Cheap Twit du Jour!

Craigslist gem of the day! Click to see it full size.

My comments in blue.

"We are looking for an experience rider. I have a 13.3hh petite Haflinger mare that we need to start under saddle. I could start her myself but am too big to ride her. She is ready to ride now. She has had all her basic's done and has been sat on once. She will be VERY easy to start. She was tack the first time by a ten year old novice who also lunged her for the first time in a western saddle. She did not buck. (Sounds nice so far - glad to see all the ground work has been done although I do question the wisdom of 10 year olds teaching greenies to longe. They just don't have the strength to deal with it if the horse had misbehaved.)

We have a 50ft round pen a 204 X 80 covered and lighted arena, rain or shine day or night we can ride. We even have trails right of the property which she has been ponied through a billion times.

(Sounds like a nice facility, but a billion times?)

We have a full show schedule and would be willing to haul her to shows so you could show. We also trail ride a lot during the summer.

(Cool)

I sadly cannot pay for your time WHAT? but it would be a great learning experience FOR THE FILLY! and you would have full access to regular horse shows and riding. Yes, we're all dying for the experience of riding your greenie at her first shows in exchange FOR NOTHING. We are planning to go to 2 every month. TWO SHOWS A MONTH BUT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY SOMEONE TO TRAIN YOUR GREENIE? There is a Haflinger breed show in June that we will be heading to in OR. OK, you can afford to haul to breed shows many miles away but you can't afford to pay someone to train your greenie? If you would like to go to this you need to let me know ASAP as I only have two empty spots in our trailer, which will fill fast.

We bred Tanoka and she is currently for sale but would like to get her going under saddle. So she will sell for more money! We'd love to profit off your FREE LABOR. She could do just about anything, English or western.

You MUST be dedicated to come out at LEAST 3 times a week or it is not worth it. TO WHO? Yeah, I guess it's really important you get your un-money's worth! We are in Arlington about 7 min off of I-5. Email or call with questions. Thanks for looking."

FHOTD back in: OK, I sincerely believe that a lot of normally financially solvent people are in trouble these days through no fault of their own. But when you are still able to afford to show 2x a month, when you are still merrily breeding horses as evidenced by your web site and at least assume you will sell them for healthy prices based upon aforementioned web site, the "too poor to pay a trainer" claim just doesn't ring true. At least that is what I assume you mean by you CAN'T pay. Maybe you are just so cheap that you fear you will injure yourself trying to crowbar a few bucks out of your wallet?

This farm has NICE horses. I am not picking on their horses or horse care at all. But assuming that someone else should show up reliably 3x a week when you're not even offering them gas money and start your filly from scratch is arrogant and ridiculous. Why would they do that? If a young, accomplished rider wants to learn to train, they can go on the web and find themselves an assistant trainer/working student position where they will at the very least get fed and housed, and usually paid something. And usually with someone who is a big name in their breed/discipline so that the experience they acquire will mean something when they move on.

Samantha, YOU don't train for free. Your web site clearly states that you charge $360. Why do you expect that of someone else? Fair's fair - if the filly needs a smaller rider, pay someone for their time, effort and risk in breaking out a young horse.

You can't pick your parents, or your owners if you're a horse!

I got an e-mail last night that made me want to whack my head against a wall.

Foreclosed Home Owner ("FHO") left her property and took all the horses but one. She left behind some kind of stallion that no one can catch. FHO, clearly a compassionate and thoughtful horsewoman, told the bank to "just shoot it."

(FHO, for the record, denies that this is her stallion. It was "dumped on her" a few years ago. Folks, if something is dumped on you and you do not take all the necessary steps at the time to get the actual owner to remove it or pay for it, it becomes your animal and your problem. We shall note that FHO has not, in those few years, managed to get up off the couch and halter break the stallion living in her yard.)

I'll provide more details once this is all resolved but for now I will tell you that people are trying to do the right thing and that no one is going to try to shoot a loose horse. It does, however, bring up a good question:

We all know that some owners have chosen to deal with foreclosure by letting the animals loose, taking them to the auction, or giving them away. But what happens when an owner walks away and leaves the animal on the foreclosed property?

What are the banks doing?

I've heard of cases where a horrified realtor has come upon abandoned animals and has taken it upon him/herself to place the animals. In those cases, kudos for them. I just hope they are screening. If you need some advice on how to screen, click here.

In this case that I just heard about, the bank was upset that a concerned neighbor was going to the property to feed the animal - but someone has to feed it. News flash to bank, it sounds to me like the animal just became yours if it's on YOUR property and you should be darn grateful if a neighbor is feeding it so you don't have to pay for that or chase FHO for the money. I do see the bank's issue - now it's their property. They don't have a liability release from concerned neighbor. If Wild Stallion kicks him/her in the head, his/her family can easily sue Wealthy Bank for a large sum.

Here's another situation that's going on - Paul Greenwood, a wealthy pony breeder, was recently arrested for investment fraud. It is alleged that much of Mr. Greenwood's substantial wealth came from defrauding his clients. Not an uncommon story, but Mr. Greenwood has 80+ high quality show ponies and his accounts have been frozen. My understanding is that his panicking wife is begging for permission to sell some ponies to feed the rest. 80+ ponies create one hell of a hay bill, and thanks to the accounts being frozen, the Greenwood farm staff got rubber paychecks. Come on! I understand freezing accounts in a case like this, but law enforcement must ensure that innocent people and animals are not victimized - and I am frightened that is not happening. This is the case we are hearing about, but how often is this going on with less famous debtors/criminals?

I always wonder about animals belonging to people arrested for drugs, where seizing everything that person owns is common. What happens to them? Who feeds them, cares for them? What process is used to rehome them, or who holds them while the case is going on? They so often wind up being auctioned - so great, they are going to kill because they were owned by a druggie? How is that fair?

So I want to hear your stories. What has happened in your neighborhood like this? How has law enforcement dealt with animals where property/assets are seized? What about banks and realtors? I want to hear the good stories and the bad. If you handle foreclosures for a bank, tell me what your policies are. I also want to hear your thoughts on solutions. I was wondering if it would help to offer some free seminars for banks/realtors on how to deal with abandoned animals, what the law says you can and can't do, etc.? I'll leave this topic up for the rest of the weekend...and I'll let you know what happens with the stallion!

Ignorance is bliss!

I was reading on Yahoo news this morning that economists don't expect things to get back to normal until 2013, or for the jobless rate to return to normal ranges until 2011. Now, I am pretty sure the news is not only available on my Internet connection, so I do wish some of you BYB's would take a few moments away from updating your Myspace and actually try to educate yourselves. But no, you don't. You merrily proceed forward...making more, more, always more...with no rhyme or reason to the combinations of breeds.

I snark on Gypsy Vanners all the time, mostly because if you tell anyone in Europe what an American pays for a Gypsy Vanner, they fall down laughing, ask if the person was drunk and then try to find out how to get into the Gypsy Vanner export business. Well, here we have a Gypsy Vanner crossed with a Missouri Fox Trotter. Why? WHO KNOWS?

Here's the ad: "This Guy is going to be amazing. He is a Buckskin Gypsy cross with Pinto markings he is coming 2 in may . His mom is a registered Gypsy and his dad is a Missouri Fox Trotter. She is a everything horse that anyone can ride. She is currently being started on barrels. He should mature to 14 plus hands, and a very stout build. He is good for the shoer and has been trailered. He is current on everything and has been imprinter since birth. He is very interested in everyone and everything that goes on.He will be your all around forever horse! Dont miss your chance to own this newer breed. For more info call Rose."

Rose, we don't need any "newer breeds." The old, tried and true breeds aren't selling! And what you have done is combine two things that don't even do the same gaits. You bred a gaited stallion to what is apparently the world's fastest Gypsy Vanner (A Gypsy Vanner on barrels is something I know I'd like to see the Youtube video of...)...what were you trying to make here? Purpose? Goal? Point?

What you did make is yet another $800 two year old for sale on Craigslist. *sigh*

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Check out Shiloh Rescue's blog for some updated pictures on the Dreamchaser horses - they are all looking SO much better after just weeks of good food and care. (Scroll down to see Bombay - another new rescue. That one is screaming for someone to adopt her and show her!) Shiloh is in the Las Vegas area for those of you looking to adopt or volunteer.

Remember Friday Featured Rescue SH Malacy? A couple folks were kind enough to look her up - that's an Mpulse++ daughter! Not surprised. If you like Arabians and are in Wisconsin, I think that mare would make a darling 4-H horse. Check her out at equineadoption.com.

Lots of news coming next week. We have yet another Dean Solomon horse that wound up in dire straits and is in the process of being re-rescued and I should finally have the big story I've been promising for a while now about the #1 trainer you don't want to send your horse to.

Have a great weekend!

What goes around FINALLY comes around!

Most of us can name someone in the horse business who is 100% a con artist, who has gone on for years and years and years defrauding others, and yet hasn't had to pay for his or her crimes! It's frustrating to say the least to see honest people go under while $cammers live high on the hog off of other people's money, and like slippery little weasels, evade the consequences time and time again.

That's why I was thrilled to hear that Trina Kenney FINALLY went down! She got arrested yesterday by the Victorville FBI.

Trina has a very long history in the horse biz. She is well known for selling horses she never delivers, delivering a different horse than the buyer saw advertised, and generally parting people from their cash as quickly as possible with zero concern for the horses or the little kids who wait for horses that will never arrive. The list of victims is long - here's just some of it, from the ablackhorse.com forum:

Kim P in Covina CA won her suit and still has Charlie. He had Strangles and is lame

Suzanne B San Diego CA, has King Arthur, bought for her 11 yo (definitely NOT bombproof) won her suit

John and Sylvia Boron CA, They are the oldest victims we have found so far from back in the fall of 2004. They returned their horse and she died. The pic is SO sad, you can tell she was starved. Lost their suit

Cathy B Coulterville TN bought Chester, lame in all 4 underweight with Neuro problems. He was supposed to be a "Sweet 16" gift for her daughter who is experienced in Hunter/Jumper. Won her suit

Debbie and Ed R Phelan CA bought an "ex camp horse" who was actually a tatooed ex racer. He had an Esophageal obstruction and had to be put down 6 days after they got him. Their 17 yo and 8 yo I'm sure will NEVER forget the experience. Won Their suit

Judy C in CO, myself, and Emily P in Eureka CA all bought the same horse. Emily got him and let me take him. Maximus now named Whisper is on a ranch in Idaho right now. Trina made $7200 off 3 people for one lame horse.

Debbie P in TX got a paint with 8* long hooves, lame with a hernia and Parrot mouth.

Evelyn M. in CA bought a filly with Strangles that infected 2 seperate ranches

Kate B in CA bought a horse for her disabled son and got a horse with Strangles Christmas Eve.

Dr. Carrie bought 2 horses, got one horse (the same one bought by Mary B IN WI) sent him back and got another that was unbroke, and a lame mare. One went to a rescue and the other is with John and Sylvia

Melanie F in San Diego... I could write this story for hours. She bought a horse for her 8 yo daughter, then was accused of stealing one, killing a pug puppy (the Pug had been Dr. Carrie's). I found the "stolen horse" Shadow he was 300lbs underweight and 25 not 12 years old. He lives with me.

Monica S in NJ bought 2 horses and received neither.

Mary B in WI and Shawn O in WI each bought a horse and neither received one. The horses they bought were also sold to Melanie and Dr. Carrrie.

Nicole K in LA CA bought "Hampton"...and returned him he had Strangles. 3 Folks on the new team bought "Hampton" too.

Pam A in San Jose CA.... the horse doesn't even look the same and had cuts ALL over it, but her and her hubby are giving the mare a great home still

Amanda in CA bought a horse for her kids, not bombproof, but a brood mare.

Lori G in CA the mare she went to see went over on her backwards on the property in Phelan and Trina didn't even call 911... I don't know how she managed to keep from gettting killed.

Carolyn A in CA works for the Barstow Humane Society and got a horse a family donated with Strangles.. and nursed the mare back to health.

Max in Ca Traded an English Mastiff for a pony and it threw his 8 yo son into the fence.

Nancy Q in CA got a brood mare for her kids vs a bombproof beginners horse

William T got one horse, lame and exchanged it for another horse who was unbroken, hard to tell when you see a horse and it's been buted.

Lisa in WY just got 2 horses. [The Palomino had] cuts and scars all over and the paint didn't look too good either.


And what does Ms. Kenney do when called on her shit? Oh this is beautiful...she was running around posting that one of the people trying to shut her down was a child molester and saying that another was a stalker with multiple restraining orders against her. COME ON! It's easy to verify online that these accusations were untrue. Trina, if you are going to try to deflect attention, try to find some information about your detractors that is actually true.

Here's another news story about the wonderful Ms. Kenney. (Although I also want to know who the asshat trainer is who tried to get on a horse who was 300 lbs. underweight?)

I looked all over for a photograph of Trina. I mean, you can put up warnings all day, but a picture's worth a thousand words. I found nothing. She's very good at what she does. I'm sure a mug shot will surface eventually, Trina! ETA: Someone sent me a pic, so there it is. Good work!

Fortunately, the FBI is better than Trina is! Enjoy federal prison, Trina - I do believe your reign of terror has ended.

(But plenty more like her are still out there - c'mon folks, don't buy horses off the Internet you've never seen, don't go out and get on sale horses you haven't seen someone else ride first, and pay for a vet check. Use a little common sense and don't be an easy target!)

Why we should have a Razzie Awards for horse sale videos!

When video cameras were invented, everybody in horses was thrilled because you could finally show how a horse performed on your web site or send someone a video or the digitized file. Finally, something to attract that long-distance buyer without the person actually having to travel to your farm to see the horse for sale or stallion!

Sadly, some folks have completely missed the point of video.

See Zeus stand.
See Zeus walk around the round bale.
See Zeus...boy, he's dirty, isn't he?

So what? What about this is supposed to make anyone think "wow, I'd love to plunk down $3000 for Zeus. What a great stallion prospect!"

Now, while you obviously can't have riding video of a yearling (yeah, I know, but you shouldn't), I see plenty of other sellers who have managed to create videos that would pique my interest if I were looking for a horse of that type.

Here's a nice one. The AQHA yearling is clean and his mane is done. He's shown moving around both directions at a trot and lope, in a well maintained round pen with even footing. He's a good mover and he seems to be a pretty laid-back guy - there's no head tossing, irritated/annoyed body language or other drama here. Watching this, I can easily envision this guy as a competitive pleasure horse.

Here's another nice video. One thing I really like about this is that the titles have been used to provide important information of interest to a buyer - so even if the video gets passed around all the information is there. She's in a large, safe arena so I'm not being distracted, as I often am while watching sale videos, worrying that the horse is about to hurt itself or get tangled up in something. This filly is wearing her winter coat, but the focus is on her movement and that is being very well displayed here. The only thing I might have added would be some stills from summer to show what she looks like shed out.

As I've said before - it's just like selling a car. You are going to get a lot more buyers and for a better price if it is clean and tuned up. I don't want to hear anybody whine about how their horses are not selling when they show us a dirty yearling circling a round bale - for $3000. Whatcha smoking?

Three cheers for the British Horse Society!

British Horse Society launches "Think Before You Breed" Campaign

"The horse market has slowed down and rescue centres and sanctuaries are full to bursting. With an estimated 1.35 million horses and ponies in the UK, there are simply not enough experienced and knowledgeable homes to cope with our current equine population. The BHS is urging everyone involved with horses to think very carefully before breeding a foal and adding to the problem. "

"BHS Welfare Senior Executive Lee Hackett said “You only need to visit one of the lower end horse markets to see the impact of equine overproduction – poor quality horses and ponies going for less than the price of a good night out. Our welfare officers have many distressing stories of where these horses end up and I’m sure it’s not what their breeders originally intended. "

Lee, that's EXACTLY the reason I started this blog! Going to all the low end auctions and seeing all the CRAP out there that should NEVER have existed in the FIRST place! Sad little horses that were going on the killer's truck as weanlings, yearlings, two year olds, three year olds...no training, no chance at a life. A few years stuck in a field somewhere with minimal care and then, boom, off to be a Frenchman's sandwich. 100% AVOIDABLE MISERY!

However, I think the decline of the global economy has changed things from when I started the blog, two years ago. Originally, I believed that breeding high quality horses was fine - now I've had to rethink that position due to the stunning rate at which normally responsible individuals and families are losing their jobs and homes and ability to support their horses. Even with high quality horses, now is a good time to downsize or temporarily suspend breeding programs. If your mares are healthy and reasonably young, giving them a year off will not end their reproductive careers. Waiting to see what happens before you make more horses that will require homes is just good common sense.

I just don't know where this is going to end. Like many people, even the experts, I didn't correctly predict how bad our economy was going to get and now I'm very doubtful that it's going to get any better any time soon. This is the worst things have been in my lifetime. We truly have a disaster on our hands and many, many horsepeople are affected. The days when you had to be a lazy slacker to be unemployed are gone - these days, many educated and hardworking people are finding themselves out of a job. I suspect a great many people will have fewer horses or decide to have no horses at all in the next few years. The trends may not correct themselves until many years in the future.

One of my oft-said and always controversial statements is that horses are a luxury item. They are. Yes, I love mine too. Yes, I think they are essential to my psychological well-being. But bottom line, they are a luxury item and when people are hard up for money, the luxuries fall by the wayside. You could breed the best horses in the world and if there aren't enough people able to afford them, they won't sell. Expect hay and grain to get more expensive. Mark my words, it's not going to get cheap again. Please start forecasting and planning for your horse business just as you would any other kind of business. The luxury car dealers are all bracing for a hit - make sure you are, too.

So as the BHS says - just think about it. Strongly consider riding, not breeding or greatly reducing your breeding, until we see things swing back in a positive direction. I may be an old cynic but I know that no politician is going to wave a magic wand and fix this. We're in deep, we're in for the long haul, and we'd all better hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

I've heard of barefoot trimming but barefoot grooming?

No, the horse's ass isn't in the foreground of this picture. It's Mommy, bending over on the left, who proudly posted this snapshot with the following description:

"I was out side grooming my 3 girls today and Joseph wanted to help.And he loves playing with the baby so I gave him a brush and a way he went.This will be Josephs first horse he breaks on his own."

ooooooohkay...

So let's see. Joseph there is what? Two? Maybe three? He has apparently not mastered controlling his bladder yet but is outside in a pen with a loose foal, barefoot and grooming it on the ribs with a plastic curry. I don't know about you, but my well broke adult horses have been known to look askance at me if I touch their ribs with a plastic curry. Foal might be resting his hind left or he might be contemplating kicking the annoying plastic-curry-wielding creature at his side.

I guess we could progress this out to the future and worry about a 4 year old breaking a 2 year old or a 5 year old breaking a 3 year old (since this will be "his first horse he breaks on his own"...wonder who is gonna get broke there?), but I'm not sure Joseph is going to make it that long!

Pictures like this make me want to beat the parent in the head with a Pony Club manual. Again, it's not a stuffed toy. It's a 300 lb. unpredictable baby prey animal with sharp little hoofies. It is inches away from turning your child's foot into bloody hamburger, if not knocking him down and doing the same to his face. This isn't cute. This is negligence. If you're a loving parent - and I'm sure you think you are - get him some boots, some jeans, a helmet and a 25 year old pony!