Deformed [Novelty] Animals - Cruelty?

[Skye]

VERY information heavy. If you don't give a shit about horses or care for any background information, skip the writing between the ---------------------------'s. I do however, suggest you read it. It is interesting.


Allow me to use an example.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD4j9__qgUs[/media]

The horse above is Thumbellina, the world's smallest horse. If you're familiar with horses, you can notice her hind legs are pigeon-toed, and she has difficulty standing up [hence why on her own website, she has numerous pictures of her on her butt]. She also has a down-ward tilt [perhaps not completely visable in the video, but search for pictures if you would like more clarification]. This tilt suggests numerous physical spinal and structural issues.

This video infuriates me, more than anything I have seen in such a long time. What infuriates me most is the stark ignorance of the children, and more to a point, their parents. Can they not see that the poor girl is pissed off and agitated?

For ****s sake, leave the poor pony alone. If you're going to keep it alive when it's obvously in pain, atleast make life easy for it. Not barricade it in a ridiculously small pen in front of dozens of head-****ed children.

The owner should be shot for allowing the pony to be subjected to this. And the parents of the children? Way to parent your kids, you ****ing idiots.


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If it was any other horse owner, this little girl would have been put down at birth. I have been around and involved with horses my whole life [coming from a family of horse breeders and trainers], and anyone else that has the experience myself and millions of other people around the word have, can tell you that horses suffer tremendously if their legs do not fully function. It's common knowledge.

When a horse breaks its leg, 9 times out of ten it will need to be put down. Horses can undergo months and even years of rehab for leg breaks, however at the end of it all, they will NEVER fully recover, and will constantly be in pain. You don't need to look up statistics to fully understand or disprove this, you just need to be in the horse industry, as my family [and millions of others] has been for many generations.

With racehorses especially, they are raced before their legs are given time to properly develop, making them more susceptible to leg injuries in the future. When these babies break their legs, it's the end of the road. Cruel? Perhaps. But I would consider that humanely putting down an animal is a far kinder option than letting it live on, faced with the very real possibility of never being able to properly walk, [painlessly] again.

I may be getting a bit side-tracked, but I realise that most of you have nothing to do with horses, so I'm trying to educate you about this as quickly as I can, to give you more of an understanding.

Basically, Thumbellina's legs are deformed. The poor girl has trouble standing up properly, and at full stance, tilts to the back, suggesting other confirmation problems. I dread to think how this litle girl faired in a vet-check.

I feel so deeply sorry for this beautiful little girl. It is obvious that she is being used as a publicity stunt, being carted around the states for shows etc, when she should be living a normal-hassle free life with other ponies.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. But dwarfism in smaller pony breeds is something that most horse breeders try to prevent, because there are so many health risks involved. For example,

1. Achondroplasia. The legs do not grow properly to full length. Normal bone growth does not occur and often develops unevenly at the joints, causing crooked legs.
- [EXACTLY what Thumbellina is displaying].

2. Often unable to rear or stand on hind legs. Some types have an odd “tilting backward” gait with shoulder higher than the croup.
- [Thankfully, she can rear. But nearly falling everytime she does it is NOT a good sign. As I mentioned before, she displays the backward tilt].

Also, mental retardation is a very real risk. Horses with dwarfism often show inactivity, unsocial behaviour, depression and agression.
- [As you can clearly see in the video].

Tell me, how is it humane to keep this suffering little girl alive?
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It sickens me to think that there are a lot of owners out there that use these animals for their own publicity, or as novelty entertainment. Some will cart their deformed animals around the countryside for all to see, not really taking into account the special needs and wants these animals may desire.

But hey, as long as they're making profit, who gives, right?

So, what do you think? Is it better to humanely put these deformed animals down to prevent them from future risks? Or let them live on to experience a happy life to the best of their ability?

I ask that you sensibly comment.

[hellsing293]

I agree, it is cruel of the owners. What ever makes money, right?

Oh, and I am interested in the other pictures at the bottom of the page. Is that kitten with two heads real? And what's wrong with the deer/antelope and the last picture thing?

[Nex]

I agree, it is cruel of the owners. What ever makes money, right?

Oh, and I am interested in the other pictures at the bottom of the page. Is that kitten with two heads real? And what's wrong with the deer/antelope and the last picture thing?

I dont know about that cat but thats pretty messed up.
And i think the deer/antelope has like an extra horn in the middle of its head?

[Mathalamus]

aw thats a cute kitten. but i agree, if the horse suffers its better to put it down. we may rule above all animals but it does not give us the right to abuse them. the bible says so itself.

put down the horse, if not make the life easier for it. and forbid those kids from going near it.

due to the poor quality of the video i cant really see if the feet is pigion toed. sorry.

[Skye]

Yes, the deer does have a horn in the middle of it's head, and the cat is real. A woman in Adelaide made the news last week becuase her cat gave birth to a kitten the same, with two faces. It's a one in a billion chance, but in most recorded cases, the kittens haven't lived past a couple of months old.

[Nethran]

As far as the cow/horse/cat go, I'm not sure I would have the heart to kill em at birth. I lived on a farm, but I never had to do any killing, so I'd be useless there, though I do agree with you that the kitten and horse probably should have been put down.

The cow, I believe, has a parasitic twin living inside of it? I know that's rare, but it's happened to people before, and they say it's painful. Probably can't feel good for the cow that probably has half of another small, deformed cow body living inside of it's chest. Guess you can't ever really ask an animal how it's feeling, though.

I've seen the dog on something before. It's a pretty happy dog, and it gets around pretty good.

[Aemaeth]

I know what leg injuries and malformations can do to horses too, and honestly, these ****s are horrible.
I've been around when a horse has had to be put down because of a broken leg and it broke my ****ing heart.
Now, on the case of the dog, the dog actualy does have a happy life, and doesn't realy suffer much.

[Skye]

You see clearly, Aemaeth.

As for the dog, I'm glad.

But I wonder how many owners are taking advantage of animals like this?

[Mathalamus]

a lot of em no doubt. they want money and publicity. such a shame.

[The Mob]

if the animal is clearly in pain, then yes, you should put it down. however, if it is not, then i guess it really is up to the owner.
owners show off healthy animals as well.

[Pamela]

Skye...*hugs*...I avoided posting til now because the subject matter torments me.
The life of the pony is a ****ing CRIME...ever see The Elephant Man? That it is an animal does NOT make my heart reach out to it any less.

PEOPLE are often treated in the same SHODDY manner...because some greedy bastard can make a buck from it.

Personally I would have put down the pony's owner....but that's just ME...

Causing other living creatures to suffer for wealths gain is WRONG in my opinion.
Animals for food are EXACTLY THAT..and NOT paraded for years FIRST before slaughtered.

Call me a bleeding heart if you want and I will get in your face and tell your sorry pathetic ass to GTFO!!!

My OPINION is PRECISELY that....MINE...I am asking NO ONE else to convert TO IT!
I am merely voicing how I FEEL....

[Skye]

I agree, completely, Pam.

I didn't know about TEM before, I'll look into that.

But Luke and I were watching something on Discovery about deformed people and there was the "tree-man"?



His wife left him and his kids moved to live with his brother. He travelled Indonesia with other people like him, and was treated like an animal. He was made to be a circus freak, while his 'agent' roared around in a nice big shiny black car.

At the end of the day, they're exactly the same as us. They just look different.

[Mathalamus]

odd. hes not chakotay. for those unaware he is joked to be the tree man.

[Nethran]

Chokotay's the man. Well, was back when I was into that. Now he has no career.

ANYWAY I watched that thing about him, too. Crazy tons of giant warts... Sad that he lost all he did, and had to be in a freak show to make money. But he's had the warts sawed off and they're finding ways to help make him better. He looks a lot better now.

[Zerobanshee]

circuses make me sick.
especially the "freak show". that kind of torment is beyond anything any other person can feel. I stray away from using the word "normal", because nothing is normal. This tree man may be the sweetest guy in the world, and the most intelligent being in the galaxy, but is known as tree man. that kind of ignorance is exactly why we have guys who display deformities for money, and get to drive their brand new cars.
makes me sick.

[Pamela]

Circuses ...to ME are not sickening. They are a magical place.with fine athletes and performers.

The sideshow...many EMBRACE this as good fortune.
Being unable to work normal jobs.

Having said this...in years gone by,often these people were brutalized...conditioned to ACT and play up any deformity.This my friends ends in little more than slavery.

Animals are only RECENTLY...gaining any rights afforded living creatures,never INTENDED to be a meal.
I agree that a few can have happy lives,but realistically it is only performance practising brings all stars to shine.

Please think carefully on what Skye is trying to show us. The owner behaviour is conducted with a WRONG heart.

[Aka Gambit]

Anyone/anything that uses someone/something's abnormality/difference/deformity to somehow make money or make themselves feel better is just wrong.