It's Foaling Time, and It's All Our Fault

"http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=47223.1"

Who doesn't love a baby? I do, and so do most people. My favorite moderator on ABR, Mary L, began a thread to allow those with new babies arriving to post pictures of them. Now, to be fair, all of the babies, I am assuming are out of mares already pregnant when the Rescues took them in. I am hoping none of these Rescues are breeding-it kind of defeats the purpose. I was reading along, enjoying the pictures, and as always, it didn't take long for some astute reader to figure out a way to blame those of us who are Pro Horse for this. I know, there's the obvious "just stop breeding" ideal. It's preached all of the time. (By the way, Mary L., if you are really committed to this, isn't a thread dedicated to totally adorable new babies kind of at cross purposes?-but carry on). One of the posters feels that those of us who are Pro Horse really need to look at these babies and that will somehow make us understand how awful we are. Hmmmm. And in case you weren't aware-and I certainly wasn't, in post #72, it is revealed that pregnant mares are actually SOUGHT OUT for Slaughter. I have never read any reports supporting this "fact", but if you read it on ABR, it must be true. Do pregnant mares end up at Slaughter Plants? I would imagine so. Anyone who has actually dealt with mares in foal know that often times it is difficult to know if they are in fact pregnant until confirmed by a vet. And in some of the situations these horses are coming from, where they have been running with studs (Phoenix Rising "Rescue" always comes to mind), we are often dealing with multiple mares, and owners who cannot afford, or who do not care to have a vet come out and check. Add to that the time frame in which a pregnancy can be confirmed, and at times, the mare has already been sold. But, back to the thread. It is our fault that these mares have these babies. And now that they are in good hands, they will be constant reminders to those of us who are awful enough to send them to Slaughter what we have done. I love how these connections are made, don't you? One of the mares of course, comes with a story of how she got to the sale, and I have no reason to dispute it. I'm sure the person telling it was there to hear the words spoken, and in that case, is not re-telling a tale heard and embellished several times. Because when that happens, we know the tale often gets spun a bit. They have managed with love and patience to re-hab the mare, and I am glad for that. I am in full agreement that there are far too many people out there who have no business owning a horse because they don't know the first thing about the importance of good training. But that's another story for another day.
I'll tell you what I AM looking forward to. I'm looking forward to seeing how the ABR babies of 2010 turn out. Given proper care, they should have at least 25, maybe 30 years of life ahead of them. Hopefully, they have already been handled, and haltered. I am anxious to see what kind of citizens they will become in the Equine Community. I've found that it is very easy to point accusing fingers at "our side" for darned near everything that happens. Let's see how they deal with these babies, and what mark they make with them. Yes, there's already talk of a Calendar- Faces of the Saved or something like that. (by the way, there was mention of little Wilbur Gregory, the poor little Donkey cross who passed away under the "care" of one of those "Rescues" we love so much. I'd pass on putting him in the Calendar-he wasn't really saved when he didn't even make it to his 6 month birthday). It would be a money maker for the Anti Side. Great Idea. But I'm hoping the future for these babies holds plans for more than that. Those of you with ABR babies have a lot of work ahead of you. The work should have already begun. Good luck, and I hope you provide the future these babies deserve. Nothing is better for a horse than a solid foundation of training and respect-no matter what side of the issue you're on.

BY RH2