Happy Dance!
Apr 09 2010
I just love it when I hear news like this. Last month, this absolutely pathetic, sad little wormy Arabian was posted on Craigslist for $50. The ad was picked up and featured by the Bad CL Horse Ads blog and it was also noticed by the folks at the Arabian Breeders’ Network board — one of whom went out and got poor Mr. $50 Arabian!
ABN member Megan posted:
“I just wanted everybody to know, I bought him. I saw the ad myself on craigslist and picked him a up a day later. He’s in really rough shape. He has hardly any muscle mass and absolutely no fat on him. His hips are sticking out, and his ribs are more than visible. He was so matted with mud and dirt that it took us 2 hours to try and brush half of it off. We also found a wire tangled in his tail. He is a sweetheart though. He just sat and let us take care of him for nearly 3 hours.”
Here’s what I like the very best about Megan. Megan is not a wimp. Megan is not just cleaning up the mess, she IS turning the guy in for neglect! WOOHOO Megan and thank you! Apparently there are a half-dozen other suffering horses who are going to greatly appreciate you had the guts not just to rescue, but to report. Rescue & Report, everybody, the two need to go together or all you are doing is cleaning up someone else’s mess without any consequences to them.
So here is the thread:
http://forums.arabianbreeders.net/topic/35267-arabian-needs-urgent-home/
And here is Comet, as they’ve named him, already looking much better just a few weeks into his rehab!
You know, one thing that the pro-slaughter naysayers like to ignore is how many good people are out there, ready and willing to rehab these horses. I get literally hundreds of stories with great before-and-after pictures from private individuals who saw a sad little guy like Comet and, instead of saying “oh what a shame” and walking away, decided to step up to the plate and just do it. I firmly believe there are many more good horse owners than bad ones. Like the regular news, we don’t hear about all the good people. I know you are out there, and that you are doing everything in your power to help horses. Keep up the good work — you are awesome and don’t you ever forget it.
I can’t wait to see Comet when he’s back to normal weight – I’ll definitely post again when he is!
35 comments to “Happy Dance!”
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Poor little guy. What a difference already.
We are looking forward to updates on this cute fella! So glad for him that someone cared and took the time and effort.
More info on the Arabian gelding looking for a good home, currently residing in Clatskanie, Oregon~
He is 14.3 ish, decent weight but needs muscle tone. He is 25 and seems happy and sassy. Feet looked good but was shedding and needed a good grooming. He has been in 4H before, ridden western and english.
There is also a Quarter Horse mare, 17 yr old chestnut that is very stocky with good sized feet, broke and rideable. hopecreekfarm@gmail.com to come see them or if ?’s
WOW… this horse is in my state, a client of mine spotted him and wanted to go get him. I am so glad that some one on ABN got him!!
There is a free horse in sheboygan that my client emailed me about, I did a follow up and we may have him.. but now the client doesn’t have time to go look at him… ughh..
on another note, there was a giraffe on the same CL on the same day for 650… I called a local zoo to let them know and sent an email so they could contact the .. individual…
I don’t think a zoo can go get a random giraffe. It’s the same reason they can’t get the roadside “zoo” big cats, they’re out of the studbook and they don’t have the genetic and health data to use them in their breeding programs.
“According to the USDA, the two slaughter plants in Texas killed 49,235 horses in 2003 for human consumption and about twenty thousand horses were transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Together, these numbers represent about 1% of the total number of horses in the U.S., and the entire industry is only .001% the size of the U.S. meat industry. It is entirely foreign owned, and pays no corporate taxes or export tariffs.
According to 2001 field studies conducted by Temple Grandin, 70% of all horses at the slaughter plant were in good, fat, or obese condition; 72% were considered to be “sound” of limb; 84% were of average age; and 96% had no behavioral issues.
The Hooved Animal Humane Society (HAHS) and the Illinois Department of Agriculture reported that following the burning of the only slaughter plant in the region, abuse cases quit rising and went down between 2002 and 2003. California banned horse slaughter in 1998, since that time horse theft has dropped 34% and cruelty reports have not increased (Dr. Carolyn Stull).” Link
“Approximately 920,000 horses die annually in this country (10 percent of an estimated population of 9.2 million) and the vast majority are not slaughtered, but euthanized and rendered or buried without any negative environmental impact. Just over 100,000 horses were slaughtered in the US 2008.
The average cost of having a horse humanely euthanized and safely disposing of the animal’s carcass is approximately $225, while the average monthly cost of keeping a horse is approximately $200.” Link
“Tom Pogacnik, director of the BLM’s $16-million-a-year Wild Horse and Burro Program, conceded that about 90% of the horses rounded up go to slaughter. John Hettinger, owner of Fasig Tipton (the second largest Thoroughbred Auction House), Chairman of the Grayson Jockey Club Foundation, member of the Board of Directors of The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and NY Racing Association Trustee states that between 7,000 to 9,000 Thoroughbred racehorses are slaughtered every year.
In a 2001 Animal Sciences Research Report by the The Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University titled “Characterizations of Horses at Auctions and in Slaughter Plants” slightly over 70% of the horses slaughter were in good, fat to obese condition, while 88% had poor to excellent hoof condition.” Link
“Defenders of horse slaughter have long pointed to USDA testing records which consistently showed no positive results for PBZ. The new study shows that the USDA testing could not have been accurate. Indeed, the study uncovered a pilot test performed by the USDA in 2004 and 2005 that used a different testing technique and found 8.3% of the meat to be contaminated with PBZ. The pilot program had been subsequently discontinued.
The study estimates that sixty seven million pounds of horse meat derived from US horses were sent overseas for human consumption in 2008. If 8.3% of this meat contained phenylbutazone residues, it would translate to over 5 million pounds of contaminated meat.” Link
“The United States Food and Drug Administration released a document in 2003 establishing that phenylbutazone (Butazolidin, or Bute) is not fit for horses intended for the food chain. According to the document, Bute is a carcinogen, as determined by the National Toxicology Program.
Data compiled by the Daily Racing Form indicates that in 2009 99% of horses that ran in California pre-raced on Bute (7391 out of 7443). In a similar study of Suffolk Downs runners, 92% of horses pre-raced on Bute (1062 out of 1158).” Link
Weekly export to Mexico numbers.
Canadian import numbers
Canadian export numbers.
And Horse Protection Act suspension lists are going to be online.
That was longer than I thought. Sorry
.
Numbers speak louder than words, though.
So glad he went to someone with his best interests at heart!
OT, but I saw this on my local classifieds, and just… wow.
horse breaking!!!!!!!!
i will break any hores from a minature to a poney I am 12 years old so i could break it to be a cow horse,kids horse or any other thing you want the wilder the beter!!
http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/c-pets-livestock-for-sale-horse-breaking-W0QQAdIdZ197091941
Maybe she can hook up with this moron and they can start a business:
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/grd/1680793861.html
The title of the ad you ask? “Exp Horse exerciser for hire”
“hello, my names brianne im 20 yrs old ive been riding horses since i was about 8. i have countless experience working with all types of horses ….” It really goes downhill from there and the pictures speak a thousand words, especially the backside shot of her bending down to kiss a horse on the nose (loose in the pasture of course) with about 50 pounds of not skinny popping out her skinny jeans. At least the photo is cut off so you don’t see the 6 inches of butt crack you know is hanging out. Yea, come out and train my horse, you look and sound real professional (insert BIG eyeroll >here<).
If I had more time, I really would do a blog called What Not To Wear – Horseback Edition. I mean, how much material would we have for that? Shirtless guys, girls with thongs hanging out, bikini tops, breeches so tight you can see every anatomical detail, light breeches with loud colored patterned undies – the horse world is full of fashion faux pas.
One actually exists, Fugs, it just hasn’t been updated in ages. I found it through tackytackoftheday.blogspot.com .
-Gryph
http://whatnottowearequestrians.blogspot.com <- last updated in October
Don’t forget the low-rise breeches that they keep trying to push…sorry, seeing someone’s guts hanging out is not an image I’d like to groom for myself. Even at 90 lbs soaking wet, I think it looks like hell. The breeches either say “I’m going through a life crisis and can’t face what my body really looks like, so I’m hoping someone else will be deluded by what I’m wearing” or “I’m for hire, and not to ride four-legged animals, either.” It’s bad enough seeing people wear this shit on the street every day, but the breeches were what made me start pitching my catalogs in the wastepaper basket. I got out of western riding because of the shirts that looked like Michael Jackson had a wardrobe malfunction before Janet did, and I sure do hope those breeches don’t start showing up in the show rings. But I bet they will, probably under longer coats. Yaaaaaccck.
Well, now … I have the kind of body type — hourglass — that looks LESS ”decent” in full-rise pants and breeches than in mid- or ”low” rise … so ”alternative fit” for some people, such as myself, has nothing to do with sexual availability or advertisement.
It just means that they’re more comfortable pants. Unless, of course, they slide down when I try to jump a jump or go into galloping position — then they’re too low, but that’s the manufacturer’s fault for not making clothes that are actually practical to ride in.
You’d never catch me wearing, much less RIDING in, a thong though. There is no point to those garments, not to mention they aren’t comfortable.
And bikini tops are just for doing chores on very hot days out in the ”wilderness”, where no one else can see.
For one thing, I hate having men, especially random rednecky wannabe-cowboy types, harass me when I’m just going about my business working and trying to stay comfortable in the heat.
For another, it’s a more practical matter too — ever fall off a horse onto arena sand while riding sleeveless and got burns on your arms? If you’re riding in a bikini top, it’s that. all over your WHOLE BODY.
Long time reader first time poster! My friend and I actually tried to git this poor baby! A friend of a friend has him now. So glad he got out of that situation… The guy sure liked to change his story when both my friend and I called in regards to him… @ss hat. Grr!
Made my WHOLE week.
awh, things like this make me sad. Arabs are one of my favourite breeds and it really gets me down to see one in such horrific shape. so glad he has someone to care for him! kudos to you, Megan, and may karma bless you in the future for this kind act.
This is interesting. Might be something worth looking into.
http://www.wndu.com/home/headlines/90040637.html?storySection=comments#commentSection
This is a news story that was posted about a horses that was stolen and just recovered at the shipsy auction in Indiana. Looks like there is more to the story than what most of us know.
I’ve known about this for almost two year now, they (both parties) were posting ads on CL about the other person for a while. It got pretty nasty. Maybe you (Cathy) can get to the bottom of it? Just a thought!
I’m glad she’s turning in the guy for neglect, and I hope he gets the book thrown at him, if not a couple of books. This pisses me off even more because this was an Arab and they are one of my favorite breeds. And considering he stood there for 3 hours and let the girl groom him, shows how patient they can be. The horses I work with would be fed up and try and go on to something more intertaining to them………. We really should come up with a liscencing program to keep idiots like this from owning anything short of a pet rock………….
Congratulations Megan! That horse in the 2nd picture looks like a completely different horse! It`s amazing what just a few weeks of some good feed and a good brushing can do
. Keep up the good work, I wish you luck with the rest of your rehabbing.
What’s the Chinese saying about a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step? The rescue of the many “unwanted horses” begins with a single person stepping up to the plate, as Megan did. When I got my guy, I had no idea I was “rescuing a rescue” from off the track. Owning an OTTB was my dream but I had always been told “you had to ‘know’ someone” to get one of these horses, like it was some kind of special “club” and if you didn’t know the secret handshake, you were SOL.
Good job Megan, and yes, Fugs, please post pictures of Comet later. I bet this little guy is going to be a cutie when he’s fit.
I think the only person you have to ‘know’ is the one who can give you directions to the local auction.
Many of them will try to get money for the horse that way…if not, they’ll just dump them. I had someone who had horses at a track offer me a horse, an OTTB who became a pony horse who became just plain lame from too much heavy use…she said she’d take an offer for him…then got all offended when I found someone who wanted to give him a home for $500. This was back in the day (in the 90s) when the slaughter plant was still open; she flat out said she’d take him there before she’d accept $500. This is the sort of games they play. I guess that’s what she did, because my party wouldn’t pay more than that…the horse was thin and unsound at the time and he wasn’t going to pay more to a shyster for a horse that was going to need some considerable work, downtime and vet care.
Yeah, well, let’s hope the Wisconsin authorities follow up on it like they should and apply the proper degree of heat under this owner’s ass. I have seen too many horses here in Illinois get reported and not get confiscated. It’s all well and fine to report something and keep on reporting it, but if no one does anything with the reports, or they do the bullshit of “coaching” the jerk owner on proper horse care, it hardly helps. I’ve spent way too much time and tears trying to report someone who got nothing done to them other than these bullshit coaching sessions for the horses they were neglecting for YEARS. This bullshit of “coaching” is what really gets me, especially when it is done over and over…like the asshole who owns the horses can’t see that they have a walking corpse in their pasture? Guess what, if they have to be coached more than once about not having food on their property for their horses, THEY AREN’T GOING TO HAVE IT. Our laws are waaaay too lax about this. Owner education does not work for someone who doesn’t give a rat’s ass.
I don’t have a big problem with the coaching thing – because it can be used as evidence of neglect. The perp was educated in horse care, but didn’t take any of the advice – he’s neglecting his animals.
We have rules of law. We can’t convict these people without evidence. We don’t need as much evidence to seize the animals, but we still need some. (And it varies from state to state.) The difficulty of getting evidence that will stand up in court is one reason it takes so long.
Of course, there are other reasons. Laziness and ignorance stand high, but there’s also staffing… did I mention that my 400 sq mi county has 5 ACOs? Yeah, that’s efficient!
Ruthie
Go Megan! The poor guy already looks so much better. And hooray for turning in the starver!
OMG, look he has socks!
Wooooo hoooooo! Thank you for the update and thank you to the folx who got Comet out of the horrible situation.
It’s great that the poor horse got someone to love him.
There’s a humanitarian argument against slaughter, but there’s also a practical one. Look at picture 1. Are they really suggesting that this is a food animal? That’s kind of stomach-turning. And the other option? Do they really think that a database or paper records is going to keep up with the medicines that are given to horses that aren’t registered? Do they think that Americans will accept a livestock licensing system without a knock-down, drag-out fight?
I’ve been reading the Fugly blog for a while, and when I found this article in the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader, I thought of this immediately. It’s interesting to read, because here in Kentucky, the heart of the horse industry, we don’t hear anything about equine slaughter.
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/04/09/1216604/horse-owners-story-is-cautionary.html
Oh, come on…does this woman have her head in the sand or what??? The horse industry isn’t a Disney princess cartoon, people!
Do they maybe not talk about it down there because it’s the industry’s dirty little secret, or because it is the worst kept secret, or the elephant in the room? Or do they have more sand there than the Dunes? I guess it *could* really drive prices down if people get the idea in their heads that a lot of horses are not worth the thousands/millions that they pay for them. I don’t recall seeing a lot of sand in Lexington but I could be wrong, maybe I wasn’t looking in the right places.
I guess they just don’t talk about it. I’m originally from the land of horsepower, not horse power (Detroit), and I didn’t even know horses COULD be slaughtered for meat. Sure, I’d heard about horses being in dog food, but I thought that was a bad, dated joke, especially since pet foods have improved labeling to list what kind of meats they contain. But now, living where I do, I still haven’t heard much about slaughter.
I remember that poor little thing! BIG BUMP FOR MEGAN (oh crap, this isn’t FOB is it?) Just kidding. Good job Megan, I hope he turns into a wonderful horse for you or someone like you. And another big good job for turning that pickle weasel in.
Yay! He looks half goat, half pig in the ad picture, now he merely looks like a llama. Next step, equine! I’m looking forward to seeing how he turns out. Good work on the rescue & report.
Awe! I bet he turns into a cute little packer pony. He just has that some what sassy but sweet face, the kind that you can put your older kid on that thinks they know how to ride….You know the one that been on the dead broke ho-hum pony and is getting snotty at the shows. This guy here will offer that kid a challenge without being a dangerous wild ass bucking bronco and bring that kid down a few notches.
Glad he has been saved and the lady spoke up, cause DAMN! I couldnt tell he had socks
I’m so glad he’s been rescued, and what a HUGE improvement already. Way to go, Megan!
Rehabing abused horses is not cheap but it is totally soul fullfilling. Comet is already looking so much more beautiful, well done to Megan for rescueing Comet and hope that many happy stories can be posted about Comet for many years to come.