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I was visiting my brother in Florida and he wanted to go riding. We found a place near his house that was taking donations for long trail rides on their rescued horses. When I spoke to the girl on the phone (lets call her Jane), she really seemed to love the horses, and sounded very dedicated.
When I got there, the paddocks had a lot of garbage in them. No shelter for the horses from the sun, except one tree in one of the two paddocks.
The horse they tried to put me on had a wither problem (looked like 2 humps, I've never seen that before), the lady who tacked her refused to use extra padding, her front left leg was swollen, and they shot her up with bute after she had been tacked. She was a mid-twenties OTTB that hadn't been ridden in a month. Needless to say, I didn't get on. I walked her down the road to let her graze for a bit, her left front leg was dragging on the ground (prob a shoulder injury too).
The horse my brother rode couldn't be bridled until my brother was sitting on him (he takes the bridle off), and was just a really dangerous horse to ride. He and Jane's friend left to ride, and my brother said they did full speed gallops 5 or 6 times, and the horse kept dropping his head while running. It sounded so dangerous.
I don't know what the laws are in Florida, and although Jane seemed to have good intentions, I have no idea of knowing if any of these decisions were hers (she wasn't there).
They advertise that they have beginner safe horses and they bring some of these horses to do Pony Parties for kids.
I think I'm going to report them, but I'm not sure if they're technically breaking any laws. I'd hate to see that poor old girl being ridden by someone and being in even more pain.
Thoughts?
When I got there, the paddocks had a lot of garbage in them. No shelter for the horses from the sun, except one tree in one of the two paddocks.
The horse they tried to put me on had a wither problem (looked like 2 humps, I've never seen that before), the lady who tacked her refused to use extra padding, her front left leg was swollen, and they shot her up with bute after she had been tacked. She was a mid-twenties OTTB that hadn't been ridden in a month. Needless to say, I didn't get on. I walked her down the road to let her graze for a bit, her left front leg was dragging on the ground (prob a shoulder injury too).
The horse my brother rode couldn't be bridled until my brother was sitting on him (he takes the bridle off), and was just a really dangerous horse to ride. He and Jane's friend left to ride, and my brother said they did full speed gallops 5 or 6 times, and the horse kept dropping his head while running. It sounded so dangerous.
I don't know what the laws are in Florida, and although Jane seemed to have good intentions, I have no idea of knowing if any of these decisions were hers (she wasn't there).
They advertise that they have beginner safe horses and they bring some of these horses to do Pony Parties for kids.
I think I'm going to report them, but I'm not sure if they're technically breaking any laws. I'd hate to see that poor old girl being ridden by someone and being in even more pain.
Thoughts?