Horse in the road

[Paisley_Pony]

We used to have a neighbor who had donkeys, mini donks, and horses. Several died due to neglect or improper handling (AC was called). Eventually, he was down to two gaited horses, a mare and a gelding. I dreaded winter every year because his animals would stand in a foot of mud with very little hay in brutal weather. One autumn a lovely older woman from a few roads away offered him more than the horses were worth just to spare them any more suffering. As she and her husband drove away with the horses in their trailer, our neighbor turned to me and said, “I guess I need to get a couple more horses now.” I nearly panicked, then said, “You know, if you don’t get any yet, you won’t have to pay for hay this winter.” He thought that was a good idea, and he never did buy any more. (I wish I could take credit for that idea, but I’m convinced that was a God-given answer, because I’m not usually very good at thinking on my feet.)

[quietann]

I saw a couple of horses staked out and grazing in Skagway, Alaska some years ago. They were well back from the road, though. Seemed to be a normal thing there.

[TheJenners]

@2DogsFarm

@ThreeWishes

What is wrong with people ?

There’s not enough words to explain

We don’t treat human babies humanely, why should we expect better of how humans treat “mere” animals. I’m feeling a little cynical today.

[candyappy]

Any updates on this horse @RemarkableOwl21 ??

[EssexFells]

@endlessclimb

The only place I have ever seen animals tethered on the side of the road was in the backwoods of China. Third world country conditions.

You haven’t been in southern TX then. Every other mile I’d see a rather scraggly horse chained in a ditch to graze. It’s absolutely common in lower income areas.

[RHdobes563]

@chestnutmarebeware

@eightpondfarm

@2DogsFarm

Sorry @eightpondfarm, theft is theft & very likely the Asshat who owns the horse would prosecute or otherwise take revenge.

Welllll…maybe if i put him in a box and put the box downstairs in the breezeway in a closet i could get away with it

I’m with you on stealing him! I catnapped a cat once, years ago, at the request of a co-worker who lived next door to the poor thing. Camille lived with me for the rest of her life, and I never lost a minute’s sleep over depriving her former asshat owners of the burden of feeding her only once a week and of having their children have to practice their kickball skills on an actual ball instead of an animal.

This reminds me of when I used to “rescue” dogs from our animal shelter a couple of decades ago. At that time, if dogs were not claimed or adopted out within 4 days, they were euthenized. I worked next door and would often wander through the kennels during my breaks. If I saw a purebred dog, I would often call the closest official rescue group for that breed.

Well, this particular time it was a Dachshund that had been surrendered. I got in touch with the closest rescue, a couple who lived nearly 275 miles away. They wanted the dog, so I bailed it out, and we agreed to meet 65 miles from where I lived.

Once we met and sat down to talk, they told me about their former neighbors’ dog. It was always tied out in back, and the couple noticed that the dog was fed and given water infrequently. So, they started feeding and watering it and making sure its doghouse was warm. Even in winter, it was obvious to them that the neighbors’ didn’t make an effort to care for their dog, as sometimes the only tracks in the snow were the couple’s.

Any hoot, the Dachshund couple had their house up for sale, and when it sold, the neighbors’ dog “disappeared” on the same day the couple left that house forever.

[endlessclimb]

I was born in Harlingen.

[BatCoach]

I once saw a steer tied to a fire hydrant in a roadside ditch in suburban Fort Worth TX. People can be such morons.

[bingbingbing]

On a trip to Puerto Rico, I saw a horse in the basement of an abandoned house, and one tied to the post of a basketball net on a public court.

[RemarkableOwl21]

I have been driving by every single day and I have yet to see the horse again anywhere visible from the road. I will definitely call the county if I see the horse in an awful situation again. I am really hoping the horse has been moved to a better home.

[EssexFells]

Small world! I mainly just flew in/out of Harlingen, most of my business was on rural roads of Los Fresnos (where I absolutely regularly saw horses staked out in the ditches, with a chain on the halter)

[skydy]

@BatCoach

I once saw a steer tied to a fire hydrant in a roadside ditch in suburban Fort Worth TX. People can be such morons.

It’s not funny, but I can’t help laughing.

[clanter]

@bingbingbing

I saw a horse in the basement of an abandoned house,

well, when we lived in Louisville, Ky we kept my wife’s pony in our basement… the garage was in the basement which allowed us to walk the pony in/out through the garage door, pony lived in the converted coal room which made an excellent stall . When you walked down the stairs you were met with a nicker, Daytime the pony was moved to the dog run in the backyard

[carman_liz]

I once said if I had somewhere with at least an acre, even if I could not afford a barn right away… I could always buy two heavy duty 7ft tall 10 or so ft wide,chain link dog kennels! I would put them all together, put vinyl around the sides and on the top to block out the weather elements, and fill it with stall mats and sawdust and it would be a damn good shelter for my lil pony lol.

[bingbingbing]

@clanter

well, when we lived in Louisville, Ky we kept my wife’s pony in our basement… the garage was in the basement which allowed us to walk the pony in/out through the garage door, pony lived in the converted coal room which made an excellent stall . When you walked down the stairs you were met with a nicker, Daytime the pony was moved to the dog run in the backyard

That would have been my dream set up as a kid! The horse in PR was not so lucky in his basement situation.

[clanter]

@bingbingbing

That would have been my dream set up as a kid! The horse in PR was not so lucky in his basement situation.

That is what the Humane Society inspector said also.

One afternoon there was a knock on our door, it was a St Matthews animal control officer. “I have a report that you are keeping a horse in your house.” Well, actually it is a pony not a horse. We showed him the setup and how things were being handled (sort of helped that pony nickered to us as we came down the stairs) Animal control office said he needs to check some ordinances and would be back in touch. A few days later he came back by to say there was not any ordinance that prohibits having a pony in your house But I need to refer this the Humane Society.

So a few weeks later once again a knock on the door, the Humane Society inspector sheepishly asked “I have a report you are keeping a pony in your house and have been asked by the city to inspect your setup”

Again pony nickers at us we come down the stairs to show the inspector the pony’s stall and how we kept everything to support the pony.

As he was leaving he commented “I wished I had a drive in basement”