Ann Romney = Animal Abuser

[riderinthestorm]

108. I should not generalize but most Amish view their horses like tires

with about as much compassion as we feel about replacing an old worn out tire.

My husband's guilty horse pleasure is the big draft horse teams. We spend a couple of days in the spring and fall at the Topeka draft horse auction near Shipshewana Indiana. Amish country in the strictest sense. We stay with the Amish (you can do this if you "know" the right people).

Lame horses, skinny malnourished horses, terrible farrier work, parasite ridden barely broke crazy horses, dangerous rogues literally harnessed in the equine equivalent of a ball and chain... the Amish are no friend to livestock. They look at them far, FAR differently than you and I. There's a reason Amish puppy mills are notorious globally - they just don't "see" animal welfare. They've never been taught that.

We've broke my second daughter's first pony (a 12.2h Shetland Welsh cross) to a harness and cart. She's so much fun to drive. My husband's driven many draft horse teams and dreams of owning a pair himself someday when he retires (snort). I think I can honestly say one of the highlights of his life was driving a pair for an elderly friend (shout out to the late Ed Hohman) at the annual Baraboo Wisconsin Circus Parade. Our old friend didn't think he could do justice to his fine team and asked my husband to drive them that year.