What should I do????!!!

Before you guys get on my case... let's just say that I'm also VERY angry about this.

Mozart isn't the thinnest one in this group of four... but he's the third thinnest. The fourth is a roly poly... and I don't understand it...

But it's not the barn where i ride. It's the next door barn. They're literally right next to each other, but it's two different people who run them. And this other barn thinks that it's fine to feed their racehorses and broodmares a TON of food (they're REALLY roly poly round), while all the rest are either in stalls all day with little food, or out in the field with even less food. One of the ponies that I really love, and that I must say is an EXCELLENT beginner's pony... is nearly skin and bones. He's doing better than he was a couple of weeks ago... but he's still MUCH too thin. And as for several others... they're so thin. I seriously think that these guys think that if the horse has no use to them anymore... it shouldn't get as much food.

I'm so mad about it. I'm wanting to sneak in some grain and feed, as well as some grass and hay... just like I had done with the two Shetland Ponies who were in the same predicament. I just don't know how to do it. *shrugs*

Any suggestions? These horses live out in the field all day, and get put up in their stalls at night, only to be let out again in the morning. They have shelter, they have enough room to run around, and they have plenty of water. The only thing lacking is food. But unlike the Shetlands... they're in sight of EVERYBODY... they're not hidden away somewhere... *sigh*

No... there is NO Humane Association here. Plus... with standards as they are here, they're fat enough to stay with the owners. *sigh* and I don't own them... so I don't have any real control over how much they eat or don't.

ARGH... stupid people... they come... work only a bit... drink a ton of beer and Turkish coffee... and then expect to get paid a ton for putting in so many "hours".

I'm hoping to groom him tomorrow. :) He sure needs it. This is the horse that... if I could... I would get. He was my favorite horse since I first saw him five years ago. Here are some pictures of him and his friends, as well as a video:






^^ Closest I could get to a front view...


^^ You can see the condition that the mare is in...


^^ The bay's not doing so hot either...







The flies were bugging them, so that's why they keep tossing their heads. I'd like to make up some fly spray for them...

My poor baby... last year he had so much energy. So much life... and he was so friendly. Now look at him... *sniff* listless... dull... unhealthy... *sigh*

I wish I had one of the older pictures of him... but every time I was in his stall to groom him... he would always follow me whenever I tried to get a picture. *sigh*

Now he will barely come even come to the fence...

What should I do??? These aren't small Shetland Ponies I'm talking about... but large (16 hand high) horses... I'll go out and buy feed... but I have no idea what kind I should get... they used to get fed oats and corn (unsure of the mixture).

Could you maybe talk to the owner about them?? OFfer to buy the one you like so well??

I'd love to buy him... but I'd just have to sell him in half a year... because I'm moving in that time.

I would talk to the owner... if he was ever there... they get all the stuff done in the morning, leave, and then come back in the evening. All at times I'm never there.

But that part is my fault... not theirs.

But even if you have to sell him is six months at least you would be getting him out of those conditions and improving his quality of life

True...

Now... I'm convinced... I've wanted to buy him since I first met him five years ago. Now... time to convince my parents... :roll:

They don't think that we have enough money to pay for a horse. Maybe THEY don't... but I have around 150 dollars saved up... plus I get 40 dollars a month. And I can babysit and work for the rest. *sigh* I REALLY want to do this... but my parents expect this to be a LONG-term commitment.


And I'm afraid that when I sell him again, that he'll be in a worse home. There aren't too many people around here who ride horses for pleasure, or ride horses to enjoy them. But even if I have to ship him over to Croatia... I'll find him a GOOD home.

Offer to take care of the horses for free and try to find them good homes

They won't give the horse to me... I can groom any of the horses all I want. They've said that several times. But for them... it's not a matter of a "good" home... it's a matter of: "will this horse sell for a lot?"

It's so annoying. They care about the money more than the horse... which is why I like my own BO... because he cares much more about the horse. He refuses to let someone ride a horse if he feels like the person would possibly hurt the horse.

I'll try and sneak in some feed via "treats" (you can feed them twenty apples and fifty cubes of sugar and the guys wouldn't really care) And perhaps a bit of hay grass (there's a lot leftover in some places) here and there for them. I think one of the main problems (it happened with the Shetlands) is that the geldings are all taking the mare's hay when they're out there, so while they're getting plenty to eat... she's not.

I'll do what I can. I'll let you guys know if I've come up with anything new by tomorrow.

Any idea what would be good "fattening" stuff for "treats"? Something I can carry in my backpack preferably... yet something that would be fattening for the horses?

Just bring a bucket over a say your feeding them treats when its really hay and grain. Im pretty sure if you feed them too many treats it can make them sick

Yeah... I can get all the grass and hay I want. But if I want grain then I have to buy it. Plus... I have no buckets... :P

Here we go to the store once more!

*sigh*

There's a smaller field next to where they are that has a TON of alfalfa grass (my Dad told me what it was... I'm unsure if it is though) growing. I don't think that they're ever going to harvest it, so I could "harvest" some of that... and then go over to where they would be (which is right next to it), and put it there... so that they could eat it... *shrugs*

I need to see if it's REALLY alfalfa grass though...

Since there isn't a Humane Society there, I would check with your local government and see if they have some local laws that could help these horses.

Depending how nasty you want to get there are other options too, but you do have to live with these people.

Good luck for these poor horses.