Call Jenny Craig, we have an emergency!
Aug 07 2007
As we saw a few days ago with the Obese Gypsy Cob, some folks seem to be having a lot of trouble figuring out how and what to feed their horses, and what “normal” is. While a trained eye should be able to evaluate conformation regardless of condition, it is every bit as important for a horse to be at a healthy weight as a human. Today, let’s look at some examples of horses who would be substantially less fugly if they were at their proper weight!
My first reaction to seeing this mare was something along the lines of “OMG can she even walk?” While she is shiny and I am sure she is happy, this level of obesity will only lead to serious and painful problems in the future (if it hasn’t already). Her tail is disappearing between her huge butt cheeks. Her neck is immense. Her entire body has basically been painted with the fat stick. If you’ve ever wondered what Kirstie Alley would look like if she were an AQHA mare, now you know!
This broodmare shouldn’t be one no matter what with that straight shoulder and ultra looong back, but the blubber just makes her look worse and puts her at extremely high risk for founder and other physical consequences. Here is a great veterinary article on the dangers of equine obesity
.
Unfortunately, many beginner horse owners equate food with love and because the horse gets so excited about food, they keep pumping it to him or her. Or they are just plain lazy and do not want the extra work of pulling the horse off of pasture and setting up a dry lot for turnout. In either case, overfeeding is cruelty. There are few conditions as painful for a horse as chronic founder. A horse must stand most of his life, so feet that are in excruciating pain is a fate that is often worse than death. The owner who really loves their horse will keep him or her at a healthy weight and avoid these problems.
Will any of you be surprised when I tell you that this overfed mare (and her fugly overfed friends) are currently posted online as being at risk of going to kill or auction because the rancher now needs to “downsize” ? This is a 22 year old mare that is only halter broke and I will be amazed if she has not already foundered. What chance does she really have? Hooray, we have today’s winners of the Irresponsible Breeding Sweepstakes!
Here’s the other end of the spectrum. Here are some terms you might want to know before you decide to breed horses: Ivermectin. Strongid. Panacur. Has this sad filly EVER been dewormed? I doubt it. She is a rack of bones with a hanging, wormy belly. Her coat looks awful. Everything about her screams neglect. You know what? This is one of those that, if I could get my hands on her, or any of you who know what you’re doing with nutrition, actually could have some potential. The bone structure is not all bad here. Yeah, she’s got a bad case of “nest” but some of that is malnutrition. The pose couldn’t be worse, and the condition is appalling…but there is some potential for a usable animal here if she is fortunate enough to get sold to someone who isn’t clueless. Poor little thing. I am editing (yet again) to add that I have received information claiming the person in the picture is part of the family which rescued the filly. So my initial reaction was, yay, she is saved. However, they went on to comment that after buying the filly from the first irresponsible person, they had $20 left in the bank. And that they cannot afford to buy a saddle. And they do not have any plans to break her to ride. So, all in all, it sure looks to me like she went from irresponsible person #1 to irresponsible person #2. But that is okay, I am sure when she is a 10 year old unbroke mare, someone will want to breed her because she is a SABINO! (entire blog’s point…brilliantly illustrated in this simple example)…*sigh*
OK, here’s proper weight on a senior horse. This is a 19 year old mare and I must congratulate her owners. She is exactly where she should be, weight wise. She is not ribby, but you can still tell there are bones in there. I don’t mind if performance horses are a little lighter than this, depending on discipline. This is definitely hunter-style “show weight.” It looks good on her. I can’t remember where I found her but I think she’s a broodmare (and she looks nice enough to deserve that title). Note the excellent condition for a 19 year old Thoroughbred. No ribs, no sagging, no falling apart in general. This mare is a testament to good care – I doubt any of you would have guessed her age if I hadn’t told you.
Totally off topic but…some h/j trainer in California who has students looking for first horses needs to go look at this mare. She is cute and looks like quite a deal for $1200. By the way, folks, this is how to put on a hackamore way too low. It is not supposed to be on their nostrils. http://www.equinehits.com/horses-for-sale/horse-105410
149 comments to “Call Jenny Craig, we have an emergency!”
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true ann it should not fall apart inside one week…but trust me i have seen some people do that to a good horse.
i understand that we all need to start on a quiet horse, but i dont know about other places but here on internet in australia, 9/10 adds are wanting bomb proof 14 hh under $500 to start their horse life..they just dont understand that people dont part with the good ones unless its for thousands …simply because thats what they are worth..every one wants them..that makes them hard to get and expencive.horse prices do not reflect horse costs.and thats not even including human education ..which should be like sitting a driver licence…
question #1
do you or any member of your income earning family have the faintest idea of how much MONEY is needed to care for a single pony ???????
petrol prices have gone up
interest rates have gone up
but you want a what ????????
free bomb proof pony for the kids !!!
i say go buy the kids a puppy and cut its balls off while your at it,if you cant afford that, forget the pony luv.its better off in a dog tin…not suffering from too much love and not enough worming paste
and please ignore the fact that my f***** “s” key on my lap top is bouncing around like a tart high on the smell of sex…sigh…it has a life of its own.
hehe. this is getting better and better!
*moves on to rum, done with margaritas*
FHOD, If Miss fancy Schmancy Lawyer, takes Miss Broke Ass $20 bucks on as a client, Open a PayPal account for donations!
FUGLY HORSE BLOGGERS UNITE!
Hmm, and here I thought pictures online that weren’t specifically copyrighted, were the equivalent of “public domain”? Just went thru this with a friend who takes pics at public events. Some of the pictures taken don’t show some of the horses in a very good light-to put it mildly. Anyone could have a similar picture, and the stallion owner was furious that over some uploaded to the photog’s website. Tough chit, sweetie, angry or no, he is truly FUGLY. They remain.
Count me in as a Fugly Blogger, this is a true resource for all of us-even those of us who have many years working with horses.
Confession: I don’t know for sure, what a “nest” is either, LOL, but at least I can tell bench/calf knees, bad fetlocks, bad farrier care, post legged, poor hock set, cow hocks, bad croups, hips, toplines, neck tie ins, throatlatches, etc-the basics. I am learning the finer points right here, in an easy to read and enjoy format.
Too bad the people who need it the most aren’t here learning also!
OMG, you are making me laugh! so much I am not sure I will be able to fall asleep…
Yes, the “good ones” are expensive. People are unrealistic about pricing for ponies, and there are a lot of ruined ones out there.
The cheap ones often are the ruined ones. One of the ponies I graduated to, after a few months of riding, was a green 4 y.o. who had come from a home where parents bought him as a foal so he and their daughter could “grow up together!” My instructor paid $300 for him. He was an overfed, spoiled, bratty little sh*t, but with three years of steady work as a school horse and some actual training, she sold him on as a show pony for about $6000 (a lot of money in 1980.) But he was one of the lucky ones who was salvaged before he became mean or unmanageable. It helped that he was dead sound and very pretty once he’d lost some weight. And even early on, with the right rider his talent was obvious.
i just have to say, i know the people who rescued the skeletal horse in this post, this picture was taken the day they brought her home to show our group how bad off she was… we have followed her wonderful progress and they are taking great care of her, she looks amazing now. shame on you for badmouthing people you don’t even know, and how many horses have YOU rescued since you are so quick to judge a situation you don’t even know anything about?
Lawsuitmoney, I appreciate the sentiment but I doubt any of these very angry little people will even get past the cost of finding me. I have been personally involved in trying to find someone who was making threats against my employer via e-mail. Do you know how cooperative Yahoo was? They weren’t. And I’m talking physical threats of violence.
I’ve never done anything worse than hurt someone’s feelings. There isn’t a law against that, although it’s been tried. Remember that breach of contract claim for getting stood up on a date that some yahoo tried to pursue in, what, the 70′s? He got his ass laughed out of court, but it’s an interesting case study. Hurting someone’s pride has been established as not actionable.
Painted promise, I’ve rescued many…and they got vet care. I never brought anything home when I had only $20 in the bank, nor did I go online and whine I couldn’t afford a saddle…that is for damn sure.
No one ever said the filly doesn’t look better now. Your buddy said that she couldn’t afford a saddle and that when she bought the filly that left her with only $20 in the bank. She said it, not me. Those are the things that resulted in the negative reaction. Her Bible-banger husband coming over here to defend her and change her entire story and start blathering about his particular God didn’t help matters. If you want to get involved and spew forth some more information that will make you all look even more stupid, feel free.
…can I get some chips and salsa over here?
wow, fattttttttt/thinnnnn horses, l have had to explain to many a parent about that issue in a delicate manner so as not to offend(my position doesnt allow for offending) it is far harder to explain the obesity issue that the starvation one. l should send in a photo of our 20 year old welsh cob the dentist believes she could live into her 40′s she’s so good but l have to say it’s damned hard work. we keep 2 jenny craig paddocks so as to not ruin the soil AND still feed her EVERY day too many people who diet their horse forget the need for food still exists so suddenly it starves totally followed by colic n vet bills with owners going woe is me what did l do wrong and so on…there are NO excuses
Oh drat. That Steph girl has deleted all her comments.. although just seeing the responses from you all is amusing enough! Haha.
Great job FHotD, yet again.
hmm…on the issue of mini’s, we have a superb stallion 5 year old, but we’re picky so currently we are waiting one one foal and have a new mare for him to cover he will be standing to outside mares for the first time this year and while we have set his fee at a lowely price of $200 plus vet and agistment the idea is that we’re selective about visiting mares, use him to hopefully upgrade foals while recognising that theres no way lawnmower animals are worth massive stud fee’s his price does NOT reflect his quality as we have been told but hey tell me…do you think a mini service fee is worth $220(his sire’s fee)??? lawnmowers are what they end up being apart from the few performance animals out there….our price is set to make it possible for people to access a quality animal(if their mare is good enough) lol, while calling them lawnmowers l have to admit we love the 2 we have
i have rescued 6 horses in the past 4 months..
go wipe your mouth, your dribbling shit again
* passes the chips and dip…
and may i add….
once i have fed wormed farriered vetted and dentisted’ed’ed…sigh…i trade them for work on MY horses…hehehe.my breaker then educates the rescue healthy nags and sells them as good quality riding horses..
saved…and saved yet again…
yay me….and poo to you
*sticks tongue out at anal retentive ppl
with no money
no brains
and no horse worming paste
“if thats the case then when they buy a bomb proof horse, a week later it is unridable because they have no idea how to handle it.then they abuse the seller for drugging or not being honest or selling a dud.”
This exact thing has just happened to my friend. I knew the pony she has just sold for TWO YEARS: she was an angel. Ok, so she was 3 1/2 – 5 1/2 in the time I knew her, so she was still a baby, and a baby who hadn’t had as much done with her as I would have liked (I was the only one riding her regularly, and I was away some of the time) and therefore not ‘bombproof’, but that pony had a heart of gold. We took her out on hacks where she passed noisy rubbish trucks without fliching. Other horses misbehaved and bolted off in front of her and she didn’t bat an eyelid. She had all the makings of a sweet, bombproof childrens pony. And she liked to be ridden and to jump – thought everything was great fun.
Despite beign a baby, she never once bucked, kicked, bit, reared or bolted with anyone, even the little kids we put on her near the end. She was gentle, affectionate, and LOVED people, a real character. She would follow me round the field like puppy, and groom you back when you brushed her.
These people buy her and…voila! Two months later she’s a nutcase! Bucks, bolts, tries to throw people off. Can’t be handled. Can’t be left in the field because she BREAKS DOWN FENCES. They’re even trying to claim the seller LIED and she is two years younger than we claimed.
I mean…what? In what world would we have been riding an 18 month old pony without knowing!? What happened to her that this once sweet and gentle pony is acting like this?
This woman is either lying about her behaviour, or has DONE something to turn her this way. And my friend is getting the blame, because somehow this pony’s monstrous side was mysteriously hidden for the last 2 years.
/rant
as a paralegal i personally cannot wait to see the day one of these tards stands up in a court room, points an accusatory finger and says ‘but she was MEEEEEAAAAANNN, your honour!!’
*loses several ribs in explosions of mockitty mirth*
ive worked for countless practitioners i would happily call scumsucking, ambulance chasing misery leeches that would (and have) defended rapists, murderers and child abusers without blinking… and not one can i imagine doing anything other than hanging up on that potential client and telling the whole office so we can all die laughing
Back to the Pasture Art. Not just horses left to fend for themselves and ignored… but genuine Pasture Art – which is what my two geldings currently are. One is a true head case (and a conformation nightmare) – broke but explosively reactive to the point of hurting himself – and I bought him from the breeder who was going to sell this guy cheap (whatta bargain!) to a complete beginner. He is flashily marked – so the beginner was enthralled. And headed for a wreck. So in a way – I rescued the gelding – and the beginner. Green + green = black & blue.
For his own safety – and that of potential riders – he is Pasture Art. Yes – he has decent ground manners if you understand his insecurities. You can give him shots, he stands for the farrier, loads and so on and so forth.
He is the companion for the other gelding… broke for the basics – but who I currently cannot devote a lot of extra time to putting miles on. Why? Because I spend 24/7 caring for other people’s horses. That is my job.
Better to be happy, cared for Pasture Art than some of the horses who board here… where owners send in the checks, complain about farrier bills and vet calls, often “forget” to pay for those services… and NEVER come to see the horses involved. I sat with an old mare the other day as she was put down – old age finally creeping up on her. She was stiff and sore… and no longer enjoying her life. And where were her people? Nowhere to be found. I have never seen them in all the time I have worked here. Would she have even recognized them any more? Who knows. She knew me. I was there for her. Someone had to be.
I can drive down the road and point out the Pasture Art everywhere. Horses that are well cared for and appreciated… but not “working”. Do they care? No. I can also point out the butt ugly Paint that some asshat down the same road rides hard – a LOT. Thinks he can make a reiner outta that horse, yep. And yet, he says Gawd knows you cannot “bulk them up” too much or they will not be able to spin. *major eye roll*
That Paint will never be a reiner. And he will never be within 200 pounds of a decent weight as long as this moron has him. But he is a “using” horse. I doubt that the way he is “trained” is going to help him down the line… all he knows is how to go from 0 – 35 ASAP and get geed and hawed all over the landscape… with his nose straight up in the air.
*sigh*
Anyway – I think this blog can be of service – without the extreme snarling and snapping – and yet with the snark still in place.
oooo bombproof horses??? do they exists?, are they cheap? if so can l have one? lol…such a laugh….theres good horses but l doubt theres any such thing as a bombproof horse…hell u can take my horse to macdonalds in new york if u want to..she wont react…but take her up the mountains and she loves it so much she gets excited and sometimes a lowely rabbit will scare the wits out of her….because she’s busy concentrating on enjoying the rush of the wild…but she dont buck, rear, bolt ect it’s just that lurch sideways that could move many a rider from the saddle that tells me…as good as she is she aint bombproof…please find me one
oh yes, l forgot to ask…horsepoor what is it that makes a sabino better than any other horse?, your comment intrigues me …please explain(smiles)
Flying Fig- you are missing the point. Many of us have pasture ornaments. No one is saying horses cannot be retired and cared for the rest of their lives.
The point is that even this takes money if one is going to do it responsibly. Vet, farrier, farm maintenance- it is all costly. Therefore, if one starts out with very little money and acquires a horse, that is not responsible behavior, since the horse will continue to be a drain on finances.
So, the related point, that you seem to not be able to understand, is that if one is going to “rescue” a horse, but one may not have the funds to care for it over the long term, the next best thing to do is to get the horse some training so that it can be sold if worse comes to worst. That is a lesson that needs to be learned *before* the horse ends up neglected or at the killer’s.
This is not pissing on anyone’s cheerios and saying they have to sell their new pet- it is being realistic! Every day horses who could have had useful lives but were never trained go off to the kill pen. This is not being mean, it is the truth. It is a truth which anyone who calls him or herself a horseman should acknowledge.
I bought my horse for peanuts because he has a whole load of behavioral issues. However, he is also very talented, and I knew I had the experience (and a fantastic trainer) to make me feel like he was a good risk to take. He is now worth more than 20 times what I bought him for- and I know that if my money ran out, my circumstances changed, whatever- I could sell him to a good home as a performance horse with a great show record. Those things- his training, his ability, his show record, and the time I have put in to make him more user friendly- give him a good chunk of insurance that he is worth more as a riding horse than as meat. And, if he does end up as a pasture ornament through an injury, I have insurance on him- which will allow me to continue to care for him even if his usefulness is at an end.
THAT is the point. Responsible horse ownership is about more than food and love. It takes money and time and a committment to the horse first and foremost. I have no intentions of selling my horse- I love him and I have a blast riding him. But if I have to, I know I have put value into him- and believe me, he was thisclose to going for meat before I got him.
So please- read for comprehension and put your emotions aside- owning a horse is a wonderful amazing, life-changing event for most of us. But the bottom line must always be: can I afford this, and if at some point I can’t, what will happen to my horse(s)?
Because sabinos are preeeeeeeeeeeeety.
Lol, I laugh at the expression ‘bombproof’. If a totally bombproof horse exists, I don’t want to see it – it’d be wrong.
If you don’t want the risk that a horse will twitch – or, god forbid, JUMP ASIDE A BIT – underneath you, don’t get on one. The most you can hope for is a horse that simply plants its hooves and refuses to move when it gets spooked. We have one of those, and even that behavious can be dangerous.
ok, “bomb proof” as we know it, is a saying….not to be taken so literally …you are being retentive…. it is a terminology you dope….anyone who knows which end has a tail and which end has a mouth, also knows that “bomb proof” is just saying used for a well mannered horse..we are all aware that they have brains, there for they have the ability to have a bad day or a good day, to be naughty or good, to see the boogie man in the grass.to shy or not to shy. a “bomb proof” horse will do its best to trust the rider rather than dive for the front of a moving truck because a bird flew out of the grass…
if you want to argue, argue about the things worth argueing about please…*sighs with the start of a head ache coming on from childish off topic bull shit*
Um, yeah, I know that. I was complaining about people who believe that just because a horse is touted as ‘bombproof’ they have the right to complain the first time it gets spooked. SOME PEOPLE take it far too literally, thinking they can stick their kid on a pony, do anything to it and have it stand there like a statue.
Susan – very, very well said. What you did what your horse was re-route the entire course of his life. He went from no future to a rosy future. Even if you had to sell him because of some emergency – now you could. And you could picky about who got him because he’s got skills now and is in demand.
This is responsible rescuing.
As for “bomb proof,” it’s a silly sales term. The truth is, there’s always something. I used to ride a very quiet, mellow 25 year old TB that his owner used to patrol events (he was a police officer). That horse had seen it all, so we thought. Until he saw someone inflate a balloon with a helium tank – and flipped right over backwards like the craziest greenie in the world. Fortunately no one was hurt.
shellsbells said…
oh yes, l forgot to ask…horsepoor what is it that makes a sabino better than any other horse?, your comment intrigues me …please explain(smiles)
August 8, 2007 4:51 AM
I didn’t say sabino is better than sorrell. It’s just my anal retentiveness about using proper horsey terminology kicking in. (smiles back).
Susan, excellent post. You said so eloquently and calmly what I was trying to say yesterday and I came off as a rabid self promoting lunatic, which was not my intention. My emotions got the better of me.
***big sigh***
lifelike001 said…
“First of all she’s not just a sorrell filly. She’s a Sabino”
*LMFAO!!* you havent read or absorbed a WORD of this blog, have you??
Um, yes, I think I understand the point of the blog. If you read my posts, you’ll see that I do. The filly is a sabino. I prefer to use proper descriptors when describing a horse. What’s the problem? Somehow I missed this yesterday, I wish I’d have missed it this morning as well.
Well here’s something from my life:
We had a foal. Yes we are “backyard breeders” who just happen to own horses that are now going to National Championships. What a concept. We had our first foal after owning horses for five years. She was a full arab, out of two nice horses. When she was about 4-5months old she was getting ribby, so what did we do? Wormed her and increased feed. A couple of months later she was still ribby, so again we increased her feed. Nine months old, this horse looks like a rescue. She begins to walk “off”. Out the vet comes. He said stop feeding her. It was not WHAT we were feeding her, as that was correct, but we were feeding her too much…and she was ribby. She popped a splint from growing too fast. So please, before you start posting things like these, and perhaps misinforming people, please accept (from our vet who is EXCELLENT) that sometimes in a young horse’s life they go through a stage where they are awkward and looks like they need more food, that does NOT mean that you should just up their food. You don’t see many QHs and stock horses that go through this, but some horses go through this stage. Our third foal ( five years later) went through a very similar stage, but not to the extent. Under the supervision of our vet we fed her a constant amount and she got through it without any problems (or splints popped)
So are you saying my vet and his whole office (there are four horse vets at his office) are wrong and you in your infinite wisdom/omniscient opinion is superior to their combined 28 years of vet school? Please share your opinion.
So what is your point kris_p? Your post has nothing to do with what these exchanges regarding the supposedly “rescued” filly pictured yesterday. However your post was informative even though it’s redundant here. I believe it was stated yesterday the first call should be to the vet when rescuing a horse.
I just find it slightly offensive that any horse that is underweight can be burned at the stake like this AND wanted to inform those who are reading this blog and thinking that because their foal has a few ribs, dear god we have to start feeding her more. Our vet saw this quite often, so it’s people who slam people with horses with a few ribs that are part of the cause of this. Yes a mature horse should NEVER show ribs, but I think having a young horse on this example is misleading.
That’s my point, the horse wasn’t being burned at the stake, the supposed rescuer was when she came blazing on here and showed her absolute irresponsibility and ignorance. The picture of the filly, as was stated, was used as an example of a wormy, malnutrioned horse, which it was. I fail to see the relevance or any possible validity in this part of your post: “So are you saying my vet and his whole office (there are four horse vets at his office) are wrong and you in your infinite wisdom/omniscient opinion is superior to their combined 28 years of vet school? Please share your opinion.”
Hey, that first obese mare is mine!!!
LOL I’m just kidding – although, my pony has looked strikingly similar before (not when I owned her – she was on a diet when I finally got her!).
I’d send you pictures of her, but, while she’s overweight, she’s not half as bad as that mare (in the pictures I have), so she just wouldn’t make the cut!
I wish more people understood that overfeeding, can be neglect just as easily as not feeding enough. Fat doesn’t always equal healthy!!!
The filly was merely used as an example of how they shouldn’t look.
Kris, you had the experience level to recognize your filly did not look healthy and CALL THE VET. The people who got this filly came online yesterday bragging about how they bought the filly, leaving themselves only $20 in the bank. Um, no vet money there.
Horses can look poor for many reasons. I’ve dealt with many of them, I’m sure most of you have – ulcers, thyroid, etc. However, none of these conditions can be cured by praying. You need to be able to get a professional opinion and afford the recommended course of treatment.
Kris, I am guessing your vet did not merely change the amount you were feeding, but also adjusted what you were feeding. Am I correct?
Feeding weanlings is truly an art form and everybody (including the vets!) has a different opinion of how to get them to adulthood without leg problems. This would actually make for a good topic. I’ll add that to the list. I’d love to hear everybody’s comments on it.
“Horses can look poor for many reasons. I’ve dealt with many of them, I’m sure most of you have – ulcers, thyroid, etc. However, none of these conditions can be cured by praying. You need to be able to get a professional opinion and afford the recommended course of treatment.”
No kidding! We had an old Morgan mare with cushings quite a few years ago. We POURED money into the vet as he routinely came out to help us balance her diet [and check up on her]. And, I am happy to say that even with a severe case of cushings, she lived to a ripe old age of 26. With $$$, it can be done!
Actually he left what she was on – just cut it back by about half. Yes, feeding horses is FUN. We’ve done the ulcer thing and working on a new problem now. I know my vet better then my doctor.
I admit that I don’t agree with everything you are doing, esp. about that little filly and her situation. I think that’s getting a little too personal despite the info coming from the owner. I have met people who are dead broke but their animals live like royalty. Yup, there is always a very good possibility that the horse will hurt herself so badly that she’ll need $10k worth of vet bills(horses do like to do that, hm? I’ve found especially the expensive ones), but I think very few people have money set aside specifically for that. It’s something you deal with when it happens. I know I can’t afford a new saddle right now, because it’s low priority. If this filly is one or two years old, who on earth would tell them they need a saddle now? She shouldn’t be started yet, and by the time she is ready her build could have changed and the fit would be completely off. Just my opinion after reading what I can, not all of it because some posts are deleted. Obviously I could be totally wrong, but I still think these people should be given a chance.
Having said that, (off topic but) your blog on designer warmbloods made me laugh my ass off. We have one of those (bought, not bred) who thankfully is really a gourgeous horse (proven by her show record) but I’ll be damned if I ever try that myself.
Again, it’s not the fact that the woman doesn’t own a saddle. That’s a trifling detail. It’s the fact that she also does not intend to ever train the horse and wants to keep it as a pasture pet. That’s all well and good for now, but what about this poor horse’s future? Little Susie or Bobby lose interest in a few years, finances get too tight, whatever…what friggin chance does an unbroke pasture ornament that most likely has zero ground manners because little Bobby and Susie spoiled it rotten and then it was left to its own devices have? It will end up in the kill pen at the auction once these wonderful “rescuers” figure out that’s the only way they’ll ever see a dime from this nag they created. It happens over and over and over again and it’s really quite sickening. These are not puppies or kittens. Why do I bother? It’s like talking to brick walls.
Damn, I missed a Bible Banger husband!!!!
Susan said…
**********
So, the related point, that you seem to not be able to understand, is that if one is going to “rescue” a horse, but one may not have the funds to care for it over the long term, the next best thing to do is to get the horse some training so that it can be sold if worse comes to worst. That is a lesson that needs to be learned *before* the horse ends up neglected or at the killer’s
*********
I did not “miss the point” as you insist. I may not have expressed it well – but we are on the same page. And no – I was not being emotional – just pissed off at owners who Do Not Care.
*******
So please- read for comprehension and put your emotions aside- owning a horse is a wonderful amazing, life-changing event for most of us. But the bottom line must always be: can I afford this, and if at some point I can’t, what will happen to my horse(s)?
*******
Oh – I read for comprehension – and even get the rilly komplikated stuf evin tho i iz stoopid… and being rather flip about it only sounds a bit emotional on your part. IMO. Whatever. Not a big deal. We ARE on the same page.
My “head case” “rescue” will be taken care of if anything happens to me. No – he will never be a performance horse again. Not in the cards. But I have not left his future to chance – people messed up his past but his future is secure.
And yes – I thought I implied (maybe was not clear though) that even Pasture Art required an investment of money and time – even just for the basics of care – and was not just something to be looked at once in a blue moon. Or done on a whim. I planned for my head case. How best to help him. How the other gelding could help him…
That fugly Paint down the road would love to be Pasture Art – but he will likely be ridden into the ground and broken down by his asshat of an owner first…
I arrived late but please put me on at the margarita table.
Totally off the fat topic, but by the looks of the 19 y/o t-bred mare for sale in davis…the one with the hackamore….she looks totally drugged. Look at her ears, eyes and her droopy lip. How could someone post that picture on a for sale ad?
AJ
AJ – I would not automatically jump to that conclusion. She has the same look that I have seen on many older lesson horses faces. My old boy would look like that on occasion when he was tired in his early 20′s, and it was pretty standard after a series of strokes when he was 30.
I have to say that I am seriously hung over from all of the margaritas passing around… damn, I haven’t had that much tequila since I was in HIGH SCHOOL, ha!
On bombproof: This term makes my fucking head explode (pardon the pun). Anyone looking for bombproof needs some lessons and a clue before they buy a horse. Any horse can spook, shy, or get pissed and toss your sorry unbalanced beginner ass, even the well trained ones, so any novice should take lessons to gain not just riding skills but HORSEMANSHIP skills (like how to clean stalls, basic feeding principles, basic handling, etc). I always tell people that ask me… if you’re looking for a bombproof, inexpensive, easy maintenance means of recreation, go to Walmart and buy a fucking bike!
On “real” rescues: This is a hard one because some dealers I know are almost more rescues while some self-pronounced rescues are more dealers. So is this a question of end result for the horse or a question of motivations on the part of the individual? Hmm… with my pounding hangover, I cannot possibly wrap my brain around that at this time. I’ll wait for FHD to blog it and then jump into the fray!
On training a horse: If you don’t train your horse so that it can be handled and worked to some level, it is a pasture ornament. I’m not a gambler but I’d give very short odds for long-term survival for companion only or “Pasture Art” types. When we get one that is not rideable for some physical reason, we assume that it is here until we it in the ground and don’t bother advertising companion horses. Why put them at that kind of risk for abuse/neglect? How many people out there are going to be willing to spend the dough to have feet trimmed, teeth floated, annual vaccinations, and regular de-worming on a horse they can’t ride? Precious few but God love the ones who do!
On money and horses: If you cannot afford a reasonable purchase price, you cannot afford a horse. People who ask sellers if they can take payments really set me off. If you have good credit, you should be able to get a loan if you really want and can afford the purchase price of a particular horse. If you can’t get a loan, you’re bank probably has a damned good reason to say no and so should any reasonable seller, IMO.
I must go nap now. The hangover pain behind my left eye is making the screen fuzzy now…
*sips Bloody Mary for ‘medicinal purposes’*
horsepoor – i think we have all belaboured the point of coloured horses being just as worthless as solid ones enough for me not to have to point out that i was laughing at you using ‘sabino’ like it was some kind of defence *LOL*
I have a mare whose lip perpetually hangs down like that, and who has floppy ears like a mule. She’s 21 and I know the only drug she’s been near in the past few months is Strongid. A lot of old horses get that look, particularly if they’ve had a rough life.
Providing a solid working foundation for a horse is the single most useful thing that a cash-strapped owner can do for the future of his or her horse. It does not cost very much (except time) to teach good ground manners, leading, tying, loading on horse trailers, clipping, bathing, saddling, bridling, walk-trot-canter, backing up, sidepassing and pivots on hq or forehand, camping out on a picket line, wearing hobbles, ponying another horse, pulling a buggy, going over little cross rails, running barrels, being traffic safe, going alone or in a group… the more stuff your horse can do and the better he can do it, the more likely someone will want to keep him around. Horses that are mostly trustworthy, have seen it all and done it all, remain sound, and are safe all-purpose novice mounts, those horses will generally have a market long after everything else of similar quality is not salable. Particularly for not-breeding-quality stock, a solid base of skills is the most valuable thing an owner can give a horse. I cannot see why on earth anyone would not want to provide his or her horse with its best chance for staying out of the slaughterhouse.
Rather a lot of solid, sound, safe ponies that I know earned lifelong homes NOT because they were expensive, highly bred, or gifted in their work but because they were dutiful and capable packers of children.
Shadow, Pocono, Doc, Pony, Peso, Arrow, Tag, and Midnight died at home, not a one went to the sale barn. Witch, Thistl, and Spade (all are over thirty) are in permanent retirement. They will have homes until they die and people will cry when they breathe their last, not because of *what they are* (Largely unremarkable arab/shetland ponies of less-than-stellar lineage.) but because of *what they did*.
They all packed years and years of kids around local show rings. They took care of the little, the novice, and the timid by being gentle, patient, and largely unflappable. Someone, pretty early along the line, spent enough time with these ponies that they were easy to handle, knew their jobs, and carried their duties out in a workmanlike and pleasant fashion… and that (not their color or breeding or charming good looks or romantic affiliation with fairytales) got them a retirement in the pensioner’s field instead of a trip to slaughter.
Many of you laughed at this mare. Sadly, she was shipped to slaughter on 8/18.
Oh my word!!!! look at this poor stallion!! wonder what drugs they use on him? bodybuilder delux!
http://www.kidsclassicstyle.com/kidsclassicstyle.html