Don't really know where to start this...
A few of yu might remember a thread I started a while ago in horse protection about and old racehorse on my dad's bosses property being neglected. This is that thread:
Well, Googie died yesterday, and I have to say, it was probably the most traumatic thing i've ever seen. He had been going steadily downhill for the last 6 months. Dad had been feeding him every morning, but it wasn't making any difference. There are now about 30 thoroughbreds out there now, and dad's boss is feeding the broodmares, but couldn't spare a thought for the poor old gelding wasting away in a back paddock. It just makes me so mad.
I went for a ride yesterday afternoon with a friend Brooke, and decided to ride around the property. We rode into the paddock he was in with another 5 or so horses, and he was down... I rode up to him and it was obvious he couldn't get up, and had been there for a while. He had dug great holes from scrambling to get up, but by now he was so weak he could only flutter his legs. The other horses were all standing protectively around him. I called my dad and said he better get out here because he couldn't get up and he would have to shoot him. I rode a bit closer and saw that the ******* crows had been at him and his eye was all bloody... He couldn't do anything while they attacked him, he was to weak to get up or even to lift his head by now. His tongue was lolling out and his mouth was full of dust. It was horrible... It was like those pictures you see of emaciated horses in third world countries. His hip bone was sticking out and he was all sunken, he actually looked like a weeks old carcass with the skin stretched over the bones, he was that thin. No wonder he was too weak to get up.
Well dad got out about half an hour later. He went to go check him first, despite me saying there was no point, to take the gun and put him out of his misery, dad said he had to check first and let his boss know before he did anything. But by the time dad got there he was already dead.
Argh it just makes me so mad, it's all so pointless... Dad's boss can find the time and money to maintain a herd of 10 broomares, a colt, a mare and foal, but can't find it in his heart to give his old gelding a shot at a decent retirement, or even to put him out of his misery. All he said when dad called was 'thanks for letting me know'. This same guy had a mare who bowed a tendon, we told him the next day, and he waited a MONTH to get a vet out. By then the vet said she would never recover and it would be kinder to put her down. This was about a month ago and she has been stuck in a paddock with a 30+yo gelding in a back paddock. they are both thin and don't get fed. This man just makes me so furious... And I feel so guilty that I didn't do anything. I know there isn't really much I could do without putting dads job in jeapordy... But I just feel so bad for that old horse, I've known him for about 8 years now, and watched him get worse and worse that whole time.
The second my dad retires, i'm reporting his POS boss.
RIP Googie, I hope wherever you are now is better than the hell you left behind.
A few of yu might remember a thread I started a while ago in horse protection about and old racehorse on my dad's bosses property being neglected. This is that thread:
Well, Googie died yesterday, and I have to say, it was probably the most traumatic thing i've ever seen. He had been going steadily downhill for the last 6 months. Dad had been feeding him every morning, but it wasn't making any difference. There are now about 30 thoroughbreds out there now, and dad's boss is feeding the broodmares, but couldn't spare a thought for the poor old gelding wasting away in a back paddock. It just makes me so mad.
I went for a ride yesterday afternoon with a friend Brooke, and decided to ride around the property. We rode into the paddock he was in with another 5 or so horses, and he was down... I rode up to him and it was obvious he couldn't get up, and had been there for a while. He had dug great holes from scrambling to get up, but by now he was so weak he could only flutter his legs. The other horses were all standing protectively around him. I called my dad and said he better get out here because he couldn't get up and he would have to shoot him. I rode a bit closer and saw that the ******* crows had been at him and his eye was all bloody... He couldn't do anything while they attacked him, he was to weak to get up or even to lift his head by now. His tongue was lolling out and his mouth was full of dust. It was horrible... It was like those pictures you see of emaciated horses in third world countries. His hip bone was sticking out and he was all sunken, he actually looked like a weeks old carcass with the skin stretched over the bones, he was that thin. No wonder he was too weak to get up.
Well dad got out about half an hour later. He went to go check him first, despite me saying there was no point, to take the gun and put him out of his misery, dad said he had to check first and let his boss know before he did anything. But by the time dad got there he was already dead.
Argh it just makes me so mad, it's all so pointless... Dad's boss can find the time and money to maintain a herd of 10 broomares, a colt, a mare and foal, but can't find it in his heart to give his old gelding a shot at a decent retirement, or even to put him out of his misery. All he said when dad called was 'thanks for letting me know'. This same guy had a mare who bowed a tendon, we told him the next day, and he waited a MONTH to get a vet out. By then the vet said she would never recover and it would be kinder to put her down. This was about a month ago and she has been stuck in a paddock with a 30+yo gelding in a back paddock. they are both thin and don't get fed. This man just makes me so furious... And I feel so guilty that I didn't do anything. I know there isn't really much I could do without putting dads job in jeapordy... But I just feel so bad for that old horse, I've known him for about 8 years now, and watched him get worse and worse that whole time.
The second my dad retires, i'm reporting his POS boss.
RIP Googie, I hope wherever you are now is better than the hell you left behind.