My horses live out together, 24/7. They have an open shelter they can go in and out whenever. They are happy and healthy, and have plenty of room to play, and gallop around. Your poem made me tear up a bit😥
This brought me to tears… well said! My only hope is that this reaches those who need to hear it, and I hope it hots them hard! Thank you for being the horses advocate❤
I'm so glad that my horses are in a pasture 24/7 until I ride them. I wish more people would listen to the words of this video and understand that horses are sentient beings and should be respected and loved on their level not the human agenda
I am so happy that i am growing up with a horsegirl Mother that always told me and keeps telling me: Its never the horses mistake. and I am so thankful that she stops me when i treat my Horse unfair and teached me from little on that a horse is not an object!
This hits hard. I was that horse loving kid, told that 'disobedience' was not to be tolerated and that the horse must always submit to my will. I look back on it now and feel sick and sad at what I taught. There are so many things I want to do differently if I'm ever fortunate enough to get a horse. I feel like I owe it to the horses in my past to listen and be empathetic to needs of those in my future. Never give up the good fight. You've made people like me realize that what we were taught is harmful to the point of abusive. You can change people's hearts and minds, if those people are open to change. I appreciate all you do for the community, even if it's frustrating and feels like things are moving too slowly. Rome wasn't built in a day, and you can't change a couple thousand years of 'horse as a servant' maybe in your lifetime... but change is coming, and one day they will be seen as partners and friends, and not just a toy or a tool.
So true! Thank you for this letter. My horses live on a pasture in herd 24/7 and use stable only when they want to. I teach my guests about horses needs with are so different from this what most people think.
This is a beautiful poem essay about horses. I always try to listen to our herd of Thoroughbreds. Many times they will come to the window of my farmhouse office or my bedroom looking for me to do something that they want done. I have always been flexible about teaching a horse any needed subjects. Never demanding as that is not a good approach for a prey animal. I raise our horses in a natural environment of proper herds outside as much as possible. Only time I keep them inside their barn is if we have very strong winds with cold heavy rains with trees & branches falling all around or during severe ice storms. Even our farm sire I ride bit-less with a Dr. Cooks bridle. I have taught horses to harness & never used blinders or blinkers on them or tie downs. I want the horse to see & hear me as were driving along. I like your videos because I`m always learning something from them even at 69! Never to old to learn new things. Horses are very good teachers. I have learned their language over the last almost 50 years albeit at times painfully! My 1st horse, Turk, taught me how to ride & was very patient with my at times lack of knowledge. Until death due us part was true for him & myself. He lived for 30 years & I miss him every day despite it being >22 years from when I buried Turk at our farm that my mother & I established in 1998. My mother is no longer with me as well as she passed in 2019 from cardio diseases.
My horse was first living in what you would call Horse Heaven with a small herd in lush pasture with a round bale in winter. There were two of us who rode him and the barn owner fed. Unfortunately the owner died. Now we're at a farm with only two horses in small field. Grass mowed rather than eaten. Unfortunately development is taking over many places and he and I have no where to go. He's bound to his pasture mate and luckily not so much that interferes with his and my bond.
I hope this gets the attention it deserves! Very well spoken- It's so astonishing how many equestrians have this mindset. However, I think we're moving in the right direction
A horse is a sentiment being. They are living soul creatures. A stall is a prison. That is reality. I quit riding decades ago. I just interact. Be with them. Visit places that horses are. Our history is ancient. Thiers with us. A fine line of life and death. A truth. Another person who shares your wisdom.
Agree, and its a heart breaking fact, that horses are one of the most used, and abused animals on the earth.They have served us humans trough historie, because of there soft nature..We owe them so mutsch more, then keeping them locked up in a small space ,fore most of their day, like prisoners. There is alot to do, when it comes to animal welfare, overall. The meat fraffic is another even more horrific part that needs to stop, very urgently😢
They are social beings. They are meant to have space not be stuck in a box or packed in a small muddy paddock like sardines competing for limited resources. And there is a lot lacking in Equine behavior education. This letter was well written and must have been a struggle - it would have taken me a lot of do overs personally due to my feelings around this. The request to learn to be better is a good one. We start wanting to know them and are filled with misguided information. So many points strike for me as I work with animals (not horses) daily and find so much ignorance that precipitates a view that is rarely correct. Mal intent is often assumed when in reality the individual is scared or hurt. Or simply not prepared to face/ do what we demand. Hopefully we do better accross the board with or assumptions being challenged and choosing to be open to learning more about those we profess to love. I am grateful that I still choose to question, grow and learn. There is so much I would have done different if I followed the crowd rather than seek my own answers. Honestly while I've made my mistakes I'd be worse off and so would my horse if I'd not walked my own way. If I'd listened to others he'd be in a harsh bit (elevator or other that is down right cruel by my current reckoning), he'd be in a blanket year round in a box stall ect.... he'd be mental. And I'd believe him malicious. Rather than what I have, a bud I've sat in the paddock reading with on sunny days, a partner on trail exploration, the horse who knows several of my dog ques, someone I trust with or without tack.... the life of the party in the paddock, my puzzle solver, my curious and playful pal that has given me so many laughs and made several friends with horses and dogs alike. ... I did kibosh the snapping turtle though! I like that he shows me if he is not well. I can see it in his posture and expression and because we have communication where I will stop and adjust or abort something we don't get level 10 explosion and a number of people think he's not having an issue when I see it. Eg Farrier- has always stood for the Farrier since our confidence building and reward based shaping our first few months. He will free stand I do not need to hold him at all. In his senior years he has some arthritis and finds it hard to hold the foot where the Farrier wants it. Just a slight head position change and expression change. He will still stand with the que "stand" but his discomfort is there. A Farrier willing to allow him to hold his foot a bit lower plus or minus some Bute if he's having a rough day and he's back to being loose and relaxed.
A pretty prison is still a prison. The UN considers solitary confinement a form of torture. And even if people are unconvinced / uncaring about the psychological impact, movement science (including pain science) are abundantly clear on the damage of confinement to all physical systems. I’ve been talking about this for decades, but what still brought me to tears was your poem’s “I still exist.” If all training and horsekeeping was focused on “the other 23 hours” instead of the one WE spend… how much better the horse’s lives would be. While my hope for a for my horses to enjoy my presence and interaction, what I most want is for them to not need ME. For their life to be rich, healthy, happy… without me. What got me through an awful year-long illness and almost entirely house/bed-bound was knowing that while I was missing my horses, I knew THEY were still having a great, active life. I want to be for them is just a few of the sprinkles on top an already awesome frosted cupcake of life 🧁
Oh my God. This breaks my heart. I can’t bare to see horses in stalls. I boycott all horse racing and feel sick when I see horses mistreated with cruel bars in the mouths, only to be controlled and disrespected by most humans. I hope one day horses are handle with awe and respect and not isolated in a box. 😢😢😢
I need a second opinion. My horse is being kept in a stall for way too long where I board him. I can't get more turnout for him, and all the other boarding barns in my area are full. We'rebringingg him home as soon as we horseproof our yard. He's going to be on 1/4 acre, and if he shows signs of loneliness we will get another horse. Is 1/4 acre enough for two horses who will have 24/7 access to hay? Any advice or concerns from an outsider's pov?
@@mialfaequestrian Yes, 1/4 is enough and much better than excess stalling. I would highly recommend getting him a friend, even if you board out another horse or get a smaller pony. Even a goat would be better than full isolation so I would plan having a friend as part as your horse proofing.
My horses live out together, 24/7. They have an open shelter they can go in and out whenever.
They are happy and healthy, and have plenty of room to play, and gallop around.
Your poem made me tear up a bit😥
This brought me to tears… well said! My only hope is that this reaches those who need to hear it, and I hope it hots them hard! Thank you for being the horses advocate❤
I'm so glad that my horses are in a pasture 24/7 until I ride them. I wish more people would listen to the words of this video and understand that horses are sentient beings and should be respected and loved on their level not the human agenda
I am so happy that i am growing up with a horsegirl Mother that always told me and keeps telling me: Its never the horses mistake. and I am so thankful that she stops me when i treat my Horse unfair and teached me from little on that a horse is not an object!
This hits hard. I was that horse loving kid, told that 'disobedience' was not to be tolerated and that the horse must always submit to my will. I look back on it now and feel sick and sad at what I taught. There are so many things I want to do differently if I'm ever fortunate enough to get a horse. I feel like I owe it to the horses in my past to listen and be empathetic to needs of those in my future.
Never give up the good fight. You've made people like me realize that what we were taught is harmful to the point of abusive. You can change people's hearts and minds, if those people are open to change. I appreciate all you do for the community, even if it's frustrating and feels like things are moving too slowly. Rome wasn't built in a day, and you can't change a couple thousand years of 'horse as a servant' maybe in your lifetime... but change is coming, and one day they will be seen as partners and friends, and not just a toy or a tool.
So true! Thank you for this letter. My horses live on a pasture in herd 24/7 and use stable only when they want to. I teach my guests about horses needs with are so different from this what most people think.
This is powerful and well said ❤️ freedom and herds and patience from humans without abuse
I thank heaven that my horses are on turn out 24/7 .💖
This is a beautiful poem essay about horses. I always try to listen to our herd of Thoroughbreds. Many times they will come to the window of my farmhouse office or my bedroom looking for me to do something that they want done. I have always been flexible about teaching a horse any needed subjects. Never demanding as that is not a good approach for a prey animal. I raise our horses in a natural environment of proper herds outside as much as possible. Only time I keep them inside their barn is if we have very strong winds with cold heavy rains with trees & branches falling all around or during severe ice storms. Even our farm sire I ride bit-less with a Dr. Cooks bridle. I have taught horses to harness & never used blinders or blinkers on them or tie downs. I want the horse to see & hear me as were driving along. I like your videos because I`m always learning something from them even at 69! Never to old to learn new things. Horses are very good teachers. I have learned their language over the last almost 50 years albeit at times painfully! My 1st horse, Turk, taught me how to ride & was very patient with my at times lack of knowledge. Until death due us part was true for him & myself. He lived for 30 years & I miss him every day despite it being >22 years from when I buried Turk at our farm that my mother & I established in 1998. My mother is no longer with me as well as she passed in 2019 from cardio diseases.
My horse was first living in what you would call Horse Heaven with a small herd in lush pasture with a round bale in winter. There were two of us who rode him and the barn owner fed. Unfortunately the owner died. Now we're at a farm with only two horses in small field. Grass mowed rather than eaten. Unfortunately development is taking over many places and he and I have no where to go. He's bound to his pasture mate and luckily not so much that interferes with his and my bond.
❤Who Feels it Knows it ❤Love and Peace to you 😊 Horseman Jo, Germany
I hope this gets the attention it deserves! Very well spoken- It's so astonishing how many equestrians have this mindset. However, I think we're moving in the right direction
Thank you for being their voice! So true. All your words. I no longer am able to be around horses. Just too painful.
A horse is a sentiment being. They are living soul creatures.
A stall is a prison.
That is reality.
I quit riding decades ago.
I just interact.
Be with them.
Visit places that horses are.
Our history is ancient.
Thiers with us.
A fine line of life and death.
A truth.
Another person who shares your wisdom.
Thank you for making this
Agree, and its a heart breaking fact, that horses are one of the most used, and abused animals on the earth.They have served us humans trough historie, because of there soft nature..We owe them so mutsch more, then keeping them locked up in a small space ,fore most of their day, like prisoners. There is alot to do, when it comes to animal welfare, overall. The meat fraffic is another even more horrific part that needs to stop, very urgently😢
Oh, Shelby! This was so heartfelt. Thank you 🙏🏾 🤎
They are social beings. They are meant to have space not be stuck in a box or packed in a small muddy paddock like sardines competing for limited resources.
And there is a lot lacking in Equine behavior education.
This letter was well written and must have been a struggle - it would have taken me a lot of do overs personally due to my feelings around this.
The request to learn to be better is a good one. We start wanting to know them and are filled with misguided information.
So many points strike for me as I work with animals (not horses) daily and find so much ignorance that precipitates a view that is rarely correct. Mal intent is often assumed when in reality the individual is scared or hurt. Or simply not prepared to face/ do what we demand.
Hopefully we do better accross the board with or assumptions being challenged and choosing to be open to learning more about those we profess to love.
I am grateful that I still choose to question, grow and learn. There is so much I would have done different if I followed the crowd rather than seek my own answers.
Honestly while I've made my mistakes I'd be worse off and so would my horse if I'd not walked my own way.
If I'd listened to others he'd be in a harsh bit (elevator or other that is down right cruel by my current reckoning), he'd be in a blanket year round in a box stall ect.... he'd be mental. And I'd believe him malicious.
Rather than what I have, a bud I've sat in the paddock reading with on sunny days, a partner on trail exploration, the horse who knows several of my dog ques, someone I trust with or without tack.... the life of the party in the paddock, my puzzle solver, my curious and playful pal that has given me so many laughs and made several friends with horses and dogs alike.
... I did kibosh the snapping turtle though!
I like that he shows me if he is not well. I can see it in his posture and expression and because we have communication where I will stop and adjust or abort something we don't get level 10 explosion and a number of people think he's not having an issue when I see it.
Eg Farrier- has always stood for the Farrier since our confidence building and reward based shaping our first few months. He will free stand I do not need to hold him at all. In his senior years he has some arthritis and finds it hard to hold the foot where the Farrier wants it. Just a slight head position change and expression change. He will still stand with the que "stand" but his discomfort is there. A Farrier willing to allow him to hold his foot a bit lower plus or minus some Bute if he's having a rough day and he's back to being loose and relaxed.
this gave me chills ♥
A pretty prison is still a prison. The UN considers solitary confinement a form of torture. And even if people are unconvinced / uncaring about the psychological impact, movement science (including pain science) are abundantly clear on the damage of confinement to all physical systems.
I’ve been talking about this for decades, but what still brought me to tears was your poem’s “I still exist.” If all training and horsekeeping was focused on “the other 23 hours” instead of the one WE spend… how much better the horse’s lives would be.
While my hope for a for my horses to enjoy my presence and interaction, what I most want is for them to not need ME. For their life to be rich, healthy, happy… without me.
What got me through an awful year-long illness and almost entirely house/bed-bound was knowing that while I was missing my horses, I knew THEY were still having a great, active life. I want to be for them is just a few of the sprinkles on top an already awesome frosted cupcake of life 🧁
idk who you are but this was put on my feed and im crying ...thank you may it be seen by many. Being and doing to much yet never enough. So sad
Oh my God. This breaks my heart. I can’t bare to see horses in stalls. I boycott all horse racing and feel sick when I see horses mistreated with cruel bars in the mouths, only to be controlled and disrespected by most humans. I hope one day horses are handle with awe and respect and not isolated in a box. 😢😢😢
I need a second opinion. My horse is being kept in a stall for way too long where I board him. I can't get more turnout for him, and all the other boarding barns in my area are full. We'rebringingg him home as soon as we horseproof our yard. He's going to be on 1/4 acre, and if he shows signs of loneliness we will get another horse. Is 1/4 acre enough for two horses who will have 24/7 access to hay? Any advice or concerns from an outsider's pov?
@@mialfaequestrian Yes, 1/4 is enough and much better than excess stalling. I would highly recommend getting him a friend, even if you board out another horse or get a smaller pony. Even a goat would be better than full isolation so I would plan having a friend as part as your horse proofing.
I agree, please get him a friend, horses belong to a herd not to be left alone, they get depressed !!
Powerful and sad. Maybe it will change a heart or two.🌈🌻
im glad my horses are 24/7 turnout. they have access to there stalls and free choice hay but only get locked in if they are hurt
I F***ing love you! greetz from Berlin DE
Can I share this?
@@geraldinethebrownequestrian yes absolutely! The link is shareable :)