Tuesday, February 19, 2008

$3500 unsound f'ed up three year old, anyone?

This is just a sad tale.

Go to the ad to see the pictures (blech!) but here's the text. These folks are getting out of breeding - HALLELUJAH! - of course not until after they've produced God-only-knows how many HYPP positive f'ed up legged horses with no future. But at least they are getting out! My comments in blue, as usual.

"Valentine Be Cool has that pleasing blood-bay color with a profile enhanced by a tremendous top-line. The pictures say it all! Valentine would have made a great show horse. If we hadn't f'ed up her legs and/or if she hadn't suffocated to death having a HYPP attack. She got off to a good start by winning at the Iowa Futurity as a weanling as evidenced by the picture above. F'ing up her legs was totally worth it, she won a futurity! Certainly had a lot of compliments about her at the show. Bet you haven't heard many lately. Then, she started growing so fast that she developed contracted tendons in her front legs. Yes, that happens ONLY because they grow so fast. This is why it happens ALL THE TIME with warmbloods and TB's that are going to top out at 17-18 hands, right? (Yes, I'm dripping with sarcasm when I say that) Supposedly, she had been on and continued on the best feed program available, grooming her for the futurity. Bet you're still using that same feeding program. Wanna bet? Working with equine nutritionists, we tried to retard her rate of growth. (She reached 16 hands before reaching two years of age.) So did one of my OWN horses. His legs are fine. Finally, last fall, we decided to cut her tendons to relieve the contraction. My head hurts. In our opinion, she is about 85% normal now. Yeah, those pics look 85% normal. And I am 85% similar in appearance to Natalie Portman. We started training her earlier this summer, saddling, driving, etc. Thought we would train her just for some easy trail-riding, nothing hard and strenuous. What about those forelegs made you think she could/should EVER bear weight? We had other horses to train, so we put her on the back burner and didn’t continue with our plan. She could be used for trail-riding, but at this time we are advertising her as “broodmare sound.” Translation: We don't think we damaged her uterus! Valentine could be a great broodmare for halter and performance. She certainly has the size, pretty and profile. Plus, a great disposition! She has three siblings who are 16 hands or will be. Her yearling sibling, a bay colt, Splash Be Cool, for sale, with the same striking profile, stands 15-1, weighs close to 1100 pounds, and NO leg problems. No fancy, expensive feed, either. Just ate with the broodmares and after weaning got oats, minerals, and alfalfa hay. This summer, oats was substituted with a pelleted grain ration. Still no leg problems. Go figure!! Go figure nothing, perhaps eating with the broodmares instead of having ridiculous amounts of grain pumped into him was actually a good idea? Do you think? If we weren’t retiring from the horse business, we certainly would keep her for a broodmare. Well thank God you are, maybe someone else will have better sense than you do and won't breed her genetically defective, HYPP positive self! We reflect on a broodmare, Skipa Tuff Miss, we had that had won the Minnesota Futurity thirty years ago and later developed similar front leg problems. Been f'ing up horses legs for 30 years huh? Maybe that should be your farm slogan! She went on and became our matriarch and produced many foals who later sold for $10,000 to $20,000. Hobbling all the way. In fact, we turned down $75,000 for her first foal, Skippa Splash, when he was ten years old. FYI, Skippa Splash is the maternal great grand-sire to Valentine and she also goes back to Skipa Tuff Miss on both the top and bottom sides of her pedigree. So, don’t be reluctant to purchase Valentine for a broodmare. Because even if she hobbles around in agony for life, she'll put money in your pocket! The leg problem is not an inherited characteristic. It’s usually nutritional and pushing them too fast. And you admit to that. Awesome. Having raised close to 500 babies during forty years, experience has taught us that pushing them can have negative results. Enough said. It took thirty years to learn this? And too bad experience hasn't taught you not to breed HYPP positive horses that are going to suffocate to death! Chances are that you don’t have as pretty profiling mare in your barn because looks are everything and who gives a shit if they can trot, so don’t hesitate another minute and contact us. You will be glad you did. She certainly is priced fairly. Are you smoking crack? Oh, by the way, if you haven’t guessed already, she was born on Valentine’s Day. I just found out that her HYPP status is NH. I was sure that she was NN. Her two full siblings are NN. Because I am such a goddamn idiot I refuse to accept that the only way to get NN's for sure is BREED TWO NN's and not play the goddamn HYPP lottery!!! If I haven't sold her by mid-February, I will breed her to a 17-2 hand huntseat stallion, who is also registered with the American Warm Blood Association. 'Cause they don't care about HYPP status! She will then be offered for sale, but at a higher price. Bet she'll be even lamer with a baby in her belly, too! Also, we have others on this website and more to come, so please check them out. Just click on “more by this seller.” WIND’S REACH QUARTER HORSES cell 952-212-7661 home 952-892-6370. Lakeville, MN"

I get SO angry and SO frustrated reading this stuff. 500 foals. They produced 500 foals. How many HYPP positive? How many suffocated to death? How many were slaughtered because they were unsound by age 8? Yeah, you're getting out of breeding now. About 29.9 years too late, in my never-humble opinion.