Horse Health and Safety - What We Owe Horses, Again

I'm the last somebody who is going to deny anybody the chance of Horse ownership and the benefits to the mind and soul that come with it,...but what also comes with horse ownership is the responsibility not only to give the horse a fair life, but a safe life. It doesn't mater your economic standing - you can still provide a safe environment for your horse.

This post is kind of a rant, but I can't not write something about people literally keeping their horses as yard pets without any regard to safety for the horse.

The following pictures show properties in a little rural community, where houses and trailer homes tend to crop up together, all who have one or two horses on the small property and various items and material that pose a danger to the horses who are loose on the property.

The property above has a trampoline, stacked up pipe, loose corrugated metal roofing, an unidentified pile of junk partially covered by a blue tarp, and, other objects all laying around the yard. I don't know what they are feeding their horses as there is no stacked not covered hay. The horse's are pretty lean, but not to the point where I'm calling Animal Control,....yet. The two or three bicycles laying down in the yard are horse accidents waiting to happen.

This property (above) also has stacks of stuff like cinder blocks, wood, etc., plus has an open porch with metal furniture. The dangers of a horse being chased by dogs or otherwise spooked into such objects are just too great to ignore.

What you are looking at in this place (above) is two horse stalls constructed with corral panels and corrugated siding. Each about 10 by 10 feet. What you don't see is re-barb and baling wire on the inside, wooden pallets making up part of the stall fence, sharp edges of corrugated tin, about 18 inches deep manure, nasty water bins and the two under fed horses and their flared out, duck hooves that haven't received a trim in probably over 9 months.

Can you imagine a horse, with the vascularity of the head, slicing his face on the corrugated tin?

We talked to this family several times until no action was being taken and Animal Control had to step in. I can't fathom the human who would treat any animal this way, let alone a horse.

If any of us can help someone have a safer place for horses then we done something good. Safe Journey - keep your horses safe!