meddling in the affairs of horses

Typically, I'm not a meddler.  Typically.

A couple months ago I noticed that a pair of horses down the road from us were no longer being rotated into their large pastures and instead were spending all of their time in a 30' by 50' fenced area behind the house.  They were there all Winter, and I figured it sort of made sense, being Winter and all.  They always had some hay and they have access to the creek, but their small fenced in paddock was nothing but mud and it was clear that they had long been chewing on the barn doors and fencing.  Out of hunger or boredom, I don't know.  Maybe they were chewing on the fencing because it was salty or something.... I know horses do that, chew on wood sometimes, but I don't know much about why.  I know that I've always liked horses, but that's about where my equine expertise ends.   I figured there were probably in good hands and that it really didn't concern me.

Until it did concern me.  About three weeks ago.  When I noticed that the fence now had to be held together with rope in places because they'd chewed through several planks, and when I noticed that the barn door chewing lead to barn wall chewing.  Now that can't be right.  Add to that the fact that when they stood at a certain angle I could make out the lines of their ribs and their hip bones had started to jut out just a bit, and well.... it was meddling time.

A quick call to our local animal services folks confirmed that I was not the only one feeling concerned.  Apparently just a few days prior to my call a report had already been filed.  I watched as nothing changed for 2 days and then yesterday on our walk, they were out.  I was so, so happy to see them with green to munch on and space to roam.  Claire and I pet them and they seemed relaxed and pleased to be back in their pasture, and any doubts I had about whether or not my meddling was called for disappeared as I noticed the many cracks in and chunks missing from their hooves.

Sometimes, a little meddling is the way to go.


*I realize that you can't always judge a book by it's cover and that often there is a back story behind scenes like this.  Maybe the animal was recently sick or recently rescued... (like the skeletal pit bull mama we saw nursing her many puppies and then played with at the rest stop on our way back from Memphis), maybe the caregivers truly are doing all that they can, with the animal's best interest in mind... and so, for those reasons and others, I don't take meddling lightly.  But sometimes?  Sometimes I most definitely think it is called for.  If you are moved to act, I say trust that and act.  No harm will come, but perhaps a lot of good will.