Epona continues to prove to be hoarder

Lin +2 (PLUS 8!!!!!!)

http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=49324.1

Ahhhhh, it's summer- warm days, lazing on the deck with a glass of iced tea, sweating in the hot sun while shoveling manure, hay sticking all over you during feeding time-and of course, EPONA's back and begging in full force. She was pretty low profile, almost non-existent on ABR for awhile. I think so many people were on to her and her lies that she just gave up. She told everyone that EPONA was going in "a different direction".(something we hear with alarming regularity it seems), and was pretty much off board for quite some time. Good times for the horses. Those able to escape Lin's brand of love and care had chances to go to other places. To actually receive proper care, and to possibly even get adopted out. Hoarder/Rescues can't seem to let 'em go, and EPONA is second to Tierra Madre only in hoarder mentality. Gee-no wonder they support each other! But back to the story. Lin posted recently about a Freisian cross mare she had to "rescue" from a bad situation. Upon arriving at the home of the mare, she also found another 22 year old STB mare-also in foal. Of course, our lady of EPONA couldn't leave these two moneymakers-oops-mares there, so with the support of donors-Lin has no money to operate her "Rescue"on her own, she saved these two mares and brought them across state lines to EPONA. That's right folks- Lin had to travel across state lines to find horses in need. Perhaps the "unwanted horse" situation is improving? I mean, if you can't find horses in your own state that need your help, that's good, right???? Right???? Okay, moving on. So, Lin posts her tale of woe, and immediately asks for funds, because, of course Lin can't afford to house the horses she has saved. Well, some of those nasty nay Sayers on ABR got a little uppity with our Lady of EOPNA and had some questions. Lin DOES NOT LIKE QUESTIONS! One of her enablers-oops again, supporters informed all that Lin will answer questions, but only to those who donate to her cause. Interesting Fundraising tactic there, Lin. The discussion goes on, and as with all discussions involving EPONA, it turns out Lin's tale is just that-not quite the truth. It seems that these horses were already in the process of being removed. AND-and this is my very most favorite part of the story- Lin DID NOT MENTION SHE ALSO PURCHASED 8 ADDITIONAL FRIESIAN CROSSES WHILE "SAVING" THE MARES. But don't worry-Lin is not overcrowded-she simply used up the slots she had reserved for horses in need for her state she had promised to the Sheriff. Now nothing says responsible rescue like that, does it? And I can't help but wonder what will happen should the Sheriff need those spots? Hmmmm. Anyhow, there are a lot of posts, and Lin does what she does best. There are a few highlights I'd like to point out, but by all means, if it's raining and you've got nothing to do, read the thing yourself. Lin is at her victimized best, and the few supporters she has are just so ridiculous in their inability to see who she is, and what a detriment she is to Rescue. My favorite comment by one of her supporters has to be that going to EPONA is better than going to Slaughter. Are you sure about that? So, the high points. Post # 59- the poster states that "quality of care is more important than quantity of horses". If only Lin, and Jim, too, could understand that! Post 70, perhaps my favorite-Lin rants on about the accusations about the lack of medical care for the horses-there were none, then plays her trump card. Yes, folks, Lin remembers the One year anniversary of Little Wilbur Gregory's death. For those unfamiliar, he was a little donk cross allowed to run in with full sized horses, and died before reaching the age of 6 months. Lin was going to post the necropsy report. I think we're still waiting. She also states she's "done" with all of the mean people insisting on asking her questions, but assures all the horses will get the same good care they've always gotten. (Refer back to Little Wilbur here, and be very afraid for any foal). In post 86 Lin discusses all she has to get done today. I love this, it's a Jim Gath tactic also. It flies right past them that they are so overworked because they TOOK ON TOO MANY HORSES!!!!!!!!!!! Typical hoarder/victim speak, but always great to read. If you read nothing else on this soap opera, check out post 89. It lists all the inconsistencies Lin herself has posted. In post 92, we have our first donation-from a member named Beverly. Bev also happens to be a staunch supporter of one Jim Gath, even referring to him as "little brother". I wonder what sadness occurred in her life that she needs fulfillment from these two? This is the only part of this crap that saddens me about the supporters. Something is missing in their lives, and these people take advantage of it-big time. In post 135, a "private pledge" is made. It's only $5, but it keeps the ball rolling. I guess if you're too embarrassed to post publicly that you support this mess, private and anonymous is the way to go. There were also posts asking the questions Lin never wants to answer-how many horses, how many volunteers? In post 73 Lin is reminded she complained about her huge vet bill and was asking for help in paying it down. Here's another of my favorite things about Lin. She has this huge bill, yet consciously took in 2 horses she knows will require more vet care. If I was her vet, I'd be spitting mad at her irresponsible behavior. Of course, she probably lies to him, too. And hopefully, he doesn't read any of the discussion boards to see how she abuses his kindness in letting her carry a $5,000 balance. Lin answers about the number of horses and volunteers only after a member threatens to call a lawyer and look into her "Rescue" for refusing to provide the information. Lin at this time has 45 horses (I am guessing this includes the 10 new ones). 4 of those horses are in Foster care. Okay, So you have 4 horses out in Foster, and you bring 10 in? Is this making sense to anyone? In case you've forgotten, last time Lin sent horses out (Phoenix Rising) they did not fare so well, and we still really don't know what happened to them. She has 1-count him/her 1 full time volunteer, and 3-4 "part time through the summer" volunteers. Gee, Lin, could you be a little more vague? The thread goes on with support for all the wonderful things Lin does, and thanks her doing what she does. There are stories that don't add up, but that's okay. Lin just won't reply to those nasty people who want the truth. She will focus on finding Angles to pay the bills for the horses she went out of state to get, and hope everyone forgets about the extra 8 she purchased. Lin will do what Lin does, and her enablers will help her do it. And, oh gosh, I almost forgot!!!!!! Lin is hoping to set up a Mare Stare Camera, so we can all witness the miracle at EPONA!!!! She's hinting at the priceyness, maybe an "Angel" will provide the camera? Personally, I'd prefer to watch "Lin Stare" If everyone could see just who she really is and what she really does, maybe, just maybe, the donations would finally stop, and she would either have to do what a responsible Rescue does, or shut down. My money is on shutting down, since she has not done one responsible thing as a Rescue since I've known about her. We can look forward to more of Lin as victim, and of course, Lin as mommy with new "Little Stinkers" to ooh and aah over. I hope she has learned a little more about foals, and these new babies fare better than the others she's had. Stay tuned-with EPONA, it's never over. How sad is that?

By RH2

Sometimes You Have to Play a Hunch and Hope for the Best……

I had a call from an acquaintance/client early this spring. He was given two starved out yearlings a couple years ago. I am not sure about the details of the transaction but young cowboys tend to shift jobs early on in their careers. I think that’s probably true of many young people, but when young hands move on the situation and number of horses they can take with them often changes and this was the case for the first owner of Woody and his half brother Ike. So they came to live with Mark. Ike was ridden some as two year old last year and was well on the way to becoming a productive horse citizen. Woody on the other hand was not so lucky. He jammed a piece of wood in his stifle as a two year old. The vet probed the wound which at the time was dangerously close to the joint capsule so the least invasive treatment was taken. There was no indication of any remaining pieces during the original exam and the horse healed over once but continued to have problems.

Mark brought Ike for a tune up this spring so he could take him west for the brandings as he always does his young horses. Woody’s future was in question since he was still having problems with his stifle. Mark and I discussed this too. Although he had spoken with two different vets in the area about why the wound wouldn’t heal, he hadn’t pursued treating the horse. First the cost issue and second since the current infection was at a higher location closer to the flank the vets seemed to think there was a new injury in combination with the old. The long and short, no one was quite sure what to do. The Ciderwood/Leo Maudie bred gelding had dropped from “rescue” to “unwanted” to “what the hell am I going to do with this thing”. To put off what he thought was the inevitable Mark wanted to give him to me. It's been said everyone has several 15 minute bouts of insanity during their life. This was one of mine. I said I would take the colt, turn him out and do what I could, but if by the end of the year I hadn’t been able to fix him Mark had to take him back to put him down. I liked Ike and before he was hurt Woody had supposedly been the better of the two. That’s the best excuse I can come up with for taking Woody in the first place. It sounds so much more business-like than I didn’t like the thought of the crippled colt being stuck in a load of killers. Obviously neither did Mark.

I have to admit even I wasn’t prepared for the deformed rack of bones that came off the trailer. What should have been a big ranchy looking colt was thin, sickly, and his entire left side from the shoulder back was atrophied. He looked like a polio stricken concentration camp refugee. Turning this horse out in the hill pasture was not going to be an option. It certainly wasn’t going to fix the problem and he more than likely wouldn’t survive the stress of heat and flies. He had a softball sized hard knot in the bottom of his flank which oozed thick puss constantly. He stood with the injured leg stretched clear forward under his belly or hip shot and stretched out behind him. Either way he bore no weight on it when standing at rest. If he had a chance to gather up before he moved off he could and would bear full weight on the leg. When startled into moving off quickly he hopped pitifully, carrying his bad leg like a lame dog. The poor wretch hobbled around the barnyard eating grass for about 10 days while I watched him trying to come up with a plan.

The oozing lump at the base of his flank was hot and painful. His stifle was cool and seemed to be normal so it was unlikely the joint or joint capsule were infected. Rule out the bone chip theory. I started thinking deep tissue abscess of some sort but why wouldn’t or couldn’t it heal on its own in the first place? With the idea “the only way I can make him worse is to kill him and maybe that wouldn’t be the WORST” in mind, I talked with my local vet.. He is a good country large animal vet who happens to be badly infected with Thoroughbred disease, at least that's what he calls it. We decided to open the wound back up, cut away any scar tissue, infected tissue, and start over with a cleaned freshly incised wound. In the event Doc felt the horse couldn’t recover normally, well then Woody simply wouldn’t get up from the grass in front of the clinic, our chosen operating table. It was a warm May afternoon so it seemed like the best spot to lay him.

The young vet newly hired by the practice was keeping a scrap book of odd cases. She took these pictures.

The first photo is Woody before.

The second is the tissue lump in the flank of the horse.

The next picture is of the incision and the scar tissue which was later cut away and removed. The wood was up behind the mass of scar tissue along the muscle of the horse's inner thigh near where his thigh and belly came together.

The fourth is of the wood with a hemostat used for a size comparison laid out on the thigh of the colt.

Some things to keep in mind while looking at these photos. The belly of this 15.1 hand three year old gelding is barely wider than the two hands of the vet. The horse carried this 1” x 1” x 6” piece of wood in his inner thigh for over a year. How he had lived as long as he had was anybody’s guess. Judging from the looks of him he was dangerously close to out of time.

Brandi, the young vet, has a record book case for her scrap book. Doc has a really good bar story for quite some time. Whoever ends up owning Woody will have the trump card tale for how tough his horse is. I don’t have to look over the fence at that miserable scrap of horse and wonder how I am going to get out of this. Woody went to the hill pasture yesterday, two months later, incision healed and running sound with the other horses. One sunny day in May went pretty darn well for all involved I'd say.

I can only think of one down side…….I didn’t have the good sense to parlay this $197.50 ordeal into donations to cover x-rays, surgical costs, hospitalization, and of course lifetime support for Woody. He’ll come back from the pasture a different horse in October I’m guessing but then he will have to get a job. We’ll wait for the “after” shot until then.

Written By RH1

July 31st...

With the up coming full enactment of the EU’s drug requirement in horses intended for food I am wondering, possibly predicting, a few things.... Remember we have all been given this information more than 6 months ago.

(1) I have already read some articles by vets on this, the US will very likely research and begin putting withdrawal times on drugs for horses like they do for cattle and other “intended for food livestock”.

(2) Will the price per pound on qualifying horses go up? We are told so few will pass the requirements meaning lower supply for the same demand. Heck demand may even go up since people will feel horse meat is now safe to eat.

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of free weanlings and yearlings. I think it won’t be long (maybe is already happening) before people start picking them up for the feed lot. The better ones may be picked out of the herd for riders etc... and the others go on the big truck with all papers in order. If the per pound price is up and a person has the farm resources, keeping a weanling for 2 to 3 yrs would still be lucrative. We do it with our naturally raised beef steers, why not naturally raised equine? Remember there will be a list of qualified drugs and there is already a list of 6 month withdrawal drugs.

With all of the bred broodmares for sale cheap or free I don’t suppose it would be at all hard to have a herd for next to nothing and let them breed. I do believe there will be horses bred strictly for meat. I do believe culls will still go to the plant, they’ll just spend more time on the feed lot. Keeping records is all it will require.

I have a 14 yr old gelding whom I’ve owned his entire life. He would meet the requirements and he has not been neglected in any way. In fact I would venture to say he is healthier than those who have been over de-wormed and given drugs that some people feel are necessary for all horses and feel it is abusive to not pump poisons and toxins into them.

(3) Some horses will go to the unregulated plants in Mexico. We know they already are but will that number increase? Will the unqualified horse be even cheaper and more obtainable for that market now? Will the NAHSC be able to help them? I certainly don’t believe they will but they will be patting themselves on the back and taking credit for the EU regulating food safety for their citizens. Do they not know that’s all it is about? It is not for the welfare of horses. Why on earth do they think they have had any hand in what other Countries allow their people to eat or not?

John, Vicki, Alex, and the rest of you knot heads, Stop taking credit where it is not yours to take. You already get credit for the suffering of many horses, isn’t that enough for you?

What’s next, you ego maniacal morons? Gonna jump on the HSUS band wagon and fight for no animal ownership just guardianship? Make it possible for Rover to sue their guardian in a court of law over a dog food dispute, or over the humiliation of having your nose rubbed in it when you had an accident on the carpet...

Better be careful I know several horses who would start a class action suite against you for much of their suffering.

_______________________________

Really, How hard is this? I keep these records for the entire time I own a horse just for my own personal use, it wouldn't be a big deal for 6 months.

_______________________________

E.2 Equine Information Document

EQUINE INFORMATION DOCUMENT

This document represents and provides for the minimum requirements of written and pictorial identification as well as a record of medical history and declaration for equine (horses, donkeys, zebras and their crosses) presented for slaughter in Canada. Alternatives to filling out the written description and picture identification below are given at the end of Part 1.

Part 1 Identification

Written Identification

Name of the animal (write N/A if the animal has no name)
Primary location of the animal
(Land location or legal address or Premise Identification Number)
Primary use(s) of the animal. Circle one or more of the following: recreation/companion animal/ pleasure riding, breeding, ranch/farm work, public work, private industry work, performance/sport/show, racing, rodeo, urine production, food production, if other please specify
Sex - Mare/Filly, Gelding, Stud/Colt (Circle one) month and year of birth .(if known)
Country of Birth (if known) Height in hands (1 hand = 4 inches)
Refer to Section E.3 for terms to be used for the following equine colour and marking identification section
Body Color
Markings: Head
Body
Limbs: Right Front Right Hind
Left Front Left Hind

The following seven items must be completed or marked N/A if not applicable
Pedigree registry and registration number
Microchip number and location
Passport ID number
Unique Equine Life Number
Or other unique identifier
In the case of an Equine Information Document completed by the previous owner; name of previous owner:
List visible acquired marks (brands, tattoos, scars, etc.) and location
/

Picture Identification

Attach, by stapling to this document, a single page containing the name (if applicable) of the equine and clear printed colour pictures of the animal showing each of the views in the diagram below. The pictures should be large enough to see the detail required. The views shall be printed on a standard 8.5 X 11" page. Ensure that at least 90% of the picture contains the side or portion of the animal shown in the part of the diagram below to be depicted. Take close ups of any visible acquired marks such as brands and attach.Owners, please ensure that the written description and pictures attached agree and then sign and date the picture page.

Diagram

Click on image for larger view

Alternatives to Written and Picture Identification

The picture and written description identification in the above sections will not be required to be fully completed if the identification information listed above is contained in either of the following four alternative options. Any information required above but not contained in the options below must be completed in the applicable section above.

1. The written description information and as a substitute for pictures, the silhouette above, is completed by a licensed Veterinarian or an authorized person*. Lines are to be drawn on the diagrams above representing white areas on the animal where applicable. Mark whorls with an "X". Mark the location of scars with an arrow ->. Draw in acquired marks e.g. brands.

   Name and signature of Veterinarian/authorized person
   License/authorization number
   * Authorized persons would include those authorized by an Animal Pedigree Actrecognized pedigree registry, or recognized by Equine Canada to issue identification passports or brand inspectors employed provincially.

2. For pedigree registered animals that have official registration papers with picture and written description identification, a legible colour copy of the registration papers may be attached to this document.
3. For non pedigree registered equines with an official passport, the passport may be attached.
4. When a complete Equine Information Document (EID) (including part 1) has been provided by a previous owner(s), provided that the EID from the previous owner(s) is attached to this document.

Part 2 History

I, (name of owner) of ////-- (state your full contact address, (street number or post office box number/city/province or state/ postal code or zip code, phone number) am the owner** of the animal identified on this document and have had uninterrupted possession, care or control of the animal identified below from (indicate date care or control started) to (indicate end date).

1. Have any drugs or vaccines been administered to or consumed by the animal during the shorter of the following 3 periods: since January 31, 2010, in the last 180 days, or during the time you owned the animal? Circle Yes or No. If yes, write the name the drug(s) or vaccine(s), last date of use, withdrawal period(s) *** and for drugs, the amount used (dose) per treatment if the label does not indicate a dose or if drug is used at a dosage different than the label indicates
   
   
   
   
   (use back of page if more space is needed).
2. Has the animal identified on this document to your knowledge been diagnosed with an illness during the shorter of the following 3 periods: since January 31, 2010, in the last 180 days, or during the time you owned the animal? Circle Yes or No. If yes, provide details with dates of diagnosis and recovery
   
   
   
   
3. Has the animal identified on this document to your knowledge been treated with a substance listed under the table named substances not permitted for use in food producing equine found in section E.4 during the shorter of the following 3 periods: since January 31, 2010, in the last 180 days, or during the time you owned the animal, Circle Yes or No.

Notes

** An owner is a person who owns or has the possession, care or control of an animal.
*** For information on withdrawal periods for drugs safe for use in food producing animals but without a withdrawal period for equine listed on the label, please consult sections E.5 and E.6 or contact your veterinarian. Indicate the withdrawal period (number of days/hours before the animal can be slaughtered) for vaccines found on the label.

Part 3 Declaration

OWNER DECLARATION

As the owner of the animal identified on this document I hereby certify that the information stated in this Equine Information Document is accurate and complete.

I understand that, effective July 31, 2010, at least six continuous months of documented acceptable history is required for an equine presented for processing in an establishment inspected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. As such, I have the option of attaching to this document, completed Equine Information Document(s) from previous owner(s) in order to cover the required six continuous months of documented history.

(Signature of owner)

// (Date DD/MM/YY)

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/meavia/man/ch17/annexee.shtml#e1

Comment - #3 under Part 2 History. (see type that I have changed to blue and red) If they ask the question in that manner I assume many horses that have been given drugs on the prohibited list will pass without the owner ever having to lie. hmmmm?

By RM

Yet another apology...

I have to tell all 3 of my loyal readers that I am truly sorry for my slacking. lol

Aside from the usual, summer is always busier than winter, dilemma for all us horse/Ag folks I have had other issues. There have been two deaths in the family. One my cousin ( only 50 yrs old) will be missed greatly and the other my computer. Hopefully I will get back on track now that the computer has been restored and resurrected. I posted two today by RH2 that are a little old but still read worthy. I know the ranch hands here have been extra busy this summer as well, maybe the heat and humidity will drive them inside to their key boards to entertain and educate the rest of us. I know they've been missed.

I hope everyone if fairing well and the weather is treating you fairly.

RM

Recyling at it's best...

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=279281452&blogId=535906108 Another great idea from Jim Gath of Tierra Madre-money must be REALLY tight. The little mini Jim owns is ouchy. Jim can't afford a bag or two of shavings-and yes, now would be the time for all Jim's thong fans to chime in and tell me that can't be true. Well, I'm going to take Jim's word on this one, and he says he can't afford them. SOOOOOO- Jim has come up with the wonderful idea of bedding the little guy down in-old, dried up horse manure. Yep, that's the plan, and Jim says that once that shit (literally, shit) dries up, it's just nice, soft grass, anyhow, so why not use it for bedding? That Jim-he's quite the problem solver, isn't he? Perhaps he should write a book on money saving ideas. I guess that would make more sense than reducing the excess number of horses he has packed into his Sanctuary. We'll have to wait and see how the little Mini likes being bed down in horse manure. If this works, Jim just may have found himself a real money maker. Good, Jim.

By RH2

How's This Workin' For You?

(WARNING, GRAPHIC)

Graphic pics in the link below.

http://forums.prospero.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=47156.1

Just when I think I've seen it all,.... well, I never think that. If you want to get an idea of the extremist personalities we're dealing with, here's a little snapshot for you. I truly believe this is what needs to be sent to all State Reps who are supporting the Anti Agenda. With great minds like these at work, no wonder we can't arrive at a common sense solution.

BY RH2

I Didn’t See You There……

It seems almost every day I read about another horse rescue in need of money. This one is a personal friend of Kim Zito. Kim is the wike of trainer Nick Zito. You can enjoy the whole article at http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2010/04/izenberg_horse_rescuer_kelly_y.html . Kelly, (Kelly Young, not Kelly Zito) needs $350,000 to buy a horse farm and fund her operating budget for next year by July 1. Come to think of it, I do too.
Jerry Izenberg, a real writer like R.T., has some heartwarming pictures of one of the 60 head of horses recently acquired by Kelly Young’s Lost and Found Rescue. Lost and Found Rescue takes its name from the line in the hymn Amazing Grace ‘I once was lost but now I’m found’. This particular poster child for the rescue cause is a horse/donkey mix mare. I could be wrong but last I knew the layman’s term for this animal was jenny mule. Something else that confuses me, the rescue is home to 26 head but they recently acquired 60? Remember the comments about the Sue Wallis speech given at Las Vegas? I think we ran the blog as Yes, Jane It Is a Must Read. We had the esteemed John Holland making several references to the incorrect information in the speech. Sue mistakenly assumed everyone understood the role of open range, the U.S. Army Remount program, and the ranchers in the early days of the mustangs. Mr. Holland evidently missed a few chapters since he felt Sue was speaking incorrectly. I intend to hold Mr. Izenberg and his proof reading staff to the same high standards of accuracy. Is it a jenny mule or a horse/donkey mix mare? Is the rescue home to 26 horses or have they recently acquired said mule and 59 others?
Kelly and other rescue people are very special. Kelly even more so than most because Kelly has made inside contacts that allow her to purchase two horses every time she goes to the auction for a mere $50 over what the middle man paid for them. Remember my last blog and the $15.00? This special gift is really only a matter of showing up and asking. Accuracy would not be as impressive but please stop implying only the chosen can buy horses from the ‘middleman’. It’s just not true.
This particular article describes a memory of the first time Kelly saw an auction as 300 horses roped together fighting and screaming in terror while men hit them with cattle prods. Must have been one hell of a rope and I don’t know how you folks in Pennsylvania operate but I have never seen 300 hundred horses roped together anywhere ever. Another problem with accuracy?
There is of course mention of Mexico. The *NAHSC press does not wish to take credit for the collateral damage of stopping the inspection of horse meat or the passing of state by state laws against horse slaughter. All concerned were warned this export would take place and any control over the method of processing would be lost. I would like to give credit where credit is due.
I usually make 5 to 10 sales a year. At every one of these I see end product examples of people who should not own horses. No, I am not talking about the killer buyers, the traders, or those like me trying to market a saddle horse or buy a prospect. It doesn’t matter if it’s a nationally advertised sale or one of the many local auctions around the country. I have seen things that have made me nearly physically ill over the years. Mostly I see things that make me want to beat the crap out of someone. The one thing all have in common? The 5 year old not broke to lead selling on a breeder’s application? The thin one eyed yearling? The run out thoroughbred? Crippled, aged, and barren broodmare? The really good looking registered 6 year old, dirty and unclipped, throwing his head and riding like an idiot? The loose horse with the club foot and matted mane and tail? The conformational misfit? The psychotic/neurotic/and spoiled? Yes, sir, all owner induced or produced. Not one of these animals was put in their life position by the auction, the auction staff, or the packer order buyers. The accurate statement is the auction is an agent only.
Kelly Young made her living buying and retraining show ponies until one day she went to the sale a saw a crippled donkey. One crippled donkey changed her life. I am one hard hearted bitch, since as many of these things as I have seen, I am still the same person I was when I started into this deal almost 30 years ago now. I still buy only what I can retrain and hopefully turn a profit with. I still buy only what I can afford to care for. Operating with my own money has had that affect on me. However after careful thought I have decided I am being unreasonable about insisting on doing that. I was told several years ago when I started into to this battle with NAHSC the times are changing. I think it is high time I changed with them. I am a reasonable person. I only have 15 head. I live in the Midwest so my overhead is less than someone operating in the east. I will be content to raise $175,000 by fall to purchase a horse farm and operate through the winter.
All rescue articles have “one horse” stories of the saved. This one is no exception. It is the fad these days. I am trying to change with the times, so here’s another one horse story from the Anything For A Buck Rescue. I introduced Tim in my last blog. Tim is gaining weight and doing fine. Tim came with a partner. A cute little brown 4 year old mare, I called Honey for the short time she was here. She also cost $30. This is the story of Honey, Tim’s littermate, stable mate, or in this case, fellow captive in the local Deliverance movie sequel. Think I’m jokin’? You come talk to this fellow and his truck driving’ son and see if you don’t start hearing Dueling Banjos music. The livestock trucking, the beer drinking, and paying bills on the barter system do play a role in this story. I am fairly certain it is how the paperwork on these two obviously well bred horses was lost. Honey is going to help me illustrate several points not mentioned in the rescue articles that are common in the real world.
I don’t need Kelly Young, Fugly, John, Vicki, or the rest of the NAHSC crew to help me make an educated guess if a horse was bred by someone with a little understanding of genetics or not. On the other hand all the pedigree in the world doesn’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Point? Yes, there is. If you are going to be in horses take time to study form to function conformation. Use this to select your stock for any purpose, not color, or points/money earned by a distant or not so distant relative. I am sure they are all special in God’s eyes but not on my dime and not on the dime of anyone I will represent them to. On with the story……These two horses did have a classy look.
I have been mad about the situation since I was first called to look at them last fall. The information about the past handling of the horses is sketchy and poorly told so I considered them unhandled until proven otherwise. They were supposed to be Hollywood Dun It bred but the papers are not around. I told the owner I would bid if he could get the papers. Doesn’t happen, winter comes and goes, and spring’s finally here. Still no papers, but he wanted the horses gone. I can have them for whatever I will give. I am even madder at the man by now. I can always sell a buckskin gelding, grade or not, but a brown mare? In a misguided effort to make him feel bad I told him I would have to sell the mare on the loose so I would only give $60 for the pair. I said misguided because making him feel any remorse didn’t work. I loaded the horses. NAHSC…..I didn’t see you there.
Not sure what I was going to do with her and feeling worse about her fate than her previous owner, I put the mare on a horse forum as a rescue for $75.00 NAHSC……. I didn’t see or hear from you there.
I started working with her. The more I worked the more she tried. One of the local spring sales came up about ten days after I bought the little mare. She wasn’t really ready riding wise but I thought it was close and if she didn’t sell for over scale I could bring her home. As I said earlier I make several sales a year so it wasn’t imperative she be sold at this one. Another point? Yes, there is. Riding and training on a horse will make them more saleable/valuable to someone else. Panhandling for donations and lobbying to change the laws does not have the same effect on the horse.
I rode Honey for the time we had. We both made our best effort. She went to the sale clipped, hooves trimmed, bathed and combed. She was a pretty little mare and I don’t believe she ever had a mean or dishonest thought in her life. NAHSC…… I didn’t speak to any of you while I was riding my mare at the sale trying to sell her to someone who would keep riding her so she could make herself useful in the future. I didn’t see you there looking at any of the other horses either.
I sold Honey to a man I’ve known since childhood. He bought her for his grandson who was ready to move up to a younger horse. The boy’s father is also a horseman. She will get the continuing education she needs from all of them. She will work cattle, run games, and be a young boy’s mount. She sold in the top ten of the sale. She sold herself by being a classy looking little lady of a horse. I helped her sell by cleaning her up, riding, and in general treating her like she was something to value not pity. The buyers were horsemen enough to look at what was right about her and picture that she could work for them. Twist of fate? I have been hearing that phrase a lot lately but in the interest of accuracy, the rescues don’t have the market cornered on doling out good fortune for the horses.
Someday I will explain how I name my horses and still in the interest of accuracy, it’s not nearly as romantic as Kelly Young’s naming system I am sure. Don’t misunderstand me……save all you can but stop the veiled innuendos against the horse industry while you do it.

By RH1