i would help if i could,but who do you choose.

sadly it goes on,Go to the new forest pony sales and you will find most go to the meat wagon.

Arthur's grown - he looks fab!

I think the main thing is not breeding unwanted horses lets hope more horses are gelded...also it would be good if people "did the right thing" with old, sick or unsound horses instead of passing the problem on and causing them to end up in more suffering ... IM also against live export now we have invented refrigeration. the unnessary suffering and crulty sickens me and im shocked at what goes on in Mexico with the closesure of the American abattoirs...

Post edited by: Roland, at: 2008/05/19 22:57

I agree entirely with Roland's point about the old, sick and unsound.

I was director of an equine charity for more than 10 years and like all such charities facing constant pleas to take unwanted horses the message we tried to get across is that if you really care about your horse nobody will ever give it the care and attention that you give it yourself. There is nobody 'out there', no organisation that can wave a magic wand and take in all the, for a variety of reasons, unwanted equines. Many people genuinely struggle when the time comes to seriously consider putting down a horse and some feel understandably guilty that just because the horse can't work anymore, they have to get rid of it so they can get another one. This obviously applies to many who have to keep horses on livery who can't afford to pay for the upkeep of a retired horse plus own another. So they jump at the chance to pass the horse to someone who appears to offer a very cheap retirement solution. Be assured - there isn't a very cheap retirement solution and if it looks too good to be true it very problably is and the horse could be at risk, at the very least ask yourself how somebody can afford to look after the horse properly on so little. For the sake of all the suffering and neglected equines out there I just wish more owners would take the ultimate responsibility and not pass the buck.

oh my god!
How could people be so cruel.

It's a lady I know through www.exracersclub.com that now runs this charity after rescuing a horse herself. She was looking for a H/W horse and there weren't any in the UK rehoming charities. She found "Shrek" and has helped rehome lots of other horses.

As a meat eater I have no right to "disapprove" of other cultures that eat horse/dog/animals we class as pets etc. I do strongly object to live transportation (of any animal) and if you feel the same you can sign up here http://www.ilph.org/makeanoise/ to make a difference.

I also agree with the comments about breeding. Too many people are keeping sub standard horses entire or breeding from sub standard mares to give them a "purpose" resulting in below sub standard stock that is currently flooding the UK market.Or at least that is what I have found from my limited experience and from the countless horses advertised all over the net...

I think that people have to take a more responsible attitude towards breeding. Stallion owners should retain the right to refuse "poor" quality mares and mare owners should be more fussy about the stallion they use and not just opt for "cheap"

Totally agree with Scotty re making the decision when the time comes. When you take on any animal you immediately become responsible for it's welfare for the WHOLE of it's life and that includes the end. Horses aren't very "helpful" when it comes to just going to sleep peacefully and not waking up... I had my arab mare pts in Feb as it transpired she had a cyst up her nasal passage that was untreatable and would only get worse. Yet even then I had people *hinting* that I was cruel and not letting her live her days out (to bleed out in a field??) and offering to give her a retirement home?! She was uncomfortable so I was doing the best for her by ending any discomfort and ensuring she did not suffer on. It saddens me when I see older horses on places like horsemart who have been "part of the family for 10yrs" etc, to be it's apparent that the owners can't deal with the end so are passing on the "problem"

rant over