i forwarded this post to "animal rights aruba".
they are a non profit group that does marvelous work.
a number of years ago, i went on a ride at delcampo and my horse was unshod and was blind in one eye. i refused to ride him.
i demanded my money back which they did not give to me.
re: the thin horses
all of the horses in aruba are thinner than the ones you see here in the usa.
the horses eat about half of what a usa resident horse would eat due to their appetitie being smaller due to their breed and the heat.
and
bales of hay are approx $11 per bale
(here in maine they bales are anywhere from $2.50 - $4)
the aruba horses get minimal sweet feed (beets/oats) as the import cost is high
the skinniness of these beasts is not a huge concern except when you see them emaciated.
the horses at laponderosa get 2 flakes of hay in morning, some sweet feed mid day and another couple of flakes of hay in evening. that is about 1/2 less then the average horse here.
notorious feeds their horses the same regimine.
also too, no grazing in aruba.
if they had a pasture, it'd be like heaven for them.
i vote we turn them all loose on tierra del sol or divi golf course for a couple of weeks to fatten them up and enjoy some sweet grass.
i rode a horse yesterday that was so fat i could barely get my heels in to give him a kick. the damn thing has been grazing since may!!! saw him in the field, called him over, climbed onto the fence and hopped onto his back and away we went...............
again...........a huge girth. (the other end of the spectrum too fat)
Quote:
Originally Posted by MLC512
While my husband and I were in Aruba on an ATV tour of the island, we cam across a company called Rancho del Campo that provided scenic horseback riding tours. When we saw the horses, they were extremely emaciated. Their hip bones and back bones were protruding. A few of the horses eye lids were droopy from infection, they weren't properly shoed and had oozing & bloody wounds all over their legs. When the horses were "tied up for rest", the reps giving the tours started to kick a horse. The horses weren't given any water and were eating the wooden posts they were tied up to. These horses were extremely depressed, lethargic & thirsty.
I will do whatever measures are necessary to educate and contact the public to make them aware of the treatment of these animals at Rancho del Campo. It’s a shame that an island as beautiful as Aruba, lacks the ability to regulate such treatment.
http://www.ranchodelcampo.com
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