A Horse Rescue Organization
Measure food for your horse. Overfeeding causes waste and can lead to an overweight horse..which in turn can lead to more vet bills. Use a scale to weigh the feed. Feeding from a large rubber bin or enclosing a corner of the stable with plywood can also help prevent waste. Optimum use of feed will result in a healthier horse, and a healthy horse will save you money in the long run.
Taking care of a horse is an expensive proposition. There are money saving tips that can ease your mind by insuring that you can continue to provide quality care for your horse, even when money is tight.
Tip: Arrange routine vet visits with nearby neighbors or other boarders to split the cost of the farm call.
Take great care of your horse. Don’t skimp on horse health care. Following a regular health schedule for your horse is the best way to avoid costly vet and chiropractic bills later on. Another cost saving benefit in sharing the farm call cost, is that in developing relationships with other horse owners, you will set the stage for buying some equipment cooperatively, like clippers.
Stay tuned for more money saving suggestions that might work for you and your horse.
And always remember, never try to cut corners at the expense of your horses’ welfare.
Disaster preparedness is important for all animals, but it takes extra consideration for horses because of their size and requirements for transporting them. It’s imperative to be prepared to move the horses to a safe area. Access to a trailer, in good condition,and a pre-planned route of escape…actually two possible routes of escape..are necessary. Evacuation experts suggest practicing routes with the trailer and making sure all of the horses are willing to be loaded with only one handler.
Planning ahead is critical, and that plan must be in place before you see smoke or fire.
The Humane Society stresses that if you are unprepared or wait until the last minute to evacuate, you could be told by emergency management officials that you must leave your horses behind.
Purchasing a horse trailer will help us become better prepared in case of a fire emergency…
Here are links to other preparedness sources if you are interested in researching further:
http://traveltruth101.blogspot.ca/2013/10/fire-preparedness-for-horses.html
http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/livestk/01817.pdf
You pass by a property every day on your way to work. There are three horses in a pasture, and they all look very thin. You don’t see any hay and you can’t be sure if there is water in a weather beaten water tank in the corner of the pasture. What should you do?
The best thing to do, according to Officer Andy Danley, a rural crimes investigator for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, is to call the sheriff’s office dispatch number and report your concerns. (In San Luis Obispo County that number is (805) 781-4578.)
If the person who owns the horses is someone you know, and you feel comfortable discussing your concerns with that person, it would probably be okay to open a discussion regarding the horses’ appearance, the lack of hay in the pasture, etc. The owner may be able to give you information to allay your concerns, or you may learn that the owner just doesn’t know how to provide adequate care for the horses.
However, if you don’t know the owner or if you do and don’t have a good relationship, it’s better to call the sheriff. Be prepared to give the address where the horses are being kept, the number of horses, and their descriptions.
Officer Danley stressed that you should not trespass on the property where the horses are kept. Trespassing is a crime and can complicate any legal case that might follow an investigation. He also stated that you should not feed the horses yourself. Horses that are starving can become impacted and can colic with improper feeding.
Taking photos might provide useful evidence but be sure to take the photos from an area outside the property boundaries.
Just because a horse is lying down in a pasture does not mean it’s in trouble; also keep in mind that there are reasons for a horse being very thin other than neglect or abuse.
The good news is, most cases of neglect evolve from ignorance rather than intentional cruelty, and when the problem is brought to the attention of the owner by an official, s/he will in most cases provide more feed or have the vet out to de-worm, or the farrier to trim hooves. The investigator will try and figure out the “bigger picture” of what is happening and try to find a good resolution for the horses and owner. Obviously, if the investigation determines that the horses have been abandoned, it’s a pretty clear cut case that a crime has been committed. (Horse abandonment is a crime.)
Where neglect has reached a point where the horses may be starving to death, officers can impound them until the legal case is resolved.
If you just aren’t sure if neglect or abuse is involved but aren’t comfortable with what you see, call the sheriff and make a report. Someone from the investigation unit will check on the situation. If the horse is starving, prompt intervention may save a life.
The primary take away from Officer Danley’s experience and advice is, it is better to report to officials, than to take matters into your own hands.