A holiday gift that keeps on giving…to rescued Thoroughbreds!
Dec 03 2009
Four years ago, when the Fugly blog was just a low-grade grumble track of annoyance with the horse industry running through my mind, I was in the market to acquire something to dink around on playing arena polo in Los Angeles. I didn’t have any local racetrack contacts at that time, so I started shopping online and found the LOPE site (www.lopetx.org). It looked like a pretty decent organization, so I bought a plane ticket and headed to Austin to do some horse-shopping. I was very impressed with LOPE; they had a nice facility, the horses were able to run out on acres of grass with safe fencing and everything looked very happy and well cared for. The filly I went to visit, Sugarfoot, was tender-footed due to a recent trim so I decided to wait and see if she was sounder in a few weeks, and in the meantime someone else snatched her up, but I really enjoyed my visit and liked Lynn, the rescue’s President, a lot. Unlike a lot of people in rescue, she was obviously a knowledgeable horseperson who understood Thoroughbreds and was providing a safe place for them to detox from their track careers and find new homes.
Fast forward to today and not only has LOPE grown and continued to prosper, but Lynn has written a book about her experiences rescuing Thoroughbreds. Here’s an excerpt:
“To me, racehorses are winners even after their racing careers end. They have so much heart, athleticism, and intelligence — all they need is a chance to find that second career after the finish line. Of course, they could use a little help making that transition. Because it can be hard to change careers at first.
I can sympathize with that.
I used to have an accounting career, working in a Washington, DC, cubicle. Pale, stressed, and full of suburban angst, I was the least likely candidate to run a racehorse adoption ranch in Texas. Back then, horses were just my outlet, my weekend respite from spreadsheets. Only learning to ride as an adult, I took group horseback-riding lessons and strained to master the most basic equestrian skills.
But even then, I was drawn to racehorses — several resided at that stable, in training to become show jumpers and polo mounts. They charmed and inspired me, with their intelligent faces, beautiful conformation, and dark reputations as risky rides.
From childhood, I had secretly wanted to be a horse trainer. But I was a horse geek, a real goober around the barn. The instructors and trainers hid their smiles at my barn gaffes and painfully anxious riding style. Every trainer at the barn had grown up with horses, usually turning professional by their teens, a formidable resume of equine mastery. I would never fit that mold — how could someone like me be a trainer? It seemed like an impossible, silly dream, plausible only in a Disney film.
I worked hard to improve my skills anyway: exercising polo ponies for free, trading barn work for lessons, teaching at a horse summer camp, anything to learn more on my modest budget. Slowly, my horse activities morphed into a vocation, a calling I could no longer ignore, however ridiculous it seemed to others — and often even to me.
Finally, I took the plunge, moved halfway across the country, and opened the racehorse adoption program.”
How many of us dream of doing this? Well, Lynn actually did it, and her stories are touching, inspiring, and motivational. The book says, if you want to make a difference in horses’ lives, you can. If you need to learn more to do it – well, what are you waiting for? I’ve read the book and it has a really human perspective, devoid of ego, that I rarely see in horse books. Lynn doesn’t think she’s a magikal horse whisperer or the Mother Theresa of horse rescue. She admits to her mistakes along with her successes. She rides her own rescues, puts on benefit horseshows and other events, and keeps her numbers controllable so that every horse gets everything they need.
Today, one of her donors said that if she could sell 5,000 copies of the book, that person would TOTALLY fund a book tour for her! Well, that is one challenge I would very much like to help out with. Not only does purchasing the book help Lynn continue to help Thoroughbreds personally, but the stories inside it give names and faces to the horses she has helped…the kind of horses that are, unfortunately, all too often discarded, to end up in Mexico and Canada’s slaughterhouses, or starving with someone who does not know how to care for a Thoroughbred. It would be a great gift for that friend who thinks that you are crazy to have rescues or to keep your old horses, or the stock horse aficionado who just doesn’t get your obsession with OTTB’s! It’s first-hand education about what happens when a horse’s racing career is over, and what we can do to help them find new careers or just a safe spot to land.  It’s only $16 on Amazon right now – just click the picture of the book below to get your copy, and/or send some to your friends!
88 comments to “A holiday gift that keeps on giving…to rescued Thoroughbreds!”
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I think I might have to buy that
maybe even get one for my roomie that works with Racehorses
I met Lynn Reardon at the Austin book signing. She was a great speaker, and just as funny in person as in the book. She’s got a great sense of humor and clearly loves what she does – I’d highly recommend the book!
Great topic today! I’m on Amazon trying very hard to purchase the book, but it won’t allow me
Apparently living in Canada is a HUGE downfall when they don’t ship internationally… I’ll keep trying. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.
I actually registered to post this, but you can buy it on Amazon.ca if you live in Canada. Silly Amazon. Though this link won’t give FHOTD the credit for sending you there :/
Click here for the page
Samsgirl, you MUST be doing something wrong!? I just ordered a book to be shipped to my Aunt in Ontario for the holidays! No problems. Gift wrap and gift card too!
It wasn’t the book on topic, but one written by a woman who rescued 9 cats, the book was written from the cats POV “Nine cats: Nine Lives; in a narrow brick house” the proceeds go to a local shelter. I bought a few to send out to “catty” friends and family.
I’ll buy the topic book for myself…no “horsey freinds” currently except my instructor and I’m only on my 4th lesson in ALLOT of years…maybe next year…
I just tried it and got all the way to the credit card info screen with no problems, and I’m in Canada (and at a PO box to boot!)
But, you might as well order it from amazon.ca – shipping would probably be cheaper!
it’s on Kindle also, and you don’t need a kindle to read it. You can download the kindle program to your computer now. Best thing since peanut butter.
Thanks guys, I tried to order it and another book (Tug of War – on classical vs modern dressage) and it got me to the payment screen and told me that it wasn’t able to send THIS book… I tried my Box # and my rural address, and either time no go. I don’t get it, I’m in Alberta btw. I would like to purchase the book, but to make sure the purchase counts. If it will, I’ll get it from Amazon.ca. Thanks for the suggestion btw Seshy. I’d love to read this one for sure!
I placed my order successfully on amazon.com and I’m all the way in the Yukon! I don’t know why they would say they don’t ship internationally. I order from them the odd time they have a better deal than .ca does.
Amazon doesn’t ship internationally? That sounds pretty crazy. I’d call them. I can’t imagine that they don’t…weird.
Amazon ships to me all the time …Switzerland
She sounds like a woman after my own heart: did not start riding until an adult, surrounded by horse-experts who were raised in the saddle, wanting to follow a dream despite no experience with horses. I can relate.
how come sam and cber (appears they are now a new rescue) http://rebelsequinefeedlotsales.myfastforum.org/Available_Horses_about36.html are posting all over craigslist screaming the truck is coming the truck is coming? and not a word anywhere about the new name and same ol scam. the least you can do is go flag their ads off craigslist, they are scamming people again under a new name. oh and they have lowered their prices to under 600 now and no quarantine requirement for you to pay for! aint that sweet!!
You can’t kill CBER. They are like Freddy on Nightmare on Elm Street. Most likely Dean Solomon will be fostering for them again this winter. It’s insane…
someone has already asked if they should help “save” the feedlot horses. I said it was cber and a scam. the new name and scam should be featured all over the internet.
CBER is still running under the same name: http://www.columbiabasinequinerescue.org/
It seems like Sam and some others have split off, and CBER itself is being run by different folks – and NOT as a 501, thank God for small miracles!
I’ve been lurking for months but reading about this scam again really got to me this morning. That Dean Solomon is a HOARDER. I just don’t understand how people can sit by and stuff THEIR face while animals all around them are starving to death yet the continue to take on more and more mouths to feed or not feed in her case. I’m currently horseless but I have owned three horses at different times in my life. I’m back in school, working part time, etc so I know a horse simply doesn’t fit in with my schedule or budget right now. I know this so I logically choose to not own animals I cannot care for. People like this think about acquiring the animal more than the care of the animal and it sucks. Now hoarders are being diagnosed as mentally ill people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder. I say they certainly are nuts but the ones truly suffering are the animals these types have managed to acquire through deception in most cases. They talk the talk but in reality its all a con game. People like Dean really get to me because not only are they a horder but they are a con too. They use the suffering of animals to support their lazy butts. URGGGH.
Can we get the book on Oprah’s book club? Who do we contact about that. I can just see Oprah eatting this one up on her show. Lets get Lynn on before the show last day.
If she gets enough e-mail, it could happen!
http://www.oprah.com/contactus
Go for it!
Just left a e-mail with Oprah gang…don’t know where it will go but her team has it now. Guess we’ll see!
Oprah stuttered on one of the few episodes of her I saw when vegetarianism was brought up; she didn’t even address the question. So a book about horses being rescued from slaughter may not peak her interest. We could try though.
I’m vegan, it’s hard but not impossible, and is highly rewarding.
Ah, I’m totally ordering this! Thanks for the heads up.
Awesome – I’m going to order one or two tonight
I ordered Skipingo Home, a delightful children’s book about a real racehorse, rescued by one of the authors who cared for the horse when it was a foal; I bought After The Track, a wonderful book about rescued runners and trotters/pacers and retraining them for second careers. Portions of each book go to rescues. I believe Skipingo Home benefits Old Friends. After The Track benefits New Vocations.
I won a 2010 calendar “In The Presence of Champions” from Tranquility Farm (I guessed the name of their newest retiree, Buddy Gil, who is by the same sire as my horse). The calendar raises funds to feed the retirees and future adoptees at the Farm.
Am happy to do my part to support LOPE. ;oD Will be buying Joe Shelton’s book, too, which will be published in the spring.
I love books ;o) and I am LOVING what they can do for the horses.
“Little Big Red” came from a trainer’s listing on LOPE. Thank you all for your support!!!!
http://littlebigred.blogspot.com/
Speaking of off the track thoroughbreds, please check out my blog. It is about my search for a horse I fell in love with, and haven’t been able to track down! If everyone could please take a look, and let me know if you know anything!
PLEASE LOOK!
Searching for Magic Blog
I’m definitely going to check out LOPE’s website and most likely buy a book
Thanks for showing this<3
I think I will just have to have this book. Thoroughbreds have always been my heart & soul . I worked at the track since1972 , following my uncle ‘s shadow acting as his gopher. I was taught to bandage legs & make my own liniments & mix feeds at an early age and I worked my way up to groom then pony girl & eventually exercise rider . I became a trainer after twenty years as a groom , listening and learning from vets & other handy old horseman. I drank up all the bits & pieces of knowledge I could and listened to every thing I could hear on & off the rail . There is nothing like misty mornings and the sound of a horse quietly galloping through the fog & the smells of liniments and clean tack in the barn. I used to fall a sleep in the deep beds of straw late at night waiting for the midnight handicap to get over with. I miss being under my horses rubbing down their legs and grooming their soft coats & rubbing them down with my rub rags . I used to lean into their mane and inhale the smells of the horse that had just been washed and close my eyes dreaming one day I would be a trainer. Well I made trainer at age 23 and had a successful time and my horses were well cared for and had successful careers off track as well . I miss those years at the track and I still love those Thoroughbreds with all my heart. There is nothing better than being their groom , even better than being their trainer. No one is as close to the horse as the groom. It is a under appreciated job that I will gladly do again and again.
Can you help me? I am with the Santa Rosa County Horse Assistance Council, Inc. I have a thoroughbred that was 804 lbs when confiscated by the county animal services. He was a perfect lamb (obviously at 804 lbs had no energy), but now he has gained about 100 lbs and is becoming very, very food agressive. I do not want to make the problem worse, but yesterday, when my husband was pushing a wheel barrow full of hay to him in his pasture, he kept trying to eat hay and my husband kept going after letting him get a mouthful here and there. All of a sudden he reared like a horse in a horse fight, and attacked my husband’s back. Had it not been cold down here he would have been missing a huge chunk of his back. As it is, he has a bruise about 8 inches across. How do you handle this food agression. He pins his ears, stamps his feet, lashes out with his teeth. I don’t want to make it worse, but just don’t know what to do. I have fostered many, many horses and this is the first time I have had this happen.
“I became a trainer after twenty years as a groom ”
“I made trainer at age 23″
_______________________
???
I’m totally getting that book. Lynn is living my dream right now, saving Thoroughbreds. A million kudos to her.
I will definitely have to ask for this for Christmas. It sounds like an amazing story. the video alone made me choke up!
And speaking of videos, perhaps somebody here (fugs?) could pass this song along to some rescues. It would make a perfect accompaniment for a video for rescues that need homes, and OTTBs. The song is called “Passion”, and it’s by Utada Hikaru.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwdEGgvpvx4
(Just so nobody freaks out, the odd sounding text is just english spoken backwards. It says, respectively:
I need more affection than you know
So many ups and downs
I need true emotions)
When you consider the song as coming from the horse’s perspective, it’s pretty compelling. But then, I’m a music nut like that
wow look a Pirelli guy who can actually ride
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow2yDdRK_Zc
OMG!! Beyond the Homestretch just hit #1 in the Horse category at Amazon!! Incredible jump in just a few hours. The book’s Amazon ranking is at 1744 as of now — it was over 18000 this morning. Fugly, thank you and all your readers SO much for all your support of the book and the LOPE horses!! Wow!!
I’m not sure what the actual number of books sold is yet — I have an email into my publisher (who gets all that data). I will DEFINITELY update you as sales figures come in this month.
We are so excited here and have told the donor what has happened so far (he’s very impressed).
Thank you all again!!
Lynn
LOPE Texas
This is a GREAT book! A really good read. HIghly reccommended.
~DD
I just ordered mine but because I’m in Australia (so they obviously do ship internationally and they have a neat automatic currency converter thingey so I knew exactly what I was up for in AUD$) I won’t get it until after Christmas but it looks like a great read so am looking forward to receiving it.
Anyone who does good things to help eleviate animal suffering (where many of us cannot for whatever reason) deserves whatever help we can give them.
Now I’ll have to culture some patience until it arrives ……………………….
I have asked Santa for the book! I love OTTB’s and that’s mostly what I have owned… A little secret, I just picked a new one up!
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1486348
>.< ?!
HOLY CRAP. That mane must weight a tonne. But it’s PRETTY so it’s worth $22,000???? Wow.
will treat myself to the book too….thanks. I have 3 rescued horses myself and a 30 year old donkey , there is nothing i love more in life then that look they give you , the one that says thank you mom for the life you have given me .
OT:
http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/grd/1493468003.html
Does the colt on the bottom right look funny to you?
I think the one on the top left is leaning kinda funny.
I just ordered it, since I already have an account with Amazon, it took only one click! Funny thing is I was explaining to my mother about OTTB’s last night because a rescue in Ocala is trying to adopt some out and I asked her if she wanted one. (She hasn’t decided).
Are you in Ocala? The OTTB that Santa Rosa County Animal Services seized and whom I am fostering is from Ocala. We are trying to track down his information. Have a vet Tiffany Atteberry, in Ocala, looking for him in her coggins papers. She thinks he was run through a sale down there and she pulled the coggins that way, not a regular patient. He has a tattoo which appears to be G3935P, but the G could be a B (which would more closely relate to the age he appears to be). We would like to be able to let his former owner know how he ended up – 804 lbs and a .5 BCS. If you have any ideas who to contact down there, would appreciate it. The TBRPB is working on identifying him for us.
Ordered the book a few weeks ago-love it!!!!!!
I want to order one as well, but i dont have a creedit card. Is there a way to buy it thru Paypal?? I REALLY want one. Oh, I am in Canada too.
Lynn is seriously good people
And since I read above and realize Lynn is reading — heya from CANTER Mid-Atlantic
We <3 you and I mentioned your book on my blog the other day too, even though it gets about 1/34895304875th the readership this one does 
Keep up the great work!
And as an aside… how the heck did you find the time to write it? It’s going on my christmas list, but seriously, I don’t even deal with the hard stuff and can’t imagine how you found the time!
Don’t forget Joe – TB friends book that will benefit all those TB’s in northern California. Book to come out in March. I purchased two of the Lynn books today from Amazon. Buy two and you get free shppipping.
Speaking of Texas, here is an excellent news video.
http://www.khou.com/home/Horse-neglect-cases-spike-78268742.html
I just bought 2 copies of this book. 1 for myself and 1 as a gift for a friend – a woman who didn’t start learning to ride until she was older, bc it was something she could do with her daughter who has a slight developmental handicap and can’t do many other sports. They now own an OTTB and while he’s a wonderful horse, they’ve had their trials and tribulations with him (he’s gone blind in one eye, etc).
I want this book!! I adopted an OTTB in April and he is the greatest thing ever! He is loving his new career as a Dressage horse. ‘Piney’ is quick to learn and eager to please. I love him so much. Best free horse ever!! I’m a “cheerleader” for the adoption of these fantastic animals. After the passing of my quarter horse I was looking at buying another qh until my instructor told me about a friend of hers that takes unwanted OTTBs from the racetrack in Minneapolis and detracks them before finding them homes. I went out and took a look and fell in love with a 9 year old, 16hh chesnut gelding who had the sweetest kindest eyes and wouldn’t leave me alone. It’s been the greatest 9 months with him ever. He hadn’t been ridden in 2 years before I got him and you’d never guess after our first ride. I could have sworn he was an old lesson horse. He’s perfect!
Ordered!
Can’t wait to read it. Thanks for posting. I hope she reaches her goal.
Ok,I bought it. FUGS,you talked me into it..
BTW One can work for the humane treatment of animals and NOT be a vegitaran–Odd from some points of view,but still true.
I don’t have any problem with that. I’ve never preached to the world that EVERYBODY should be a vegetarian. I’ve merely noted that no one NEEDS to eat meat, and it’s a choice to do so, and that I personally choose not to.
I don’t see anything strange about that. People are omnivores and if you’re going to be vegetarian you have to pay attention to your diet to make sure you get enough iron and protein.
The whole world is not going to stop eating meat, but that doesn’t mean we should not strive to treat animals as humanely as possible. I am more than willing to pay more for cage-free eggs, etc.
The problem I have with HORSE slaughter is multifold, but the biggest reason is because I don’t believe there is a current method of humane slaughter. They are too intelligent and too lithe, and therefore experience an inhumane level of mental and physical trauma in the slaughter process. In my opinion.
Horses are not any more intelligent than cows. no way!
BUT most horses have been handled and taught and led to believe that humans will treat them in a certain way, they trust us and we, in turn, owe them.
An unhandled horse, raised in a filed and taught nothing has no more expectations of humanity than a cow.
A pet “house cow” is as tractable and trusting as a horse.
What it comes down to , folks, is that the human race’s interaction with other species STINKS!!
Believe in Aliens?? Asking why they have never contacted us? Which alien life form, seeing the way we treat the life on our own planet, would be STUPID enough (especially if they tasted good) to approach us?
So, we need to clean up our act and make sure that ALL animals that are raised and slaughtered for meat are done so humanely and with dignity.
Then horse slaughter will cease to be an issue, as it will not matter if a horse should be sold to slaughter as it’s end will be as humane as it has a right to expect!
After that, whether it gets eaten or buried with honours is rhetorical.
And BTW, unless I actually take an egg from underneath a hen that I can see for myself is free range, there is NO way I would pay more for free range anything.
People LIE, all the time, without compunction.
They find ways round the rules and they cheat and lie so that they can screw a bit more money out of you!!
Sad but true.
I’m heading right over to order one.
Fug, I love your blog! I discovered it a month or so ago, and got completely caught up in it. I’m in the process of reading it from the beginning. I’m with you on loving the OTTBs. My very first horse job as a young teen was at a breeding farm in MD, and I’ve been in love with TBs ever since. Someday I hope to rescue one (ideally more than one, but we’ll see).
Thank you for all the laughs, tears, and links to some great rescues here on the east coast!
Nice, uplifting story.
But what’s with the little kid, no helmet, no stirrups and no sign of an adult holding the horse? Given the number of times that Fugly has ripped a new orifice on people who think it’s okay to have a little kid on a horse, why is this shot on the page without any criticism?
Oh, right…because Fugs is helping a friend, and her friends can do no wrong.
I’m happy to respond to that:
I believe that youth riders should always wear a helmet and boots – that is obviously the safest way to do things. However, as I have mentioned MANY times, it is going to be a cold day in Hell when the western riding world shares my concern for their childrens’ skulls. It is simply highly unlikely that helmets will replace the traditional cowboy hat. I would never use that picture as an example of fantastically safety-conscious parenting, but it is not being used in that context – it is being used to show a rescued horse in a happy home.
If I told you all that EVERY rescue that has ever adopted a horse to a home where children do not ride with helmets is therefore a bad rescue, that would disqualify EVERY rescue on earth. I cannot think of one that would be exempted. You have to use some common sense. If you look back, most of my criticisms of helmetless children are also in conjunction with those children being (a) on very green horses/horses that are stated not to be beginner horses/horses too damn young to ride anyway or (b) not just on the horse but UNDER the horse, HANGING off the horse, quadruple bareback and other very risky situations, etc.
Hey, I have another update
The book’s rank on Amazon is around 880 (amazing)! I talked with my publisher and they’re calling in for sales numbers. Looks like MANY books have sold in the last 24 hours, thanks to all of you. All of a sudden, 5000 seems like a reasonable amount to sell in 30 days!!
And in response to Horrorfied’s post above, we love CANTER Mid-Atlantic too!! For your question about finding time to write, it definitely was a challenge! I wrote till the wee hours of the morning, often starting after dinner and coming to bed around 3-4 am. I was a VERY sleepy author for several months, lol. It was fun to tell the horse stories though — it made the book seem like less work than it really was…..
I can’t thank all of you ENOUGH for supporting the book and the LOPE horses!! Thank you!!!
Lynn
LOPE Texas
http://www.lopetx.org
http://www.beyondthehomestretch.com
OT but I am not sure that this is horse training. I believe we call this “saddle bronc riding!”
http://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/grd/1494816451.html
Two nice looking, sound Thoroughbreds near Lexington, KY for sale to good home, possibly free! Wish I needed them! One gelding and one mare with papers!!!
http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/1494882609.html
http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/1494863565.html
I like the mare. I wish they would have said how tall she is. It’s rare to find OTTBs with Real necks.
Ok I bought a copy for my horse loving Mother in law for Christmas. I read the excerpts from the website about the different horses and I am excited to read it myself! Horses have so much personality when allow to be themselves. A friend of mine just told me about this shipper who was picking up a horse to ship across the country. It is very cold here, and the people who were shipping the little Arab off took her blanket off to send her across country. The poor Arab was so cold she was shivering, so the shipper took one of his personal blankets and made it to cover the Arab because he felt sorry for her. That is one nice conscientious shipper!
OK, you guys have convinced me NOT to wait for next year! I bought it for myself!
Have to buy holiday gifts for YOURSELF too RIGHT???
{one for me, one for you, two for me, one-two for you…}
Happy minion that I am, ordered book. Glad to do it.
I do wish the western people would get on it with helmets. I’ve heard so many arguments, but after I nearly ended up under a horse this week, I was reminded once more how important they are (Don’t worry. Nobody hurt…my velcro seat worked this time).
looks like a great book/story and helps horses too–what could be better? thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Looks like a great book, I’ll be ordering a copy for myself and another for a friend for xmas
here’s another minion who bought the book. I read the excerpt, can’t wait to read the rest and pass it on to my TB loving friends, and also to my boss who loves to bet and knows more about racehorse history than I do but otherwise, horsewise — meh.
OT – but I want to plug my favorite horse-related charity in the Chase Community Giving Campaign.
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/1039052?src=wallpost&ref=mf
Therapeutic Riding, Inc. is located in Ann Arbor, MI, a state where (as you can imagine) our fund-raising climate is particularly difficult. The program has eleven very loved, very well cared-for equine employees.
Any votes would be appreciated!
(The website: http://therapeuticridinginc.org/ )
whitewolfe001
Sorry that was supposed to be 32 not 23, I started training at 32. I get to typing to fast and I don’t proof read. Apologies to the mis understanding.
This book is beautiful and I can hardly wait to read it..
whitewolfe001-
Not true. Only 2% of the human diet needs to be protein, and you can get protein from vegetables. Where do you think horses get it? In fact, too much protein is bad- it can lead to ketoacidosis.
“Omnivore” is a vague term, and I’m not at all certain humans are true omnivores. Think about this: dogs, and cats, are omnivores as well. However, dogs are more on the “meat eating” side, with cats being more so. Bears would be a better example of a true omnivore.
How are humans classified as omnivores? Our teeth? Look at a bears teeth. “Humans have canines?” So do rabbits. And horses (wolf teeth). Our digestive tract? A true carnivore’s digestive tract is 3 times it’s body length. Our digestive tract is closer to a horse’s, being almost forty time our body length.
So… maybe humans evolved as “opportunistic omnivores,” when they found eggs, they ate them, and when they were able to kill an animal, they did, but I think we are basically herbivores who are opportunistic omnivores. “Eat your vegetables!”
queengwennypoo-
Why does this have to be about vegetarians vs omnivours? This book sounds brilliant and people can alleviate the ammount of animal suffering in this world without believing in vegetarianism.
And just because i’m a nerd
“Protein” is vague term; what we need are various ammino acids (from food, or we can also obtain these by fighting off bacterial or viral infection)
Cats are true carnivours- they cannot survive without meat and they can survive on a diet consisting purely of meat (as wild cats do)
Human teeth are unspecialised, which is what people mean when they say we have omnivours’ teeth (eg: halfway betweeen a sheep and a wolf). Human teeth are very similar to pigs’ teeth (minus the tusks!)
An oppurtunistic omnivour is still an omnivour (eg bears)
I support vegetariansim, but not bad science
Dogs are opportunistic, carnivorous, omnivores.
Cats are carnivorous.
Bears, as said, are true omnivores.
I put this on my list (and know I will find it under the tree!) I just bought another OTTB and can’t imagine life without them. My first OTTB taught me the importance of understanding that a horse will tell you what he can and cannot do and you had better listen! He’s retired now and couldn’t be happier doing nothing but rolling in the mud and napping all afternoon!
Buy the book, buy the book, buy the book. I bought it on Kindle and just finished reading it. This book is funny, it’s well written, and it’s inspiring.
I’m asking for this book under my tree this Christmas! Sounds real nice and genuine. Something that isn’t very common in the horse world these days.
O/T but someone from NY upgrade these poor guys!
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-912093.html?sr=1&ad_type=1&state_ids=1001®ion_ids=1001&breed_ids=500&disc_ids=20<id=0&x_sold=1
http://www.equine.com/horses-for-sale/horse-ad-929861.html?sr=1&ad_type=1&state_ids=1001®ion_ids=1001&breed_ids=500&disc_ids=20<id=0&x_sold=1
Not sure if you remember the craigslist ad about the Shire mare that was blind and free to a good home. Well I have a good update. She has a great home. Other large drafts to be around and acreage to graze. I sold a goat to the lady and she was telling me about a draft mare she rescued that was blind. I asked if it was the mare off Craigs list in Knoxville. It was. I thought you guys would be happy to know she has a good safe home!!
It doesn’t look like anyone answered the woman with the aggressive horse. I just went thru this — I am sorry to say I had to give my gelding back to the person I bought him from, because he was a danger to himself and others. After two months of trying, he was getting worse, and we could not safely manage him in our environment. The original owner is reselling and says he gives her no problem in her environment.
Some possible answers — the horse has an ulcer. I have heard this from a number of people.
He feels threatened about food. Therefore, anyone or anything he sees as a threat to his food is open for aggression.
He is detoxing from the drugs given at the track, and needs to flush them out of his system, but meanwhile, he’s like a mean drunk.
My suggestion to her, if she needs to keep this horse, is to treat for ulcers, keep him in a secure stall with turnout by himself, and feed in the stall so he feels secure and people don’t get in the way.
Wish I had read your post earlier, Etesianocho, about your food-aggressive TB. I can recommend a few things that have worked for me in a very similar situation. First, this is one of those few times that a “come to Jesus meeting” with your horse won’t work at all. You need to do 2 things: Change your horse’s behavior around food and therefore, over time, change his emotional reaction around food. If he is not being fed by himself, and has to compete with other horses, that is the first thing to change. If he does eat by himself, make sure he is busy eating BEFORE entering his pen. Toss him a flake of hay over the fence, THEN enter and deliver the rest. Wheeling in dinner to a starved horse is creating too much anticipation and stress (see the ulcer comment made prior to me). Doing this alone will eliminate him practicing the behavior of aggression. He needs to never practice the behavior again, ever, from here on out, so it does not become a successful habit!
Now, to actually change his manners, I clicker trained my horse using hay pellets. First you “load”the clicker noise. Then I taught him to always wait in a specific spot, away from the gate, for his meals (I fed outdoors, not in a stall). I laid down a few stall matts to mark the spot and also because he would be snuffling around for small bits if food during training and I didn’t want him to eat a lot of dirt. This turned out perfect because the food hitting the matt maes a noise that helped keep his attention on the food getting tossed his way instead of searching for the source of the food (me). By always throwing that 1st flake in the same spot, he knew to wait for me there. As I approached, if he stood in “his spot”, I clicked him and tossed the flake. If he weaved or pawed, I moved a few steps back, but the briefest second he stood calmly got him a click and a flake. From there I would give him the flake, and enter the paddock. Once his flake was just about done and he was starting to look for additional flakes I would make sure he was still in his spot, click him, and toss a few hay pellets, which he would scarf down. If he started to mob me for more food by walking my way, I would slip back out through the fence rails, and wait until he went back to his spot (which he knew to do, in anticipation of food), click him and toss in a few pellets to his spot, and slip back in the fence. Repeat ad nauseum.
Within a few days he realized that he could “make me” click him and feed him by standing in his spot. From there, I asked for slightly longer increments of waiting there before getting clicked and tossed pellets. After about two weeks I felt sure enough to carry flakes in the pen and repeat this sequence with flakes of hay being tossed. I can only toss hay (or pellets) about 10-15 feet, so that was the distance we started at. Over time I shortened the distance, and now I can walk in with food, knowing he will VERY predictably stand stock still waiting for grub. He now is in a field with another horse, with a new owner, doing just fine.
I know clickers can be seen as too woo-woo, but this was the one occasion that it really worked for me. A dangerous behavior was really and truly changed, and it has generalized to other caretakers, rather than him just fearing me enough to back off of the grub. The clicker helped isolate the EXACT behavior I was rewarding for him, rather than him guessing what was earning the pellets. It took a lot of time, but less time than trying to sell a green rescue horse with food aggression!! Good Luck, and check out clickersolutions.com if you don’t know much about clicker training.
I was with Lynn helping at her signing at Sam Houston Race Park on Saturday night. I was a great success! And it is a great book, Lynn does an amazing job.
More book signings: http://www.beyondthehomestretch.com/events/
I just read the book (had a snow day yesterday, hooray) and I loved it. It was wonderful. A lot of uplifting stories and it was also very humorous.
I just adopted my first OTTB last month. He was run through at Sugarcreek and sold to slaughter, while he was waiting for the next truck to Canada he was purchased for $450. I started a blog for him as well, http://retraininganottb.blogspot.com
I will definitely order this book, anything to support these animals.
I got this book and i’m on about the third chapter but ALREADY I am in love with the book, Lynne, and the horses<3
I have been following this blog for a while, but this is my first comment….I couldn’t resist. Having met Lynn, myself, and been to the LOPE facility, I completely agree with your observations. She and her organization are amazing. I have an off-the-track QH, though not from LOPE, who is now rehabilitated from his former racing life. I have a huge heart for former race horses and admire Lynn’s devotion to helping them. I am headed to Amazon.com right this second to buy the book for myself and some of my horse-loving friends as well!