[jennywho]

A recent experience with a horse that I sold got me thinking about this.

I was raised around guns, know how to use one, etc. However, I don't particularly like them and have chosen to let the rest of my family be the firearm collectors.

Long story short, having a gun and being able to use one made it so that a friend was able to put a horribly suffering mare out of her misery and save her unborn foal. Waiting for the vet to get there would have resulted in the loss of both mare and foal and more suffering for the mare.

I know I could never shoot a predator (I don't even like killing spiders), but in a situation like that or last spring when I waited an hour for my vet to come put down a yearling filly that had no hope, I think would be different.

Anyhow, just curious. Obviously if I choose to keep a gun at the farm I will get refresher training.

[DandyMatiz]

Don't have the farm anymore, I board now, but yeah, still have it, and when move back out to the farm.. will take a refresher. As you said, not even just in case of predators (though for that, though I prefer to scare them), but in case I need to use it for "humane" purposes. No sense letting an animal suffer needlessly if you don't need to.

[EiRide]

No guns for me. I live in huntin' country, and if it came to it I am sure I could drive around and bang on doors and one of the folks in the area would come do a mercy killing in the rare event that I would need that.

[Grasshopper]

No guns for me. I live in huntin' country, and if it came to it I am sure I could drive around and bang on doors and one of the folks in the area would come do a mercy killing in the rare event that I would need that.

This. I trust the proficiency of my friends/colleagues with guns more than my own, and my neighbor works for Fla Dept of Law Enforcement, so I have options without having to actually own a gun and keep it in the house.

[tidy rabbit]

No guns for me. I live in huntin' country, and if it came to it I am sure I could drive around and bang on doors and one of the folks in the area would come do a mercy killing in the rare event that I would need that.

Ditto this.

[DLee]

We don't either, as we'd both need classes on it before we would have one, and we just seem to never do that.

[monstrpony]

No guns for me. I live in huntin' country, and if it came to it I am sure I could drive around and bang on doors and one of the folks in the area would come do a mercy killing in the rare event that I would need that.

Another.

[Janet]

Well, I HAVE one (two actually, a rifle and a shotgun) but they have not been fired in oer 20 years, and then only at tatgets. If I have ammunition, I don't know where it is.

[wildlifer]

Nope, won't have them. But I work for a wildlife agency, so lots of redneck friends who could be there quickly should I need to dispatch a suffering animal.

[CatOnLap]

no guns allowed.

[JSwan]

I think it's rather hypocritical to not have one but think it's ok to use the word "redneck" to describe those you'd call in your time of need or great sorrow.

I've had to dispatch gravely wounded (one possibly rabid or distempered) animals and frankly, it's not exactly a fun thing to do. In fact, it's quite terrible and sad; especially if the animal is in horrific pain.

Auto collisions come to mind. Thanks for running over an animal, leaving it in my front yard bleating in agony, and not even stopping. It's really a lot of fun to see the animal's broken and bleeding body, feel its pain and fear, and then put a bullet in its head.

Just sayin'. I'm not the redneck.

[vacation1]

I think it's rather hypocritical to not have one but think it's ok to use the word "redneck" to describe those you'd call in your time of need or great sorrow.

Oh, come on. These days, half the time when someone says "redneck" they mean "My good old pal with REAL country values like all us Americans used to have, gosh dernit."

[JSwan]

Not on this board. Not unless the person places it in context.

[saje]

If 13 acres and 7 horses count as a farm, then I am a farm owner who does not own a gun, and has never fired one other than a BB gun when I was a kid (and I'm a loooong way from bein' a kid - age wise anyhow ).

I'm another who has plenty of gun owning neighbors and friends, I know I could get someone much more capable than I to do an emergency euthanization (if that's a word).

[Rubyfree]

I'm looking forward to acquiring redneck status, myself.

I am not a fan of guns but have every intention of owning at least a shotgun and rifle when we have a farm. I'm sort of surprised that there are this many folks who don't have one, honestly.

[wildlifer]

Come on. These guys even describe themselves as redneck. It's faster to type than "hunting/fishing types who wear camo and have lots of guns." Geez.

[theoldgreymare]

I could not be without a gun on the farm. Aside from the possibility of predators and intruders , I think it is a good idea to have one in case of extreme injury to a horse or other animal (like the deer that took up residence near our barn this winter with a broken leg and shoulder). Hopefully, I will never have to put a horse down like that but in the event of a severe injury, I would be able to do it rather than wait for the vet while the animal suffers. I'd rather live with that memory than drive around banging on doors or phoning people looking for a sympathetic person to come do my dirty work.

[danceronice]

I think it's rather hypocritical to not have one but think it's ok to use the word "redneck" to describe those you'd call in your time of need or great sorrow.

Amen to that. The snobbery is insulting. And possibly you could just say "neighbors", rather than making a long commentary about people who hunt and fish?

No, I don't have a gun right now. At some point, I need to take the course and get my CCW (I live in a shall-issue state) as I prefer handguns to long guns and am a better shot with them.

[clue1005]

We wouldn't be without them. Of course, my husband is a gunsmith so it comes with the territory

[Gryhnd]

We've been living in the "country" with horses at home for two yrs now. Do not have a gun, have never had a gun/shot a gun/been around a gun, don't like guns/hunting, and would need ample training. Though I will say I'm surprised others also said they don't have guns. Sometimes I get the impression we are the only ones not in the city that don't have one. When we moved here, the locals (ie service people, ex-neighbor) all said we should have a gun. But it may be just their lifestyle - they've always had one, their parents always had one...

However, DH feels we need/should have one so I'm sure he'll buy one eventually. I think his concerns are protecting us and our pets from predators (human and animal). However, he should also have training.

We are off the main road and only have/know two neighbors, both of them have guns so I suppose if they were home, they might be able to help us out in an emergency, but otherwise we don't have any resources. I will say we have learned the vet services here, wrt emergencies, stink, so this is a good point the OP has brought up and something we should definitely consider, because we'd never get a vet here quickly or even at all, in an emergency. They just don't really want to come to the farm, they'd rather you bring the horse to them, and horses are not their main practice anyway