Madi’s Horse Lessons

12/02/2025

12/02/2025

The horse industry and its attempt to rebrand irresponsible animal ownership as… something else.

Every year I see elderly and/or lame horses being offered for “free to good home” on the sales websites.

Every year, I see riders rehoming “heart horses” because they “can’t keep a horse that they can’t ride.”

The unrideable horse is often an unwanted horse.

Even the people who’ve had the horse for years and gotten to know their personality often still don’t have it in their hearts to keep them when something results in the horse no longer being suited to riding.

“Horses are expensive!”

“A lot of people can’t afford to pay for a horse that can’t be ridden and still get a riding horse.”

Excuses are made to downplay what it actually means for horses to be discarded at the rate that they are when they can no longer be ridden.

But no excuse changes the reality.

We already have an unwanted horse problem.

Too many horses, not enough homes.

Unrideable horses and horses in their senior years are even less “desirable” when they’re pawned off by the very people who should be caring for them at their most vulnerable.

It isn’t responsible animal ownership to discard animals when they no longer serve you and when they’re even harder to find long term homes for.

There are not enough willing retirement homes out there to accommodate the number of horses being discarded.

Yet, we see this continue to happen at a high rate because it’s easier for people to hang onto the illusion of giving a horse away to a better home than it is for them to make a final responsible decision and euthanize to ensure the horse doesn’t end up somewhere poor.

Because euthanizing the unrideable horse is a far clearer admittance that the person would rather end a life so they can get a rideable horse than pay for the retirement.

It feels a lot more icky.

But, it’s a more responsible decision than giving your vulnerable horse away.

Because if you don’t have it in your heart to retire and care for the horse you already know, the odds of a stranger doing it are slim.

And these types of horses are most “valuable” when sold at auction. Often for meat.

This attitude isn’t justified or accepted with virtually any other animal.

If I tried to give my dog away when hits her senior years and said that it was because I couldn’t have two dogs and that I wanted a young puppy who could do more, people would lose it.

And rightfully so.

Ironically, many of the people who would see an issue with that are the same who may defend the same actions when seen with horses.

There’s a disconnect between how horse people perceive actions relating to horses, simply because “they’re expensive.”

But we need to have this discussion.

Because, ultimately, if many horse people care more about riding than they do the horses that they have, they’re better suited leasing or taking lessons than they are owning.

You shouldn’t take on a horse to own if you aren’t prepared to pay for the horse into retirement or euthanize them if you refuse to care for them when they’re vulnerable.

Few people may find the miracle retirement home when giving these horses away but there are not enough of these homes and any rescues that frequent auctions can attest to that.

So, examine what your actions say about you.

You knew the expense of the horse when you got it.

No longer being rideable often does nothing to change the cost.

The only thing that’s changed is the use of the horse.

If their value depletes to the point where you no longer want to pay for their care, simply because you cannot ride them…

Well, that does expose where priorities lie.

And it shows a greater love for riding than it does for the horse.

If hearing that makes you feel angry and you don’t feel it represents you, reexamine your actions if you’re still defending this type of behaviour.

12/01/2025

11/30/2025

Donkeys are NOT livestock guardians!

One question I get asked frequently during both experiences and Introduction to Donkey Ownership classes is some variation of "I heard donkeys are great at protecting livestock, is that true?" In a word, NO. I know this may offend some people who use donkeys as livestock protection, but please, just hear me out.

The first thing to realize is that, although donkeys can be fairly large, they are still prey animals. It is not fair to expect a prey animal to defend not only themselves, but other entirely seperate species, from fierce predatory animals, including mountain lions, feral dogs, bears, wolves, or coyote packs. They DO get preyed upon in the wild, as documented in some wild herds where the BLM has found donkeys killed by mountain lions. And that is just speaking of standard sized donkeys, so miniature donkeys are even more vulnerable.

The second thing to realize is that most donkeys do not care one iota about defending your chickens, goats, sheep, cows, horses, etc. from predators. Donkeys are NOT protective- what they CAN be, however, is territorial. This means that they often will chase animals out of "their" area- typically using their teeth to bite and front feet to stomp as they attempt to force the invader out of their territory. Unfortunately, many donkeys can also be territorial towards the small animals they are intended to protect, often with serious injuries or even death as a result. I personally have seen and heard of donkeys, both my own and clients', chasing and attacking chickens, goats, pet dogs, pigs, alpacas, and sheep, for a start.
Some donkeys aren't even territorial- I have several clients who have reported their donkeys watching as coyotes strolled right through the donkeys' paddock, sometimes even stealing toys right out from under the donkeys' noses!

It is so disheartening to see some people advertising their more shut-down and unfriendly donkeys as "great guardians!" This is setting the donkey up for a life of neglect. First, donkeys should never be a solo equine, yet many people who want donkeys as guardians have a mistaken notion that keeping a single donkey will allow it to bond with their smaller livestock and encourage it to protect them. Being kept as a lone equine is horrible for donkeys' mental well-being, as they are extremely social animals. SOME donkeys do okay with a horse, pony, or mule as a companion,but most honestly prefer the company of other donkeys.

Second, passing an unfriendly and untrained animal along as a "guardian," and then setting it loose in a large area pretty much guarantees that animal will revert to feral, and will be extremely hard to handle for routine care such as hoof trims, vet exams, and teeth floating. This means that often these basic needs will be neglected, leading to pain and discomfort. Also, most livestock are grazed on grass pastures, which is the worst diet for a donkey, setting them up for metabolic issues, obesity, and potentially painful hoof issues. It is unfair to the donkey in every way, and lowers their value to just a "thing" to help the more important, valuable livestock survive, without regard to the donkey's well-being.

If a person has an issue with predators, then the best course of action is to get an animal specifically bred and trained for the purpose of guarding livestock- there is a whole category of large breed dogs known as Livestock Guardian Dogs- ie LGDs, which include Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherds, and Komondors, as well as others. This is 100% the recommended route for anyone with this issue, and is much more reliable than a donkey. Obviously, these breeds require proper care and training, so as always, do adequate research first!

So please, before getting a donkey to protect your livestock, do research first. Most of the reputable donkey education sites, rescues, and donkey advocates are very vocal that donkeys DO NOT make good livestock guardians! Feel free to check out The Donkey Sanctuary, Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, Hee-Haw Halfway House, BRAY Club for more information and articles regarding the misuse of donkeys as livestock protectors.

11/26/2025

11/17/2025

A lovely morning at the outdoor arena! A few of our VCA kiddos are wrapping up their semester. For their last lesson, we loaded horses and hit the road just for fun! These kiddos have come so far in our horsemanship class! Hats off to a great semester… and, of course, we couldnt do any of this without the most patient and loving horses 🤠🐴