[Katesrider011]

The past couple of times I went to Mexico (Cozumel and Progresso) most every horse I saw there was skinny as a stick or close! I didn't see many horses at all where you couldn't see their ribs! And I felt so bad cause I really couldn't do anything for em... Was this just in that part of Mexico or does Mexico just not know how to treat horses right? Anybody else been to Mexico and has seen the same thing?

 

[Katesrider011]

And to add I know the U.S. has it's mistreated horses as well, but in America I don't see a skinny horse everywhere I look. I know there's probably lots of healthy horses in Mexico as well, I just didn't see very many that weren't too skinny

 

[lilruffian]

Horses are generally treated as beasts of burden in places like Mexico & or any third-world country. Unlike horses in the US, Canada, etc, they aren't pets & have to earn their keep. Many people in Mexico (especially certain areas) are very poor & so the animals are fed just enough to keep them working.
Many of the horses are used to pack tourists around & the people who own them & care for them, again, are usually poor & use the horses for their income.
There was one area in Puerto Vallarta where there was a big string of these horses who spent all day carrying people up & down a mountain to one of the resort's big attractions. These horses had saddles on them ALL day, many weren't even tied up, just wandering around the area & when a tourist wanted to ride up instead of walk, the guys who owned the animals would grab a horse & escort the "riders" up the mountain.
I also love how on the internet & brochures for certai Mexican resorts, the horses in the pictures are all big, fat & glossy & when you get their they're these scruffy, skinny, 14hh things.
It is sad, but i suppose that's how it is in places like that, though i know there are other, more richer areas other than the ones you see near the resorts that take good care of their horses. Horse racing is a big thing in Mexico as well as Paint breeding.

 

[Katesrider011]

Yeah that's what I was thinking, we went on a cruise and the brochure made the horse look all nice, and we got there and they looked like s**t. Must be terrible lives for them to live. Broke my heart to see that... But we went on a trail ride when we went to canada and the horses were beautiful, they were well fed and well trained, unlike Mexico where the horse rolled over on my mom and broke a small bone in her foot. Only bad thing that happened in Canada was the horse tripped on my sister and fell to it's knees, but that wasn't anybodies fault, just a slip up. And my mom's a great horse rider, the horse just wasn't disciplined enough. She won many competitions she went to in California when she went to Pepperdine. I say many, that could be exaggeration maybe quite a few. But she is good none the less.

 

[Spastic_Dove]

Like mentioned, equine care is not the same in poor/third world countries as it is here. Horses bring in money to feed people and they tend to only get the bare bones minerals. They also aren't quite the 'pet' they are here so training is usually below what we would expect here.

 

[Katesrider011]

I know... I just hate to see it. I liked mexico and all, water was very pretty, just wish they could be able to care for the animals more.

 

[Spastic_Dove]

Once they can care for their people, Im sure the animals will follow.

for the most part at least. ive seen some pretty shady places in Montana

 

[Katesrider011]

Really? Here in Mississippi we don't have a whole bunchproblems with cruelty, that I'm aware of, we've had plenty of cases though and Ive called the humane society on people for their horse being so dang skinny! I know horses tend to get skinny when they're old, but this was no old horse! It was shabby and skinny as a stick, awfully skinny. But I guess nothing ever came of it cause the horse remained out there. And it escaped once as I was driving by and I nearly hit it, on accident of course. And I haven't seen it since. Hopefully someone else took it and is taking better care of it, or it got put out of his misery.

 

[Spastic_Dove]

Yep.
Some of them aren't skin and bones, but their working conditions aren't good at all. I know of a place here, but I've seen more than one across the states.

There's neglectful people everywhere

 

[Katesrider011]

Sadly yes... I know Montana is possibly putting up a slaughter house again, but the only part of slaughter I agree with is the neglected and horses that will die anyway and the people can't afford to Euthanize em, but I also hate when I see good horses go there too... But with it being in the USA it'd make it much easier to get back if your horse were stolen wouldn't it? I've heard many stories where people's horses were stolen and slaughtered and I'd hate that happen to my horse cause I've promised myself and them that they'd be euthanized. And the Usa is regulated for the most part. Canada is humane as well from what I've heard, Mexico ehhhhhhh... I haven't heard much good about slaughter in Mexico.

 

[MacabreMikolaj]

It's ironic, because typically horses in third world countries are only bone thin because the people can barely afford to feed themselves and they NEED the horse just to eek out a livelihood. They're not typically abusive or cruel, they're just put in a really lousy situation.

Compare that to North America, the land of excess, where we CAN afford to feed them and treat them well and shudder at HOW many cases we hear of annually of sick twisted freaks that delibrately starve, abuse and torture horses (or any animal).

At least they respect the animal in third world countries, as much as they're able to and appreciate what it does for them. I was in Cuba and a guy running trail rides had very lean but fairly healthy looking horses. I paid him more in a tip then I did for the entire ride because it was obvious he cared for his animals. We saw some really skinny horses in Cuba, but I didn't see one instance of abuse or mistreatment.

 

[Katesrider011]

I'll say then I wish Mexico was richer so they were able to care for em more. How's that? And my friend made a good point about it earlier, she said she'd rather see an overly skinny man working a skinny horse than a fat man working a horse that's too skinny. Cause I would think if the man was fat cause he ate alot would mean he'd be able to afford some food for the horse as well. But I do understand that there are people who can't help that they get overweight as well. Tough world these days I guess :|