Waffle Horse

[tinhuvielartanis]

Besides seeing a huge influx of motorcycles and mopeds on the roads, another mode of transportation has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity in these here parts: equine mobility! Horses have become so popular, as a matter of fact, hitching posts are popping up hither and yon. One such post can be found at the Waffle House on Highway 29 between Lyman (a town near Duncan) and Spartanburg. On our way back from Dr. Pilch's office yesterday, I stopped to do a fashion shoot for the horses hitched there.







Now I'd feel better about this if there were a drinking trough at the hitching post. I didn't see any feed bags around either. And it'd be dandy if the hitching post were located in a shadier spot. This is, after all, the Armpit of Hell in July. A little shelter from that yellow ball of terror in our skies is the least these horses' people could provide for them after the horses hauled their round primate arses over for some scattered, smothered, and covered spuds. Vigilance needs to be the byword of any animal rights advocate in these times when our fellow Earthlings are exploited by us humans in our quest to get from here to there without having to spend half a pay check for fossil fuel.

Comments

I've also seen an increase in Equine traffic

[waterdawg.livejournal.com]

No hitching posts yet though. I agree with your observations. Here so far - it is usually two together & someone stands with the horses. That is also not the best situation if traffic spookes them. The people here that are riding them are at the lower end of the economic ladder & it kills me to watch sometimes - they need worming badly & are used as *needed.*

Not a bad trend if we can make sure they are taken care of......

Re: I've also seen an increase in Equine traffic

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

I figure I'm gonna end up in the pokey for bitch-slapping some Redneck who doesn't deserve the company of a horse. If gas prices don't get better, keep your eyes on the news for my fugly face splashed across your TV screen as the coppers haul me off.

[morriganwind.livejournal.com]

Yeah...those horses look miserable to be honest. Or maybe since I haven't spent time around those four-legged criters for awhile, just sleepy and/or thirsty.

I remember saving money/working/anything to get on a horse, then I'd go down the street and see some poor horse being mistreated by rednecks. It still pisses me off!

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

That's one that distresses me about the SM Stirling books ~ his detailed description of the horses' injuries and deaths at the hands of their human enslavers. I know that's the Way of the World, but that's why I'm keen on us humans going the way of the dinosaur.

[morriganwind.livejournal.com]

Most humans anyways...

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

As long as one of us exists, there's always that danger of producing more hairless shitheads with delusions of godhood. I say it's best that we all get taken out by the Terrifying Squeegee of God ™.

[morriganwind.livejournal.com]

LOL

Yup I'm sure the Alpaca Lips will come in soon, but I would like to get at least the weekend in first ;)

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

Feed bags are a bad idea, since depending on how long the ride home is, food + a long ride/exercise could equal colic if the horse is in bad shape (which those two look it-- the one is thin-necked and its rear looks a bit wibbly, though it could be the angle, too). So I am not as concerned about the lack of food.

Also, leaving a horse near open water is not necessarily a good idea. Horses will over-drink as well, and again, could colic. A better thing would be a hose, so that the owners could spray the horses down with the water to keep their skin damp and cool, and give them small drinks before and after they went in to eat. (And during, if they were responsible, truth be told.)

[tinhuviel.livejournal.com]

All this I did not know. I'm truly ignorant when it comes to horses, but I do love them so. The one with the skinny neck was showing ribs, so you're right about it being a tad thin. Also, it was standing at an angle, putting a lot of weight on it's hindquarters. Not a good thing for long periods of time, I would think, neh?

[miintikwa.livejournal.com]

No, not at all. I don't like the angle, either, since it puts horses at the opposite of what they would naturally like to stand (horses tend to stand with their heads downhill, for some odd reason, when they can). But you can't have everything.

The ideal situation would be to bring a halter along, so you could take the bit out of the horse's mouth when you tie it-- but that's unlikely to happen in a situation like this. We used to do that when we went on long trail rides, of 3 or more hours. But then again, we were tying the horses to trees, and giving them a long enough lead to let them graze on gras, which they will not overeat from.