![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
glenatronAt the moment Joe is at risk of being left alone in his field when winter comes because the horse he is sharing with is going to start being put in a stable for the colder nights and Joe stays out the whole time - stabling a horse overnight is a very anthropomorphic thing for humans to want to do. Being herd animals it does not suit horses to be left alone for any length of time so we're currently in search of a fieldmate for him.
We thought we had found someone who might fit the bill quite nicely, a rescued Fresian gelding from a sanctuary who had been very unlucky in finding a set of first owners who were unable to look after him, beat him and didn't bother calling the vet when one of his eyes became so infected that he lost most of the sight in it. Fortunately he was rescued a couple of years ago and the sanctuary in question have done a lot of work to help him regain some trust in humans to the point he was in a position to start a proper riding career. We were thinking we might go and visit them at the weekend and see whether this horse might be someone we could help and who would possibly enable us to go out riding together in the long run. Those hopes were dashed today when Lou spoke to the sanctuary and they had just had the vet in because he couldn't pick up one of his feet well for the farrier. It transpires that one of his hind legs is severely arthritic, quite possibly because of the beatings inflicted on him in the past, and he will never be rideable. He is six years old.
I cannot understand the cruelty of people.
We thought we had found someone who might fit the bill quite nicely, a rescued Fresian gelding from a sanctuary who had been very unlucky in finding a set of first owners who were unable to look after him, beat him and didn't bother calling the vet when one of his eyes became so infected that he lost most of the sight in it. Fortunately he was rescued a couple of years ago and the sanctuary in question have done a lot of work to help him regain some trust in humans to the point he was in a position to start a proper riding career. We were thinking we might go and visit them at the weekend and see whether this horse might be someone we could help and who would possibly enable us to go out riding together in the long run. Those hopes were dashed today when Lou spoke to the sanctuary and they had just had the vet in because he couldn't pick up one of his feet well for the farrier. It transpires that one of his hind legs is severely arthritic, quite possibly because of the beatings inflicted on him in the past, and he will never be rideable. He is six years old.
I cannot understand the cruelty of people.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 27 Sep 2005 04:38 (UTC)When you next in Wales, go up Blaenavon way (my home, and where big pit is) then go on top of the blorenge (Where the keepers pond is). The are herds of wild horses up there, and it's anmazsing sight. If you grow up round that, you soon learn to appreciate that horses are herd animals, and like to around other horses.
Mind you taliking about anti-horse cruelty, some people can tkae it a stage too far. I remember laughing my ass off one day as my dad was trying to explain why when he saw a horse that had been hit by a car on the side of the road, his immediate reaction was to get out and give it last rites. Nice, but a bit OTT, and possibly bad if the horse was say jewish, or muslim.
no subject
Date: 27 Sep 2005 07:15 (UTC)I can understand your dad's reaction though. There is something profoundly moving about the way horses interact with people and they do bring out your emotional side very strongly. I think 7000 years (or however long it is) of mutual dependance will take a while to shake from the our genes even though they are far less essential now than they have ever been.