As promised…a backyard full of fugliness!
Aug 31 2007
Those of you who have been reading the comments today see that someone has finally figured out that I am, indeed, someone named Cathy Atkinson. I am surprised it took this long and am still waiting to figure out which pissed-off group managed to operate the “Yahoo Search” feature. While I understand that this is nowhere near as interesting as, say, finding out that it was actually possible for Nicole Richie to get pregnant at that ridiculous weight she was at, it does allow me to do something I have been wanting to do for some time and show you all the fugliness that currently resides in my backyard in living color.
First: The AQHA Halter Horse industry at it’s finest! This is Kit, a daughter of a Big Name Stud – Obvious Conclusion. Kit was fortunate enough to win the HYPP lottery – she’s N/N. She is also as long as drivin’ through Texas, and good God look at that front end! Overfed much as a halter baby? Ya think? Then there’s her topline, that looks like a hammock, and her big old head with floppy ears.
Speaking of said blind mare, here’s the “before and after” on her which shows two things – (a) that it is not that hard to put weight on an old skinny mare (these are 4 months apart) and (b) you can change condition, but you can’t change conformation. Hers is hideous. 
The shoulder is awful. It’s upright and leads to withers best described as a “shark fin.” In this picture, I think she may be trying to look back to see if her butt is still there, because it is so far away that there is no way she can see it with the 10% of vision she has left in one eye. This second picture is actually a good picture in some ways – her pasterns look worse than that in real life. She wasn’t built to stay sound, and she is neither sound nor sighted. She does have a huge wither scar which shows me that someone rode the shit out of her and then dumped her with a killer buyer on a lot full of other horses. With 10% vision in one eye. Yeah, really,if we ever find out who owned this mare, I’ll bring the tar and you guys can bring the feathers! She was dumped in Yakima, Washington. I’d just LOVE to know who dumped her. Scumbags.
I have lots more fugly pictures to post, particularly of past rescues. For anybody who is new to the blog (and particularly those too lazy to read the FAQ, the important points are: This is an opinion blog and it has a humorous component. Much like a blog about how much (insert politician of your choice) sucks, you may agree and you may disagree but I have the right to my opinion and you have the right to yours. Bad language and politically incorrect humor are the norm; this is not a place for anyone too young to watch an HBO Comedy special. I do not think I am some kind of supreme authority; I am merely someone who has been involved in horses a long time, has a lot of opinions based upon my experiences and enjoys venting about the various things about the horse world that annoy me in a place where I will not be censored or have to “play nice” as I do on various other message boards. My goal is to keep the comments a censorship free environment as well, but I will not hesitate to assign moderators if people clutter the comments up with posts that are off-topic and are merely personal attacks, because that is just boring for everybody else to read. Trust me, I get it – you BRB’s hate me. But please take it to e-mail, or better yet, start your own blog about how much you hate me. Blogger is free, and freedom of speech is a privilege we all enjoy equally.
Happy Labor Day weekend, everybody!
93 comments to “As promised…a backyard full of fugliness!”
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No matter who ‘found you out’ I hope that you will continue to blog. This is a snarky yet informative site that I and many others have recntly found and made it a daily stop! Be responsible don’t breed the fugly.
All I can say is:
YOU ROCK!!!
And your fuglies are unique, and the perfect example for your blog-I may not read every post in every thread, but I read the majority. You are doing a better job about educating about fugly than the concerted efforts of horse show judges around the US, lol
Rock on…….
oh no… shattering the fourth wall!!! FHD is a PERSON? shes NOT married to elvis and personally constituting as much mystery as his possible continued existence on earth would??
i still think youre brilliant and now im sure with the combined power of the internets and the obvious i can discover where to send the chocolate flowers and florettes of chocolate carried by 1200 crippled dwarf minis. who need rescuing because i… have beer to buy with my pension check. you dont want them to go slaughter, right?
*snerk*
I think the responsible fugly owners should form our own registry. The Unbreedable Well Cared For Fugly Society. We can have cards and stickers and hold meetings!
Your fuglies rock my socks. May they be blessed with many carrots.
ps – BEAUTIFUL job on the reconditioned mare. not that ‘provide food’ is a rare talent… well, some days it does seem to be!
have you given any thought to rescuing posh spice next?
Awww I so love your old QH mare, what a great face she has!
We need to have a ‘share your fuglies’ day…my old AQHA gelding wants to participate!
Oooh, I like that idea!
OK, send me your much loved fuglies with their stories, if you like, with MY FUGLY HORSE in the subject line and I’ll make that Monday’s post (if I can…Monday is going to be super busy for me).
I wish I were married to Elvis, despite the puking druggie grossness element, the money sure would allow me to do a lot more rescue!
And I’m doing my part. Someone ELSE has to rescue Posh Spice. I hear she’s a real charmer to work with.
I’ve learned to sharpen my eyes here (for one thing, looking at more than one definition of “uphill”), but still wondering–is there some way to look over a pic of a horse not standing still, when you want to look at conformation? I remember seeing one mustang in a group somebody mentioned (yes, they were right, there was _plenty_ of fugly to go around), who actually looked decent…but how to tell from a pic taken when a horse’s in motion? Someone said the one I pointed out looked pretty good, but I’m also wondering _how_ to tell when they’re not standing still?
BTW–married to Elvis…don’t be silly! Everyone knows he married Amelia Earhart and they live somewhere in Guam. Godknows what we’ll do for Elvis updates now that the _Weekly World News_ is no more.
I never looked you up because frankly it didn’t matter who you are! I love your blog, love your style and love what you’re trying to achieve here – presumably heightened awareness of the consequences of irresponsible breeding. Ms. Mini breeder who “outed” you seems to be the one with nothing better to do… Hopefully she’s called the farrier by now.
OOOPs, before the Mini owner gets all uptight about my blunder, she does admit she is not a breeder, and hurray for that.. sorry for the slip of the fingers…
sitting on skeletal spices no doubt uncomfortable ribcage stuffing pork pies into her face screaming THIS HURTS YOU MORE THAN IT HURTS ME is just ONE of my sick fantasies *LOL*
wait… i just had ANOTHER sick and irrelevant thought… is FHD the Lindbergh baby?? O_O
hahaha i really am finding this whole ‘mystery thats about as mysterious as where wees go on a plane’ too, too amusing…
I agree with Califhorselover – I never tried to look you up simply because it didn’t matter to me. What /does/ matter is that you have something worthwhile to say and I simply enjoy the education your blog provides along with my daily dose of snark.
The snark factor is refreshing actually… most sites will ban you , delete you, or skin you alive for any negative comments.. I like the honesty here, even if its brutal.. and people need to get a reality check.. it is an opinion FHOTD is offering, and as she’s said, you’re free to have a differing opinion. In fact, even at the same show you can have multiple judges looking at the same horses, in the same class, and they might still be placed differently.. confirmation is not a science from what I can tell, but has a subjective factor associated with it… an opinion is what it is..
oh. I do hope the magic isn’t over.
Long live fuglyhorseoftheday!!!
Fugly, I thought you were in the bermuda triangle racing with Barbaro and sipping margaritas with Amelia Earheart. Apparently, I was wrong. The rest of my life will never be the same…
Oh man, I’ve known your name for AGES because it’s definitely in your email.
I just…didn’t realize there were people desperate to find you out. Man, I may have even been able to get some money off of emailing you!
I still read this, AND love it.
Cathy, I FEEL your pain. I’ve had some nut cases dig into every aspect of my personal life, including finding my mother’s name and post it on the internet. I guess they were trying to scare me into running from their sorry selves. There are no lengths to which a “feeling sorry for myself passive-aggressive, I deserve special treatment because I’m so put upon,” nutter will not go. I’m glad you started the blog. If it educates one person then it’s done more than all the nice hearts and flowers stuff has.
Tracy Meisenbach
http://www.geocities.com/trinityapp/prospectorproject.html
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseWorldPolitics/
Do you own Prarie Patriot? If so, it doesn’t fit who I thought you were at all, but I did google you!
Oh, the blog will continue as always, no matter the hate mail and/or threats received.
I used to work for an actress and one of her crazy fans used to write me e-mails from her dead mother. Another used to send me e-mail detailing his lesbian fantasies about the two of us and intermittently threatening to find me and kill me (at least ’til he slipped and sent it from his work account and I sent it to his company’s President. Ooopsy! Never heard from him again.).
If I were a horse, I’d be bomb proof by now!
Nope, I don’t own Prarie Patriot or know who he is.
And no, I’ve never been photographed lying in a cage with a dog. That was TOO weird. Who IS that person???
I thought I’d seen that writing style somewhere before. Cat, Sunline looks great even as a fugly horse. Love the blog!!
I figured not because he is a paint – sired by Prarie Gold. He was a yearling last year who won a lot a Paint Vegas. Remembered the name “Cathy and Jon Atkinson and it just hit me” I googled it and it was right
So, yeah, really would have surprised me if you were not only an avid paint competitor (thought the other breeders would have lynched you by now for criticizing them) but a halter horse enthusiast.
Thought I’d share a few interesting photos I found tonight
http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/pictures/gphoto-g127628.html
OK…why?
http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/pictures/gphoto-g128333.html
Parents need to be shot on that first one. Who lets their kid do that – A. without a helmet? B. With cement blocks? C. With improper shoes?
Sunline is very fat and happy, more fat than in those pictures but I don’t have a recent side shot of her to show off her bad conformation in all of its glory.
Well Fugly, I’m sorry you got outed, but it was just a matter of time I suppose.
Keep up the good fight. Your supporters will be here as long as you are.
Bless you for taking care of your fuglies.
“A friend of mine found her at the Yelm, WA auction a few years ago”
Well, that explains it. There’s a lot of backwoods hillbilly wannabe cowpokes from Yelm. They grow them there, special. People bred and born in the great NW that try to talk like the dumbest dirt farmer from Texas, just to sound folksy and homespun… and stupid.
Their horses suck, their horsekeeping sucks, and they’d be better off if they just aspired to really lucrative meth labs in their outhouses, painted to match their mobile homes.
Wow..what a small world. I grew up in Yelm and we rescued many horses from the Enumclaw auctions–didn’t know that Yelm has one, too! I was sad to see the state it had sunk into the last time I visited.
As for your blog–sorry you got found out, however, it does not change the main goal of this blog–it is both informative and hilariously funny. Thanks for making my day.
FHoTD, I love you!! Came over from the FOB site a few days ago.
They never muck their stalls
They’re so paranoid over there originality is viewed as an unknown plagurism.
One day I’ll go back to FOBland and ask for a car to get a job to pay for hay. They’ll raise $2,000 in 2 hours.
Show ‘em a picture of Secretariat vs. Fugly. Fugly may win. Ahhhhhhhhh!
Nice to be able to speak a bit here.
You rock ‘n roll in the hay!!!
Oh, please don’t ban me!!!
please
please
please
please
please
please
please
please
please
Over at FOBland I saw a few posters today end their comments with pleas not to be banned for having their say.
That’s FUGLY.
Hiya Cathy if thats your name, l dont see how your name really matters on the WWW anyway.so long as you keep up the good job with this page l couldnt care if u were the man in the moon,it’s an informative blog that if people dont want to read it or wish to disagree with opinions they can and thats what freedom of choice is.The right to choose what you wish to.So keep up the good work and have a good laugh at your hate mail!
Thank you FHD for all you do. I applaud your efforts to educate people and am enlightened to know that there are people out there that are willing to sacrafice their time and money to rehab the unwanted horses.
fugly_is_sexy_when_drunk:
I’m an FOB emmigrant, too. I was a “trouble-maker” – ie. when I first went to that site, and saw all the requests for THOUSANDS of $$ to save a few horses, I was amazed at the suckers (kind-hearted people) who were sending this money – blindly. I’d ask some questions (legitimate, I thought), like ‘where are the horses going / who gets them / do the people who are buying them for you from the kill buyer have 1st dibs on giving them a home’ and never got any answers. I posted and posted and posted – and happily now, I see that the FOBs are actually asking questions before they send money. I guess that means I can’t take pictures of my skinny old Appy mare we got recently, who doesn’t want to put on very much weight and beg for money, but it makes me feel all happy and smug to see that perhaps these people who were fianancing their horse dealer business by the FOBs may have a harder time of it now.
FHOTD:
If I send you pictures of my horses (present and deceased) do you promise to only point out their stellar qualities? Otherwise you may hurt my feelings. Not to mention damaging my horses’ psyches.
Probably, if I sent in pictures of my super (to me) 21-year old QH and the only 2 babies I’d managed to get from her, I’ll be slammed by all of you for breeding her. BUT – she is a very nice looking mare (a little heavy on the forehand, but the most comfortable jog trot I EVER rode) and her babies were both gorgeous and sweet-tempereed. And, I planned on keeping them until forever – unfortunately, one died at 3 years old (damn that one poisonous weed in the 10 acre pasture) and the other went to live with my very very very best friend, so he did stay in the family. He turned out to be a dog (with the occasional trail ride), rather than the competition horse I bred him to be, but hey – that’s alright, he’s happy.
ack. I was lazy this time, and didn’t bother to check all my punctuation. I didn’t actually mean to say my old skinny mare doesn’t want to beg for money.
Thank you for you ingenious blog. You not only have a gift for the written word, but a kick ass sense of humor to go with it! I look forward to reading your blog everyday. I do own 3 dreaded mini monsters. They can be lovingly described as slightly fugly, but I love them anyway. No breeding here of ANY animal. I sincerely hope you continue this blog, it really does help the lay person recognized bad conformation, if that person has an open mind. Again thank you and you have very Fugly horses!
FHOTD or Cathy or …
LOVE YOUR FUGLY MUGS!!!!!
Identity-schmendity! Some one signed on here as MaryAnn and I feel duplicated (GAWD that did not sound like something I would say I thought to myself as I read her posts…)
You, on the other hand will NEVER be duplicated O’Brave-and-Right One. Though you are the voice of many, you will always be the FIRST to speak-up and speak loudly and clearly!
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
don’t STOP IT! don’t STOP IT! don’t
These people you speak of need to hear what you are saying. They need to hear what they are doing is causing grief- to those they breed and to those who want to stop the unneeded suffering of God’s great Gift – the Horse!
Signed me,
THE Mary Ann
and Ur Other Fan!
Cathy, your blog is the best thing that has happened to the horse world on the internet. Especially after seeing the ridiculous My Little Pony mentality on all the chat groups, and the absolutely stupid remarks people make. All they want to hear is, “Oh, wow, your horse is beautiful”. They don’t want to learn, they have no intention of learning anything, and they’re all nothing more than a pack of dogs who think they know it all. Then you go visit their websites and see the real level of their knowledge, which isn’t much. If you have half a brain, they will criticize you to no end, because you make them feel inferior. It’s a real blessing to have a place where people can say what they really mean without some power hungry moderator scolding you. Keep up the fantastic work! You are very much appreciated.
>>Over at FOBland I saw a few posters today end their comments with pleas not to be banned for having their say.< <
I honestly don’t know why people stick around and put up with it. It’s like a kindergarten class run by a madman. He threatens to shut that board down every three seconds, as if it matters. Just shut up, don’t argue, and send lots of money or get banned! Um, dumbass, message boards are free. If you delete yours, someone can make another one just like it in about 10 minutes. But nobody ever points that out (or if they do, it gets deleted). Instead, they just beg him not to shut the board down, like good little sheeple. *eye roll*
It’s like my #1 internet pet peeve…the “I’M LEAVING” post on a message board when someone has gotten their panties in a knot. Talk about attention whores. You are not Elvis and no one really cares if you leave the building.
hahaha!! Cathy (FHD) is a VERY busy person… According to Google, here is everything she has going on–
She is a high school Social Studies teacher speaking against the proposed property tax freeze of Waukesha, Wisconsin.
She is a resident of Brisbane Australia and has a profile on the Global Education Collaborative.
Her name is listed several times as the leader of laps in the SAAB Soloman Mountain Mayhem 2006. Very impressive time btw, Cathy! lmao
Cathy Atkinson is shown in pictures on the Xenia High Class of 1965–40th reunion webpage.
Ohhhhh She and her husband Jim apparently sold a bunch of Calves at the Superios Livestock Auction. *Woot*!
She seconded a motion of the Rhode Island State Board of Hearing Aid Dealers and Fitters on May 3, 2007
Oh here’s a good one– She was appointed the lead person for the Pollution Prevention Program in 1999.
She is a member of Mt. Morris’s friendly staff.
lol Okay so I couldn’t sleep, decided to get online visit FHotD, and saw the post about FHD being “outted”. So, I looked her up! ahahahaha She sure is a busy woman; and what a community leader she is (in all of her communities! lol).
FHD– This was sneaky… but very cool. hehehe
“CathyAtkinsonPortlandPolo said…
Ummm, I hate to interrupt but, could someone go to pretzelkitty.com and let me know if you can see my horse pictures? It seems that something has messed up but I can’t check with another computer. Thanks!”
‘The fugly horse blog’ has become part of the lexicon at my place. “Point the camera the other way,” I don’t want this to end up on the fugly horse blog.”
If you didn’t make us laugh, we would have to cry when we see the stupidity of some folks’ horse breeding decisions.
Chrome…very funny but you’re right, I have a very common name and it is everywhere!
Cathy-
Doesn’t matter who you are when we are essentially all strangers anyways. Not many internet list members know one another personally. However, I do know honesty with a common goal.
While I may not believe in all your beliefs, I’m adult enough to accept that. If you don’t or someone else doesn’t agree with me, I can accept that too. Unfortantly there are few adults out there – and I’m not talking about the 21 and under crowd if you get my drift.
As far as the snarky remarks and foul language – I just love it! Cracks me up when I hear mention of it on other lists. You would think all the women that bring that up are pure and white, reverant souls – gag, choke!
At any rate I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your blog – even learned a thing or two.
As you know I love the blog, I come here and spend way too much time everyday but it is much better and more entertaining than a course on conformation.
ChromeCowgirl said…
FHD– This was sneaky… but very cool. hehehe
“CathyAtkinsonPortlandPolo said…
Ummm, I hate to interrupt but, could someone go to pretzelkitty.com and let me know if you can see my horse pictures? It seems that something has messed up but I can’t check with another computer. Thanks!”
lol! Exactly what I was thinking. ;-}
Ok, so apparently I wasn’t arguing with the REAL Cathy yesterday. Geeze, what is this world coming to, when people go around pretending to be someone else???
Even though the website I posted ended up being FHOTD’s website (who would have ever known that!?!), I’m not sorry that I did it. Sorry but the whole point of this blog is to point out fugly…and well…those horses were fugly!!! And what is up with the goat being in with the horses? Talk about stupid things that owners do, well that’s one of them…whether the goat is yours or not, it’s still in with your horses! And if people shouldn’t be offended that their horses end up on here, then why did you delete your website pictures?
What a small world! I guess the internet isn’t all that big afterall. Or maybe the person who posted your website on the other forum really knew it was your website??? Hmmm…I wonder…
ahhh don’t worry what the other folks who hate you say..you really rock!
i can’t tell you how much i’ve learned from your blog..now i personally can’t look at a horse without looking at it’s points to see how “fugly” it is XD..
you will have haters..regardless of what you do on here…always..
I need a life … this blog is the highlight of my day! Love it! Keep up the good work, no matter WHO you are!
Hi Cathy,
Nice name, just spelled a little funny.
Anyway, like the blog, glad to see that you keep on keeping on. I agree with most of your points, and the ones I don’t, I deal with the fact that everyone is different *GASP* and move on. Wish the adult world could ALL realize that opinions are like assholes…..everyone has one.
Running off to send you pics of my fuglies…..
funny… I thought whatywhatwhat and cathyatkinsonportlandpolo were the same person and she was arguing with herself yesterday!
I am going to thank you *again* for this blog! I spend way too much time reading the comments, but wow… great stuff here.
A good sign for the future: I belong to the Livejournal “equestrian” community, which needless to say has a lot of younger folks on it. And FHOTD is *huge* over there; people will post links, talk about “what FHOTD is saying about…” etc. I think some of the youngsters are *thinking* more about their horses, not just loving on them (not that too many members are like that, but…) And people are calling folks out on things like thinking a young horse is a good “first horse,” not realizing just how much horse care costs, buying horses just to save them, etc. It’s very good to see.
Ride so bright said: “funny… I thought whatywhatwhat and cathyatkinsonportlandpolo were the same person and she was arguing with herself yesterday!”
Yes that is correct ridesobright. She also said she was leaving… so Whatywhatwhat are you still doing here?
FHOTD– I love this blog, and I hope you continue the great work, regardless if people know who you are or not. This blog has been very informative and has opened my eyes a little wider about the problem with overpopulation and all the careless breeding that goes on out there. I know that I am alot more aware what to look for and what to stay away from when looking at conformation in a horse now.
So, keep up the great work, if this blog just helps one indiscriminate breeder reconsider what they are bringing into the world, it is all worth it!
Hey FHOTD! Thanks for sharing. I have been wanting to make a comment though because I have one little thing to nitpick with you on shoulder conformation. A while back when you did the lines on the pics to show the angles, you placed the mark in front of the shoulder blade. This will always make the shoulder appear more upright than it actually is – the correct angle to measure should be the scapula.
I used the pic of your blind mare to illustrate what I mean: The red line is incorrect, the blue line is correct. Confo
Additionally, another way to evaluate a horse’s front end conformation is by the angle at which the scapula attaches to the humerus. (This is green on my diagram) Ideally this should be at 90 degrees or greater. This will increase the length of the horse’s stride, which is how a horse with a more upright shoulder can have a long step.
The mare you posted is at about 91 or 92 degrees, which is definitely acceptable.
As far as hind end conformation, there is a pretty simple test to checking the angles – create a triangle from the point of hip to the point of buttock to the point on the stifle (shown in pink). Ideally this should be an equilateral triangle – you want 45 degree angles. This mare is not great but I imagine if she was standing squarely she would be better. Another note on this – the sides of the triangle should be the same length, and on an ideal horse, you want the stifle to actually cover the sheath if viewed from the side. (harder to measure with a mare
) If the stifle is higher than this and exposes the sheath or more, the horse lacks “depth” in the hind end.
If the horse has a shorter line from stifle to buttock than from hip to stifle, it lacks “width” in the hind end.
Anyway, you probably knew a lot of that, but the shoulder thing I thought was important to note. You can see how it changes the angle. The mare still does not have super conformation, but it’s not as bad if measured accurately.
And on a last note, as an eventer I tend to prefer a horse with a huge withers as they tend to be better jumpers. Of course, I actually make sure I have a saddle that fits!
-tehlorax
I think you rock too. I grew up with my Dad breeding everything with a vagina (ok that sounds bad because he did have the fugly unbroke stud do it.. not him personally :S). At one point we had 16 head of which 14 of them were useless ugly results of backyard breeding.
Now that I have my own herd it makes him CRAZY that I have mostly geldings. We do have one mare that has been driving him nuts because I hadn’t bred her at her first cycle (gawd).
I smile to myself that it makes him crazy (smirk). Just trying to do my small part in the fight against fuglies
)
So keep up the good work!!! I’m behind ya!
I vote you do a Tshirt with Kit as the poster horse, using that very same picture (and while you are at it, why not a poster?). She is one of the fugliest good condition horses EVER! AND she could be poster horse for how not to photograph – that angle makes her neck look about 3 inches long, and her back as long as – well, a drive through Texas says it as well as anything! And the shadow makes her look incredibly sway backed and weak loined. Add in her sweet face that says “Take me home with you please”, and I think we have a winner.
Underneath it could say “Brood Mare of the Year”, and under that it could say “NOT!“.
Absolutely do not stop blogging. This is important shit, and horse people need to understand the outcome of their selfishness. You sound rather close to me. I am in Montana and from Seattle. Don’t stop this blog until this mess we call the “horse industry” is cleaned up.
I vote for the Kit idea. I would totally buy one.
What is FOB and how do I get there to see what the fuss is about??
“Dontyouridenofuglyhorse said…
Ride so bright said: “funny… I thought whatywhatwhat and cathyatkinsonportlandpolo were the same person and she was arguing with herself yesterday!”
Yes that is correct ridesobright. She also said she was leaving… so Whatywhatwhat are you still doing here?”
One of the other personalities left, not this one. I wonder how many there are….
I just want to clarify that I am NOT CathyAtkinsonPoloPonies. Nor have I ever met a Cathy Atkinson that I know of. I’m sorry that some people here are under the impression that we are the same person?
I’ve been following this blog for quite some time, but apparently I just picked the wrong week to join! I really don’t want to go anywhere because I feel that you are trying to do a really good thing here! I guess that’s what I get for talking shit about someone I don’t even know!
When I did horse judging in 4-H, my favorite method for overall balance was drawing an imaginary trapezoid from the point of the withers to the point of the hip, down to the base of the stifle, and across to the point of the shoulder. The bottom part of the trapezoid should be twice as long as the topline, and the hip and shoulder angles should match and be as close to 45 degrees as possible. Never steered me wrong.
As for putting weight on an old lady, we’ve got an elderly babysitter mare who hangs with the weanlings after they’re weaned. She has no teeth, yet she’s quite plump with a diet of soaked alfalfa pellets, rolled oats, senior feed, fat in the form of rice bran, and a daily vitamin. She looks absolutely fabulous for a gal in her late 20′s (she’s not fugly, though. She was a fabulous broodmare, and own daughter of Zippo Pine Bar). It can be done!
I DID pick the worst picture of Kit to post, to “show off” the fugly! I do have much nicer pictures of her. She truly is not that bad of a mare, she just has that “I have had a VERY hard life” look to her. I have other horses her age or older that look much better, but they were better cared for. Kit has been all over the country and I’m sure she would have some stories to tell if she could.
Re the shoulder thing, I put the line where I do because it’s easy for anyone to see, and it’s usually pretty *close* to accurate. It’s easy for a beginner to see where the neck comes out of the shoulder, and harder to see where the scapula really is. If you know where the scapula is, as I’ve posted before, you already know about conformation. I get a lot of e-mail from people who know absolutely nothing and who, honestly, had never been taught that conformation even relates to how they ride. I had someone write who said now she finally knew why her horse’s trot was so rough. I really am trying to keep it at the conformation 101 level. There are some people reading this who know far more than I do, but this is focused on basics that affect performance (though I will snark on super ugly heads, but just because I don’t think you should deliberately breed for them, not because I haven’t ridden great horses with ugly heads – like anyone else, I have!)
“What is FOB and how do I get there to see what the fuss is about??”
alexbrownracing.com
go to chats and discussion
A couple days ago they financed an FOB to go to auction.
Paid $2,100 for 2 skinny, fugly horses. The auction played ‘em like a fiddle. They pronounced victory by outbidding the kill buyer – who knew exactly what he were doing.
Listen, good people are good people – they got some decent ones over there.
However, you know what P.T. Barnum said. In FOBland there is a twilight zonish acceleration of the ‘sucker every minute’.
They are enablers and kill buyer financers.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/alexbrown/start
Sorry – this is it.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/
alexbrown/start
Yikes! Fugly day for me.
FHOTD – that makes more sense, thanks for explaining
I see what you mean – the scapula angle isn’t nearly as easy to recognize especially if you’re not a conformation nerd. =D
On 90% of the horses you’ve posted, they have all had awful shoulders no matter WHAT way you measure so really it’s hardly a problem!!
I also just thought your poor mare wasn’t QUITE as bad as many (most?) of those you’ve critiqued so I thought I’d shout out a little bit in her favor. I wouldn’t breed her, but she’s not the hideous cup of crap that soooo many BYBs produce!
Keep on bloggin!
-tehlorax
fugly_is_sexy_when_drunk said
A couple days ago they financed an FOB to go to auction.
Paid $2,100 for 2 skinny, fugly horses. The auction played ‘em like a fiddle. They pronounced victory by outbidding the kill buyer – who knew exactly what he were doing.
Listen, good people are good people – they got some decent ones over there.
However, you know what P.T. Barnum said. In FOBland there is a twilight zonish acceleration of the ‘sucker every minute’.
They are enablers and kill buyer financers
OMG, how dumb can some people be. If you plan to go and outbid a kill buyer find out the price per pound. If the price the kill buyer can get for the horse if $300, don’t go over $325. Because then the kill buyer is stuck with a horse where he will lose money. In fact that could be a way to really cause them grief if they pulling that that sort of thing. Bid it up to $350 and if the kill buyer or the auction shill still increases the bid stop bidding. Let them get stuck with a horse they paid more than market value for a time or two. They will be very careful about trying to outbid a rescuer after that. They are in the business to make a buck and if they can’t make it they don’t stay in business. Actually we did that a time or two and believe me the k/b boys stopped bidding against us in a hurry.
Amber – good point. I used to just look at her and think “ewww” but ever since I’ve found the fugly blog, I’ve seen that there is much worse out there…and like you said, it’s being bred. Sunline is not. She has no registered foals in any of the possible registries (AQHA, ApHC, APHA), hooray, although we suspect something is out there as she looks like she’s had babies. My friend thinks maybe mules, LOL.
Here’s the actual FOB post:
Thank you EVERYONE for your prayers, support and phone calls through out today.
The good news is it looks like we were able to save the TB mare and TB stallion. The bad news is they ran the prices up on us. I am sure this was intentional. We will not sit idly by – the media will be contacted. We will tell them that rescues had to pay 4 times as much to save a horse as the kill buyers did to slaughter them. We can feel good tonight that two wonderful thoroughbreds are safe. Charlie Carter did not get them. Their lives will not end at Cavel.
I am going to have to ask for some additional help paying for these horses. I have to wire the money to Centennial Auction by tomorrow evening.
The mare went for $1.20/pound = $1,260.00
The stallion went for $1.00/pound = $1,075.00
I want to apologize if I let the FOB’s down by having to pay such an exaggerated price for these horses. I know that this is what the auction intended to do all along and I truly feel that if I had set a limit Charlie Carter would have bid 1 cent over my limit.
Thank you again for supporting horse rescue today – we may have been slapped but we won in the end.
“We will not sit idly by – the media will be contacted”
Another winner!! Announce your stupidity.
I’m sorry. I just can’t leave it alone, I have to point it out. Can whatwhatwhat be any more transparent? It really fascinates me how members of the same species can be so far apart intellectually. It’s like how a three year old will try to ‘hide’ behind a thin poll. I always thought people grew out of being that stupid. Poor pitiful simple retards.
I was watching (and donating to) CBER during the “sunline” time and remeber the mare and “Cat”. How interesting..Now, would someone please educate me about alexbrownracing and Friends of Barbaro, and what the controveresy is?? Please?
Oh God, do these people actually think Charlie Carter or whatever his name is will pay $1,000 for a horse that he will then turn around and take to the kill plant and sell for $300. Do you think he could do that and stay in business. He is in it for the money and that would be a loss of $700 for each horse.
Once again before you get into this kind of thing FIND OUT THE PRICE PER POUND that the market is giving and set your limit just above it. They really saw a sucker coming when they saw you.
To anyone who wants to rescue Thoroughbred or a Standardbred, go directly to the track. Sometimes they will even give you one that they want to unload on someone. If not offer them the going ppp and you don’t have to bid against anyone.
There are free Thoroughbreds on DreamHorse…just go search for free or under $200 and you’ll be amazed.
hahaha i can think of one or two other boards that fit the going descriptions above…
but christ on a bike dont think i can take a MOMENT of those barbaro FREAKS. those who never gave two seconds thought or a flying crap for racehorses or horses at ALL till they saw him and his ‘brave fight for life’ (*ahem* money fuelled torture for future breeding possibilities).
what kind of oxygen deprived mind goes into that sort of meltdown over a horse they never knew existed, never met, had nothing to do with… over and above the hundreds of thousands of others that suffer far WORSE fates than he??
what barbaro was put through was shameful. every fucking DAY this very blog posts an example of something WORSE. are they being ‘friends’ to any other horses?
bueller??
How can you tell a horse has 10% vision? Best my vet could do was, “Well, she’s pretty much blind”.
What is FOB (puter idiot here)? Is it like a FIR (F’n Idiot Rescuer)?
Fug Sex when Drunk,
Stupidity is rampant. These parts had a baby sale. Rescuers screamed, “Save the PMU babiesâ€. Dang nice reg., future useful babies went for $25 – $200. PMUs came from one of the farms that were just breeding them to pee (I think they’re the ones running the “Save the PMU†campaign). The worse they looked, the more they brought. We’re talking $Ks. Was funny to watch these idiots out-bid each other. Sad, though, thinking of the intellectual level of today’s “horse person†(can’t call em horseman by any stretch).
I don’t care how snarky you get or how much you momentarily pissed me off with the Natural Horsemanship post (and I’m sure you just lost so much sleep over me being pissed off)–bless you for being a responsible caretaker of unwanted horses, and please keep up the good work.
I have a couple of rescued fuglies myself (though they both look adorable to me). One is a crazy-downhill-hotheaded-Arab, once a dressage reject (though how anyone ever thought she could do dressage with her conformation is beyond me) and now my trail buddy, the other is a mutt of indeterminate origin, rescued from the kill buyers with old injuries that make her unrideable, currently filling the ever-so-stressful position of Pasture Princess.
I would be more than happy to email you their photos so that others can see WHY I will never breed them (they’re both mares), and how unsuitable jobs can get fugly horses into major physical trouble. They’ll be some willing Fugly models if you ever need them
.
I now know what FOB is (BUT I still cannot get on the site and I am dying of curiosity here)- I nearly got kicked off another board for suggesting that he should have been destroyed on the track- that there was nothing “brave ” about hos fight and, at the very least he should have been destroyed a lot sooner- OK give him a chance if they are daft enough to shell out and he is in no pain- but once they knew he would not recover why prolong it??
Wow, it was like kicking an ants nest!!
I have also often said they could NOT be buying PMU foals- let them get stuck with them and shout at Animal Welfare and make them do their jobs- and I do not believe in buying form kill yards either- I do not believe the prices are accurate, I have a suspicious mind, I know, but the people are not in this for the fun of it- it is a BUSUNESS and if some stupid woman (it is usually a woman) wants to pay them over the odds for a horse- well, they are going to say NO aren’t they??
Another question, people, if the slaughter houses being closed is a good thing- why are there so many horses still going for slaughter- and how is that a good thing??
Would it not have been better to have opened MORE, and then made it illegal for an animal to cross a state line for slaughter??
And that is easy enough to prove and to enforce if you have enough people to do it- and it would appear there are plenty of “concerned citizens” around with too much time on their hands- so they can go to auctions and make sure everyone is keeping the law!!
And what would be wrong with pushing the price up to £1,000.00 and then dropping out??
So long as you have the money to back it up – and FOB seems to have plenty of money- why actually BUY the animals??
End of the week the KBs would be PAYING them to go away!!
And they would certainly be willing to let them have any horse they wanted.
>>How can you tell a horse has 10% vision? Best my vet could do was, “Well, she’s pretty much blind”.< <
*shrug* I’m not the vet, I don’t really know. He looked at her eyes with his little light and determined that her pupil was frozen closed completely on the one side, and almost the same on the other. He said he thought she had about 10% sight on the right side. I know she has some vision, but things like doorways scare her – you have to carefully lead her so that she knows she can trust where you’re telling her to go.
She actually rides very well. The main reason I stopped riding her isn’t the sight – it’s that her hocks are arthritic and riding makes her sore, and I’m not about to start injecting and messing with a 19 year old blind horse to try to fix the hocks. She can just be a pet at this point.
Kirri – you have a point. Unfortunately everybody gets emotional and their reason checks out.
I hate walking away from horses and letting the killers have them after I’ve seen them and petted them, but I’ve done it before if the price went too high. We don’t help horses in general by throwing money at killer buyers. If I can get a horse for $250, great. I did make the mistake of paying $575 for the CBER horse – that was a momentary bout of total stupidity on my part. Having a paypal account at 3 AM while you are surfing the Internet is not always such a great idea.
yep, scariest thing on FOB is the news they have ‘rescued’ 1200 horses. to WHERE? to what fate? are they ACTUALLY better off where they are now than with a merciful bullet in the brain? are highly strung, overfed, undertrained, ungelded OTTBS being carrotsticked by unsupervised, demi-witted, emotionally hysterical first time owners in their backyards as we speak?
rescue me from the rescuers indeed.
Kirri, my point exactly, bid up to the kill price and then leave the kill buyers to deal with the money loss.
I just had two posts saying the same thing. I know from experience it doesn’t take long for the KB’s to catch on and give you anything you want.
Cathy,
I enjoy this blog. it definately keeps my mind on the correct path of not ever wanting to breed again. Did it once, that taught me a lesson there.
BTW. I miss the Yelm Auction it was my first Sat of the month hang-out.
I know, I’m a sad human.
Straight,
Not sad, well fed. Yelm is the one with the great breakfast, isn’t it?
Cathy I love your Blog. DO Not Stop! Keep it going as you give me and my DH something to look forward to every day.
It lets us know that we are not alone. There are others who hate idiots as much as we do, and the horse world has more than their share. We are not alone in our humane methods of training horses, (not NH) requiring them each to behave, setting boundaries, and turning each one, registered or not, into a well behaved companion.
Sometimes the truth hurts, and if one of these lousy BYB of crap, has to hear it from you or one of us, maybe they will get the point and they will rethink what they are doing to us, the market and the horses we all love.
The Yelm auction closed, but for those in the area, you can still rescue all the cheap horses you want at Enumclaw and Chehalis.
Wow. I go away for a few days and someone outs fugly?
Ah well, nevermind. I’m sure it doesn’t really make any difference if people know who you are. I for one can’t even see the point in looking up who ‘Cathy Atkinson’ is. Why would I?
Le sigh. Well done on your fuglies though, they look happy and well-cared for. I don’t really get the motivation for ‘outing’ you…
I am missing my daily dose of FHOTD! Are you going to keep blogging? I have noted your comments, so I am keeping my fingers crossed–keep up the good work!