A friend of mine, had his truck, and trailer parked while he ran an errand on foot (not sure how long he was gone, but it wasn't long). He had his horse on the trailer, and his dog in the back seat. Came back, all gone. Impounded, for the animals safety and well being. Reason given, too cold for them (55 degrees yesterday at the time of the incident). Neither the dog nor the horse would accept water when they arrived at the vet office. He has his rig and animals back. No charges were filed, and he hasn't decided yet what his level of concern is.
Here's what we've come to
- Thread starter Bigfoot
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Commercialfarmer
Well-known member
We've come way too far.
People try to equate animals with infants, and it just ain't so.
People try to equate animals with infants, and it just ain't so.
Ouachita
Well-known member
Unless he was parked in no parking zone, restricted area, or on posted private property without permission, that was grand theft
I absolutely get & support penalties for keeping animals in a car when it's HOT but 55 degrees? Where do they think the horse stays when it's home? I feel bad for your friend but I feel worse for the unbelievably clueless people that turned him in.
M-5
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I would still be in jail
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
How much did it cost him to get the truck and trailer out of the impound yard? Animals do get lonely you know.
OP
OP
Bigfoot
Well-known member
True Grit Farms":1ve4n9z1 said:
I've got to get a few more details. The veterinarian that came to the scene, was the only one that felt comfortable driving the truck and trailer. He caught up the dibacle at the vets office.
pricefarm
Well-known member
So the vet drove his truck and trailer to the vets office? How did they get the key?
greybeard
Well-known member
55 degrees--ABOVE zero?
shortsleeve weather even for this old fat Texan.
morons abound.
shortsleeve weather even for this old fat Texan.
morons abound.
D2Cat
Well-known member
According to the Univ of Minn a horse should be very comfortable in 50 deg weather.
Cold temperatures will increase a horse's energy requirement as the need to maintain core body temperature increases. The temperature below which a horse needs additional energy to maintain body warmth is called the lower critical temperature. The lower critical temperature for a horse is estimated to be 41°F with a summer coat and 18°F with a winter coat (upper critical temperature is estimated at 86°F). However, the lower critical temperature can be affected by individual horse characteristics. A horse with short hair that is exposed to cold, wet weather will have a lower critical temperature higher than that of a horse with a thick hair coat and fat stores who is acclimated to cold weather. Another factor that can influence lower critical temperature is the size of the animal. Smaller animals have a greater surface area relative to body weight and can lose heat more rapidly than a larger animal. A weanling may reach their lower critical temperature before a mature horse. More importantly, cold weather can slow growth because calories are diverted from weight gain to temperature maintenance. To minimize a growth slump during cold weather, young horses should be fed additional calories.
Energy needs for a horse at maintenance increase about 1% for each degree below 18°F. For example, if the temperature is 0°F, a 1,000 pound idle, adult horse would need an approximately 2 additional pounds of forage daily. It is best to provide the extra energy as forage. Some believe that feeding more grain will help keep a horse warmer. However, not as much heat is produced as a by-product of digestion, absorption, and utilization of grain as is produced from the microbial fermentation of forage. Most data suggest that the need for other nutrients do not change during cold weather. However, consider feeding loose salt instead of block salt, as horses may not want to lick cold salt blocks during winter months.
During winter months, heavy hair coats can often hide weight loss. Regular body condition scoring is recommended to gauge weight and assess horse health. If a horse starts to lose body condition, increases in feed are recommended. Conversely, if a horse starts gaining excessive body condition, reducing the feed is necessary. Sorting horses by age, body condition, and nutrient requirements makes it easier to feed groups of horses appropriately.
Shelter
Dr. Krishona Martinson, University of Minnesota
Figure 1. Horses need access to shelter and should be fed additional hay during adverse winter weather. Tip: feed hay in a container or feeder to reduce waste
Horses should have access to shelter from wind, sleet, and storms (Figure 1). Free access to a stable or an open-sided shed works well, as do trees if a building is not available. In the absence of wind and moisture, horses tolerate temperatures at or slightly below 0°F. If horses have access to a shelter, they can tolerate temperatures as low as -40°F. However, horses are most comfortable at temperatures between 18 and 59°F, depending on their hair coat.
Maybe the vet needs an education on horses.
Cold temperatures will increase a horse's energy requirement as the need to maintain core body temperature increases. The temperature below which a horse needs additional energy to maintain body warmth is called the lower critical temperature. The lower critical temperature for a horse is estimated to be 41°F with a summer coat and 18°F with a winter coat (upper critical temperature is estimated at 86°F). However, the lower critical temperature can be affected by individual horse characteristics. A horse with short hair that is exposed to cold, wet weather will have a lower critical temperature higher than that of a horse with a thick hair coat and fat stores who is acclimated to cold weather. Another factor that can influence lower critical temperature is the size of the animal. Smaller animals have a greater surface area relative to body weight and can lose heat more rapidly than a larger animal. A weanling may reach their lower critical temperature before a mature horse. More importantly, cold weather can slow growth because calories are diverted from weight gain to temperature maintenance. To minimize a growth slump during cold weather, young horses should be fed additional calories.
Energy needs for a horse at maintenance increase about 1% for each degree below 18°F. For example, if the temperature is 0°F, a 1,000 pound idle, adult horse would need an approximately 2 additional pounds of forage daily. It is best to provide the extra energy as forage. Some believe that feeding more grain will help keep a horse warmer. However, not as much heat is produced as a by-product of digestion, absorption, and utilization of grain as is produced from the microbial fermentation of forage. Most data suggest that the need for other nutrients do not change during cold weather. However, consider feeding loose salt instead of block salt, as horses may not want to lick cold salt blocks during winter months.
During winter months, heavy hair coats can often hide weight loss. Regular body condition scoring is recommended to gauge weight and assess horse health. If a horse starts to lose body condition, increases in feed are recommended. Conversely, if a horse starts gaining excessive body condition, reducing the feed is necessary. Sorting horses by age, body condition, and nutrient requirements makes it easier to feed groups of horses appropriately.
Shelter
Dr. Krishona Martinson, University of Minnesota
Figure 1. Horses need access to shelter and should be fed additional hay during adverse winter weather. Tip: feed hay in a container or feeder to reduce waste
Horses should have access to shelter from wind, sleet, and storms (Figure 1). Free access to a stable or an open-sided shed works well, as do trees if a building is not available. In the absence of wind and moisture, horses tolerate temperatures at or slightly below 0°F. If horses have access to a shelter, they can tolerate temperatures as low as -40°F. However, horses are most comfortable at temperatures between 18 and 59°F, depending on their hair coat.
Maybe the vet needs an education on horses.
Commercialfarmer
Well-known member
If it's too cold in the trailer, how many going to be fined for horses being left out in the pasture?
What about dogs in the back yard? A truck is far more air tight than a dog house.
Am I going to be fined or my dog confiscated when we go pheasant hunting and she and I sleep in the truck?
This should be interesting to follow.
What about dogs in the back yard? A truck is far more air tight than a dog house.
Am I going to be fined or my dog confiscated when we go pheasant hunting and she and I sleep in the truck?
This should be interesting to follow.
Kingfisher
Well-known member
I'd a done busted you out so we could finish taking care of business. I had a funny deal with a dog once and it's weird how them folks think.M-5":4yw8pq58 said:
True Grit Farms
Well-known member
Bigfoot":5vbuaf9f said:
Well leaving your keys in your truck makes no sense at all. And doing so away from home is just plum stupid. Who ever owns that truck is to dumb to have a drivers license. IMO I'd be pressing charges against the vet and pushing the issue to the max. This is wrong on so many issues it's unthinkable.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I leave my two dogs, Kelpie dog and BC bitch in my truck when I do shopping in both summer and winter, they love the truck and in my abscence which is only for short periods are never distressed in fact people would not know they are there except for the fact that all the windows are down. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before some do gooder takes up on my case. In my defence the car is never locked so they can't say they were locked in the car and if in fact they were feeling uncomfortable in summer they would just jump out and lie underneath until I came. I am sure I am going to come back to the car one day to a big commotion of people trying to "save" my dogs.
Ken
Ken
