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Want to comment on a H&R article or share your thoughts? Drop a line to Letters Editor Megan Xavier-Witherington
RUGGING RUT
I think many horsey people are guilty of judging too quickly, especially when it comes to what other people are doing with their horses, and I wish it’d stop. Of course if there’s a welfare concern (for example, a skinny, clipped pony out in the cold without a rug and shivering) then you should mention something to the owner or yard owner to ensure the horse’s wellbeing. But in my experience people are too quick to offer their unwanted, sometime incorrect, opinions.
My horse has a skin condition and needs a lightweight waterproof rug in the field, but I’ve lost count of the times on warm days I’ve been told I’m being cruel. People rarely take the time to ask why he has the rug on before they comment, then scuttle off embarrassed when I tell them.
So, if you’re considering giving a fellow owner advice, please talk to them tactfully and make sure you understand the situation before you wade in and offend someone. You might learn something!
Olivia
Easom,
via
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