Report for animal cruelty..?

[ottbdressage]

(I apologize if this thread is in the wrong category)

I had been in a barn for quite a while where I had seen horse abuse occurring. I’m not sure how the reporting process works or what they can/cannot do, since most of it is during training and they are careful of course around the clients.

Horses are being abused during training, which looks like constant yanking of reins, inappropriate draw rein/side rein usage where they are forced BTV, bloody spur marks, regular riding of lame horses, lunging young horses for long amounts of time until they are lame. Horses are hobbled and left in small pens overnight, where they are given grain/hay/water but cannot reach it due to the hobbles. Horses are forced to lay down using ropes for “submission”, one or both front legs are tied up and some of them stay in that bowing position for up to 45 mins until their hind legs are quivering and they are exhausted. Horses with lameness/health issues do not get cared for. There is no regular farrier schedule so most horses go for months without being trimmed/reshod.

The other barn animals (cats, dogs) go without vet care as well. They are riddled with ticks, one dog can’t put weight on one leg right now and they don’t care. When they leave for shows the dogs go the whole weekend without food. One cat is having trouble breathing due to the heat and a long time upper respiratory tract infection that has gone untreated.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I am sick and tired of watching animals suffer every day. Can/should I report this? Any way to do so anonymously?

[Gainer]

Yes, you should report this. Most animal controls have a website where you can report abuse anonymously. Most are obligated to pay a visit if a report has been made.

I have to ask, though, if you see this going on all the time, why are you still there?

[ottbdressage]

@Gainer

Yes, you should report this. Most animal controls have a website where you can report abuse anonymously. Most are obligated to pay a visit if a report has been made.

I have to ask, though, if you see this going on all the time, why are you still there?

I’m not. I left.

[jvanrens]

@ottbdressage

(I apologize if this thread is in the wrong category)

I have been in a barn for quite a while where I know horse abuse is occurring. I’m not sure how the reporting process works or what they can/cannot do, since most of it is during training and they are careful of course around the clients.

Horses are being abused during training, which looks like constant yanking of reins, inappropriate draw rein/side rein usage where they are forced BTV, bloody spur marks, regular riding of lame horses, lunging young horses for long amounts of time until they are lame. Horses are hobbled and left in small pens overnight, where they are given grain/hay/water but cannot reach it due to the hobbles. Horses are forced to lay down using ropes for “submission”, one or both front legs are tied up and some of them stay in that bowing position for up to 45 mins until their hind legs are quivering and they are exhausted. Horses with lameness/health issues do not get cared for. There is no regular farrier schedule so most horses go for months without being trimmed/reshod.

The other barn animals (cats, dogs) go without vet care as well. They are riddled with ticks, one dog can’t put weight on one leg right now and they don’t care. When they leave for shows the dogs go the whole weekend without food. One cat is having trouble breathing due to the heat and a long time upper respiratory tract infection that has gone untreated.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I am sick and tired of watching animals suffer every day. Can/should I report this? Any way to do so anonymously?

If you left you should edit your post tense instead of being in the present, make it the past. Could save some confusion.

[Scribbler]

Animal control or SPCA will act on gross neglect of animals, no feed or water or untreated medical conditions, or really bad hooves.

They are not qualified to act on reports of harsh training methods that are recognizably on the continuum of accepted riding methods. I mean I see what looks to me like yanking reins, bad use of side reins, BTV, and lesson or private horses that are clearly crocked every day. There is nowhere to report it.

Focus on the documentable and obvious health watering and feeding issues and maybe those can get some action by authorities.

I’m a little confused though. Who hobbles their horses over night as a regular practice? Unless you are camping in the outback?

When making such complaints it’s important to sort out what is bad riding and training from what is actual SPCA level cruelty, and not exaggerate either.

As far as the really nasty bad cowboy throwing the horse stuff I suspect you would need video evidence for anyone to believe you.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

If the trainer/barn owner is a member of USEF or USHJA or AQHA or similar, there may be an avenue to report them through that group. They may require that you contact the ASPCA or local humane association first though - I don’t know. The USEF info on reporting animal abuse is here:

https://www.usef.org/compete/resources-forms/rules-regulations/reporting-equine-abuse

My guess is that with the exception of the cat and dog, whose illness/injury can be clearly seen, you’d need photo/video/audio proof of everything else with the horses. And supporting eye witnesses too (somebody else to corroborate your version of events). Unlikely they’d be caught in the act of many of theses things if the ASPCA simply showed up, unannounced. But stranger things have happened. Those poor horses.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@Scribbler

When making such complaints it’s important to sort out what is bad riding and training from what is actual SPCA level cruelty, and not exaggerate either.

FWIW, animal abuse is defined usually by state law, not by what SPCA says. Law enforcement agencies may work hand in hand with animal control and/or SPCA but the actual definition of abuse is usually state statue/law and may differ from state to state.

[Scribbler]

@Where'sMyWhite

FWIW, animal abuse is defined usually by state law, not by what SPCA says. Law enforcement agencies may work hand in hand with animal control and/or SPCA but the actual definition of abuse is usually state statue/law and may differ from state to state.

Good point.

My point was just that probably no jurisdiction has government officials who are qualified to intervene about bad riding, side reins BTV, or even spur rubs. Or even the subtler forms of being NQR or “off.”

Horse training is entirely unregulated and it’s client beware.

[ottbdressage]

I figured not much could be done about the training… there is plenty of documented evidence of it all. Thank you all, was very helpful and now I have an idea of next steps to take with this.

[ottbdressage]

@Scribbler

I’m a little confused though. Who hobbles their horses over night as a regular practice? Unless you are camping in the outback?

I know right?? According to them the reasoning is “the horse trains itself”. Claims it fixes bolting issues which obviously, it does not. Only other reason I can come up with is torture/punishment. They are really that stupid they think it’s a miracle tool that cures training problems. I’ve also seen them used as someone takes a flag and does the whole “look I can whack this horse with this flag and it can’t run away” thing. Stupid.

[bugsynskeeter]

@4LeafCloverFarm

If the trainer/barn owner is a member of USEF or USHJA or AQHA or similar, there may be an avenue to report them through that group. They may require that you contact the ASPCA or local humane association first though - I don’t know. The USEF info on reporting animal abuse is here:

https://www.usef.org/compete/resources-forms/rules-regulations/reporting-equine-abuse

My guess is that with the exception of the cat and dog, whose illness/injury can be clearly seen, you’d need photo/video/audio proof of everything else with the horses. And supporting eye witnesses too (somebody else to corroborate your version of events). Unlikely they’d be caught in the act of many of theses things if the ASPCA simply showed up, unannounced. But stranger things have happened. Those poor horses.

Most of those groups cannot act on abuse that happens off show grounds.

[Where_sMyWhite]

@ottbdressage

I’ve also seen them used as someone takes a flag and does the whole “look I can whack this horse with this flag and it can’t run away” thing. Stupid.

Stupid, perhaps (we may think so but not everyone will be in agreement). Being stupid, unfortunately, isn’t illegal. Animal control often can’t intervene in cases like this, but possibly worth contacting them to see what they can and can’t intervene in. In the state I moved from, LE could only make observations from public roads. If animals were starving or out of water, often hard to do anything if they were not visible from a road. That pesky 4th Amendment and all

[4horses]

If you have video you could anonymously send it to your local news including the name of the abuser in the video. But you might want to check your local laws first, as you don’t want a lawsuit for slander.