Well, where to begin? We'll start out with the complete cluelessness about HYPP. "In 2010, I will have my 2007 Dun Tobiano Stallion, Tuff Drifter Music, up for stud. If you like him, sign up early and name you own price of Stud Fee. When the funds are available I will have him tested for HYPP (Impressive is in pedigree). Since his gene pool is large the gene shouldn't be present, but for those who are concerned I will have him tested and post them here (when I can)." You know what, you can have a HYPP positive horse who has one cross to Impressive six generations back. The size of the gene pool is irrelevant. And are you seriously saying you can't afford a $50 HYPP test? And while most yearlings look funky, I am pretty sure this one is not going to grow out of his short neck, upright shoulder and nonexistant hip. Nor is it a good idea to deal with the downhill appearance of a typical stock breed yearling by parking him out like a saddleseat horse! 
Of course, Sunshine Stallion Owner is posting all over about her horses. When asked if she is going to geld Spotty Colt up there, she responds "I would like to keep him intacked." Priceless! Of course, when she is called out by the message board on the fact that it might just be inappropriate to (a) breed this colt (b) ride him for an hour at nineteen months of age, she gets defensive and asks if that person is just trying to make her mad."Yes, I would like to breed him and yes I have rode him once for an hour. I asked my farrier if that would be a problem, he is also a trainer, and he said as long as the rides aren't for very long. His knees are as soild as my 7 yr old mares, this is the only reason why I rode him."
YES! 'Cause the FARRIER is the one who knows if a yearling is ready to ride! But hey, he's a TRAINER too and you know that means he's super SUPER smart. God forbid we ask the VET... And don't we all get on your greenies while they are tied to a sapling? My eyes are going to roll their way out my ears and fall out...
The other person on the board quite correctly responded "No, I'm not trying to make you mad. I'm just having a heart attack that you rode a 19 month old colt for an hour. A full grown adult." Amen, sister! Me too. Another poster points out "I'm not trying to be mean, just honest. Your horse is not stallion material. He doesn't have the conformation." Bingo. Sunshine of course thinks he's a reining prospect...'cause he does slide stops in the field. She keeps arguing. Finally a frustrated poster responds "I was being nice. If I was trying to get my point across without being nice, I would tell you that your colt looks like he will make foals that will wind up in a double decker bound for Mexico."
Like THIS one that Sunshine sold for $100? She's not by that colt, but she's definitely a double-decker prospect. Thin, wormy and neglected looking. Sold for $100 on the Internet. So sad. It just amazes me. This girl has Internet access but it doesn't seem like she's learning anything from it. Someone actually posted a picture of their Reserve WC APHA stallion and asked her if she could see the difference. No response.
If you ever wanted a perfect example of irresponsible breeding, I think we've found it. The only good thing is that she's not doing it on a large scale. I really hope she can take some of the good advice from the people on her message board and just stop.
Petition to revoke the licenses of the vets in the "horse towing a car" incident. No, I don't know if these do any good, either - but it can't hurt.
Interesting comment on the CTV site about the situation. I don't know if this is true but I sure hope we find out. Someone needs to be fired if it's true!
"Know who can't sleep? The fellow who was first to arrive at the scene, when the vehicle was in the ditch and before the horse got involved. He offered to pay for a tow truck but the woman declined saying that her husband was bringing a horse to pull the vehicle out.
The witness observed that the vehicle had no license plate. He then saw a man leading a horse wearing a cooler and carrying a lunge line. At this point a police cruiser arrived with a female constable. The witness said he was relieved that the police had arrived and then left the scene believing that they would handle the situation. He returned after getting his groceries about 15-20 mins later and saw the constable standing there with her hands on her hips looking at the horse lying in the ditch. The rest was on the news but there was no mention of the female police constable who allowed this to happen to the horse. Despicable. I hope she has lost sleep over this too. She was the last hope this horse had to not suffer and die as it did."
The witness observed that the vehicle had no license plate. He then saw a man leading a horse wearing a cooler and carrying a lunge line. At this point a police cruiser arrived with a female constable. The witness said he was relieved that the police had arrived and then left the scene believing that they would handle the situation. He returned after getting his groceries about 15-20 mins later and saw the constable standing there with her hands on her hips looking at the horse lying in the ditch. The rest was on the news but there was no mention of the female police constable who allowed this to happen to the horse. Despicable. I hope she has lost sleep over this too. She was the last hope this horse had to not suffer and die as it did."
More info on the case from a local in the horse community:
"It really scares the shit out of me to think that the health of my horses and my friends horses have been left in the hands of these people. Sure they were creepy but they volunteered so much of their time and seemed nice enough that no one would have suspected this. Their daughter is honestly a good person i can't believe she let her parents starve her horses (I'd send mine to jail before my horses would go hungry), and you wouldn't know her parents were such screw ups by meeting her. Mark and Carol were never good vets in my opinion(they told a friend of mine that they could continue onto the next phase even though their horse had blood gushing from its nose). The horse council of B.C has been everyone well informed and the horses have temporary homes. Apparently the horse that was killed was the daughters horse Jacques. Previously this year the daughter had a horse taken away by its owner because it was too skinny. I honestly didn't believe it because at events this summer her horses weren't that skinny, a little on the lean side but not emaciated. I feel horrible for the daughter she won't be able to show her face for a while. I wasn't comfortable posting this for everyone to see because the girl is a friend of mine, but I thought you'd like some background info. The horse community in the lower mainland is in shock (especially pony club)."
And finally...
Do you ever think that some people should have skipped having kids and gotten a trained poodle? That does tricks too and you can film it and everything!
