If it has four legs, you'd better keep it in your own yard!

We've discussed before the liability issues that come with loose horses. If a car hits them and someone dies, guess what, you're liable as the livestock owner. But what about loose dogs? There's this perception that when you live in the country, you don't have to keep your dog on a leash and you don't have to fence them in. After all, that's why you live in the country, right? But like the old adage says, my right to swing my fist ends where your face begins, and this story is a perfect example. It's taken from a message board so I redacted the names because I didn't know if the victim wanted the publicity.

"I just wanted to tell all my 'horsey' friends that I has a VERY, VERY BAD AND SCAREY day today!!

I'm now a 'statistic' or rather my horse is..

We were attacked by a Pit Bull while riding around my neighborhood this evening. First, a Chihuahua ran from a house and attacked (name redacted) (my Hackney Horse) back legs, and while my poor horse was trying to figure out what this little monster's problem was, a VERY LARGE Pit Bull rushed and jumped my horse grabbing him by the neck. (dang it happens quick!!) I was then thrown from him and lay on the ground in fear of my life that I was now vulnerable to attack by this same Pit Bull. Life didn't even pass before me! I didn't even feel hitting the ground, as I was in survival mode to not get bit!!! Thank goodness I actually fell where I did, as there were broken concrete blocks in the ditch just feet from where I fell. YES I WAS WEARING A HELMET!

The owners were right there, and did grab the Pit Bull. In the meantime, my poor horse was running back down the street. He ran for 2 blocks before I was able to jog ( I really don't run!!)and catch him and assess the damage. I was so afraid he'd run into traffic on the main boulevards as it was RUSH HOUR! All I can say is THANK GOD he wasn't torn open, but just bitten and torn. I was expecting to see esophagus or spurting blood from torn veins or arteries!

So, I catch him, the owner and her kids are walking down the street to me. She's upset, but not as 'coldly' upset as I was. All I could think of was getting my horse home and to the vet! At least I got her name - her home/ hovel that she's renting doesn't even have an address listed and no fenced yard. So, I walked home the 3 blocks- thank GOD I wasn't out on a long ride. And of course I didn't have my cell phone!

So, then I call 911. They won't respond as it was an animal to animal attack not a human vs. pit bull, and since I wasn't in dire need of an ambulance (god I wish I could lie!), they wouldn't even take a report! Said they'd call Animal control- who did call and never came. I called at 8:30 pm and the dispatch said that they were too busy to respond they'll be here tomorrow AM. Oh Joy! I'm very upset!

I know that some of my 'group chats' won't be able to get the photos, but, here is my poor horse before the vet came. Who, BTW- was off today as were the other 3 vets in town, so she came to me on her day off!!!

So, I guess I won't be showing this next weekend or at the Pleasure Days show."

Now, how unfair is this? This poor girl was minding her own business. She ought to be able to ride down the side of the road without being mauled. I wonder if skank neighbor paid her vet bills? I doubt it. The horse had to have stitches.

Pen up your damn dogs if they chase livestock. Yeah, I know it's legal to shoot 'em but not all of us are packing at all times. They have leashes in the dollar store and if you can't train your dog, or are too lazy to, then tie them up and keep the rest of us safe from them.

And for fuck's sake, stop breeding pit bulls. Most people don't train them or treat them properly and that's why this happens. They are an asshat magnet. My friend the A.C. officer is sick of euthing your mistakes. STOP BREEDING THEM. The world is gonna be fine if we have less pit bulls -- you have a zillion other breeds to choose from. It's not like we're trying to make dogs extinct here. And I'm not saying kill the ones that are already here - if you own one and you're responsible and it isn't next door eating the neighbor's chickens, then fine. Enjoy your pit. I have friends with well trained, nice tempered ones. It can be done. Unfortunately it often isn't.

And stop saying retarded things like "dogs will be dogs" when they do this and calling me a breedist if I think perhaps the nine gazillion news stories about vicious pit bulls are a sign that we should stop making more of them. Sorry, but if we had a horse breed that was responsible for the lion's share of horse accidents, don't you think people would come down on it? I talk all the time about not breeding rank horses and breeding on bad dispositions, and I feel the exact same way about any other animal. If it's nasty, let its DNA die with it!

***end rant. This story just infuriated me. That poor girl! I can only imagine how TERRIFIED she and the poor horse were. ***

The argument for euthing a dangerous horse

I've argued frequently with people who don't think it's right to put a horse to sleep merely because it's dangerous or, shall we say, too hard to ride for 99% of the population. These folks argue that everything somehow has a right to live and be supported by someone (though it's almost never them!) despite having a disposition that makes Rosanne Barr with PMS look like a sweetie pie.

Unless you are going to keep the horse for the rest of it's life, here's why you should do the right thing, suck it up, and euthanize them:

This site details the story of novice riders who made it very clear they were looking for an easy, beginner friendly horse. They already owned one easy, beginner friendly horse. A disreputable breeder,Stella Manburg-Wise, sold them an ex-breeding stallion with a LONG history of rank behavior. As one former owner told the new owner, "I wish I had put that horse in the GROUND here. Never, never in my wildest dreams, did I think that he would end up as a "trail" horse sold to a beginner." And to be fair, this woman would not have sold him that way. But she let him out of her hands to someone who did, and it is really rather a miracle reading the story that no one was hurt or killed.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who will lie to beginner buyers like this. This woman got $3000 from these folks for a totally unsuitable horse. They should have been able to pay half that and find exactly what they were seeking - a deadhead light use trail horse. They got a judgment against the breeder (and good for them!) but what a sad and disappointing experience to have to go through. They also learned some valuable lessons about how to buy a horse and I'd recommend reading their advice page if you're a novice horse buyer. They admit they should have tried out the horse on the trails and not just in the arena, for example. This is a big and important piece of advice. I'd go so far as to say that if you're buying a show horse, try to work it out to try him out at a show, even a schooling show. So many horses are Jekyll-and-Hyde about riding in the safe home arena and riding somewhere else. At least try to watch him at a show. Sad but true, a lot of horses are for sale for a reason and the sellers aren't always honest about what that reason is!

Now, do I think every horse who isn't beginner safe should be euthanized? Of course not. But this horse had a lot of issues both on his back and in hand. He was aggressive toward other horses. If you put everything together, the decision to euth made a lot of sense. Honestly, the people who could have handled his aggression, bucking and bolting weren't interested in a teenaged, swaybacked, green broke, non-show-quality horse, so his odds of getting an appropriate home were nearly nonexistant. These are the kind of factors you have to look at whether you're a rescue or a private party. I don't think it's at all wrong to euth a horse like this.

The story has a happy ending - they found a Paso mare who was perfect for them (and damn cute!) and the unfortunate ex-stallion was laid to rest humanely (a few years after he was nearly shipped to kill by someone else who had no qualms about canning a dangerous horse).

Dumb shit I used to believe about horses...

Spin off of the last post...

Here's what should be an amusing, if scary, topic. Think back to when you were a teenager or young adult. What did you believe about horses and horse care that you now know is wrong, wrong, wrong?

I have mentioned before that I did NOT learn to ride at the most reputable barn. Actually, it was a shithole and the instructors were all clueless teens. Several of the horses were unconscionably skinny. Many were lame or had heaves so badly they coughed with every stride. My mom was clueless, so was I. I grew up at that barn, and so when I was a teenager I believed things like:

1) Horses only need to be wormed every six months if they're living in a stall. They only get worms from living outside and eating off the ground!

2) Old horses are skinny 'cause they're old. *sigh*

3) Only old horses need their teeth floated. (I had never heard of wolf teeth...had no clue!)

4) Good lord, I used to put hunt saddles on WAY too far forward. I have pictures now that I look at and cringe. 'Course, that was how they taught me to do it, based upon the argument that "they will slip back as you ride." *eye roll*

5) If a mare went lame, you should definitely breed her! Never mind why she went lame, you could breed her and make money! (Fortunately by the time I actually owned a mare, I had learned this was not correct. Fate determined that my first couple of horses were geldings, thus preventing me from doing anything stupid, hallelujah!)

6) If they're acting up, you're probably feeding them too much. Cut 'em down to two flakes of hay a day and they'll straighten up and fly right!

Oh, and I believed Arabians were always going to be worth a million zillion dollars. I was going to grow up and breed Arabians and have a farm JUST like the ones I saw in Scottsdale when we went to watch in 1984. Ha, ha, ha...

All right, what did YOU believe (especially things you were specifically taught by someone else who was older and should have known better!) that now makes you just cringe?

I know you can't ride the head, but you can't hide it either!

Good LORD look at this thing. It looks like a spotted anteater! And it's a "tobero."

Awesome! Reg. Pinto gelding 7 mths old, Tobero, 2 blue eyes. Mature 14hh+, Docs Spinifex bloodlines. Make great allround pony. $800. Ph (07) 5544 1228, 0414 797 408, Beaudesert, Qld."

Docs Spinifex (scroll down for article) was a very nice horse. If he were alive, he'd be calling the Maury Povich show right now saying "the bitch lied, she was really knocked up by that fugly spotted mustang next door!" The Spin a Diamond horse is super nice too which makes me think that this is the classic example of someone using one ancestor to try to brag that the horse is well bred.

Yeah, he has Docs Spinifex. He also, apparently, has something resembling this in there!

Maybe you can teach her to dial 911 next!

"Lilly is a super ride. She has a nice pity pat gait and a lovely canter. Will go whatever speed you ask. Very beautiful! You can even shoot cap guns off of her at full speed or at a stand still. This is an amazing little horse with a personality to die for. True partner. Super fun to ride. Sidepasses and squeaks a horn and parks out and bows and now Lays down and REARS while mounted. Learning to count and do the Spanish March! Trained by a woman and currently being ridden by a woman and child. If you are looking for the perfect size horse for your wife here she is! She is super sweet and willing and has lots of trail miles on her. Rides wherever you want her to in the group or rides alone. NOT SPOOKY! She loves to investigate stuff. Come over and try her out!"


It's a two year old. Of course it is. Again, those poor gaited horses. They really DO attract MORE than their share of idiots. I will argue that with anyone. Probably 75% or better of the really stupid ads people send me where someone is overriding and abusing a 2 year old or younger are gaited horses. I think we need to outcross them with Thoroughbreds or something and reduce their tolerance level so they get better quality owners!

You'd almost be better off teaching yourself!

Long time readers know that I am a big fan of riding lessons and believe it is the ONLY way to learn to ride a horse that is non-abusive to the horse. I do not believe in "teaching yourself" and it is rare that a family member can adequately teach you. (Even pro trainers often send their kids to someone else, 'cause let's face it, kids often listen better to someone else!) I am a huge fan of horse-friendly riding lesson tactics like learning to trot on a longe line without your reins and not being given back your reins until you have developed enough balance and skill not to use them improperly. Learning to ride properly is a great way of avoiding injury and keeping your horse from becoming sour and angry.



However, today I just have to feature some riding lesson establishments that make me shake my head and think, damn, you'd almost be better off winging it! First, let's look at Painted Spirit Ranch in Murrieta, California. Parents, EVERY TIME you see someone jumping without a helmet, it's a clue to run, run, run far away with your kid's skull still intact. Here we see kids jumping without helmets (and in western saddles), and the web site shows a kid going over a crossrail on her fourth lesson. This is totally insane and unsafe. Yeah, the lessons are cheap, $30, but this is one area of life where you don't want to economize.





(And they have totally unaccomplished stallions, too! STOP BREEDING MUSTANGS, DAMMIT! We already have like a ZILLION of them that don't have homes!)


Here's another winner. Note the entire page of complaints from various people! And their web site asks if you're going to Heaven? Um, look in the MIRROR, folks, before you worry about others!



Just one review "We came to sun city stables for a family ride. I have owened and riden horses for over 20 years my husband rides and my daughter although only 7 has done the basics. We asked for a lead rope for our daughter as she isn't very able in the open. We were told her horse was so quiet he would just follow behind mine. She had no stirups as she was on an adult saddle. We followed the owner down a narrow track leading off the property. The first thing we saw was a lose horse running back to the barn. At this my horse started to get restless pawing the ground. In the next few mouments lots of riders appeared, many out of control. We got our horses as best we could to one side of the narrow track. As my horse was neared by the other riders he went mad bucking rearing kicking out and spinning round. I fell off, was riden over, kicked in the head and leg and my daughters horse bolted and she fell of in the scrub cutting her back. We were very lucky we wernt killed.The owner refused to refund our money and offered no assistance. There are to many people who cant ride being let lose on unschooled horses here."


Of course, their site is full of helmetless children bombing around on wormy looking horses. Check out the Google album. I particularly like "George the grade stallion." Pass the Advil...


P.S. Your trainer has man boobs.


To Makayla's mother: these are not riding lessons. Please get your child a real instructor and a helmet!


For those of you trying to avoid bad barns/trainers - check it out, Ripoff Report has a whole category for them! Of course, some of these stories may not be true and you will want to do your own investigation, but many of them sound extremely verifiable. Also, if you are being lied about there, you CAN respond. There were so many complaints about a Patricia Wilson of Avinger, Texas that you'd have to figure where there's smoke, there's fire. When I googled the phone number, it came up as Patricia Gumm so maybe she got married. Either way, if you live around Avinger - watch out!


Now, let me give you a good example for comparison. This girl is jumping at a level appropriate to her riding level. The horse is perfect for her - a really solid "packer" type that is predictable, sane and well behaved. The instructor is watching her, and teaching - not on her cell phone, not socializing with others, not asleep at the switch. Everything in this video looks good.

Off topic but I HAD to post it. These hideous feet are on a mini. Dale and Jenna Stieg of Leroy, Michigan, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Maybe if you didn't have nine thousand horses, you could afford hoof trimming!








It is Friday and today's Friday Featured Rescue is this adorable Arab/Andalusian cross mare located at Broken Road Rescue in Bath, Michigan. What a cutie! Her adoption fee is a reasonable $500, so if you're local and have always wanted a beautiful gray mare, check her out. I really like what I see of this rescue - very nice facility and fence, they are keeping their "oldies" because they know how hard it is to find homes that feed them properly, and they're doing things small scale and in a manageable manner. They also do small animal rescue, so even if you don't have room for another horse, please check them out.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Oooh look at the big tough roughing-it dudes running like chickens!

Warning: graphic pic, this has to do with the guys who starved the horses nearly to death on the pack trip.

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12748&source=rss

*snort* Hysteria, my ass. Gee, you mean you two asshats are afraid to show your faces in public? GOOD! You should be! 100 years ago, we'd have tarred and feathered you both. I only hope the judge throws the book at you.

And I hope your attorney is charging A LOT and you two lose your nice homes and nice cars. Maybe living in a trailer somewhere and taking the bus will make you think twice about neglecting and nearly killing animals next time!

Next stop for the gelding bus!

This lady in New York claims to be a kind-hearted individual who "rescues" horses. So why does the horse she's admittedly owned since he was three months old look like a rescue?

"This is Monte (Count Monte Cristo ).I purchased him when he was only 3 months old. We have been through alot together. he is MY personal mount. In his younger years we hated each other:) Guess his breed. Monte would have ,and still would be, a perfect dressage prospect. He will never be for sale.maybe a lease." This looks to me like just free-range ignorance. You can just see Dawn and family looking at that picture and thinking he looks fine because his belly looks fine. Um, on a horse, you have to look at the topline - and his says "I am way underfed." Look at his spine sticking up and the lack of flesh through the loin and hip area. By the way, I don't need to guess his breed to tell you he's a ewe-necked, weak hipped, sickle hocked conformational train wreck that shouldn't have been bred. Dressage prospect? Yeah, and my cat is a Ph.D. candidate!

Of course, it doesn't stop there. Dawn has stallions. Three of 'em. I believe the "stallion prospect" I've pictured is the most hideous of the three, but the jury's still out since all of the pictures are bad.

No mention of papers, pedigrees, show records or anything else. Just a blanket statement that "These foals would be great at ALL activities." No they wouldn't. I could breed to a stallion that won the goddamn Olympics and it wouldn't be great at ALL activities. Probably couldn't do western pleasure to save its life! Statements like that just show your ignorance (as if the pictures didn't...oy vey....)

And, as if you didn't know, not one breeding animal is shown under saddle, doing anything at all.

Here ya go, Dawn. You'll probably find this post and have a poorly-written shit fit, so let me give you something you can use - directions from your farm to the Unadilla Auction. $10 says you'll be using them, despite all of your talk about "rescuing." Those skinny horses in that pretty new barn tell the whole story. Dawn, you're just another 40 something woman whose interest in horses and attitude toward hasn't progressed a step since you were 15. Ooooh they're pretty! Let's make more! Oh, look at my nice barn. Aw, aren't they kyooooot? And when you and the hubby run out of money trying to pay for the nice barn and the rest of us have to pick up the pieces and try to place the ungodly herd of fuglies you've assembled, it won't be your fault either, will it? Poor YOU! Hay is SO EXPENSIVE! Who knew you couldn't make money boarding and breeding horses? That it actually involved skill?

*headdesk*

Pop out more and save on your taxes!

No, this isn't going to be a blog about the state of the welfare system in the U.S...now it's moved on to horses!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008193190_danny21.html

"I called King County and asked what the point is. They said to get the tax break, a horse farm must do more than house and feed horses. It has to breed and sell them to be a legit, working horse farm."

WHAT? In order to save on your taxes, you have to MAKE MORE HORSES?

Are you people at King County smoking crack? Why don't you guys wander over and talk to your own Animal Control department about the vast numbers of unwanted horses in King County? And how Animal Control can't afford to feed them or house them ('cause you guys underfund them shamefully) so even when they do rescue them, they can wind up going to the goddamn Enumclaw auction?

OMG seriously! I am aghasted beyond belief at this. Who thinks up this shit?

Today's very happy update!

I know you guys love this stuff, so I just wanted to mention that you should all check out the updates on Petersburg Knight's page. For you newcomers, Petersburg Knight VERY narrowly escaped slaughter this spring due to an extremely disreputable individual named MeSue Babcock who lied to get him for free and then took him straight to an auction where he went to the kill buyer. He was saved due to donations from the readers of this blog. He is now sound and has proven to be a wonderful trail horse!

Make sure you read the page about his hoof rehab. Extremely interesting and educational! Note that he was misdiagnosed as being laminitic. This happens a lot with sore footed horses and it's very important to be knowledgeable about that possibility. I had a vet try to tell me they thought one of mine was laminitic last week and I said, uh uh, abscess. Guess who was right? Yep. Abscess.

I'm not saying ignore the vet, I'm saying get a second opinion and don't just accept a dire diagnosis if it doesn't sound right to you. (I have another friend who had a vet tell her that her horse had neurological issues and should be put to sleep...horse was a STB pacer and the vet apparently hadn't come across one before, fortunately friend ignored vet, got second opinion and the horse is alive, sound and being ridden regularly today).

Earlier blogs about Petersburg Knight:

Eight Belles is dead - this one, not yet!

Colin's Very Exciting Day

First Ride (bottom of the post)

The happy endings do happen. Thanks to all of you who made this possible, and I'll continue to update you on his life!

Edited to add another happy ending: HOW COOL IS THIS STORY?

Let's dump our thirty year old mare on Craigslist!

*sigh*

"GENERALS FIRST LADY- 1978 registered chestnut Saddlebred mare. Had a foal two years ago, has been ridden and driven. We hate to part with Granny but we aren't using her for anything. $250.00 obo, a good home a must!"

People. Really. I'm getting so sick of this. Is it really gonna break the bank to support Granny fora another couple of years? Especially since the poor old mare popped out a baby for you AT AGE 28! JEEEEZUS! If you think she's bored and could still be ridden, why not use her in the lesson program that your web site claims you have?

P.S. Can you explain why you bred all of these "American Warmbloods" that now you have to sell at self-admitted "bargain prices?" Exactly what was the plan here? Did you even have one?

P.P.S. Again, there is nothing wrong with selling horses. My criticism here is that you'd throw a 30 year old mare out for $250 (or best offer, we all know how this is going to work) on Craigslist to anybody with a good story. Are you gonna background check? Yeah right. You just want her gone. You "aren't using her for anything." Well, you used her to pop out a Kool Kolored Faux Warmblood, didn't you? Now stick a crowbar in your checkbook and pay her bills for the rest of her life. It won't kill you, but dumping her is highly likely to kill her.

Suffolk Downs means business!

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2008/September/20/Suffolk-acts-on-slaughter-policy.aspx

VERY cool. OK, who's the asshat? Anybody know? Extra credit for pictures!

Change is good!

For all of you who get frustrated doing rescue or just reading stories about abuse...I wanted to do this post to remind you that your angry calls and letters and your refusal to stop complaining about how lax the law has traditionally been with animal abuse is working.

Check out the evidence!

Judge throws book at abuser - and wishes it were a bigger book!

Repeat offender horse abuser gets a YEAR in jail this time!

Jean Elledge may get a year in jail - our blog about her case here

Six months in jail for woman who starved horses

Illinois doctor found guilty on animal cruelty - sentencing coming up!

Six months in jail for this one too - and anger management classes!

Four months for faux rescuer in Arizona!

Nine months for drunken college asshat who tortured and killed AQHA filly - in Texas! See, even TEXAS is coming around and putting these bastards behind bars where they belong.

I love this one - woman convicted of cruelty for failing to provide proper care to one old skinny horse. She claimed it wouldn't eat. Jury said, NOT GOOD ENOUGH! Woo hoo jurors, you guys rock.

By the way, I'm told our photoshopped-ass friend Dean has her court date today...cross your fingers they convict her and give her the max!

It doesn't matter where you are, the laws are improving and law enforcement are doing a better job of going after abusers and making the point that neglect is criminal. Some time behind bars should do a lot toward convincing these folks that they do not need to own living creatures.

Pictured, 'cause I know you guys would rather see this than more abuse, is a toothless 32 year old gelding in great weight that was owned by one of my readers. He lived to be 34 and was owned by the same loving owner his entire life. Hooray!

Cause and Effect!

I wish every horse being beaten by some jackass had this horse's aim!

Crazy stuff horseshow judges say?

I got some e-mail from a reader who has a TWH she has shown at some of her local open shows and I had to giggle:

"One time, we were pulled to the middle of the ring during a class. The judge walked over and said... "Your horse is lame, its bobbing its head when he moves" I had to explain my horse was Nodding his head because he was a TWH and he was gaiting!.... we actually ended placing a couple of times under that judge in that show. another judge told me I should not put "pink" on my horse because he was a boy... I told her it was not pink but rather "Fuchsia" and my horse was perfectly secure in his maleness so he was fine with wearing this color! (my horse is solid black and he had a fuchsia brow band and a cream/black/fuchsia show pad and I wore a fuchsia blouse with a black vest and black pants so we were not making anyone color blind! Maybe you could do a blog on the stupid stuff horse show judges say???"

I laughed because I once asked the judge what they did not like about my horse and they told me he was the wrong color for a hunt seat horse. Given that he was a dark bay/brown, I can only assume they got me confused with someone else or did not remember why they didn't place me, but at the time I seriously rolled my eyes!

So everybody - tell me - what's the strangest thing a judge has ever told you about you or your horse?

(The picture is totally unrelated except it's THE BEST costume class outfit I've ever seen on a horse! LOVE IT!)

TWH fans, check it out!

We've discussed the horrors of soring here before, but I want to bring to your attention an online list of individuals in the Tennessee Walking Horse industry who have been suspended for soring violations:

List of suspended TWH trainers and exhibitors

If you own and show TWH's, you need to bookmark this and keep it as a reference. Do not do business with these people. This means you do not buy from them, send your horse there for training, take lessons at their barn, partner with them on horses, etc. Just don't. This is your opportunity to vote with your wallet.

Where can we find this sort of resource for other breeds? Responsible owners who love their horses need to know how to avoid the abusers! Good for Friends of Sound Horses for making this information so accessible to all.

Curtis and Craig Heyden, come here, I want to show you something...

I want to show you how it feels to get kicked in the nuts by a woman in pointy-toed heels!

(Warning: link #1 has graphic pictures)

http://www.rockymountainrider.com/0908_abused_horses.htm

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/alpharetta-ga/TG5NO843468627D0D

OK, Someone out there knows these sad excuses for human beings. It's your job. I want them publicly humiliated in every way known to man. Go to their church? Great, tell everybody what they did. Print off the web page! Live in their neighborhood? Awesome! Make sure all the neighbors know the whole story!

Craig Heyden lives in Roswell, Georgia. Curtis Heyden lives in Woodstock, Georgia.

(I pulled the pic for now because the age is off and I can't confirm one way or another if this is THE Curtis or a family member with the same name...could be a Curtis jr. and sr. going on here)

And before they use this as a defense: IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE! You want to go "live off the land," go do it and go starve to death or fall in a hole and die like every other asshat suburbanite who should have realized his survival skills stretched no further than "roughing it" at the Motel Six. BUT LEAVE THE ANIMALS OUT OF IT!

Update: Going down...

Just to update: Gerry Trupia was charged!

http://www.wetmtv.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=a79aa6f8-2400-480a-9ec2-5793b8e1c9e5

Let's hope everybody involved has the guts to testify!

On your mark, get set...

Check out today's collection of Youtube asshattery before it all gets yanked!

Look, I can make him rear, aren't I kewl?

She's not skinny and that had nothing to do with her crumpling to earth!

The pony is not naughty. Try going forward to the jump and that won't happen. Try not getting left behind when the pony finally jumps. Try going back to ground poles and working without your stirrups until you have some of these basics down.

"Show training" is not the problem here. Fucking with and annoying the horse because you saw someone do this on RFD-TV is the problem here! I would bite you too if you kept poking me in the legs for no earthly reason. I think the stallion is quite smart and sensible and the woman needs to put down the remote control and take some lessons from a real trainer.

Your mare would probably stop bucking if the saddle wasn't halfway up her neck. And why are you longeing where the horse can run into a car?

Is that your yard or a junkyard? Now there is a training venue for you!

Nestor, you're an asshat. (Does ANYBODY properly train small ponies outside of the h/j world? Or do they just assume, eh, not far to fall, let's just hop up there and see what happens?)

All of the good trainers in Texas would like to lodge a complaint at the reference to your training as "Texas style."

For those of you whose heads hurt now - here's some good riding. This girl is schooling without her reins and when her saddle slips to the side and her horse loses it, she handles it extremely well. Watch the slo-mo. What saved her is that she got her upper body vertical to the ground again while also regathering her reins and turning his head to take the wind out of his sails. Very nice job handling an explosion! (The people on the comments criticizing her need to STFU. Let's see YOU sit that. She did it.)

More to come...busy day!

Looks more like the dumbasszone to me...

http://www.dangerzonehorses.com/



(I know this thread is going to disintegrate into a fight over pit bulls, so I'll address that up front. I know many good pit bulls. However, as a whole, the breed is often selectively bred for aggression and often poorly trained or trained to be aggressive. The breed has a very high prey drive. Do I really think anybody needs to be breeding more pit bulls? No. If you own one, and you are responsible, and yours is properly trained, not used for fights, and not running amok loose in the neighborhood, all the more power to you. Now can we PLEASE talk about the horses?)

First off, I am not sure if she thinks she is a rescue or a dealer. She seems sort of confused. Many of the horses look like this one - underweight, saddle sitting on their withers, badly ridden if ridden at all. Of course, the eye-burning hot pink background just adds to the horror!

But hey, what did you expect from someone whose photobucket name is slutbucket_2? (Can I just say how much I LOVE people too dumb to make their photobucket private? They are my favorite! Check it out fast before she pulls it down!)

And even better - you KNEW she'd be all over youtube with her scraggly looking horses and ill fitting tack. I don't even know where to start:

So not a western pleasure horse, and honestly looks pissed.

Leads? What are leads? But look, I can stand on his back!

Don't we all ride our green horses with a loose horse in the field? (Wanders in about 2/3rds though)

Oh, here's the skinny one from above ... and boy is HE pissed. Don't you love how it doesn't matter what way she's circling, she's always on the wrong lead?

Holy SHIT I think Jabba the Hut is riding this poor mare! It's WAY wider than she is, whatever it is!

Good grief. I don't have the time to look at them all and my lunch hour's over so, erm, enjoy doesn't seem to be quite the word for it...but hey, $10 says Slutbucket will show up here to defend herself and that ought to be a serious good time!

OMG shut up already - are YOU going to feed them all?

Some equine pro-life wackos named Juli and Caitlin are running around the Internet bashing Days End Horse Rescue for euthing some horses that had behavioral and health problems. (Days End Horse Rescue site)

Shut UP already, Juli and Caitlin. Just STFU.

Here's a clue, sunshine. Every responsible rescue is going to have to euth more horses in the coming months. It's really quite simple:

a) No one wants them to go to slaughter. Slaughter equals torture.

b) No one can AFFORD to feed them, house them, vet them, trim them all, either. You can't, Juli and Caitlin. Nor can I. And the government isn't going to pay for it.

c) There is no magical way to make their owners and breeders suddenly be responsible for them. Trust me. I'd go to a damn voodoo practitioner if I thought it'd work.

d) Some rescue horses are unadoptable. They are too screwed up behaviorally and have a high possibility of hurting someone. If they are adopted out and kill someone, trust me, "someone's" parents are gonna sue. That will take the whole rescue down. As I have stated a million times here, ALMOST NO ONE is (a) qualified and (b) wants to (!) take on a rank or unhandled or explosive horse.

From their web site:

"Maggie JUST learned how to walk/trot when she was adopted out to a family with a child. A few weeks ago, Maggie was returned to the rescue. Apparently, she was in a freak accident that seriously injured someone....The rescue considered her "dangerous" and treated her like a "crazy pony". After 3 weeks, Maggie was euthanized.
Yes, Maggie injured her rider, but it was an accident! Maggie was sent to the wrong home and she suffered for it. ALL horses are considered dangerous, and MANY horses have injured their riders! Just look at Jessica Forsyth, a young girl who had her horse Boomer. Jessica was riding her horse, when she fell off and died. Jessica is dead, but Boomer is still alive. He killed his rider, but he is still living. So why isn't Maggie?"

You know why? Because PEOPLE SUE WHEN PONIES KILL OR MAIM THEIR CHILDREN. That's why. Jessica's parents didn't blame the horse, and kudos to them, but it was their long-term horse. They hadn't just gotten it from someone else. And of course someone said they'd have taken Maggie if they knew she was going to be euthed. OK, so have they adopted another horse to fill that space? $50 says no. People will ALWAYS take another horse if you threaten to kill it. Doesn't mean they can afford it or have room for it. DEFHR chose to be responsible and not play that game. They simply euthed the unpredictable pony, end of problem. Pony had two good years with them. You can't say they didn't try. Sometimes we fail.

e) Some rescue horses are crippled and hurting. They have problems that can NOT be fixed. Just because they are eating and whinny for a carrot does not necessarily mean they should be kept alive. Putting a horse to sleep, as I have ALSO commented many times, is not stressful or traumatic for the horse. They get tranq'ed into lala land, get the second shot and off they go. They don't know they are going to die. They don't have time to anticipate. They are not terrified like they would be in a slaughterhouse. There is absolutely nothing wrong with euthanasia and just like with dogs and cats, the end of slaughter (hopefully!) means that WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO MORE EUTHANASIA. Deal with it! Do you prefer they hang from a fucking hook in Mexico with their throats cut, Juli and Caitlin? Or starve in the backyard of some faux rescuer with "a big heart" and a thin wallet?

Good God. The last thing a decent rescue needs is some wacko running around the internet bashing them for actually making responsible choices and not being death-phobic ninnies. I guess Juli and Caitlin love the people who euth nothing and just let it hobble around the yard until it goes down and can't get up. That's great, you two. That's just so much better. Again, just more death-phobic, reality-avoiding idiots running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

We are going to have a lot more euthanasia until people stop:

1) breeding low end horses
2) failing to train effectively and appropriately (for ALL levels and prices of horses)
3) failing to provide proper care (nutrition, feed, deworming, etc.)

If you don't want to see horses dying, address those three issues. They're what's causing it - not the rescues that are trying desperately to clean up the mess caused by 1, 2, and 3. I have absolutely no problem with DEFHR's euthanasia policy - in fact, I think it is an excellent model for other rescues to follow.

Disgracing the legal profession with every word he writes!

One of my observant readers found a web site from this neanderthal asshat who thinks horse tripping should be legal.

He tells this AWESOME story to "prove" his point:

"I had a black stud horse, I loaned to a friend for breading. He was a strong horse with a little bit of a mean streak."

OK, THAT MEANS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GELDING! Thanks for breeding more horses with a mean streak. We need more of those!

"When he came back he was just crazy. I have the impression that during the two weeks he was gone, he was let loose with a number of mares in heat."

That would make him tired and highly manageable, not crazy. Maybe your asshat buddy used him for tripping practice, THAT would make him crazy.

"The day after he was returned, the hand who took care of him, was taking him out of his stable, to put him on a pole where he would spend the day."

*headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*

"When he got near a mare that was not in heat, he reared up and got away. The stud took off after a mare. She rebuffed his approach by kicking him just as hard a she could. He would not take no for an answer and he went after her aging and she continued kicking him. One of the guys, who were nearby, threw a rope around his neck. This just got him madder, and he jerked the rope out of the roper’s hands and took off down a road towards where some children were playing."

'Cause he was gonna attack those small children because he couldn't get a mare...stallions do that all the time, you know. They are fire breathing dragons and it takes a real man to control 'em! With a big rope! Never mind that I can ride my (16.2) stallion in a halter and a lead rope and I'm a 5'3 girl...

"That’s when I saw mangana work. A short small Charro threw a loop around the front legs of the crazed animal. Down he went."

Should have shot him while he was down. Y'all missed your golden opportunity to improve the gene pool.

"Three of us got to him at about the same time. I grabbed the original lead rope and a second lead rope was attached on him. Someone grabbed the rope around his neck. When we had him sort of under control, the loop on his legs was released and the three of use got him into a corral. He lost his masculinity the next week. I figured he was going to hurt someone and it was probably going to be me."

Ah well, at least he got gelded even if was because you're a chickenshit and a bad trainer!

And just to REALLY piss me off, he put in a bunch of completely idiotic comments about polo, which show that he doesn't know JACK SHIT about anything but horse abuse in the name of culture:

"If you’ve seen a polo match, then you know that a polo mallet in full swing can open a foreleg to the bone."

OK, let me break this down for you, you ignoramus: A polo mallet weighs almost nothing. The cane is bamboo and the head is about 2/5ths of a pound of wood. I could beat you over your stupid, ignorant head with a polo mallet repeatedly and cause no worse than bruising. There is no way in hell a polo mallet has ever opened a horse's foreleg to the bone and considering that we play them in wraps with foam or neoprene boots over that, even a bruise seems highly unlikely. How about you put the same leg protection on the horses you want to rope and throw to the ground, you jackass? Ha. You'd never do it. Just wouldn't be as cool without the blood, right?

But hey, dumbass here just thinks we're racist and elitist if we don't support his right to rope horses by the forelegs and send them crashing to the ground. Which is interesting because he claims to be a lawyer...so I checked him out. There is a Randolph M. Janssen who is an attorney in San Antonio, Texas. I wasn't sure it was him but then I managed to confirm on the fax number for the "San Antonio Charro Association" - it's the same as his law firm. What an UTTER DISGRACE to the legal profession! I am completely and totally disgusted and I call upon all of you to help ensure that any clients of his or prospective clients KNOW what this man endorses and participates in during his free time. Remember, it is not libel if it is the truth so if you post that this man endorses horse tripping, that is not a lie. He is proud of it - but still tries to hide his crap behind an anonymous domain registration. Yeah. That worked great, Randy, didn't it?

You want to sue me for this blog, Randy? I bet you do! Let's GO, you fucktard. It's ON. I'd LOVE to go up against your lame, pathetic, animal abusing ass in court. I'm guessing the Animal Legal Defense Fund might want a piece of you, too. Hope you've cleared your calendar!

Hey - good catch - blog reader Two Fishies just found where the Attorney General of Texas stated a jury could construe horse tripping as torture. Hey, Randy, good luck hanging on to your law license when the whole world finds out what you support and participate in! Even your own state thinks you are an asshat!

Anyway, he invites comments. So, comment away! And here is his e-mail. Remember, your opinion is protected. Threats are not. Threats make you look just as bad as he is. Share your opinion but do not cross the line. He is entitled to his opinion and we are entitled to tell him - and the world - what we think of his opinion.

On a happier note - do you remember Lucy from the Enumclaw sale? She is today's Friday Featured Rescue! Stephanie reports that she's a superstar to ride and would be great for an intermediate rider. She bathes, longes, good for farrier, and has become totally "in your pocket. She still has some headshy issues from clearly a less than wonderful past, but that is the only flaw. She is 100% sound, a very cute mover, and ready to move on with an owner of her very own.

I personally would VERY much like to see this mare go to a teen or petite adult lady who has a lot of time to spend feeding her cookies (she didn't even know what they were when I got her!) and getting over her fears with love. She is 15.2, 14 years old and a Thoroughbred. Please e-mail me with LUCY in the subject line if you would like to come try out little Lucy - she is in Enumclaw, Washington and yes, I will adopt out of state with proper references.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Too bad lasik doesn't fix barn blindness!

Awww, look at this sweet looking 4-H gelding. Now if only someone would feed him and deworm him...and maybe get a better farrier, his two fronts look totally different.

Oh wait, he's not a gelding. He is instead described as an "outstanding AQHA dun stallion." Huh? Yup. Owned by Hopalong Assidy, pictured below in the saddle.

Look, I'm not saying everybody's gotta have a Chavez, but that saddle is older than I am. I can't remember the last time I saw buckstitching. The 4-H kids know better than to put something like that on their horse!

Also, try adjusting your breastcollar so it doesn't look like your horse is gonna catch a knee in it. A hole punch is a wonderful thing. You can get 'em at Fleet Farm for less than the cost of a case of beer!

Now let's talk about poor little colt there. OK, buddy, it's a Quarter Horse. One of the major conformational features of the Quarter Horse is the hip. Your horse doesn't have one. To put it in terms you can understand, your baby ain't got no back. He's got an upright shoulder, too, he toes out on all fours, and he's got all the muscle development of a starved Ethiopian child. Proper nutrition would fix some of this, but he's never going to be stallion material.

Hopalong missed the AQHA conformation lecture entirely, as we can see from his choice of broodmare. This sad little, equally assless filly is a whoppin' 13.3 at three years old. SO LET'S BREED HER! Yup, he did. To the thing above. Looking at these two parents, I'm thinking that baby is going to come out resembling an Italian Greyhound with hooves.

And yes, that's his two year old daughter, bare headed on a three year old filly. Because people like Hopalong always reproduce. That is why there are so many like him!

The filly's barn name is Porche. I think that might be an Italian veranda.

OK, so if you don't want to pay $4500 for pony mare and her unborn assless wonder (buddy, should I just start posting pics of what you CAN buy for $4500? I mean, I can buy an AQHA quality show prospect for $4500. Seriously.) you can send your own horse for Hopalong to train! C'mon, doesn't the following paragraph just make you want to sign right up?

"I Train all types of ranch style ridding including Western Pleasure and Trail. I am Currently filling stalls for Training and Boarding. I have trained Breeds including: Fresian Crosses, Quarter Horses, Fjords, Paints, Morgans, Arabians, and more... I hyave trained horses in Wisconsin and Idaho and worked with different trainers from Wisconsin, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. I also give Riding lessons to kids and Adults of all ages. I charge $575 for a month of training, that includes indoor board for training and $25 for a one hour Riding lesson."

If only I could figure out how to start ridding the world of breeders like this, I'd be a lot happier!

P.S. Hopalong, when you show up here, this was sent in by someone who has to drive by your shitheap facility and see your skinny horses every damn day and they are really sick of that. So, memo to asshats everywhere, if your horses can be seen from the road, you might want to try feeding/deworming them.

We can afford an overpriced gypsy cart horse...

...but not good enough fence to keep him from breeding everything with a vagina!

"I have 2 mare that they Gypsy stallion "Barnaby" decided to romance while we were out of town. Came back from vacation to find him with my 2 saddle mares. I have a 1/2 Shire 1/2 Thoroughbred broodmare that is confirmed 20 days in foal on September 3rd. She loads, ties, stands for the farrier and was told she was rideable. I have ground drove the mare which makes me think she possible had been ridden in the past. She has some feather and her tail touches the ground. The second horse is a 5 year old paint mare that I just got on August 9th of this year for a riding horse. She is confirmed 15 days in foal on Sept. 3rd.She is a real sweet girl that is broke to ride. She also loads really nice, stands for the farrier and has been trail ridden by beginners. The first two pictures are of the Gypsy Stallion. You can view more pictures at www.snakeriverdrafts.com "

So I went to their web site. Read this paragraph and tell me you can't hear the train whistle coming down the tracks!

"In 2005, my husband purchased 3 draft mares as an anniversary present. The passion for these beautiful animals has grown. Our herd is now 17 horses strong in just over 2 years."

Then they plug the fencing, which is fencing I like - but it is NOT STALLION FENCING.

"Anyone who has draft horses knows that they scratch on everything. Any fence we were going to put up would still need to have an electric strand around it to protect the fence. That is why our ranch will only use Safe Fence. This product is wonderful- It is electric, easy to install and looks great!"

But it sure as hell doesn't contain a horny Gypsy Vanner!

Good luck selling your oops babies out of those two fugly mares in utero. You're gonna need it!

P.S. It's not too late to abort them!

P.P.S. He "romanced" them? Oh givemeabreak...they are mares in heat, they would have F'ed a donkey if it had gotten in their pen.

Good and bad crossbreds

People tend to generalize and think I hate all crossbreds, so in contrast to the Pintabians I was making fun of a few days ago, let me give you an example of a good part Arab tobiano stallion. This one was sent to me and I have to agree - if you are going to breed spotted part-Arabians, this is the kind you want to breed.

He is correct, pretty and most of all USEFUL. What I like about this horse is that even though they have chosen endurance as his discipline, one look at the photos on his web site shows you that he could have been equally successful as an English Pleasure horse. (Although staying sound for 1000 endurance miles says a LOT to me about something's worthiness to breed on, not to mention that he has to ride in a herd, with mares in heat, and behave himself in order to compete - and he does.)



The great irony here is that according to some ads I found online, he sold for the price of one breeding to that blech Pintabian from my original blog. Which would you rather have?



I'm not totally anti-crossbreds - especially when they can be part of an established and respected registry that has horseshows, like half Arabians. I just think you have to know your stuff regarding genetics, conformation, etc. so that you don't wind up with some kind of mix and match nightmare with the worst traits of both breeds. It's easier to screw up breeding a crossbred, in my opinion, and that is evidenced by the stunning numbers of just godawful hideous draft crosses out there thanks to that weird "Oh, everybody is going to want a draft cross, you'll get rich on them" trendy nonsense that went around a while back (and appears to still be going around with the slower folks...) My god, what auction these days doesn't have a zillion of the things going to kill? Sad, sad, sad!



If you are a "beginner" breeder, it really is best to stick with one of the "main" breeds and get good advice from an experienced breeder. By experienced, I do not mean "has been doing it for 50 years." I mean "their homebreds win at the shows/other type of competitions RIGHT NOW." That's the person you learn from if you want to do it right. And please don't even think about if if you don't have disposable income and the ability to train or wherewithal to hire a trainer. If you just want a baby to play with, there are a ton of them already out there.

Oh man, these people get the FHOTD award of the day! LOVE IT!

Sale ad:

APHA Palomino Overo Stallion. Mighty Awesome mare. Mr Be Downtown mare. Skipper W mare. Palominos. 5YO to 15YO. Great herd starter. $10,000. Individual offers considered. All credit criminal check required to buy. Free Cemetery Plot For Abusers. (770) 891-5718 http://www.cederstrand.com/

(Before you say it, no, I am not thrilled about the mini stud that is cheaper without papers on their web site, sigh, but in general it looks like a lovely farm with well cared for, quality horses, proper facilities, and a good ol' snarky sense of humor and commitment to their horses' safety - not just making a buck!)