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!