Posts Tagged ‘responsible ownership’
Guest Post: Buying vs. Rescuing
This guest post is by a regular reader; you may know her from the comments section as “Charm”.
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The Rescue Fetish
I recently traded for a new horse. Believe me, I really tried to turn Sugar into a forever horse; she just wasn’t the one for me. She needed someone younger, who didn’t mind the dancing, prancing, and sometimes manic behavior of an 11 year old mare who consistently wanted to GOOOOO…
Yes, I traded her away. In her place is a much quieter, more laid back little mare who is already squirming her way into my heart. Sugar’s new owner seems very happy so far, I’m happy, and the other people involved are happy. Of course there are a few grumbles, elsewhere—just a few little whispers on the wind—why didn’t I rescue instead of buying? Why didn’t I SAVE A HORSE?
Oh believe me, I considered rescue. I’ve actually rescued horses before. I thought about getting something from Camelot, or one of the hundred other venues that are popping up like Orville Redenbacher in a high powered microwave. So I looked online, and I looked at what was out there. The pressure to rescue instead of purchasing is huge; shopping for a horse is like trying to watch a PBS special during their fund raising period; I try to enjoy the show, but all around are voices demanding that I donate. So I looked at the rescue posts. I looked at the brokered horses. Unfortunately, I discovered that I was far too picky. My list of demands is just too…well… demanding.
- I would like a sound horse. Yes, I know it; it’s really unreasonable for me to want a horse I can ride. And because I want the horse to be sound longer than a week or a month, I’m also demanding a horse without a structural defect that is going to turn into lameness soon.
- I would like to try out the horse first. I get it—the truck is coming! Someone is going to buy her first! I can’t go to the feedlot or babies in Africa will starve to death! That doesn’t change the fact that I want to try the horse out. Otherwise it’s like buying clothing at Walmart without trying it on first—it might fit nicely, or it might not. At least at Walmart my purchase is $3 on the clearance rack, instead of hundreds. Besides, I can return items at Walmart.
- Papers that are up to date would be nice. I don’t need to breed or show, nor do I get a kick out of waving my papers in random strangers’ faces screaming, “Look! Her great granddaddy is Northern Dancer!” However, I do like knowing where my horse came from, who handled her, and whether she has ever actually been ridden outside of a barn aisle in an auction lot. Unfortunately, in this modern day world of genetic diseases, I won’t even look at a stock horse anymore without a set of papers; HYPP is too heartbreaking.
- I want to pay what the horse is worth. I just read a Facebook post that was trying desperately to find this lovely nice Tennessee Walking Horse mare a nice new home. She deserved it! She was in terrible danger! She was going to slaughter! She was ON THE FEED LOT! And for the low low reasonable price of $600 plus Coggins plus shots plus quarantine plus shipping she could be mine.
~insert announcer’s voice~ “Now taking all major credit cards and wire transfers and first born sons”
Folks, that is not rescue. You are buying a horse off of a feed lot from a seller who is checking to see if he can make a lot more money by selling his horses to private buyers like us. We want to save them all, and instead we have created a fake industry in which horses at certain auctions are sold for a higher price, just so a dealer can spin the ‘rescue’ angle and make a few hundred dollars. Think about it; they have companies that will ship anywhere in the U.S., they have people who will quarantine your horse for you (for a price of course), and they can pull blood for a little bit of nothing, almost any day of the week. It’s an entire industry, in existence because we are desperate as an equine society to ‘save them all’.
Some of these organizations are truly legitimate. Some of them truly care about the horses. That isn’t my point. My point is actually this: Why buy a horse like that when you can take your money and go to a quality breeding or training farm and purchase a horse that has been well treated, well trained, and well kept? Imagine what kind of world we would have if we personally visited the farm of the horse we wished to purchase? You go there, and you see happy, healthy horses, owners and trainers and breeders who know how to care for horses, and a facility that is clearly safe and healthy. THIS is where you should spend your money. There may not be that horrid tug on your heartstrings—you know, the one you get when your prospective purchase is standing knee deep in muck, with dingle berries hanging from his belly and hips, nibbling old straw—but this way your money is going to someone who will spend it wisely.
There are great rescues out there, places that carefully vet, feed, and retrain their horses and then offer such horses for a reasonable adoption fee to the RIGHT new owner. Such places take their time to make sure the horse matches the new owner. There is no pressure on the buyer/adopter, and like the better farms in the world, the owners of these facilities are trying to create a long term home for the horse. So tell me, where have you been that deserves a shout out? What farm has well cared for horses? Which people in our industry deserve to get that money you were going to spend bailing out some unknown skinny mistreated wreck? Wouldn’t it be lovely if we changed society so that you received maximum credit for purchasing your horses from a quality caring organization, instead of getting credit for buying a horse sight-unseen from the other side of the country so you could save it?
Observations of the Dead Horse Guy – a MUST read!
I sort of want people to read this even more than I want them to read my blog! Read this, read this, read this if you don’t want to meet the Dead Horse Guy!
Observations of the Dead Horse Guy
Spot on and GREAT advice, especially for those of you who know you are beginners and not yet experts in horse health!
“One parting piece of advice: if you are lounging your young horse while riding a 4-wheeler, stay very alert! She might get scared and jump in front of you. If you don’t stop fast enough you might hit her front leg and break it. Yes, sadly, this really happened.”
Jesus H. Christ. JUST DON’T DO STUPID ASS SHIT LIKE THAT, people! Are you that fucking lazy? Oh wait, you are. I know you are. Try standing on your damn feet while you longe, it’s also a good way to avoid getting kicked in your stupid head.
“If by writing this I help one young filly to become an old grey mare, it was worth my time. ”
David, I am sure you did. Bless you for writing it!
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Best of FHOTD: The Real Reason Your Horse Doesn’t Load
Reposting this one because it’s definitely hauling season out there, and I know that every year, some of you are hauling for the first time! So, hopefully, this will help you have many safe and enjoyable trips with your horses.
This picture was taken in (Sorry, Southerners) Jonesboro, Arkansas. As the alert reader who snapped it observed “Every time a car would go by, he would shy to the right as far as he could go and stare the car down. And let’s not even mention that he had NO protection from the wind as we were going down the road at 60 miles per hour.”
This is the perfect picture to illustrate today’s topic, which came up in the comments yesterday: Horses who won’t load. Just like horses who refuse jumps, horses who won’t take a certain lead, and horses who won’t stop, the fault usually lies squarely with…the human involved.
First of all, as one reader observed, check your driving. I see people out there hauling horses like they are in the Indianapolis 500. Changing lanes, turning too fast, stopping and starting too fast. The horse is not stupid. If trailering is a bad experience for him, he will start refusing to go in. If you’ve never ridden in the back of a trailer yourself, I highly recommend it. You have no idea how hard it is to keep your feet. It will give you a new appreciation for how important it is to stop, start and corner slowly. Stop worrying about the people behind you and whether or not they are pissed off. Worry about your horse! I’ve discovered that a good rule of thumb for turns that are marked with a recommended speed is to go 10 mph slower with a truck/trailer. Yes, that means you really should only go 15 on that freeway ramp. It’s also important to remember that you have to slow way down in any kind of inclement weather. Drive courteously, carefully and slowly and you will usually find that you don’t have a lot of trailer loading issues with your horses.
Another related note: A 6’6 trailer is a cow trailer. It is not a horse trailer. Horses will bang their heads in a 6’6 and it will make them hard to load. Unless you have ponies, you really do need the 7′ height.
Now let’s talk about trailer loading technique. It isn’t brain surgery. You want the trailer to be a safe, pleasant haven where there is food and nobody bothers you. Outside the trailer is an annoying place where if you don’t move forward, someone whacks on your butt and/or growls at you. Easy choice, right? I am a fan of the old fashioned butt rope for a resistant horse (two people have a longe line, and you seesaw it back and forth on the horse’s butt, preferably under the tail to create unpleasant friction. Most horses will move away from that in a hurry) and I also have no problem with the use of whips, brooms, whatever’s handy as additional encouragement. This doesn’t mean you beat the HELL out of the animal – don’t misquote me – but waving something like a broom behind them often gets their butt into the trailer in a hurry.
Sometimes trailer loading is as simple as putting the horse’s best buddy, who loads well, in the trailer first. Don’t try to load the bad loader first – that never works. Oh, and obviously it’s not smart to put a horse in next to a horse who kicks his ass in the field. If you have an undivided stock trailer, the mean horse goes in LAST, with a muzzle on.
If you are leading the horse into the trailer, you have to get out of the horse’s way. If you’re standing there facing the horse, of course he isn’t going to jump in. He thinks he is going to land on you. You need to be off to the side, out of his way. Leading him in shoulder to shoulder is best but if he’s sitting there thinking about it, make sure you are far enough into the trailer and off to the side so that you’re not creating an obstacle.
You cannot pull a horse into a trailer. Your rope should be soft, or you can lightly tug and release. The pressure has to come from behind the horse. If you pull steadily – he’ll pull back. 100% of the time.
You have to keep a horse straight so he can load. This may mean people on both sides to do that. Horses will typically try to wiggle left or right so that they are no longer pointed at the trailer. You have to re-center them first before you try again. They aren’t going to jump in sideways. 
This one is from the East Coast! The reader observes they still have the stickers from New Holland on their butts. “unfortunately, as my husband and i were later informed by LAPS (large animal protection society), the only law regarding transport of live cargo is that it not be a double-decker. probably wouldn’t have made me so angry except that they ran several red lights and one of the ponies fell down on a particularly sharp (fast) curve. they were also going ABOVE the speed limit most of the time . so wonderful for the ponies to be getting a “whiff” of that fresh air 
bahhhh.”
Great. Yeah, those ponies are going to load awesome, next time!
I’m adding to the old blog at this point: Always remember, when hauling, that OTHER PEOPLE DRIVE LIKE IDIOTS. You must ALWAYS play them for the WORST POSSIBLE DRIVING CHOICE. You will rarely be wrong! They are going to swerve into and fill up your beautiful lane of open space in front of you…coming down a hill…toward a red light. If you ALWAYS play other people for the worst driving choice, you will be much, much safer and so will your horses. I also want to add: MAINTAIN YOUR EQUIPMENT. No one wants to be the person who has a horse fall through the trailer floor. Floors should be checked out every year, and lights/turn signals every use. Make sure your trailer brakes actually work. Do your oil changes and regular maintenance on your hauling truck. Check your tire pressure every use. All of this is way more enjoyable than having a breakdown on the road with horses in the trailer. All of that said…happy hauling and feel free to ask questions if you’re new to it!
Best of FHOTD: Horsesitters, who can you trust?
Summer vacation season is fast-approaching, so I thought it was a perfect time for a repost of this blog about how to find a quality horsesitter and be able to vacation without worries!
I read a story once – it might even have been a reader of this blog’s comment – where a young lady found the man of her dreams and headed off on a European honeymoon with him. She entrusted her much-loved cat to her best friend, who promised to come by and care for him. Confident that kitty would be loved and provided for, she got married and headed off for a wonderful two weeks.
She came home to…a dying cat.
Yes, Best Friend had completely failed to do as she had agreed and stop by to care for the cat. Without even water, he was too far gone and could not be saved. The newly-married girl, who should have been enjoying one of the happiest times of her life, was plunged into deep depression and guilt over the entire incident. It brings up a great question – really, who CAN you trust to care for your pets? With so many of us heading out for holiday trips, it’s a timely topic. Here are my thoughts on ensuring a similar train wreck never happens to you.
1. Backup. Even the most responsible person may have a crisis of their own. Ensure that whoever is watching your pets has several numbers to call of people who can come by in a pinch and provide care. Discuss whatever system will work for ensuring those people have the access they need – keys, gate codes, etc. If you are using someone you have not used before, having someone else make some visits to ensure all is well is a great idea.
2. Site-Check Yourself! Look at your property like you are a rescuer inspecting it to see if it is a safe place for an animal to live. Check for places in the fence where an animal could escape or get injured, loose nails, loose wire and other hazards. The last thing you want to have happen is an escape or a horse get hung up in fence when someone is only stopping by twice a day to feed.
3. Plan and Prepare. Have plenty of everything – hay, grain, etc. And label things! One friend came home to find that her non-horsey hubby had fed the horses straw the whole time she was gone. It is always best to have a real horseperson care for the horses for just this sort of reason, but if you are trusting a non-horsey family member, make it easy for them with clear signs, labels, and measuring cups/scoops.
4. Plan and Prepare for ANYTHING. What happens if the power goes out? Do you have a generator? Does the sitter know how to use it – for sure? Any chance the pipes will freeze and getting water will be a problem? What then? We ALL know how often Murphy’s Law applies around animals…odds are if you’re ready for anything, it won’t happen, but if you’re not, you can bet on it taking place.
5. Hire like a H.R. Director! Actually check references, and ideally use someone that someone you know has used before. Look them up in your local court’s web site, if they have a search feature. This is not an invasion of privacy. I don’t care if someone does that to me because I know there’s no animal cruelty case with my name on it.
6. Consider commercial boarding for your dogs and cats. Commercial boarding is not always bad. I would particularly recommend Petsmart, which offers 24/7 supervision at their Petshotels. Commercial boarding is a great choice for (a) animals that pose a high risk of escape – door dashers, etc. (b) animals that LOVE to socialize, like the dog who loves to play with other dogs and is lonely alone. (c) animals that are destructive – the chewers, the stress-pee’ers, the diggers. Stick with in-home, if possible, for kitties unless they’re social and outgoing, and small dogs that are always cold and are very upset by change. Check out the facility that you use and find out how often the animals get out of their cages, what the standards are for cleanliness, and what the standards are for disease control. Don’t use a place that lets anyone in the door without all vaccinations, or a place that does not have a quarantine area that is totally separate for an animal that comes down with kennel cough or an upper respiratory.
7. Inform! You know that Levi and Buffy will kick the living shit out of each other if turned out in the same field, that FluffyPony doesn’t straight tie, that Shadow can’t go anywhere near the goats or he’ll have heart failure and snort all day, and that Champ has been known to kick if you try to clean the stall with him in it. Your pet sitter has no way of knowing information like this unless you tell her. Barn stuff too – the hot water won’t come on unless you switch the valve 5 feet higher up the wall on, etc. Sit down when it’s quiet and write down everything you can think of.
8. Be accessible. Most likely you are not going to some remote corner of the world where there is no way to contact you. Make sure everybody has your cell phone and your cell phone is always on, loud enough to hear at parties. Give some backup contacts like good horsey friends who have the authority to make decisions about whether or not to call the vet in your absence. And make sure everybody knows which vet you prefer. This information should always be posted in the barn. Vets enjoy the holidays, too, so list at least 3 choices in case some of your vets are out of town.
9. Don’t leave your petsitter a problem. If an animal needs to go to the vet, get them in there early this week before you take off. Don’t think that maybe it will be okay ’til you get back – that almost always goes bad!
10. If you have pets that are elderly or in some way in a chronic precarious health condition (including pregnancy!), pay the money and get someone who actually stays at your house and is there almost all of the time. Someone dropping by twice a day to feed and water is just too risky – what if something goes wrong and the animal suffers for 8 hours, or worse yet, your pet sitter arrives to find a dying pet? Just among my circle of friends this holiday season, I’ve seen a mare – that was ultrasounded without this being discovered – turn out to be carrying twins and abort them and prolapse her uterus. If they had not been home, she would have died. Can you imagine coming home to that scene? Just pay the money – you won’t regret it.
What experiences can you share about petsitters that worked out or didn’t? Who was great? Who was a nightmare? How do you make sure your animals are safe and cared for without totally giving up any ability on your part to travel and have a life?
The cost of owning a horse: Calculate if you dare!
I have said repeatedly on this blog that someone should make a calculator and put it on the web to help people figure out what owning 8 or 12 or 15 horses is actually going to cost them, since so many people seem to conveniently ignore this fact until 38 head are starving in their backyard. Horsechannel.com did it:
Very interesting to look at. My horses in California cost a little over $5,000 a year to maintain (I estimated $300 miscellaneous vet annually). My rescue horses in Washington, less than half that, due to the much lower cost of everything from hoof trimming to board.
Give it a try and post if you dare your actual annual cost of keeping horses! (I promise, I won’t share this information with your husband, ha ha!) Mine is over $20,000 which doesn’t really surprise me. It seems like it’s more but I didn’t factor in purchase costs for rescue horses, so that’s a chunk, nor did I factor in horse transportation, which I end up paying for a lot of. I chose to totally ignore the 2010 show season costs, because, honestly, when I think about that bill, I see a nice, shiny BMW convertible flying away from me on Pegasus wings, and it’s just tooooo depressing…(wanders off grumbling about big yellow accident-prone money vacuum…)
East Coasters, check out cutie pie War Action at Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue! He is the size I like…the size I can get on without pulling a muscle
