Neglected horse????????? HELP!!!!!!!!!?

Question

i went over to my other neighbors house last night to help them feed animals. there was this horse. the horse was more emaciated than i have ever seen! they dont feed him dinner because he is out on pasture all day, but this horse is a walking skeliton.the neighbors friend said that when they brushed him down the other day and got most of his winter coat off of him. we also gave him a little bit of alfalfa hay (all that they had)and brushed him down that night. I put a halter on him and his teeth were horrible!!!! the front teeth REALLY short and the ones on the side were SUPER long and croocked. I wanted to throw up!His hooves looked like they hadn't been cared for in 6 months! someone just dumped him on them, but that is no excuse to do that! Is that neglect. Should i do something about it, what? None of us really want to call the poliece because we are kind of friends with them. we just dont know what to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

4 the horses said it all!

You need to either tackle this situation yourself or call the authorities it is not fair to let an animal suffer like that. Make an anonymous call to the local humane society if necessary...

Answer 2

Call your local SPCA. Get through to animal control officers, and tell them the address and the situation.

It is completely confidential and they will not tell the owners that you were the ones that called.

Then they can check it out for themselves, and they will know what to do and take further action.

Answer 3

they may have gotten him in that condition, and haven't been able to do anything about it yet.....think about it rationally and itf it continues you need to alert someone, like a vet in your area, they'd know who to call for that kind of thing, i'm sure they see it sometimes.

Answer 4

Did you know that if a horse is out all day on pasture that the grass has moisture content and gives him some hydration in itself ? Did you know that if he was dehydrated and only used to pasture and they were to give him hay at night that it would draw moisture from his body when he tried to digest it probably leading to colic or an impaction? However he should definately have continuous access to fresh, clean water. If you wish to get him used to hay start out very slowly, little by little so you don't upset his digestive tract. Do you know how old he is?His age could have a large contribution to how he digests his food and as to how much he is actually absorbing. If he was left out to pasture most of his life from eating off the ground the stones and dirt wear down the front teeth. They should definately have the back teeth floated. Usually a winter coat will disguise the true condition of a horse if the owner doesn't know what to look for. You should instruct his new owners how to properly care for him and give them a chance to right what along the line has been wronged. He may have a chance to have a wonderful home with these friends of yours and you could help to make that happen. Of Course if  you don't know what to do or his condition does not improve and they refuse to care for him properly contact your nearest SPCA and tell them of the situation. Neglect is NEVER ok and should be reported immediately. But if your friends have just suddenly aquired this poor guy you should give them and him a chance.

Answer 5

If you're kind of friends with them like you say you are, I would suggest talking to them about it. It'll be awkward, but it's something that needs to be fixed. Be honest and polite, and tell them that you think the horse should be fed more and taken care of differently. If they don't think you know what you're talking about, you might suggest that they call a vet to come out to take a look at the horse. The vet would be able to tell them professionally about what they're doing wrong and how to fix it. Most importantly, be calm and polite when talking to them.

If they refuse to change the way they care for the horse and the horse remains unhealthy, you should definately call the SPCA or animal control or the police. Who you call depends on where you live and what kind of procedures your city has for dealing with neglected animals. If in doubt, the police will be perfectly happy to direct you to whoever can take care of the problem, or they will take care of it themselves. If the animal is suffering, something needs to be done about it.

Answer 6

Call an animal agency in the area.  Usually the agency will give the owner a warning to fix the animal or get it treatment before they seize it.  That should be a wakeup call for this person.

Answer 7

Do you really need to ask if that is NEGLECT???  

Yes, you should do something..unless you want to see a carcass the next time you go and visit.  I would call your local animal rescue or Humane Society.  Where do you live?  

If your "friends" are capable of allowing a horse that was "dumped" on them continue to exist that way...as an animal and horse lover I don't think they would be the kind of friends that I could be "friendly" with.  What is the condition of their other animals?  Do they want the horse?...being that it was dumped and already in that condition, it would take time to see improvement.  So, rather than jump to conclusions..I'm just trying to give them the benefit of the doubt....(but not for long!!)

Also...I know your intentions were good..but a horse has a very sensitive digestive system and should not be fed such a "rich" hay if not used to being fed regularly.  And, when feeding...don't give him one big meal at once because you think he is starving...a few little meals would be better.

It is good that you recognized this and would be very honorable if you reached out to help this horse.

Answer 8

You can't help having a horse in poor condition on your property when somebody dumps it on you...but IMMEDIATE care should begin to see that he doesn't STAY in that condition.

You should be VERY careful about giving a starved horse alfalfa...they should be getting clean grass hay, a flake or wafer at a time, every few hours...You can't just start pouring grain and protein to an emaciated horse, they have to be built up.

Is the vet coming to do teeth?  Farrier for feet?  These things sometimes can't happen overnight, but it should be scheduled asap.

Any horse owner should learn how to do a simple trim, whether they plan to use a farrier forever or not.  That's especially true for rescues.

If the horse has been at their place for awhile, and is out on pasture, then they've had time to remedy this and they should have done so.  

They should be reported to the authorities, friend or not.  I would have to ask, "why does this horse look so bad" and if they said he's just old, or he's sick, or whatever...I'd have to know what they were doing for him.  Old horses do not have to look like living models for skeletal anatomy classes at Purdue...

Answer 9

well maybe someone did dump this new horse on them or THEY rescued that poor horse

talk to them before you make any rash assumptions

Answer 10

Ask your ''friends'' if you can have full responsiblity of the horse. That way you can bring him in from the rain and cold, they have got to have a free stall somewhere.  Brush him, feed him carrots, grain and hay. Put hoof dressing on him and have a black smith look at his hooves, pick his feet out if he'll let you.

If you have to chip in a few bucks then do it! This horse must have been loved once because it sounds like he's pretty good natured.

If you can't take care of him I would suggest looking into PETA (although I disagree with them sometimes) or a horse rescueing place. I wear a bracelett for SaddlebredRescue.com maybe they can help you.

If these so called friends won't let you take care of it, call a Animal Curelty hotline! Then maybe someone will take him in that can offer him a better home!

Answer 11

You should call your local ASPCA and have them handle it. It can be completely anonymous so you don't need to worry about having any drama between you and your neighbors. If they can't afford to take care of the horse they shouldn't keep him.

Answer 12

call your SPCA/animal control and explain the situation.  tell them of all of those issues (hoofs/teeth/starvation) and tell them that it seems that the horse was dumped on your neighbors, and that it is not your neighbors fault but that they don't seem to know how to care for the horse either.

this will keep you from getting in a sticky situation if the horse is owned by one of the neighbors relatives or friends, because it is confidential.  tell them that want your name to stay private...  you will give them the address of your neighbors and hopefully they will check it out. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

Answer 13

omg that is total abuse if its that bad!!animals have to always have fresh food and water adiquite protection from the winter threw summer seasons and have to be taken care of properly by their hoovs being clipped and groomed and washed on a regular schedual you dont call the police you call spca they if they take the animal will find it a really good home but if you dont have spca then call the cops but thats is horrable to do to an animal.

Answer 14

If your really a Horse Luva you would call animal control no matter if your friends with these people or not. This horse is obviously in horrible condition and something needs to be done about it. You can make an anonymous call to animal control. They will go to the property take a look at the horse and determine the best situation. I hope you do the right thing.

Answer 15

Yes that is neglect. Even if they are your friends, its no excuse! that horse needs help. Call the SPCA, police, or animal control. Get the horse away from them, and check the other animals are in good condition!

Answer 16

You should come over to help more and bring some horse food and feed them. If they ask why just say "I love feeding horses" or something...

Answer 17

Are you sure those people are the ones that allowed the horse to get into that condition. Find out how long he's been there and all the details. With extremly emaciated horse's you can't do a lot at one time....for instance until they put on some weight you can't admister the sedatives required to float teeth. It is very hard on the heart and risky to give to some older horses, emanciated/malnourished, weak horses or ones with any type of heart defect like a heart murmor ect.

Tell the owners that you saw him and are very worried about his condition. Ask them exactly what they are doing to treat him.Tell them you want to help with his care and offer to help them daily. That way they'll have to give you details.

If you don't like the answers they give then make a decision. Either offer to take over his care -- but keep in mind it's a long term commitment and will involve lots of work and expense OR call your local ASPCA. If they aren't giving him help then he sounds like he is going to have to get it from somewhere else.

Regarding the friendship between you, JMHO, but I don't want to be friends with someone who would starve a horse or allow one to get in that condition.

No one can tell you what to do but sounds like you need to make a decision which is most important to you, the health and welfare of that horse (most likely his life if it is as you describe) or your kinda friendship with these neighbors.

.

Answer 18

Someone just dumped the horse off?  Then it is lucky they are letting it graze.  Sorry but the people who own the property are not the problem.  The problem is horse values so low that the horse is eating more pasture than it is worth.  Chalk up another victim to the no slaughter laws.

Answer 19

I'm sorry but i would careless about the humans, that horse can not call for help...Call someone to help this animal, its better than watching him die...Do the right thing and help this horse.

Answer 20

Do the neighbors have any other horses? Is this the first horse they're owned? If so, they might not realize that he needs more than what they're providing. If you don't want to come right out and tell them they're neglecting their horse, you might want to  try offering some hints like "hey, my farrier is coming out next week, I noticed Dobbins feet look a really long, want him to stop by and trim them?"   or "have you tried x*x feed for Dobbin? I gave it to a horse that was skinny like him and boy it fattened him right up!"  or even "wow- his teeth are a mess! I know a great dentist" If the responses are negative, then by all means report them. On the other hand, they might just need some  education.