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......

[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!

[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.)