Introduction
Everyone knows the phrase from the great work of Antoine de Saint-Exupery “The Little Prince”: “You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.” This is especially true for pets, which are sources of great pleasure, but also a great responsibility. This is especially true for animals that, like horses, require special and expensive care, nutrition, and treatment for 25-30 years (British Horse Council). The Animal Welfare Act requires owners to ensure a suitable living environment, healthy diet, gentle handling, socialization, and protection from injury and suffering (British Horse Council). Removed from their natural habitat and stripped of their wild herds, domesticated horses cannot survive on their own. For the state and charitable organizations, caring for abandoned horses is expensive and burdensome. Therefore, the owner bears this responsibility for the health and well-being of the animal throughout its life.
Why the Owners Must Be Financially Responsible
There are several reasons why horse owners should be financially and legally responsible for their pets. A horse is a difficult pet to keep, which lives for about three decades and requires a lot of investment of time, energy, and money. To provide quality care, the owner will have to acquire several special skills (Franklin and Schuurman 920). If the owner does not take care of the cat or dog, then there is a high probability that some shelter can take this animal. Easy-to-keep pets easily find other owners or can be left in the care of public or private shelters. Unlike horses, which risk being sold for slaughter every time they change hands (Franklin and Schuurman 921). Local livestock auctions are frequented by intermediaries who want to purchase young, healthy horses for foreign-owned slaughterhouses (Franklin and Schuurman 921). This is especially true for older horses that are no longer suitable for work or training.
Moreover, domesticated horses cannot be returned to the wild or simply set free in urban or even rural settings. Horses are herd animals that require socialization for survival and a favorable existence (Williams and Gillian 28). Many other pets, finding themselves on the street, successfully survive until they are helped. However, domesticated horses run away from civilization, but cannot survive on their own (Williams and Gillian 28). Thus, they are doomed to die in agony if their owners abandon them.
The emotional life of a horse is also important when caring for it, as these animals become attached to their owners and need constant communication, care, and affection. The horse is a companion pet that is under severe resale and ownership stress (Horse Care Guidelines). They need constant riding or other work, otherwise horses develop muscular dystrophy and other diseases (Horse Care Guidelines). The health and well-being of the animal are part of the care and responsibility of the owner who has decided to buy a horse. This is an extremely highly intelligent animal with a complex spiritual world, which can experience serious emotional upheavals if not properly cared for and handled.
How an Owner Can Relinquish the Horse
Despite all of the above, people often have difficult financial, family, and life circumstances that suddenly make it impossible to keep a horse. In such a case, the owner must take care of their pet and find an ethical way to relinquish their horse. It is important to understand that for this the horse must be in good condition – physically healthy, groomed, vaccinated, free from parasites, and examined by a veterinarian (Relinquishing Your Horse). Only after fulfilling all the listed requirements, you can proceed to resale or other options.
Owners must take a responsible approach to the fate of the horse they part with. First, they can resell the animal to a trusted private owner after reviewing the conditions and being sure that it will be a good place for the horse (Relinquishing Your Horse). Secondly, you can rent a horse to horse lovers or clubs. Naturally, it is necessary to take care of the conditions in which the horse will live and work. This could be a recreation center, a ranch, or a therapeutic riding center (Relinquishing Your Horse). The main thing is that the animal is treated well and not overburdened with unnecessary work. Thirdly, you can contact the breeder or previous owner who already has contacts with other horse lovers and can help in finding a new owner (Relinquishing Your Horse). Fourth, although horse shelters are not very common, they can take care of an animal (Relinquishing Your Horse). Especially if it is already old or sick, and no one wants to buy and take responsibility for such a pet.
Conclusion
Taking care of such a highly intelligent, social, and long-lived animal as a horse is a difficult and costly task that falls entirely on the shoulders of the owner. If a person does not take care of proper care of the horse, she has little chance of successfully surviving or adapting to nature. A careless approach to the resale of such an animal can also lead to sad consequences – the horse can be bought for slaughter or used and exploited in terrible conditions. Therefore, caring for a horse includes not only care, treatment, and provision of social and emotional needs, but also thinking about the future of the animal, and a careful approach to reselling or finding a new habitat.
Works Cited
“Horse Care Guidelines.” The Humane Society of the United States, Web.
“Relinquishing Your Horse.” The Humane Society of the United States, Web.
British Horse Council. Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Their Hybrids, Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, 2017. Web.
Franklin, Alex, and Nora Schuurman. “Aging animal bodies: Horse retirement yards as relational spaces of liminality, dwelling, and negotiation.” Social & Cultural Geography 20.7 (2019): 918-937. Web.
Williams, Jane, and Gillian Tabor. “Rider impacts on equitation.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science 190 (2017): 28-42. Web.