Karl Hansen Reistrup (Danish,1863–1929), A Farmer Preparing his Horsedrawn Cart (1918)

@francesjka Hear, hear! I agree with you on all points. Human beings are animals, and we have much in common with other animals. We should respect them and treat them kindly; they are more worthy of our respect and kindness than some of our fellow humans.

Hello Bluebonnet and thank you for this lovely old world painting. Frankly, I see no animal abuse here; in the days before cars, people did use animals for transport of large heavy items and to work on the farms however, the owners loved their animals, treated them as part of the family, and in the worse weather, actually moved them from the barn to the inside of their homes.

To me, animal abusers are business breeders who are continuously breeding more and more animals, especially dogs and cats, when there is an overpopulation right now and some people actually abandon their older pets out on the freeway so that they can go to a breeder and buy a some cute little puppy for a huge amount of money.

Another abuse are people who dress their dogs up in designer clothes and wheel them around the
malls in baby carriages - some even coloring their hair or giving them curly perms. There are other examples, such as declawing their cat's nails (which is very painful and an important defense for cats), so that they can have, what they call, a "house cat".

The actual truth is animal abuse today is just another form of making big money but has nothing to do with the history of the farmers and the old traditions that were real forms of survival.

The old world paintings listed on Jidigi depict the traditions of another time set in the past, and I certainly do hope we continue to see these very beautifully executed works of art in the future.
I do not believe we should need to defend a Work of Art but can accept it in whatever form and time it was created.

Thanks, Jenn.

This is a lovely painting Blue.

@Plumpossum, I think this painting shows two old souls. It's pretty clear that the horse, at least is old. It's coat is shiny, it's hooves are cared for and it doesn't look skinny or malnourished to me. Do animal abusers deserve the torture they inflict on innocent animals? Absolutely, but I see no evidence of any of that in this painting, and it IS a painting, from a hundred years ago! Life was very different then. I imagine the gentleman in this painting earned his living delivering water. Something he couldn't do without the help of a horse. That doesn't mean it was abused. Try to see the beauty in life, there is much to see. xx jenn

Thank you for your support! :-)

Thank you Blue for posting this wonderful painting. As you may remember I grew up on a cattle farm with horses, both for work and pleasure. This painting brings back many fond memories of that era. I love animals of all makes, shapes, sizes, colors and other ilk. One thing we all agree on is that animal abuse is dispicable on all levels. I look forward to more of your excellent offerings. Thumbs up girl.

Thank you, Bluebonnet. However, please forgive me if I feel a need to expose maltreatment of animals -- whether actual or otherwise. Animals cannot speak for themselves; we are extremely remiss if we do not take up the cudgel for them.

@Plumpossum I am an animal lover. I agree that people who abuse animals deserve to fry in hell. I would never post a puzzle that seemed to accept or condone animal abuse. But this painting does not do that. AND IT IS JUST A PAINTING. IT'S MAKE-BELIEVE. IT IS NOT EVIDENCE OF ANIMAL ABUSE. NO ANIMAL WAS HARMED IN THE CREATION OF THIS PAINTING OR THIS PUZZLE. Oops, my caps lock seems to have gotten stuck. I'm always turning it on by accident. Please, Plumpossum, save your energy for protesting and alleviating actual abuse. Badgering other Jigidi users because of what you think you see in their puzzles is not a productive use of your time.

If wanting animals' owners to take reasonable care of them puts me in an "idealistic world" I plead guilty. Ignorance and neglect have produced far too much suffering and death among animals that have no recourse. I once knew a horse owner who occasionally tossed a dried-up ear of corn to his horse, but nothing else. People like that deserve to fry in hell. It is NOT "idealistic" to expect a reasonable standard of care for for the animals that serve us; it is simple humanity.

And thank you, @jigszag !

Plumpossum@ seems to live in an idealistic world. There is no such place. The horse depicted here is old. It's coat is glossy and it's hooves have been well maintained. It is not malnourished of abused. It pulls a water wagon, usually used by farmers for the delivery of fresh water to other livestock/crops. This is not a live scene. It is a painting, for crying out loud, and a very well done painting I might add. Appreciate it for what it is. Do not demean it for what you perceive it is not.

Thank you, @wolpow !

Wonderful painting!

Malice was not what I attributed to the owner of this animal. It was more like ignorance and neglect. If the farmer was situated well enough to take adequate care of the animal, I can think of no valid excuse for not doing so. If he was too poor to give the horse enough food, then why does he have a horse to begin with? Simple humanity would suggest that he either feed it adequately or give/sell it to someone who can care for it. Animals suffer (uncomplainingly, I would note) far too much at the hands of their owners.

@Plumpossum This is at least the second time you've remarked on the underfed appearance of a horse in a painting I've posted. First of all, this is a painting, not a photograph documenting an actual event. Second, to my (admittedly uneducated) eye, this horse looks swaybacked but not skeletal. Third, all of the paintings I post are from a hundred years ago or more and all of the people in those you've commented on appear to be quite poor. Their horses presumably lived on what they could graze. Their owners were probably not eating well themselves. I don't see any reason to attribute malice to the owners. Do you, really?

This farmer should have his horse removed from his obviously inadequate care and get a dose of the starvation he has inflicted on the obedient and uncomplaining animal.