FORBID THE PONY RIDES AND ABUSES ON WORKING ANIMALS!

Is this really supposed to be fun making horses walk around in circles all day????

http://www.peta.org/MC/NewsItem.asp?id=8989

"...Ocracoke Island, N.C. - This morning, PETA sent an urgent plea to District Attorney Seth Edwards urging his office to vigorously prosecute Daniel Anderson, a former employee of an Ocracoke Island pony-ride operation. Anderson faces felony charges stemming from a July incident in which he allegedly whipped and punched a pony in the face because the animal refused to walk around a mud puddle. Anderson is scheduled to face these charges in court this Wednesday, September 20..."

http://www.peta.org/feat_state_county_fairs.asp

"...Pony Rides
Tethered tightly to turnstiles and forced to plod in endless circles, ponies can suffer from hoof ailments and are often left sore and chafed from ill-fitting equipment. Ponies are not protected by the federal Animal Welfare Act, and when local or state authorities fail to intervene, the outcome could be fatal..."

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Animal-Rights-2716/Pony-Rides-LA.htm

"...The "trot" lanes had small ponies and larger ponies together...they load the ponies, then two teenage, gangbanger types are paid to run after them, smacking the slower ponies from behind with leather straps...yes I am aware this is not a life threatening procedure, but it looks awful, and it causes the ponies to take off fast, throttling the riders back and forth in the saddle..very uncomfortable for the ponies. ALL the ponies are ions behind in hoof trimming...manure and mud is caked around their legs/feet...poor hair condition and listlessness means poor feed quality...ribs and hip bones sticking out means low feed quantity...There is just no excuse for this in our time...the city wont listen, I have personally written PETA and other local animal organizations...PETA stated that is not a problem they deal with (yes, their exact words) and no one else seems to be interested either. Most have the same excuse..."as long as there is food/water/shelter we can do nothing. Can you help me find an organization that can do something? I dont think what they are doing is wrong, since I have experienced many pony rides, petting zoos, etc and when the animals are rested, fed properly, etc...it is a pleasant experience. This particular vendor is not, and needs to be..."

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http://www.circuses.com/domestic.asp

"...In 1998, eight severely malnourished ponies used for pony rides by Sterling & Reid Circus were confiscated by authorities from a filthy trailer. The operators were charged with cruelty to animals.
 In 2000, the owner of a pony ride operation and petting zoo was charged with 39 counts of cruelty to animals after more than 300 animals, including two horses who were in such a weakened state that they had to be euthanized, were seized from his New York home.
 Also in 2000, authorities in St.Tammany Parish, Louisiana, found 10 horses, who had been used for pony rides at parties, abandoned without water, food, or shelter and in need of veterinary care. One horse had recently died, and another had been reduced to skeletal remains, according to authorities.
 Once they are no longer useful, these exhausted ponies, who have been dominated and deprived their entire lives, are typically sent to slaughter or abandoned..."

LET US MAKE A SUMMARY HERE:

1. Pony rides set up a bad example to the children as far as animal welfare and respect is concerned! education for those values must start from the early stages in life.
2. Running around in circles for hours, without beeing able to lie down, scratch themselves, drink water, eat, or even rest is pure cruelty towards a very intelligent animal: whatever the vendors say on it!
3. Many animals are mistreated and beat at, and malnourished, and at the end of their lives: abandoned and executed. 

WHAT WE WANT:

WE WANT THE PONY RIDES TO BE FORBIDEN FOR GOOD!

Specially when we consider that there are alternatives: ponies made out of synthetic materials!

Thank you for your attention.

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%u3000 WE OWE HIM THIS PETITION EVER SINCE CHILDHOOD...