Is what this person is doing considered illegal or animal abuse??

Question

I live in NE Florida and I know of this property where someone is keeping I would guess 6 horses in a very small pasture that only has weeds.. no grass. My boyfriend guessed that the pasture is maybe 1/2 of an acre. I heard somewhere that the limit is one horse per acre. Does anyone know anything about this?

I got the address of the property last time I went by it.. should I report it? And who do I report it to?

Answer 1

Do the animals look in poor health? Just because the pasture is only a half acre doesn't mean they are being fed improperly. A horse doesn't live mainly off of grass. A half acre for six horses is small for the horses to graze on and have plenty of grass to graze on, but it's not too small for them to have plenty of room to run around. They mainly live off a corn based feed that they are fed along with hay that they are given. Different areas have different regulations about how many animals you can have. Many areas don't even have regulations on that. As long as the animals don't look gaunted, I would leave the situation alone. You could end up causing a lot of pain, headache, and money to someone who is properly taking care of their horses. You need to know what you're talking about before accusing someone of something like that. Put yourself in their position first.

For example, at the state fair I've heard people talk about reporting people who showed rabbits there, because they did not see feed in the rabbits' bowls. What they didn't know is that it is best to make sure that the rabbit cleans up all of its feed each day and that during a show it is a good idea to significantly reduce the amount of feed a rabbit eats and keep it somewhat hungry so that it doesn't get sick and go off of its feed when you get it back home. If you give it full feed at a show it will have a good chance of getting sick or getting diahrrea.

Also, the horses will at some point have to be looked at by a veterinarian, even sooner if they are being maltreated. For large animals (livestock), the veterinarian normally visits the farm and inspects the animals. The veterinarian will report the person if he/she feels the animals are being neglected or treated improperly.

Answer 2

If the horses are being fed only on the grass of the pasture, then yes, this is not enough space to sustain these horses. However, if they are being fed hay or grain and the pasture is just used for turn-out, I can't see this being grounds for abuse or neglect charges. Keeping horses locked in in a box stalls for 24 hours a day is common practice across the U.S. and is much more damaging to a horse's psyche.

I'm not saying this might not still be neglect, and not all horses can be safely turned out together in a such a small space, but what you've described is not necessarily neglect. Do the horses look healthy? If you can see their hips and rib bones from the road, then there's a big problem... do call Animal Control. If they're a good weight, there may not be anything wrong with their situation.

Actual laws will vary greatly from locality to locality, so you'll have to call your local Animal Control to get more information.

Answer 3

If the horses are thin like ribs and hip bones showing there is a probelm.
If not they are being fed and have water and such the person just has too many horses on a small space but that is not illegal.
It is abusive if they are not getting feed and proper care.
Call the ASCPA or the local Humane Society or Animal Control.
They can go out and look at the horses and see if theier feet are trimmed and if they have proper food and water.
If every thing is ok then at least you took the time to look and cared that there might have been a problem if not you will be saving some animals harm,

Answer 4

Are the horses in poor health, if not then don't bother with it. It may only be a temp pasture, as i do this when working on my larger one. i have 6 horse and 1/2 acre that I put mine on while I am doing fence repairs or other pasture work. (my horses are very nose and get in the way other wise.) you do not know what is going on in this instance, they could be holding horses for someone for short term, or they could be using this as a training pen. (I do that too) If the horses are being properly feed and nourished then there is not a problem with it. it is no different then having horses that are kept in a barn that do not get pasture time.

Answer 5

I don't even think 1/2 an acre is enough for 1 horse. I work with animals in an animal cruelty investigation team. Uhh... look in the phone book for a local animal control, and call to report what's going on there. Good Luck!

Answer 6

call ur local spca NOW because 1 that is animal abuse and 2 it's illegal to have that many large animals on such a small peice of land and... 3 horses should not 1 be pastured for every meal and 2 should not be eating weeds!

Answer 7

First of all, are the animals suffering from being in a small space? Just because there is no grass does not mean they are not being fed. Do they have hay or feed? Is there a water source for them? Are the horses thin or injured? If you believe they are not being taken care of you can report it to the Humaine Society.

Answer 8

Report it to everyone you can think of. Start with the State Police and your local SPCA. Also report to local police, any local horse or animal rescue organizations. Do NOT give up until people take action, it may be right away, but it might take a while too. Be persistant (call every day if you have to), and PLEASE do not give up!

Answer 9

I would at least call your local HS or SPCA, and ask what they think. Are the horses underweight? Do they look like they have a skin condition?

Hope everything works out for the animals.

Answer 10

Call your local Animal Humane Society