Showing posts with label horse farms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horse farms. Show all posts

Friday, April 30, 2010

A Question for Horse Owners


Since I already picked on horse farm owners (see yesterday’s post), I thought I would pick on people who consider themselves horse lovers.

For the record, I have never been ONE of those girls. You know the type – the girls who had horse posters on their walls, hung out in stables and begged their parents for riding lessons.

In fact, it was my younger brother who spent his time mucking out stables, taking riding lessons and going to horse camps and winning ribbons.

However, I appreciate the beauty and strength of horses. I think they are magnificent looking creatures, with soft muzzles and understanding eyes.

What I don’t understand is the behaviour of people who own horses.

If you love horses and they are considered your pet, how come you are willing to sell them when you no longer have time for them?

I realize horses live a long time – on average between 25 to 30 years. It’s a huge commitment when you purchase a horse, however, it’s your pet, your child and, as you would tell a child, if you make a commitment, you have to stick it out.

So how come some people are so willing to sell their pets?

Now, I am not talking about the people who have to sell their horses because of financial hardship. That is a totally different situation. I have a friend who thinks about the horse she was forced to give up all the time.

However, it’s not uncommon to hear about people giving up a horse because they are tired of it, because they don’t want to be bothered looking after it any more or they don’t have time for it.

And that poor horse is sold to another person and then another until, hopefully, it finds a retirement home rather than being put down.

Could you imagine doing that to a dog or a cat?

So what’s the difference?

Thursday, April 29, 2010

What’s The Point of Horse Farms?


Can someone please tell me what is the point of horse farms?

The areas surrounding Toronto are filled with horse farms. Several years ago, the provincial government of the day suggested taxing horse farms.

Living in York Region, my newspaper was filled with stories from irate horse farm owners who said their business would be destroyed if they didn’t get the same tax breaks as farmers raising cattle and other livestock and those who had crops.

So what is the point of a horse farm?

What do horses do other than give pleasure to those who own them?

I can understand horse farms that are breeding horses for racing. To me, that is a legitimate farm. But I can’t image all those horse farms I pass are all breeding horses for Breeder’s Cup or the Kentucky Derby.

I don’t believe there is a large market for eating horsemeat in Canada so unless horse farmers are shipping their animals to countries that enjoy the taste of horse, what is the point?

Does anyone know?