I know this is not the topic of submission here either, but I can't help but feel that picture in the wikipedia of the guide horse is horrible abuse. All those straps and chains, UGH. /shudders
I'd say the abuse is in the fact that Apple hasn't tailored their products to the horse market, leaving horses everywhere feeling unimportant and neglected.
Doesn't appear to be significantly different then a normal horse harness. How do you consider it abusive in any way that, say, leashing a dog isn't? Or do you consider that abuse as well?
Blind people generally tend to be so doting on their guide animals that I'm sure the straps and chains are more than compensated by the shower of love he gets from his owner.
My understanding is that guide animals (and drug-sniffing dogs) are intentionally starved for affection and only showered with loving attention for doing what is needed of them. That is how they are kept useful. Showering them with affection and positive attention at other times actually destroys their usefulness as a guide animal. Or so I have heard.
As I understand it: guide animals are generally trained to know when they're "at work" and when it isn't. When "at work", the guide animal is not given affection because it needs to be focused on its task. This is why seeing eye dogs have "don't pet me" signs on them: any kind of affection is a distraction from the necessary task of helping the owner.
When not "at work" (usually there is some signal), it obviously depends on the owner; but most of the disabled people I know pamper and love these animals to death, and they are extremely well treated. They are simply only showered with affection in private, when not expected to be focused.
Actually it looks like it's just wearing a halter. I think what looks like another piece of tack is just coloration.
In any case this is not abuse (is he a troll or just ignorant?). I've rarely had trouble getting a halter on a horse except for one who doesn't like his ears being touched. My take is that if an animal that's basically 1,100 lbs of muscle (OK,not that one :-) lets you do something, it's not too bothered by it! Horses have absolutely no problem letting you know when they're pissed.
I'm completely with you, but this is not the right place for this discussion. Lead by example (adopt a 100% cruelty-free lifestyle) and let your influence slowly trickle out through your social network.
Well, now we're talking in terms of relativity. You're saying that it's not 'horrible abuse' because it is standard treatment, but this says nothing of whether or not standard treatment is 'horrible abuse.' For example,
The Jews that weren't killed in the concentration camps "didn't have
it so bad" compared to the ones were. But this says nothing of whether
or not overall treatment of Jews in concentration camps was good or bad.
Godwin's law only applies when calling someone a Nazi or comparing someone to a Nazi(s). Godwin doesn't cover the word 'Nazi' or 'Jew' turning up in a discussion.
