What criteria do FOB's have for rescues?
http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=44468.1
It's the new Year on ABR, and some of the members are ready for some changes. Alex and his merry band of Moderators? Not so much. I read the discussion about Requirements for Rescues, and honestly, there are some really good ideas. Ideas that would offer accountability. One of the posters made an excellent suggestion. Why not create a folder for Rescue reviews? Mary L, one of our favorite moderators, was quick to answer that the allotted amount of folders are already in use on ABR. A suggestion was made to combine the "Slaughter Issues" folders-they have two. Anyone want to guess how that went over? Alex, in his ever infinite wisdom, supported by his Moderators, feel that the WIKIs, created, and updated by the Rescues themselves are a wonderful way for those wondering about how legitimate a Rescue may be to find out for themselves. Have a separate folder where individuals can express their opinions? ON ABR? WHO CHANGED THE KOOL AID!!!????? There was a fair amount of deleting of posts on the thread. Who knows what comments Alex and the Mods felt were not "keeping to the subject". One thing remains clear, though. Alex Brown is in no way interested in promoting good, well run Rescues over the bad ones. He simply doesn't care. And any attempt made to differentiate between the two, even by those frequenting his discussion board will be stopped dead in it's tracks. One has to wonder just what Alex has to gain by encouraging the poorly run Rescues, and the Hoarders as Rescues to remain on his board digging for donations. And one can only hope that more of his followers will begin to see that his lack of caring is indeed hurting the horses. I have to believe that his policy of "deleting as he sees fit" is beginning to get on more than a few people's nerves. Ahhh Alex, be careful. You haven't sold those 5,000 copies of that book about the "Goodness and Greatness" of Barbaro yet. You may want to at least pretend to have some concern over how your faithful feel for just a bit longer. Cheers!
By RH2
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
The lost Files....
Well OK not really lost just miss placed for a while.
My apologies to RH2 and our readers for my late posting of this and the next few blog posts. I miss placed them in a sub folder and just realized I had not posted them yet.
So sorry for not keeping up with my job! My only excuse is that life in real time sometimes gets in the way and I don't always look at the folder title closely enough before I hit save.
My apologies to RH2 and our readers for my late posting of this and the next few blog posts. I miss placed them in a sub folder and just realized I had not posted them yet.
So sorry for not keeping up with my job! My only excuse is that life in real time sometimes gets in the way and I don't always look at the folder title closely enough before I hit save.
33 Questions......
http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=44882.3
Boy, I've just got to be quicker! I was going to do a piece on this a few days ago, and now, it is closed to posting with deletions-of course. But the first two posts are deleted, and they were the most important ones. I'll have to give you the recap. After many months of talk on ABR about the Rescues, and Scammers, and Hoarders as Rescues, a group got together, and under the mistaken impression that they were working under the blessing of the Might Alex brown, compiled a list of 33 questions. These were to be posted on the WIKI of each Rescue and answered, so that anyone wishing to donate would be able to gain a clearer idea of the Rescue. Some of the questions had to do with how the Rescues got their funds, volunteer base, and who provided their Vet, and Farrier care. Their stand on Slaughter was also addressed. The questionnaire was pretty detailed, but didn't cover anything one wouldn't ask when checking out a Rescue. Pretty clear cut, right? So, post number 1 tells the Rescues on ABR that they are now required to add the questions to their WIKIs, which by the way, are required if you are fundraising on ABR. Post number 2 contained the questions. Post number 3 was from Alex's number 1 mouthpiece, Mary L, and that's where the problems begin. It was made clear that the questionnaire was not to be mandatory, and hinted that Alex was not completely on board. Alex posted later on to let everyone know he was less than pleased. Why? I'm not really sure. And, honorable mention has to go to one of my personal favorites, Jim Gath, or Tierra Madre, who really didn't want that set of questions on his WIKI. Of course he did the Jim thing, made a few jokes, pulled out the "I'm just a good ol' boy who can't figure out how to do this" card, and said he's just too busy to answer. And he really doesn't want you calling his vet, farrier, or feed store (the questionnaire asked if you had them, did not require the posting of contact information). The usual ABR battle ensued, and my guess would be that you won't see those questions answered by very many Rescues. Was it a perfect solution? No. Was it a step in the right direction? I think so. Could Alex Brown have facilitated something positive by supporting it rather than making it known he was not happy about it? You betcha! Again, I have to question why Mr. Brown is so comfortable with the status quo on ABR. He requires the WIKI, he could have required the questionnaire. If he thought it was too long, too whatever, he could have worked with the group to modify it instead of killing it. Wonder why he chose the latter? Once again, kudos to Alex and Mary L. ABR fails to do what could have been the right thing.
http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=44940.1 for "objections" that were raised.
By RH2
Boy, I've just got to be quicker! I was going to do a piece on this a few days ago, and now, it is closed to posting with deletions-of course. But the first two posts are deleted, and they were the most important ones. I'll have to give you the recap. After many months of talk on ABR about the Rescues, and Scammers, and Hoarders as Rescues, a group got together, and under the mistaken impression that they were working under the blessing of the Might Alex brown, compiled a list of 33 questions. These were to be posted on the WIKI of each Rescue and answered, so that anyone wishing to donate would be able to gain a clearer idea of the Rescue. Some of the questions had to do with how the Rescues got their funds, volunteer base, and who provided their Vet, and Farrier care. Their stand on Slaughter was also addressed. The questionnaire was pretty detailed, but didn't cover anything one wouldn't ask when checking out a Rescue. Pretty clear cut, right? So, post number 1 tells the Rescues on ABR that they are now required to add the questions to their WIKIs, which by the way, are required if you are fundraising on ABR. Post number 2 contained the questions. Post number 3 was from Alex's number 1 mouthpiece, Mary L, and that's where the problems begin. It was made clear that the questionnaire was not to be mandatory, and hinted that Alex was not completely on board. Alex posted later on to let everyone know he was less than pleased. Why? I'm not really sure. And, honorable mention has to go to one of my personal favorites, Jim Gath, or Tierra Madre, who really didn't want that set of questions on his WIKI. Of course he did the Jim thing, made a few jokes, pulled out the "I'm just a good ol' boy who can't figure out how to do this" card, and said he's just too busy to answer. And he really doesn't want you calling his vet, farrier, or feed store (the questionnaire asked if you had them, did not require the posting of contact information). The usual ABR battle ensued, and my guess would be that you won't see those questions answered by very many Rescues. Was it a perfect solution? No. Was it a step in the right direction? I think so. Could Alex Brown have facilitated something positive by supporting it rather than making it known he was not happy about it? You betcha! Again, I have to question why Mr. Brown is so comfortable with the status quo on ABR. He requires the WIKI, he could have required the questionnaire. If he thought it was too long, too whatever, he could have worked with the group to modify it instead of killing it. Wonder why he chose the latter? Once again, kudos to Alex and Mary L. ABR fails to do what could have been the right thing.
http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=44940.1 for "objections" that were raised.
By RH2
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Anti-horse-management Agenda
This Was Emailed to Me a Couple Days Ago
The NAHSC leaders showed up in droves to pick apart the perceived inaccuracies in Sue Wallis’s speech. I’m going to guess they won’t be so harsh on this urgent cry for to halt the mustang outrage.
Ginger Kathren’s producer of the Cloud documentary doesn’t even know the proper color terminology for her equine subjects. Orange is not a horse color. I also couldn’t help wondering when I was watching the documentary why she only studied their behavior in warm weather. Why did she think she was unable to find a particular horse the next spring?
Karen Sussman keeps genetic records of every horse that arrives on her ranch with the assistance of Dr. Gus Cothran, a Texas A & M equine geneticist. “We determine their DNA and their blood type to establish their historical background. It also tells us how much diversity is in the herd and the minimum number we need to maintain that genetic diversity. Contrary to what one might think wild horses suffer from less inbreeding than their domestic cousins. We think they have more genetic diversity than any breed of domestic horses.” Sussman says.
And this quote from Tice Supplee.
http://audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0609.html
Another mantra from the wild-horse lobby is that the “mustangs” extant in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming are closely related to animals unleashed by the conquistadores. They are not; they are mongrels—a genetic morass of breeds issuing mostly from recently escaped or discarded livestock.
“Revisionist history promoted by horse lovers to give mustangs historic status,” is how Tice Supplee, director of bird conservation for Audubon Arizona, defines the Spanish-bloodline pitch.
The definition preferred by Erick Campbell—a biologist who retired from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2005 and who frequently dealt with feral-horse issues during his 30-year career—is: “pure, unadulterated BS.” Campbell told me this: “We managed everything from workhorses to Shetland ponies. Your daughter’s horse gets old or she stops liking it. So you turn it loose. Prior to World War II ranchers were basically managing these herds for sale to the Army. And to keep the quality up the Army would give the ranchers studs to release.”
Am forwarding this list of instructions for Obama's visit to Las Vegas next week. Based upon his disparaging comments about avoiding Las Vegas and what they've done to the local economy, wild horses may be the least of his concerns.
PLEASE EMAIL, FACEBOOK & TWITTER THIS INFORMATION TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.....
PROTEST: THE MUSTANG OUTRAGE will boil over on:
WHEN?
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 1:30 PM
WHERE?
Protest Speakers will first address the Press and Public on the steps of the Lloyd D George Federal Courthouse, 333 S. Las Vegas Building, Las Vegas NV (offices of Senators Ensign & Reid) and then Banners will be carried to over 40 locations across the entire city of Las Vegas so the public can see THE MUSTANG OUTRAGE!
CONTACT PERSON?
ARLENE GAWNE 702-277-1313 artistfromafrica@hotmail.com
On Thursday, February 18, 2010, President Obama is expected to arrive in Las Vegas, NV just when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is asking Congress for over $60 million dollars mostly for more roundups and over $40 million to buy farms in the East to warehouse the wild horses the BLM has condemned to captivity.
In memory of Freedom, the Calico mustang that leapt a high pen wall and burst through barbed wire to freedom, we ask you to turn out in huge numbers to say: NO MORE TAX
DOLLARS for horrific roundups, castration & warehousing OUR Western Heritage in the East! President Obama, we the People demand an end to BLM’s 40 years of subsidizing livestock & commercial interests on our land. GIVE WILD HORSES & BURROS THEIR FAIR SHARE OF PUBLIC LANDS. Protect them as the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Act ordered you to do.
THE MUSTANG OUTRAGE will boil over at 1:30 PM on the northeast steps of the Federal Courthouse where one by one for maximum visual impact, 40-50 large banners will unfurl on the sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard! We are asking for a minimum of 100 people to hold these big banners, 2 persons to a banner. Banner holders or their friends/family can also wear a fabric sign we will provide that reads:
OBAMA: Order The BLM To Abolish Mustang Atrocities. This front piece leaves
your hands free for the banner or to pass out information sheets to the public. We ask all
protestors to dress in black to symbolically mourn the 39 horses that
the BLM admits have already died in the Calico Roundup. Transparency is not their strong suit. At 2 PM, Protest Speakers will make short but powerful speeches addressed to the President, beginning with the eyewitness account of the Calico Roundup by humane observer, Craig Downer. Speakers will also include Dr. Elliot M. Katz DVM and President of In Defense of Animals, Neda DeMayo, founder & CEO of Return To Freedom, an American Wild Horse Sanctuary in Lompoc CA, Gina Greisen, President of Nevada Voters for Animals; and Arlene Gawne, wildlife artist and concerned citizen.
At 2:30 PM, the banners will be rolled up and each pair of banner holders will have one hour to drive to their assigned location across Las Vegas. Bring along any assistants, friends, family – especially your kids. Bring your folding chair and favorite snacks – have fun!
At 3:30 PM at your assigned location, you will hold your banner for 1-1/2 to 2 hours so thousands can see our message across Las Vegas: home-going traffic on major streets, convention attendees, shoppers all across the city, tourists at major casinos, travelers entering and leaving McCarran and Nellis airports, university and college students at campus entry points, all Congress members’ offices (Reid, Ensign, Berkley, Titus and Heller), tourists at Red Rock Canyon and more. In particular, there will be a special banner at the BLM office near I-95 and Craig Road where there will be a meeting on Feb.18 concerning renewable energy – and some fear BLM plans to remove wild horses to make it easier to build such facilities. We say NO to that Mr. President.We can have renewable energy and wild horses & burros on the same public land. There will also be a special banner at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign on Las Vegas Blvd. This banner will let Nevada know that the BLM is stealing our wild horse & burro legacy. And we say NO to that, Mr. President, Secretary Salazar, and Mr. Bob Abbey, head of the BLM. This banner features the beautiful wild horses that delighted Red Rock Canyon visitors until the BLM rounded them up, castrated the stallions (their unique blood line was lost forever), and shipped them to the Midwest (most horses & burros never get adopted). We would like the Red Rock horses back please. They would increase jobs if Las Vegas became the hub of Southwest eco-tours. Come out and let politicians know we are not going to take it anymore! Come from another state and express your passion for mustangs
> & burros – America’s Wild History. If you are local and can’t take the full afternoon off work, call Arlene Gawne and get an assigned location for 3:30-5:30pm where you can pass out handouts or just stand up for what you believe in. It is invigorating to stand up to two-faced politicians; to special energy, mining and water groups that want the horses/burros gone, and the BLM. Let the Hilton Family Trust and other corporate cowboys pay the fair market cost to raise cattle on public land, not at 1/10th
the cost with current subsidized leases. America has already been brought to its knees by corporate greed and deliberate lack of political oversight. Mr. President, no more welfare cows! No more welfare industries! Please phone or email Arlene Gawne at 702-277-1313 or artistfromafrica@hotmail.com to sign up for one end of a banner. Bring a friend to hold the other end and a folding chair to sit on. If you can’t find a friend, we’ll pair you up with another volunteer. If you can’t hold a banner, pass out information sheets to the public. Just wave at people! Some 8’x3’ banners will be commercially printed and some will be hand-painted. You are welcome to bring your own banner but please make it big and easy to read. Our banners, the Obama fabric front pieces, handouts and Mustang Protest 101 instructions will be handed out on Wednesday at a time and place to be announced.
TOGETHER WE WILL SHOW THE PRESIDENT - NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL!
If for some reason the President’s visit is cancelled, it doesn’t matter as long as we make
MUSTANG OUTRAGE heard, loud and clear. The BLM in their Las Vegas meeting February 18, 2010 need to hear our MUSTANG OUTRAGE and stop plotting roundups. Committee members listening to Salazar’s sales pitch for our tax dollars need to know that Salazar must not get one single wild horse quarter for roundups and pens! Maybe the President’s daughters will hear about MUSTANG OUTRAGE and ask dad why those people want to keep the mustangs and burros wild and free in the West? When he thinks about his answer maybe his conscience will kick in because he handpicked Salazar. Let us stand together on February 18, 2010 and invite the President to bring his family West to view mustang behavior with someone like Ginger Kathrens. When he experiences the thrill of wild horses running free, he must realize there is great value in keeping mustangs wild – a value greater than a field of solar panels or a hamburger. President Roosevelt will turn in his grave if he doesn’t.
Obama wishes he could affect ANY local economy with one or two comments. Teddy Roosevelt was a rancher and an avid hunter.
By RH1
The NAHSC leaders showed up in droves to pick apart the perceived inaccuracies in Sue Wallis’s speech. I’m going to guess they won’t be so harsh on this urgent cry for to halt the mustang outrage.
Ginger Kathren’s producer of the Cloud documentary doesn’t even know the proper color terminology for her equine subjects. Orange is not a horse color. I also couldn’t help wondering when I was watching the documentary why she only studied their behavior in warm weather. Why did she think she was unable to find a particular horse the next spring?
Karen Sussman keeps genetic records of every horse that arrives on her ranch with the assistance of Dr. Gus Cothran, a Texas A & M equine geneticist. “We determine their DNA and their blood type to establish their historical background. It also tells us how much diversity is in the herd and the minimum number we need to maintain that genetic diversity. Contrary to what one might think wild horses suffer from less inbreeding than their domestic cousins. We think they have more genetic diversity than any breed of domestic horses.” Sussman says.
And this quote from Tice Supplee.
http://audubonmagazine.org/incite/incite0609.html
Another mantra from the wild-horse lobby is that the “mustangs” extant in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming are closely related to animals unleashed by the conquistadores. They are not; they are mongrels—a genetic morass of breeds issuing mostly from recently escaped or discarded livestock.
“Revisionist history promoted by horse lovers to give mustangs historic status,” is how Tice Supplee, director of bird conservation for Audubon Arizona, defines the Spanish-bloodline pitch.
The definition preferred by Erick Campbell—a biologist who retired from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2005 and who frequently dealt with feral-horse issues during his 30-year career—is: “pure, unadulterated BS.” Campbell told me this: “We managed everything from workhorses to Shetland ponies. Your daughter’s horse gets old or she stops liking it. So you turn it loose. Prior to World War II ranchers were basically managing these herds for sale to the Army. And to keep the quality up the Army would give the ranchers studs to release.”
Am forwarding this list of instructions for Obama's visit to Las Vegas next week. Based upon his disparaging comments about avoiding Las Vegas and what they've done to the local economy, wild horses may be the least of his concerns.
PLEASE EMAIL, FACEBOOK & TWITTER THIS INFORMATION TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.....
PROTEST: THE MUSTANG OUTRAGE will boil over on:
WHEN?
Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 1:30 PM
WHERE?
Protest Speakers will first address the Press and Public on the steps of the Lloyd D George Federal Courthouse, 333 S. Las Vegas Building, Las Vegas NV (offices of Senators Ensign & Reid) and then Banners will be carried to over 40 locations across the entire city of Las Vegas so the public can see THE MUSTANG OUTRAGE!
CONTACT PERSON?
ARLENE GAWNE 702-277-1313 artistfromafrica@hotmail.com
On Thursday, February 18, 2010, President Obama is expected to arrive in Las Vegas, NV just when Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is asking Congress for over $60 million dollars mostly for more roundups and over $40 million to buy farms in the East to warehouse the wild horses the BLM has condemned to captivity.
In memory of Freedom, the Calico mustang that leapt a high pen wall and burst through barbed wire to freedom, we ask you to turn out in huge numbers to say: NO MORE TAX
DOLLARS for horrific roundups, castration & warehousing OUR Western Heritage in the East! President Obama, we the People demand an end to BLM’s 40 years of subsidizing livestock & commercial interests on our land. GIVE WILD HORSES & BURROS THEIR FAIR SHARE OF PUBLIC LANDS. Protect them as the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Act ordered you to do.
THE MUSTANG OUTRAGE will boil over at 1:30 PM on the northeast steps of the Federal Courthouse where one by one for maximum visual impact, 40-50 large banners will unfurl on the sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard! We are asking for a minimum of 100 people to hold these big banners, 2 persons to a banner. Banner holders or their friends/family can also wear a fabric sign we will provide that reads:
OBAMA: Order The BLM To Abolish Mustang Atrocities. This front piece leaves
your hands free for the banner or to pass out information sheets to the public. We ask all
protestors to dress in black to symbolically mourn the 39 horses that
the BLM admits have already died in the Calico Roundup. Transparency is not their strong suit. At 2 PM, Protest Speakers will make short but powerful speeches addressed to the President, beginning with the eyewitness account of the Calico Roundup by humane observer, Craig Downer. Speakers will also include Dr. Elliot M. Katz DVM and President of In Defense of Animals, Neda DeMayo, founder & CEO of Return To Freedom, an American Wild Horse Sanctuary in Lompoc CA, Gina Greisen, President of Nevada Voters for Animals; and Arlene Gawne, wildlife artist and concerned citizen.
At 2:30 PM, the banners will be rolled up and each pair of banner holders will have one hour to drive to their assigned location across Las Vegas. Bring along any assistants, friends, family – especially your kids. Bring your folding chair and favorite snacks – have fun!
At 3:30 PM at your assigned location, you will hold your banner for 1-1/2 to 2 hours so thousands can see our message across Las Vegas: home-going traffic on major streets, convention attendees, shoppers all across the city, tourists at major casinos, travelers entering and leaving McCarran and Nellis airports, university and college students at campus entry points, all Congress members’ offices (Reid, Ensign, Berkley, Titus and Heller), tourists at Red Rock Canyon and more. In particular, there will be a special banner at the BLM office near I-95 and Craig Road where there will be a meeting on Feb.18 concerning renewable energy – and some fear BLM plans to remove wild horses to make it easier to build such facilities. We say NO to that Mr. President.We can have renewable energy and wild horses & burros on the same public land. There will also be a special banner at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign on Las Vegas Blvd. This banner will let Nevada know that the BLM is stealing our wild horse & burro legacy. And we say NO to that, Mr. President, Secretary Salazar, and Mr. Bob Abbey, head of the BLM. This banner features the beautiful wild horses that delighted Red Rock Canyon visitors until the BLM rounded them up, castrated the stallions (their unique blood line was lost forever), and shipped them to the Midwest (most horses & burros never get adopted). We would like the Red Rock horses back please. They would increase jobs if Las Vegas became the hub of Southwest eco-tours. Come out and let politicians know we are not going to take it anymore! Come from another state and express your passion for mustangs
> & burros – America’s Wild History. If you are local and can’t take the full afternoon off work, call Arlene Gawne and get an assigned location for 3:30-5:30pm where you can pass out handouts or just stand up for what you believe in. It is invigorating to stand up to two-faced politicians; to special energy, mining and water groups that want the horses/burros gone, and the BLM. Let the Hilton Family Trust and other corporate cowboys pay the fair market cost to raise cattle on public land, not at 1/10th
the cost with current subsidized leases. America has already been brought to its knees by corporate greed and deliberate lack of political oversight. Mr. President, no more welfare cows! No more welfare industries! Please phone or email Arlene Gawne at 702-277-1313 or artistfromafrica@hotmail.com to sign up for one end of a banner. Bring a friend to hold the other end and a folding chair to sit on. If you can’t find a friend, we’ll pair you up with another volunteer. If you can’t hold a banner, pass out information sheets to the public. Just wave at people! Some 8’x3’ banners will be commercially printed and some will be hand-painted. You are welcome to bring your own banner but please make it big and easy to read. Our banners, the Obama fabric front pieces, handouts and Mustang Protest 101 instructions will be handed out on Wednesday at a time and place to be announced.
TOGETHER WE WILL SHOW THE PRESIDENT - NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL!
If for some reason the President’s visit is cancelled, it doesn’t matter as long as we make
MUSTANG OUTRAGE heard, loud and clear. The BLM in their Las Vegas meeting February 18, 2010 need to hear our MUSTANG OUTRAGE and stop plotting roundups. Committee members listening to Salazar’s sales pitch for our tax dollars need to know that Salazar must not get one single wild horse quarter for roundups and pens! Maybe the President’s daughters will hear about MUSTANG OUTRAGE and ask dad why those people want to keep the mustangs and burros wild and free in the West? When he thinks about his answer maybe his conscience will kick in because he handpicked Salazar. Let us stand together on February 18, 2010 and invite the President to bring his family West to view mustang behavior with someone like Ginger Kathrens. When he experiences the thrill of wild horses running free, he must realize there is great value in keeping mustangs wild – a value greater than a field of solar panels or a hamburger. President Roosevelt will turn in his grave if he doesn’t.
Obama wishes he could affect ANY local economy with one or two comments. Teddy Roosevelt was a rancher and an avid hunter.
By RH1
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Calling All Animal Angels……
I am not a writer. I have learned even extremely bad fiction seems to come under the category of writing. See the comment section of “Yes, Jane, It is a Must Read". We have been graced by a REAL writer and we should all learn from his example. Anyway now that I have everyone sufficiently pissed off…..I ran across these press releases while doing some point research for a live horse I am selling. Points, that’s what horses earn when you actually ride them in breed association sponsored shows. I felt I should explain since it seems unless it is written on the internet or some other public place involving racing, slaughter, mustangs, slaughter, rescues, slaughter, subsidies, slaughter or any combination of these subjects it is missed by our esteemed adversaries. I have also learned from them it is not necessary to quote or identify the source of one’s information so here ya go……all I am guilty of is a little sarcasm in the opening paragraph and copy and paste. (I am not a writer and I often miss the point. I was much too busy drowning kittens and pulling the wings off flies to pay much attention in school). Trivia for the day……When it is a discounted grazing lease to a rancher to produce revenue it is a subsidy. When we are discussing using taxpayer or other people’s money in any form to “solve” an unwanted horse issue it is a noble entitlement we should all be willing to hand over????????
Expert Predictions on Equine Welfare Realized
Courtesy of Animal Welfare Press Release, February 4, 2010 --
In 2007, animal activists utilized the state legislative and legal systems in Illinois and Texas to close the three USDA- regulated horse processing plants in the United States.
A year prior, veterinarians, scientists, and economists - all equine specialists - highlighted the likely consequences of the plant closures in the Animal Welfare Council’s (AWC) “The Unintended Consequences of a Ban on Humane Processing of Horses in the United States.” Currently, as animal activist groups continue toward their goal of banning the transport of horses to Mexico and Canada for processing it seems the message in the AWC’s original document were ignored. An objective look at the current state of horses in America proves the expert forecast made in 2006 remains relevant today. Horse Industry and Veterinary Experts predicted that with the elimination of horse processing facilities in the United State, the welfare of horses would be jeopardized.
Here are the Facts:
1. Experts said the closure of American plants would lead to an increase in abandoned and unwanted horses, putting a severe strain on the budgets of rescue facilities, sheriffs departments, and county governments. In a recent national study conducted by the Unwanted Horse Coalition, more than 90 percent of those polled indicated the number of neglected and abused horses is increasing. It requires about $2,340 to maintain a horse for one year. With no provisions for the care of unwanted horses, the financial burden has fallen to local taxpayers.
2. Experts said the closure of the USDA-regulated plants would lead to increased horse neglect, abuse, and malnourishment. It did.The Colorado Department of Agriculture reports that the number of equine cruelty investigations rose 60 percent from 2005 to 2009.
3. Experts predicted then that the closure of the plants in the United States would devastate the market for horses. It did. Livestock market owners now put the value of all horses at 40 percent of their 2005 price.
What is the answer to the unwanted horse issue? It is clear that there will always be unwanted horses due to the fact that some horses simply won’t meet their owner’s expectations or will become ill or infirm. The horse industry has responded to the unwanted horse problem and is developing and implementing programs to both reduce the number of unwanted horses. Experts agree that the passing of the pending legislation to ban the transport and commerce related to horse processing would exacerbate all of these issues. H.R.503/S.727 has no financial provisions for the care of unwanted horses. The question remains: Who will tend to the additional 100,000 unwanted horses currently being shipped to Canada and Mexico for processing if this bill is passed? In a survey conducted by the Animal Welfare Council in 2009 of 94 government supported animal control centers 53 percent acknowledged there are no horse rescue facilities in their area and 83 percent cannot house or care for any horses. Animal activist proponents of the legislation do not have a viable plan for caring for the nation’s unwanted horses.
Horses are an invaluable part of the livestock industry. All parties involved are actively committed to the humane treatment of the horse. H.R.503/S.727 will do nothing but cause greater suffering for horses, their owners, and the horse industry in general.
For the complete information on the AWC works cited go to http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.org/.
Effective January 31, 2010, equine owners intending to sell animals directly or indirectly to Canadian meat processors are being advised to record certain information.
Equine owners who wish to keep their sale options open should record all vaccines and medications administered or fed to their animals, and record any occurrence of illness in their animals.
The collection of this information will better prepare the equine industry for July 31, 2010, when it will be mandatory for all federally-inspected equine facilities in Canada to have complete records dating back six months for all domestic and imported animals presented for slaughter.
These requirements apply to owners of horses and their crosses, referred to as equine.
In order to help owners collect all of the necessary information, the CFIA is launching a new Equine Information Document (EID) that can be found in the Meat Hygiene Directive no. 2009-49.
The EID is the first step in the development of a comprehensive food safety and traceability program for the Canadian equine industry – for both domestic and international markets.
Anyone selling equines may have to provide an EID at ownership transfer. The document will require an owner-signed declaration to verify the accuracy of the information.
There are a number of medications and substances that are prohibited from being given -- administered or fed -- to equine intended to be slaughtered for human consumption. A list of these medications and substances can be found on the CFIA web site.
And in regard to all that supposedly tainted meat……..
According to Dr. Tim Cordes, USDA senior staff veterinarian and National Coordinator Equine
Health and Slaughter Horse Transport for USDA, the price of horse meat in Europe is at an all time high.
He also notes that the marketplace will find horses for food from other countries, like Mexico or South America, if it is unable to source from the US or Canada.
China consumes more equine meat (421,620 tonnes) than any other country.
CFIA found no residue of steroid and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs in any of the
horses they tested. (That would include the dreaded bute we here about every time this comes up. Bute is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory as is Banamine). 75 times more horses are tested for drug residues than cattle (300 of every 100,000 horses compared to 4 of every 100,000 head of beef cattle). These results indicate that there is no significant issue with drug residues in horse meat.
These are direct quotes from the 2008 Alberta Horse Welfare Study. I am sure it’s a load of crap for some reason and I am sure I will soon learn the reason. Of course it is irrelevant now, all the same it is a little different slant than we are presented most of the time.
By RH1
As always, Vicki, John, Lin, and EVERYONE, is invited to comment.
RM
Expert Predictions on Equine Welfare Realized
Courtesy of Animal Welfare Press Release, February 4, 2010 --
In 2007, animal activists utilized the state legislative and legal systems in Illinois and Texas to close the three USDA- regulated horse processing plants in the United States.
A year prior, veterinarians, scientists, and economists - all equine specialists - highlighted the likely consequences of the plant closures in the Animal Welfare Council’s (AWC) “The Unintended Consequences of a Ban on Humane Processing of Horses in the United States.” Currently, as animal activist groups continue toward their goal of banning the transport of horses to Mexico and Canada for processing it seems the message in the AWC’s original document were ignored. An objective look at the current state of horses in America proves the expert forecast made in 2006 remains relevant today. Horse Industry and Veterinary Experts predicted that with the elimination of horse processing facilities in the United State, the welfare of horses would be jeopardized.
Here are the Facts:
1. Experts said the closure of American plants would lead to an increase in abandoned and unwanted horses, putting a severe strain on the budgets of rescue facilities, sheriffs departments, and county governments. In a recent national study conducted by the Unwanted Horse Coalition, more than 90 percent of those polled indicated the number of neglected and abused horses is increasing. It requires about $2,340 to maintain a horse for one year. With no provisions for the care of unwanted horses, the financial burden has fallen to local taxpayers.
2. Experts said the closure of the USDA-regulated plants would lead to increased horse neglect, abuse, and malnourishment. It did.The Colorado Department of Agriculture reports that the number of equine cruelty investigations rose 60 percent from 2005 to 2009.
3. Experts predicted then that the closure of the plants in the United States would devastate the market for horses. It did. Livestock market owners now put the value of all horses at 40 percent of their 2005 price.
What is the answer to the unwanted horse issue? It is clear that there will always be unwanted horses due to the fact that some horses simply won’t meet their owner’s expectations or will become ill or infirm. The horse industry has responded to the unwanted horse problem and is developing and implementing programs to both reduce the number of unwanted horses. Experts agree that the passing of the pending legislation to ban the transport and commerce related to horse processing would exacerbate all of these issues. H.R.503/S.727 has no financial provisions for the care of unwanted horses. The question remains: Who will tend to the additional 100,000 unwanted horses currently being shipped to Canada and Mexico for processing if this bill is passed? In a survey conducted by the Animal Welfare Council in 2009 of 94 government supported animal control centers 53 percent acknowledged there are no horse rescue facilities in their area and 83 percent cannot house or care for any horses. Animal activist proponents of the legislation do not have a viable plan for caring for the nation’s unwanted horses.
Horses are an invaluable part of the livestock industry. All parties involved are actively committed to the humane treatment of the horse. H.R.503/S.727 will do nothing but cause greater suffering for horses, their owners, and the horse industry in general.
For the complete information on the AWC works cited go to http://www.animalwelfarecouncil.org/.
Effective January 31, 2010, equine owners intending to sell animals directly or indirectly to Canadian meat processors are being advised to record certain information.
Equine owners who wish to keep their sale options open should record all vaccines and medications administered or fed to their animals, and record any occurrence of illness in their animals.
The collection of this information will better prepare the equine industry for July 31, 2010, when it will be mandatory for all federally-inspected equine facilities in Canada to have complete records dating back six months for all domestic and imported animals presented for slaughter.
These requirements apply to owners of horses and their crosses, referred to as equine.
In order to help owners collect all of the necessary information, the CFIA is launching a new Equine Information Document (EID) that can be found in the Meat Hygiene Directive no. 2009-49.
The EID is the first step in the development of a comprehensive food safety and traceability program for the Canadian equine industry – for both domestic and international markets.
Anyone selling equines may have to provide an EID at ownership transfer. The document will require an owner-signed declaration to verify the accuracy of the information.
There are a number of medications and substances that are prohibited from being given -- administered or fed -- to equine intended to be slaughtered for human consumption. A list of these medications and substances can be found on the CFIA web site.
And in regard to all that supposedly tainted meat……..
According to Dr. Tim Cordes, USDA senior staff veterinarian and National Coordinator Equine
Health and Slaughter Horse Transport for USDA, the price of horse meat in Europe is at an all time high.
He also notes that the marketplace will find horses for food from other countries, like Mexico or South America, if it is unable to source from the US or Canada.
China consumes more equine meat (421,620 tonnes) than any other country.
CFIA found no residue of steroid and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs in any of the
horses they tested. (That would include the dreaded bute we here about every time this comes up. Bute is a non-steroid anti-inflammatory as is Banamine). 75 times more horses are tested for drug residues than cattle (300 of every 100,000 horses compared to 4 of every 100,000 head of beef cattle). These results indicate that there is no significant issue with drug residues in horse meat.
These are direct quotes from the 2008 Alberta Horse Welfare Study. I am sure it’s a load of crap for some reason and I am sure I will soon learn the reason. Of course it is irrelevant now, all the same it is a little different slant than we are presented most of the time.
By RH1
As always, Vicki, John, Lin, and EVERYONE, is invited to comment.
RM
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Michael Vick Rides Barbaro ??
I love this story about artist, Steven Chandler, and his folk art. Funny how the FOB think they can control everyone from horse rescues to artists..... They got themselves memorialized in a portrait for their efforts and I would say this artist hit the mark dead center.
You can read the whole story here -
http://www.fineartregistry.com/featured_artist/chandler-steven.php#at
The Georgia Red Mud Painter
Fine Art Registry™ Member, Steven Chandler
Michael Vick Rides Barbaro
Once upon another time there was another supremely gifted "athlete," a horse named Barbaro. Barbaro won the 2006 Kentucky Derby going away and was set to becoming the first Triple Crown winner in decades. Tragically, however, coming out of the gate two weeks later at the Preakness Stakes, Barbaro shattered his right hind leg. His racing career was finished and after months of intense medical care he had to be euthanized.
As Michael Vick's story was dominating the headlines this past summer, something was gnawing at Steven. Dog fighting, reprehensible. Horse racing, noble. "The sport of kings," even. Missing entirely from the Barbaro saga were the less noble aspects of horse racing – the selective breeding of horses for speed only, not durability; the shipping horses off to meat packing plants once their racing careers are finished; the doping and cheating that goes on. In other words, cruelty to animals but, unlike dog fighting, of a legalized sort.
(conclusion)
Tiring of the flame wars, Steven seriously considered taking the painting down. His supporters wouldn’t hear of it. The controversy raged on. People accused him of playing on Barbaro's tragic story simply to make money. To prove his sincerity and to challenge the Fans of Barbaro crowd to prove theirs, he offered to keep the painting up for auction but to donate the proceeds to a charity for retired racehorses, got in touch with one and announced his plan.
In the end, his critics' indignation remained open, but their wallets remained closed: the auction was won by none other than Fine Art Registry™ and will become part of its permanent collection.
Never one to back down from a fight, the Fans of Barbaro may have gotten more than they bargained for. Some of the sentiments they expressed have inspired Steven to memorialize them for all time with a new painting, Friends of Barbaro. Ouch!
The color of the sheets may have changed but Steven makes it plain that the intolerance remains the same.
You can read the whole story here -
http://www.fineartregistry.com/featured_artist/chandler-steven.php#at
The Georgia Red Mud Painter
Fine Art Registry™ Member, Steven Chandler
Michael Vick Rides Barbaro
Once upon another time there was another supremely gifted "athlete," a horse named Barbaro. Barbaro won the 2006 Kentucky Derby going away and was set to becoming the first Triple Crown winner in decades. Tragically, however, coming out of the gate two weeks later at the Preakness Stakes, Barbaro shattered his right hind leg. His racing career was finished and after months of intense medical care he had to be euthanized.
As Michael Vick's story was dominating the headlines this past summer, something was gnawing at Steven. Dog fighting, reprehensible. Horse racing, noble. "The sport of kings," even. Missing entirely from the Barbaro saga were the less noble aspects of horse racing – the selective breeding of horses for speed only, not durability; the shipping horses off to meat packing plants once their racing careers are finished; the doping and cheating that goes on. In other words, cruelty to animals but, unlike dog fighting, of a legalized sort.
.........................
(conclusion)
Tiring of the flame wars, Steven seriously considered taking the painting down. His supporters wouldn’t hear of it. The controversy raged on. People accused him of playing on Barbaro's tragic story simply to make money. To prove his sincerity and to challenge the Fans of Barbaro crowd to prove theirs, he offered to keep the painting up for auction but to donate the proceeds to a charity for retired racehorses, got in touch with one and announced his plan.
In the end, his critics' indignation remained open, but their wallets remained closed: the auction was won by none other than Fine Art Registry™ and will become part of its permanent collection.
Never one to back down from a fight, the Fans of Barbaro may have gotten more than they bargained for. Some of the sentiments they expressed have inspired Steven to memorialize them for all time with a new painting, Friends of Barbaro. Ouch!
The color of the sheets may have changed but Steven makes it plain that the intolerance remains the same.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My Winter Science Experiment……….
Or I really would like to do something with this mare…..
I have a nice dun breeding stock paint mare. She has a long and drawn out life story. For the sake of argument she is a really nice mare, a full sister to the good gelding in the What’s He Worth Blog. Full older sister, she was originally bred to be a barrel prospect. I have started many young horses for her breeder, all half or full siblings. All the good kind. This mare would have been too…..But she tried to amputate a fore foot when she was a three year old. She wasn’t halter broken so she healed the best she could. Future soundness in doubt she was pushed to the back of the pasture for a few more years. She was given to me when her home was sold in a foreclosure auction. I brought her home, broke her to lead and tie, and sent her to a mule breeder I know. Heartless bitch, I couldn’t ship her, didn’t have time to ride her, wasn’t sure she would be sound, and the only paint stud in the area I have any inclination to like is her sire. I thought my mule breeder friend wouldn’t care about the breeding stock paint papers and would love her color, breeding, and conformation. He did. Unfortunately, the mare didn’t love the jack. Two springs later she was back in my pasture with no mule production record. Another summer has slipped by with me not making much time to work with her. I decided she would be the perfect candidate to test the NAHSC’s rescue solution.
I googled Midwestern horse welfare rescue facilities and eventually settled on the website: Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation, Inc. America's Alternative to Sending Your Horse to Market ... The Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation is dedicated to providing qualified homes for any horse in need. ...http://www.horse-welfare.org/find.aspx?show=state&state=Iowa, this website searches by state. Starting in Iowa, I emailed the listed facilities with this polite request:
Name of the organization or Ms.or Mr. (surname):
I have a mare I would like to place with your foundation rather than take her to the auction where she will almost surely go to kill. She is a nine year old dun breeding stock paint. She was injured as a three year old and is marginally sound. Perhaps with corrective shoeing may be sound for riding but she was unstarted by any previous owners and not halter broken until she was six, so although she is a kind, intelligent mare by nature she is a little different to handle. Meaning she needs to be handled by someone who has experience in working with horses raised out unhandled. She most likely will not ever be a horse for a mediocre horse person. I took the mare with the intention of using her as a broodmare since she is a well made and well bred horse. As you know the broodmare deal is not at all feasible these days. I simply do not have space for a horse I can't use or sell. Please contact me by email or phone either way on the decision you make about taking this mare.
Thank you,
Central States Horse Rescue was first on the list. http://www.cshr.50megs.com/. According to his website written in the spring 2009 he was full so I did not even email him. Next…..
http://www.hoovespaws.org/ was next. Reading this site, I wanted to add the mare had never been abused so she probably didn’t have the credentials for an emotional story to be written about her. There was a story here about an Appaloosa mare that would make Ginger in Black Beauty think she had lived a charmed life. I’m not writing this to belittle or critique the rescues in the Midwest. That isn’t my point. I refrained from any judgment or comment. I shouldn’t have given it a thought as she did not reply at all.
http://www.healingheartswithhorses.com/hhh/ replied: I am so sorry but we are unable to take any horse at this time, we are full at 25 and currently have 44 head on 25 acres. With the economy --funds are low and donations lower:-( You might contact Hooves and Paws in Glenwood IA or Iowa Equine Rescue in Cedar Rapids. I am just a small backyard operation and am pushed to the limits right now. I cant move perfectly good horses! Have you tried Craigs list? There are still breeders out there and the color is right
Sorry I cant be of further assistance, it sure is an awful time for horses.
Polite, honest, kind of what I expected, but she tried. Hooves s and Paws, back where I started……Craig’s List, isn’t that where those evil killer buyers stalk unsuspecting horse owners? Breeders, aren’t they the ones still causing the problem?
Lazy R at http://www.angelfire.com/ia2/lazyriowa/ was next and the email address in the website was kicked back as account unavailable. I didn’t try the account for donations but it does raise an interesting question.
I went back to the main site and tried Nebraska.
I started with Break Heart Ranch, http://www.breakheartranch.com/ and she replied: Can you tell me what her soundness issues might be, possibly send me a picture. It is possible I may have a home for her.
I answered: She was caught in a gate and cut her left front heal bulb down into the hoof on the outside quarter nearly cutting that quarter of the hoof off. She travels sound in the pasture but tends to limp slightly when worked. I have no pictures of her. However, here is a picture of her full brother. He is bay but they are built much the same. She is not broke to ride.
Thanks for your reply.
She replied: Where are you located at??
I visited her site also. I haven’t fed this mare for a year because I hate her. This lady had a sad story about the sad end of a two year old filly by her stud plus she had a black older stallion for “adoption”. The older stallion for adoption was described, ‘Yes, he’s a stud and he knows it. But he takes care of his riders no matter how inexperienced they maybe’. He may have been the horse who didn’t care if the kids hugged his legs too, I don’t remember, I stop paying attention at the mention of a grade stud taking care of novice riders on the trail. This shoots every scrap of credibility as a horseman a person may have had right out the window in my mind. I answered:
I am located at___ . I would like to let you know I will surrender this mare only without papers and with the agreement she will never be bred. I don't mean to be rude, but I believe very strongly if a horse couldn't hold its own in the open market for any reason then it shouldn't be in the breeding pool. I realize this may not be entirely fair or correct all the time but we have to start to unravel this mess somehow and one place is taking rescue horses out of breeding production. I also won't place her without stipulating if she is to become involved in one of those loony bin Epona/Phoenix Rising things I have read about she is to come back to me immediately. If that is an agreement you feel you or the home you have in mind can honor please call me late evenings at 000-000-0000. Thank you for your time and I appreciate your effort.
She replied; I appreciate your candor. One of the most frustrating things about rescue, is the fact, the law will not enforce that type of stipulation. I was told that after a horse is sold, surrendered it is "like a car" and the new owner can shoot that horse right in front of you if they chose, it is their "property". I went through hell trying to get one of my horses back, after a person violated my contract. That is where I found out that we have no legal leg to stand on. I have refused to let horses be adopted if there was even a small sign that they wanted to breed them, but I still had someone do it, and say it was an "accident." Signed papers mean nothing.
I thought I might be able to re-home her, but as much as I agree with you, there is nothing that is legally binding to keep them from it. I am at capacity right now. I do have a waiting list. I am sorry I couldn't help, but I can't even guarantee that for those I adopt from here, as much as I want to.
I stood up for what was right, when Phoenix Rising starved, and killed horses, and was slandered and attacked for doing the right thing by Epona and others. I have found out the hard way, that doing the right thing comes at a terrible price. People don't respect you for it, they attack you. I am sure you will do whatever is right for the mare.
And from what I hear through ABR grapevine, yes, she did. She was honest, polite, seems to genuinely care but that doesn’t change my opinion on the stallion.
The Best Little Horse House in Hastings http://www.thebestlittlehorsehouse.com/ replied: I have not been able to update my website as of yet, but we have moved out of Nebraska and closed that location for the shelter. Therefore, it will not be possible for me to take the mare in. I do hope that you find a suitable placement for her.
She didn’t say where she had moved to or if the already in stock rescues went with her.
Epona Rescue at http://www.eponahorserescue.com/contactepona.html was next. I received no reply to my email. Don’t worry after all the controversy, I wouldn’t send any horse there no matter what.
KTS Lone Cedar Rescues http://www.freewebs.com/ktslonecedarrescues/ replied:
Thank You for writing KT'S about your mare. I would like to call to talk to you about her, however, your phone number was not included in your email. May I get your phone number so I may call you? My phone number is 000-000-0000 if you would like to call me. I look forward to speaking with you about your mare. Take Care!
I have a nice dun breeding stock paint mare. She has a long and drawn out life story. For the sake of argument she is a really nice mare, a full sister to the good gelding in the What’s He Worth Blog. Full older sister, she was originally bred to be a barrel prospect. I have started many young horses for her breeder, all half or full siblings. All the good kind. This mare would have been too…..But she tried to amputate a fore foot when she was a three year old. She wasn’t halter broken so she healed the best she could. Future soundness in doubt she was pushed to the back of the pasture for a few more years. She was given to me when her home was sold in a foreclosure auction. I brought her home, broke her to lead and tie, and sent her to a mule breeder I know. Heartless bitch, I couldn’t ship her, didn’t have time to ride her, wasn’t sure she would be sound, and the only paint stud in the area I have any inclination to like is her sire. I thought my mule breeder friend wouldn’t care about the breeding stock paint papers and would love her color, breeding, and conformation. He did. Unfortunately, the mare didn’t love the jack. Two springs later she was back in my pasture with no mule production record. Another summer has slipped by with me not making much time to work with her. I decided she would be the perfect candidate to test the NAHSC’s rescue solution.
I googled Midwestern horse welfare rescue facilities and eventually settled on the website: Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation, Inc. America's Alternative to Sending Your Horse to Market ... The Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation is dedicated to providing qualified homes for any horse in need. ...http://www.horse-welfare.org/find.aspx?show=state&state=Iowa, this website searches by state. Starting in Iowa, I emailed the listed facilities with this polite request:
Name of the organization or Ms.or Mr. (surname):
I have a mare I would like to place with your foundation rather than take her to the auction where she will almost surely go to kill. She is a nine year old dun breeding stock paint. She was injured as a three year old and is marginally sound. Perhaps with corrective shoeing may be sound for riding but she was unstarted by any previous owners and not halter broken until she was six, so although she is a kind, intelligent mare by nature she is a little different to handle. Meaning she needs to be handled by someone who has experience in working with horses raised out unhandled. She most likely will not ever be a horse for a mediocre horse person. I took the mare with the intention of using her as a broodmare since she is a well made and well bred horse. As you know the broodmare deal is not at all feasible these days. I simply do not have space for a horse I can't use or sell. Please contact me by email or phone either way on the decision you make about taking this mare.
Thank you,
Central States Horse Rescue was first on the list. http://www.cshr.50megs.com/. According to his website written in the spring 2009 he was full so I did not even email him. Next…..
http://www.hoovespaws.org/ was next. Reading this site, I wanted to add the mare had never been abused so she probably didn’t have the credentials for an emotional story to be written about her. There was a story here about an Appaloosa mare that would make Ginger in Black Beauty think she had lived a charmed life. I’m not writing this to belittle or critique the rescues in the Midwest. That isn’t my point. I refrained from any judgment or comment. I shouldn’t have given it a thought as she did not reply at all.
http://www.healingheartswithhorses.com/hhh/ replied: I am so sorry but we are unable to take any horse at this time, we are full at 25 and currently have 44 head on 25 acres. With the economy --funds are low and donations lower:-( You might contact Hooves and Paws in Glenwood IA or Iowa Equine Rescue in Cedar Rapids. I am just a small backyard operation and am pushed to the limits right now. I cant move perfectly good horses! Have you tried Craigs list? There are still breeders out there and the color is right
Sorry I cant be of further assistance, it sure is an awful time for horses.
Polite, honest, kind of what I expected, but she tried. Hooves s and Paws, back where I started……Craig’s List, isn’t that where those evil killer buyers stalk unsuspecting horse owners? Breeders, aren’t they the ones still causing the problem?
Lazy R at http://www.angelfire.com/ia2/lazyriowa/ was next and the email address in the website was kicked back as account unavailable. I didn’t try the account for donations but it does raise an interesting question.
I went back to the main site and tried Nebraska.
I started with Break Heart Ranch, http://www.breakheartranch.com/ and she replied: Can you tell me what her soundness issues might be, possibly send me a picture. It is possible I may have a home for her.
I answered: She was caught in a gate and cut her left front heal bulb down into the hoof on the outside quarter nearly cutting that quarter of the hoof off. She travels sound in the pasture but tends to limp slightly when worked. I have no pictures of her. However, here is a picture of her full brother. He is bay but they are built much the same. She is not broke to ride.
Thanks for your reply.
She replied: Where are you located at??
I visited her site also. I haven’t fed this mare for a year because I hate her. This lady had a sad story about the sad end of a two year old filly by her stud plus she had a black older stallion for “adoption”. The older stallion for adoption was described, ‘Yes, he’s a stud and he knows it. But he takes care of his riders no matter how inexperienced they maybe’. He may have been the horse who didn’t care if the kids hugged his legs too, I don’t remember, I stop paying attention at the mention of a grade stud taking care of novice riders on the trail. This shoots every scrap of credibility as a horseman a person may have had right out the window in my mind. I answered:
I am located at___ . I would like to let you know I will surrender this mare only without papers and with the agreement she will never be bred. I don't mean to be rude, but I believe very strongly if a horse couldn't hold its own in the open market for any reason then it shouldn't be in the breeding pool. I realize this may not be entirely fair or correct all the time but we have to start to unravel this mess somehow and one place is taking rescue horses out of breeding production. I also won't place her without stipulating if she is to become involved in one of those loony bin Epona/Phoenix Rising things I have read about she is to come back to me immediately. If that is an agreement you feel you or the home you have in mind can honor please call me late evenings at 000-000-0000. Thank you for your time and I appreciate your effort.
She replied; I appreciate your candor. One of the most frustrating things about rescue, is the fact, the law will not enforce that type of stipulation. I was told that after a horse is sold, surrendered it is "like a car" and the new owner can shoot that horse right in front of you if they chose, it is their "property". I went through hell trying to get one of my horses back, after a person violated my contract. That is where I found out that we have no legal leg to stand on. I have refused to let horses be adopted if there was even a small sign that they wanted to breed them, but I still had someone do it, and say it was an "accident." Signed papers mean nothing.
I thought I might be able to re-home her, but as much as I agree with you, there is nothing that is legally binding to keep them from it. I am at capacity right now. I do have a waiting list. I am sorry I couldn't help, but I can't even guarantee that for those I adopt from here, as much as I want to.
I stood up for what was right, when Phoenix Rising starved, and killed horses, and was slandered and attacked for doing the right thing by Epona and others. I have found out the hard way, that doing the right thing comes at a terrible price. People don't respect you for it, they attack you. I am sure you will do whatever is right for the mare.
And from what I hear through ABR grapevine, yes, she did. She was honest, polite, seems to genuinely care but that doesn’t change my opinion on the stallion.
The Best Little Horse House in Hastings http://www.thebestlittlehorsehouse.com/ replied: I have not been able to update my website as of yet, but we have moved out of Nebraska and closed that location for the shelter. Therefore, it will not be possible for me to take the mare in. I do hope that you find a suitable placement for her.
She didn’t say where she had moved to or if the already in stock rescues went with her.
Epona Rescue at http://www.eponahorserescue.com/contactepona.html was next. I received no reply to my email. Don’t worry after all the controversy, I wouldn’t send any horse there no matter what.
KTS Lone Cedar Rescues http://www.freewebs.com/ktslonecedarrescues/ replied:
Thank You for writing KT'S about your mare. I would like to call to talk to you about her, however, your phone number was not included in your email. May I get your phone number so I may call you? My phone number is 000-000-0000 if you would like to call me. I look forward to speaking with you about your mare. Take Care!
I won’t go all Fugly insulting with the reasons, but no. The picture above makes me think she might just be the type of person I was talking about in my original email. I will admit having some ‘not so perfect’ spots in my horse facility. I am not Carol Rose Quarter Horses by any means but……. And speaking of Fugly….where is the outing for this fine example of horsemanship? On a positive note, both horse and rider at least look happy and the horse looks fed.
On to Missouri:
Alder Hill Rescue at http://www.alderhillfarm.com/ contacts Craig and Leslie replied: I completely understand and thank you so much for caring that she finds a good home. We do have an open spot at the rescue as we were able to find a home for one of the horses recently. I have attached a surrender form, if you could fill it out to the best of your knowledge that would be wonderful. How does she get along with other horses (dominant submissive etc)? What kind of injury did she have? Has she been released for light trail riding by a vet? Has she ever been ridden?Where are you located? With the current economic difficulties and reduction in donations and adoptions we are requesting that all surendered horses have a current Coggins, UTD on vaccinations and wormings and a recent trim. We are also asking if the owner can help out with the gas to transport the horse. I hate to ask for all of this, but winter weather is here and we are buying feed so our budget is very tight. The expenses could be made as a charitable deduction to the rescue and then the rescue would cover the expenses if that would make it a little less costly for you.Please feel free to email or call me (000) 000-0000 with any questions. If you could send any pictures of her that would be great also. Thanks again and I look forward to talking with you soon.
If I were in a strapped position could I afford to have all that done? could I? I thought the surrender form was kind of interesting. I have sold horses for several thousand dollars with less scrutiny. I have paid several thousands for prospects at auction using less information than this.
*****************************************
Horse Surrender Form Horse Information:
Horse Nickname _______________________ Full Registered Name _______________________ Registration Association and # ________________original breed papers with signed transfers must be submitted with this form Breed _____________________Age _______ Gender______________ Color__________________Descriptive Markings and Brands: _______________________________________________________________
Current Owner Information:
Current Owner ________________________ Street Address _________________________________
City ___________________ State _____Zip Code _________ Home Phone ____________________
Cell Phone _________________ Work Phone _________________ Email ______________________
How long with current owner? ___________________Prior to current owner? ___________________
Reason for surrendering horse to Alder Hill Farm _______________________________________________
Medical and Temperament History:
Most recent vaccinations including date administered: _______________________________________
Most recent worming including date administered and product used: ___________________________
Does this horse have a current negative Coggins test? _____ (if so, original Coggins test must accompany this form) Has this horse been vaccinated for West Nile Virus within 6 months?______
Stand tied?___________
Does this horse load into a trailer? _____
Lead? _____
Clip? ____
Stand for the hose? ____________
Stand for the farrier?______
Stand to be wormed/vaccinated? _____________
Known unsoundness, lameness, or other medical conditions:________________________________________________________
Current treatment or veterinarian recommendations: _______________________________________________________________
Any known feed or medication allergies? _________________________________________________
Please list all known special needs, overall temperament, any likes/dislikes, quirks, vices, and any other necessary or useful information:
On a separate sheet of paper, please write up a brief (or not so brief) history of this horse. Also, if you have any preferences for the type of adoptive home you would like to see this horse go to, let us know. We can’t promise specifics when placing horses into new homes; however we do try to take into account the type of situation owners would like to see their horse go to.
Release:I , _______________________ agree that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge. I understand that by signing this form, I agree to surrender legal ownership of my horse(s) listed above to Alder Hill Farm. It is understood that the surrendering party shall hold Alder Hill Farm and all its officers, directors, employees, and volunteers harmless from any claims of damage, injury, or acts of negligence arising from this surrender. I have read and thoroughly understand this release of liability and agree to abide by it.
Owner____________________________ Date____________
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I'm not in the mind set to ‘pay’ to get rid of the mare. This same facility had five year old PMU “rescues” ready to be started under saddle. Five year old unstarted horses? Isn’t that part of the problem or does that apply only if you are pro-slaughter or a BYB being outed by Fugly? To them Fugly would say put down your beer, get off your lazy ass, and go ride those horses to keep them off the double decker bound for Mexico. Oops Forgot, Rescue Get Out of Training Free Card.
It is fair to say, if my only concern were to get rid of this mare at any cost I could have. But…….
The same concern keeping me from sending her to the sale, keeps me from sending her to the rescues. I ran out of patience before I ran out of neighboring states and rescues. The common theme, after all the pulp fiction and good intentions were stripped away I found little practical horse skill or ability to ‘upgrade’, ‘rehome’, or ‘rehabilitate’ any horse to the point of taking him/her out of risk for any length of time. The next owner induced crisis will find the horses even older and for all practical purposes in the same predicament putting them at risk to begin with..
Two of the rescues in this very short list have been ‘restructured’ or moved for some unmentioned reason. Where are their horses now? What about the adoptive forever homes they were to be overseeing?
By RH2
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