horse owners are buying in to the whole letting a horse live out 24/7 on wonderful lush pasture is natural and so good for them. Of course more educated owners know that isn't the case but cases of laminitis and insulin resistance syndrome in horses are rising all the time
Speaking to the owners should be the first thing to do but do be prepared that you might get a rude response and asked to leave
If that happens as the pony is in pain and will only get worse you probably should contact a local horse welfare group and get them involved, they'll have a better idea of what the process and legal implications are
I doesn't hurt to call and have the authorities do a welfare check. If you can go talk to the owners in person and offer advice/help then do so, but if not a call hurts nobody, and can only help the horse if abuse/neglect is found.
I doesn't hurt to call and have the authorities do a welfare check. If you can go talk to the owners in person and offer advice/help then do so, but if not a call hurts nobody, and can only help the horse if abuse/neglect is found.
I bolded the part you must've skipped over... No worries.
I don't know about OK, but authorities here are required by law to visit a property if there is ANY chance an animal is being mistreated, abused, neglected, lack of necessities provided, etc. If it turns out to be unfounded, GREAT! But if it IS bad, or on the way to becoming a bad situation, they can stop it or bring it to an owners attention before it gets worse. If OP is unable to educate the owner in question the next best thing is to call, if nothing else they can have a rescue get in contact with owner about proper care/husbandry.
I would be not be ****** off that someone would care so much to stop or call if one of my animals were in clear pain or danger... Nothing to hide here.
There are too many people in this world who just look the other way and keep on a drivin'.
Yes! It does hurt. Like the child that cried "Wolf!" The authorities become numb to the hundreds of unfounded calls and real drastic situations then go unanswered. The authorities are so over-worked and under-paid that these kinds of issues get little attention any way. To call in unfounded reports that are much better served by being friendly and helpful to someone is not in the best interest of anyone or the horses. Nothing is accomplished by just going out of one's way to piss someone off.
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