Eyebug: WSCA Tandem Bareback Class

At the state fair last weekend, I got to watch a WSCA show. And thusly, I was introduced to a class I had never heard of: Tandem Bareback. Now, I've heard of riding double. I know what a tandem bicycle is. The concept does not bother me. Sounds like a good test of seat and temperment of horse.

Two skinny kids ride a horse around the ring, W-T-C-B-H, and then line up and get ribbons. Silly costumes are worn, and sensible tack (no tie downs, obviously!)

Now, I'm not going to lie, it's a stupid class (these kids aren't that good at it). Like Arabian costume class, it's not exactly something you do all that seriously. It's fun to go ride with a friend, and I'm certain all of the contenders were there for other classes.

So you'd think it would at least look fun, but it doesn't. It looks downright creepy. The kids sit butt cheek-to-crotch, knee-to-knee, toe-to-heel close. The kid in back keeps their nose almost touching the head of the rider in front of them, smiling at the back of their friend's hair/helmet. They move their arms in some sort of impotent mimic of the front rider. It's creepy! Even the woman behind me thought it looked unsettling.

As it's a western pleasure derivative, the winners were the pair with the slowest 4-beating horse, who was so long backed it looked like he could have fit another 3 or so kids. None of the horses moved very quickly- it was slow enough to realize just how unsettling it looked.

I don't blame the contenders. If you're already there, have a matching outfit and a friend who's willing to get a little intimate in the show ring, then it seems like a fun way to get another ribbon.

Still, it's like riding with a Realdoll or something.

Da da Ding-ding ding-ding ding-ding ding...

Okay, so I know minis can pull 3-5x their weight.

So these guys are 34" high. Googling ohter 34" horses, they weigh about 150. 300 lbs together, can pull 900 to 1500 lbs.

My estimate-

Red shirt tubby: 300 lbs
Cowboy hat guy: 200 lbs
2 girls back left: 100 together
Darker girl behind RST: 75
The three remaining children: 150
Cart:200
And how many children hanging off the other side? We are still under the limit...

So I was wondering: What's your favorite thing to do with your horse? Do you just love ground-driving? Running barrels? Snoozing in the sun together? Something the both of you like.

My Dante loves to jump. I encouraged it from the beginning with him, super-praising him for doing so. So if he's ever in a bad mood, I can pop him over a little jump (on him or not) and then get him back on whatever task we're doing. I love watching him get all proud, even if it's a weenie jump. My lil champion.

My favorite thing to do is a full groom. My horse is always the shiniest. His mane is always combed, his tail is brushed. His socks are pretty clean, etc. I do a nice groom before every ride, rinse off after if he's sweaty and it's warm enough, and he's probably Mr. Popular with no flies nearby.

At first he was not a fan of the attention, except for brushing his tail. Now the routine's pretty simple and he stands like a champ. And he likes it more, takes a nap.

Our favorite together thing is to chase something. Usually the trainer's husky, sometimes a chicken, once an actual cow. He knows what to do and I just hold on.



So what's your fun thing?

Teaching Tuesday

You think I'm going to teach you something? Ha!

This isn't Horse Noob because I'm some sort of pro!
However, the difference between a Noob and an idiot is that the Noob is trying, learning, and improving.

And the most important part of that difference is that a Noob is able to realize a deficiency, seek out information, and use some SENSE to learn what is right (credibility of information source, age of information, whether or not it sounds dumb).

Execution of course, is another matter, and what separates a Noob from an advanced rider.

For instance, to jump a fence: Canter up, counting strides, adjust your stride length if needed, head up, eyes forward, assume the position at the fence, close hip angle while releasing the head, open hip angle and follow the back and head coming down, eyes up, continue on. Sounds so fluid and nice.

Can I do that? No. I can trot up to a teeny fence, assuming a two-point too soon, with a basic mane release, and keep my butt out of the saddle with springy knees, and then after the jump I lower back down. I haven't even done that in a while until I get my health insurance back. :) I may not be pretty, but my horse gets very chipper when a weenie jump's involved, and has shown no hesitation about the matter. I'm not yanking on his mouth, slamming on his back, and if I'm not as balanced as I should be (I feel pretty balanced unless he decides to make the jump much larger than the object, which he sometimes does) I'm at least keeping the jumps very small until I develop that balance. So while possibly being a little annoying to him I don't think I'm making him upset or otherwise stressing him.


One time my horse tried to get a cookie for himself while roaming the indoor arena. Between two picnic tables. The cookies were in a container between them. I went to calmly get him (I didn't want to chase him out in case he got a leg caught on the bench). He knew he was being bad, so he went to turn around (I'm like good God no!), and instead of letting me get him, he reared up, hopped over the picnic table, loped a half circle and put his nosie on my shoulder like "ain't no thang."

Yes, my unfit, overweight, swaybacked, 15HH foundation-ey QH can pop over a full-sized picnic table from a standstill. And this was before the chiropractor, without a warmup, in the middle of winter. (a minnesota winter)

It was beautiful. My brain was screaming "vetbillvetbillvetbillvetbillvetbill...OMGhesdeadisnthe?" the entire time, and then when he put the nosie on said shoulder, part of me wished I could make him do that again without it being incredibly stupid and foolish.

He was now however, not allowed to kick at a barrel lying on the ground and look at me like "too high!" F-no table jumper.


Anyways Teaching Tuesday is just where I share a source. I have a few on the side (I'll show the cavalettis I recently made soon, and I LOVE the sustainable dressage link)

Today in learning about topline development, I discovered a blog entitled Dressage in Jeans, and they have a decent article about long and low that relates to all disciplines

http://dressageinjeans.blogspot.com/2009/02/get-low.html

Swaybacked horse + Long and Low = challenge.

I don't need no stinkin' Jockey!

(Via Fanhouse.com)

Saturday's fifth race at Belmont Park got off to an odd start when a horse named Phone Jazz threw off her jockey, Jean-Luc Samyn, while coming out of the gate. But that didn't matter to her.

No, Phone Jazz made a statement that the jockeys aren't really necessary in horse racing, and she just kept on going, crossing the finish line first, seven lengths ahead of the pack.

That didn't make her the winner, though, because the rules of horse racing say the horse and the jockey have to cross the finish line together. So Hold the Cruiser, who finished second, got the win, followed up by Favorite Colors and Properlyintroduced. Phone Jazz is technically considered not to have finished the race.

Samyn got up after falling off Phone Jazz and was not hurt.



So- one of the comments below the story suggested that we just do away with the jockeys, and make horse racing more like greyhound racing (although maybe that person wasn't thinking of the fake rabbit spurring them on).

Personally, it's a no-go for me. While yes you'd get rid of the whipping, heavy (for the age they race at) man atop them, you'd also have no reason to train the buggers. They may not break as many legs and be put down, but you'd also have an impetus to breed for a batshit-crazy temperament. What do you think training would be? Would breeders just make more babies, and be even more disposable (track broke is better than unbroke for rescue). Would they make them "mad?" Would the inject with hormones, feed them and box them up to make them hotter?

I think maybe greyhounds would be better off if they had some sort of obedience component as well (even as simple as after the race they have to come to their handlers).

What do you think?

Weird Wednesday: Meano

(For those that noticed, I separated my blog to a new email addy. Same goes for twitter. It's an organizational thing. )

Okay so I'm going to stick to upper midwest cuz that's where I live, but I just had to share the following Craigslist "gems." All appeared yesterday. I'd like to make this a regular thing so if you have any to share just send to horsenoob@gmail.com. Yours don't have to be midwest, I just don't have the time to do the entire US.

The first is a gross misrepresentation of what a "filly" is:

The next two are by someone who just can't spell to save their lives. They don't bother looking it up, they just guess. For the price they're asking, I guess it's not too surprising.

This last one just cracks me up. Are they "mean" little "ponys?" That seems like incredibly unsafe fencing. And why on earth are they wearing nylon halters when they're in an obviously small pasture? With cows? And a round bale? Um, sweet...

These people are also offering a broodmare with baby (and of course rebred), and nearly all the rest of the farm equipement. One can only hope they're getting out of horses.

OUCH!

The fall occurred at the Bramham International Horse Trials this past weekend with rider Faith Cook and her horse Nagor de la Roche.

She broke two bones in her neck and back but there is no spinal injury and she should make a full recovery.

The horse had some severe bruising (probably the nosie) but is otherwise a-okay!

Modified letter.

Sorry this isn't so much of a blog post as it is a holding spot.

Someone on the Fugly blog wanted a form-letter against horse slaughter. I modified mine to be suitable for non-legislators and am putting it here:

There are tens of thousands of unwanted horses in America, just like dogs and cats. Unfortunately, people equate the very true "Horses are expensive" with "Horses are valuable". This is an unfair equivalent. Some horses have very high value (winning racehorses, horses with fantastic pedigrees, very well-trained horses), while others do not (losing racehorses, horses that have developed riding issues such as throwing riders, horses that have suffered injury from sport, horses that were never trained, "grade" or mixed-breed horses of unremarkable parentage, old horses). People who make the equation of horses being expensive to horses being valuable may breed thinking to gain money, and often breed poorly-marketable animals. The low-end horse market is simply flooded.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners estimates that the minimum yearly cost to care for a horse, not including veterinary and farrier expenses, is $1,895. Personally I have paid 30 dollars every 6 weeks for farrier care and an additional 300 a year for veterinary care, and my horse has not been ill.

The market is so flooded I can go buy a well-trained, young, papered, healthy horse for under 3000, likely even under 2000. You can imagine how cheaply I could purchase one of lower quality than that. If I'm prepared to pay the 2000 a year to maintain a horse, why wouldn't I be willing to pay the very slight extra for a much higher quality animal? Why would I pay to keep something dangerous, or injured?

And thus, we have unwanted horses.

One would think a breeder would be particular about what they were breeding, worried they would have this financial, unsaleable burden. Well, they don't have to worry, thanks to American horse slaughter.

At hundreds of auction houses across the US, horses are auctioned to the highest bidder. Some are pleasure mounts, some are professional show horses, and some are unwanted for other various reasons. At many auction houses, there is someone known as a "kill buyer". He will buy any horse for about 300 dollars or under. He will smile at the seller. He will promise a good home. He will listen to the little girl selling her pet tell him what kinds of treats her pony likes. He will buy the broken down horses. He will respond to "free horse" ads. If you're very cool about it, you can buy one off him before leaving the auction house provided there's an instant profit for him.

These auction houses exist in Minnesota. I have watched several kill buyers argue over prices. They quote prices by the pound. The kill buyers in question have land in Kansas, where they fatten the horses up and ship them to Mexico. I knew the woman next to me at the auctionhouse. She was selling three horses. She had already bought two before hers were up on the auction block. She needed some better horses for her summer camp. She had a 3-horse trailer, those three were not coming home. I asked her if she would sell to kill buyers. She told me there is no slaughter anymore. One of her horses sold for 25 dollars.

"Horses are shipped across the border to be slaughtered now. You can look at the USDA Las Cruzes, NM report, at least a thousand per week," I told her. She didn't think it was possible. At one point the auctioneer, who liked to say where the horse was going after sold, joked when the kill buyer purchased one saying "This one's Mexico-bound ladies and gentlemen!" The kill buyer: the Auctioneer's son.

There are two main destinations for the slaughter-bound horse: Mexico and Canada, as you may guess. Horses are transported there, sometimes in what are called "double deckers," This being because they are two levels high. There is an internal ramp to the second level, which is narrow. They were designed for cattle. Horses are crammed in the tight trucks, and are often injured in various manners. They fight. Sometimes there are foals in the same trucks. There was an accident that made the news when one was tipped over. Some surived- photos available http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/foiaphotos.html.

The horses are then slaughtered in manners differently than anticipated. In Canada it is captive-bolt, like cattle. The machines were designed for cattle, but are decent at making the animals brain-dead before rendering. This is provided the worker is adept at it. The horse makes a valiant effort to dodge the gun. In Mexico, at at least one slaughterhouse, the horse is run down a chute, where it is stabbed in the neck (repeatedly, with an ordinary-looking knife), until the spinal cord is severed by one of the hits, and then rendered after falling. It is likely conscious. Both examples are readily available on youtube.

It is my personal opinion that horses are unsuitable animals for traditional slaughter. Horses are very reactive. Horses have very large nostrils, and very strong flight responses. Example: a horse tragically died in our arena of a twisted gut (colic). The body was promptly removed. No blood was present, nor was this a lasting illness. The area was very well ventilated. I could smell nothing. Upon entering the arena a full day later, my horse became wild with fright and unrideable. It took a full week for my horse to be calm in the arena again. I have no doubt that horses entering a slaughterhouse are aware of their surroundings and to be frightened.

You would think, given the reasons above, that making transport conditions and slaughter like the above illegal would be an easy decision. Unfortunately, it is not.

Not all unwanted horses are sent to slaughter. Many are simply neglected. High hay prices (drought last year doubled them), failing economy (you know...), higher property taxes, and some do not have the transport to sell a horse, or think that it will pick up, or make excuses (such as old horses are skinny, mustangs don't have vets or farriers, I can breed her and sell the baby and make money, some trainer will want my bad horse as a project) and this causes the owners to retain horses they cannot afford. Neglect is common.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Quarter Horse Association (largest breed registry), the Arabian Horse Association, and the American Veterinary Medical Association and various Rodeo associations are pro-slaughter. Their reasoning is not unfounded, but it is flawed. They say that without slaughter the value of all horses will drop, including the high quality ones and run the horse industries to the ground. Neglect will be everywhere. Unwanted horses accumulating like rabbits. They paint a picture of the kill buyer as a garbageman, cleaning up after everyone.

Yes, I believe that banning slaughter and slaughter-related methods of transport will lower horse values. But, not ALL horse values.

The bottom of the horse market is artificially high, which is what encourages the overbreeding and irresponsible ownership in the first place. This fattens the pockets of the breed registries (many slaughter-bound horses are registered, and more breeding makes more registration fees). Gaining 100 dollars on an unusable horse versus retirement board or paying 60 dollars for euthanasia (a well-placed bullet is not inhumane either) prevents racetracks and rodeos from having to be responsible.

Yes, tough times are ahead for horses. However, the solution is not to enable this fingers-jammed-in-ears "I Don't see this" attitude behind breeding more horses, pretending the kill buyer is not sending them to slaughter, and pretending the slaughter is humane.

High-end horses are still expensive. There will always be sub-par offspring from even the best breeding stock to supply the average horse-owner. All of the cats at the Humane Society have not made purebred Ragdolls any less expensive. All the Labs available at the shelters do not make a trained hunting dog undervalued. The reasoning is greed, and greed alone.

I urge you to please support the end of this cold practice. To affirm that Americans are not afraid of setting a higher standard. You may contact me if you would like to further discuss the issue.

Thank you for your time,

HorseNoob on Twitter

In case you can't tell I decided to spice up the ol' blog lately. I'm going to pull in all sorts of information.

The blog's by a Noob, and generally FOR Noobs. I need to pass on more info instead of just diary-ing. I want to pull in more links from around the interwebs.

So now you can follow me on Twitter: Horsenoob.


Looking forward to the tweets!

Sewerhorse

Had to!

I am not a machine

Whether or not it's truly there, or just a projection of mine anthropomorphizing, I find there are a few different kinds of personalities ( I think "horsenalities" is copyrighted and much like dealing with Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, the Bible, or anything that has a mass following, you do NOT guess/interpret/incorrectly state the Canon or you just may incur Wrath. It's like making a spelling mistakes in flame wars).

Yes, I know the Parelli Horsenalities; I just disagree with them. Not that the terms are used incorrectly- although I bet a psych major would pull hair, but just that they aren't accurate for everyday use, and I will explain: Everyone I see describe a horse with them takes the adjectives they'd used to describe their horse, finds they apply to several categories, then says their horse falls under categories X,Y, and Z, and ends up giving me a convoluted description of their horse's personality that is far more generic and prone to inaccuracy.

I did a quick "horsenality chart"

Now, how well does that describe him? According to the checkboxes, I'd say he's more right brained and interoverted, yet that quadrant was the fewest populated!

Dante is a well-mannered horse with a big heart who really wants to be successful. He has a lot of try, although he's also easily frustrated. Because someone in his past beat him, being frustrated can cause him to have a panicky, hissy fit, or just get a little nippy and shovey with his head. This is easily reversed by giving him a success to remotivate. He is a plucky fellow who can be a bit ho-hum, but easily cheered. When cheery, he is very affectionate. He'll follow you (not like a puppy, cuz puppies run off) like a lamb, rub you lightly like a cat, and hug you with his neck, enjoying smelling you and gazing sweetly.

Auction yet again

Okay so I'm a sucker for auctions. I like to see what's going on, meet a bunch of horses, and see how well I can appraise their value. Also, when I finally (yay school forever) get my real, grown-up job and can afford it, I'd like to rescue but I'd like to be successful at it; picking horses that have the conformation, temperment, and saleability to make them successful. (I'm not getting into the ethics of whether or not helping one soul a lot or many a little or anything of that. I only took the one ethics class to not become a MAD scientist).

So at the crack of dawn (I board, so I sleep in) Myself, Sarah, her farm-hand (16), and his GF thinking of breeding her lame Arab drove the hour or so to Simons arena again (see previous post for my first adventure there).

It was the big summer season sale. We showed up at 9:30am or so to see the tack part, since we weren't buying horses. The horses started at noon and were probably halfway done when we left at 5:30. We wrote down every sale until then. My butt hurt too much to even go ride my couch of a horse afterwards. Note to self: be like the old people and bring a blanket to sit on next time. Forgot that last time I had bought a saddle pad and used it.

The loose horses sell AFTER all the regulars are done. So the report here is for those that were at least halter-broke. There were more big trailers unloading as we left. I'd imagine those selling even more loose horses were showing up later on in the day, so I'd say this list represents the higher side of the sales. Again, we were there for 5.5 hours of uninterrupted horse sales.

The crowd steadily dwindled, there were maybe 100 people. Consider most don't come alone, there were not too many bidders.

The kill buyers hang out up front, and their numbers aren't always shouted out because of that. Some of them have multiple numbers. I think some buy some resell prospects, then go after the loose horses. I'll list the possible/known KBs first with their lineup, then the rest. Finally, I'll list the No-Sales. Some had insane desires, like 200 for an unbroke skinny mini that looked like a sheep.

Most of the following were ridden through, sometimes I forgot to say it. Nobdy had any bucking or rearing fits, many were actually very well behaved if antsy.

Maybe I should take my horse there (and no-sale him) because then he'd probably take out most of the kill buyers hanging out by the podium while having a fit!

Bidder #20: KB
$60 each- 2 minis, ungroomed, yearling, studs
100 - mini, broke, ungroomed, geld, cute
400- red dun, 8, rode thru, quiet, not cantered but trotted, correct, cute.
475- AQHA reg, 3, incentive, sound, green broke, rode thru
850- gray, drafty/TBX, a little buck/hop, flashy
#54: KB?
$300- mini, led, prancey, palomino, 2, mare, registered
275- mini, 6, geld, shown, cute, black, rode thru
225- mini pinto, registered, 7, mare, the huge guy selling it hopped on and rode it a bit :(
225- pony, pinto, 10, geld, rode thru by cute girl with velvet helmet, quiet.
160- pony, registered shetland, geld, 4, rides/drives, chocolate colored
1525- Smoky buckskin mare, rode thru, spins, Paint (Doc on papers), slides some, collects
600- Rode thru, broke, plain, 10, scar but sound w/guarantee, sliding stops
675- Blue roan mare, chases cows Rode thru

#6: Definitely KB, I think he's Randy Simons. Same number as last year.
150- Pony, 6, geld, broke, rode thru, CUTE
500- NICE, 12, 14HH, english, floaty trot, current vacc, feathery, flaxen "good home?"
350- black bay roan, 13, trail, neck scar, broke, cute, moves well-neck reins,
1500- 8, bay mare, donkey ears, quiet
600- gelding, brown, trail horse, rode thru
250- grade, geld, 6, rode thru, arab-y, red, cute, listened well to rider.
450- rode-thru, bay, trail horse, athletic
300- geld, 6, 4H, arab/pinto
350- 14, dark palomino/dun, rode thru, dirty, known to grass founder in spring
950- Palomino, parades, flags, state fair, 8, rode thru, DRILL TEAM
400- skipper on papers, mare, 12, cute
500- 6, ranch broke, flashy, mover, willing, paint, coughing, odd/pain?
#2 KB, again seen him before.
85- grulla, pinto, flashy, registration application available, floaty, ghost and dancer on papers, cut on leg, walked thru, 2ish?
85- solid paint, walked thru, not trotted, "off"
50- B+W tobiano, yearling, colt
60- 3yr, grade, dirty, walk-thru
100- palomino paint yearling registered, geld, walked thru
#3 KB
925- 5, mare, registered, peppy, zan barr, remnic on papers, spins, reining started, nice
235- black QH, 2, colt, started, cyst on knee?, quiet, butt high, nice,
550- Mule, 12, john, trail, rode thru, quiet, responsive
875- palomino, paint registered, limp? mare, 4, slides, spins, impressive but hypp?
235- 4, buckskin, mare, 30 days, walked thru, not trotted
285- 5, buckskin, breeding stock, mare
675- 11, mare, chestnut, quiet, rider plays "playground" all over
560- reg QH, mare, 5, hancock/valentine on papers, long pasterns, gray, rode thru
#17 KB?
225- Pony, gray, 4, broke, dirty, saddled, favors leg
475- QH, 3, poco on papers, moves well, spins, "sore if worked hard" (?)
425- gray, 4, coon footed, rode thru
150- 9, geld, drugged, no trot
375- 8, grade, lanky, rode thru, mover, geld
225- Silver dun, registered, thin, cute, rode thru
#5
325- 4, kid clu on papers, lame in back, clean, long backed
350- Arab-y mare, bred, brown, cool skip, not trotted
300- AQHA mare, skips gold/sonny d bars on papers, impressive, N/H, walked
#80
550- Pony, 14HH, haflinger, driven, 5, mare, ridden thru, CUTE!, "mexico bound"
1600- palomino, scopey, AQHA, walked through, clean, parrot mouth
800- silver dun AQHA, jack on papers, 8, mare, trail, upset
2300- APHA, overo, 7, ROM halter, led thru, mare, stud chain?
725- zippo/sunny D bar geld, 5, clean, apha
975- 6, belgian/QH, rides/drives, gelding, fat
750- 10, buckskin, stallion, poco del son/bonanza "90% buckskin producer"
600- 2, stud, zips choc chip/concluded, 3rd ride is at auction (lovely), cribber, top ten in IA futurity, mane banded, calm and actually pretty nice.
1025- 9 yo, stud, quincey/san, "broke" blue roan
1075- reg mare, grulla, twist on papers, led thru, cuter, correct
1300- bay roan mare, 5, rode thru, 2eyed bartender/2 eyed jack trail, cute, correct
1000 yearling stud, slight downhill

"One of the guys up front"
25- "2" (looked older), pony, "ground work done" amish, halter, cuts in face from halter, thin
75- led thru, registered paint solid, filly, yearling
335- yearling, zippo pine bar buckskin mare
350- upside down necked grade TN walker, 11, drugged
900- 6 yr stud, Doc on papers, smokey palomino, very flashy/showy
350- 12, bay mare, chic on papers 3x, sound, ribby
600- cribber, top 10 in Iowa QH futurity, mane banded
275- 13, beginnners, black, grade, shoes in front needed, LAME, but sweet


Others that sold:

210 each- full sisters, ride and drive, rode through but no saddle
30- mini, one eyed, stumbly, lame at walk, geld, slipper foot
325- mini, pinto, 10, broke, calm, rode thru
450- mini, rode, CUTE, 8, drives, mare
175- pony/mini, broke, rode thru, drives, easy, paint
220- 11, mare, mini, broke, rode thru, bay paint
325- 9, geld, ranch brok, rode thru, small, cute
400- pony, mare, broke, rode thru by kid, BABY at side (QH X), straight should/weak butt
40- FUGLY, dirty, 2, mini, drive, geld
150- 6, broke, mini, plucky, geld, bad tail set/ kinda fug
1525- pleasure lope, palomino, fake tail/groomed, nice headset, registered, mare, 4, skip the bank/boston dee bars, correct and very cute
675- led, 2, mr. classy kid/TNT, clean, mom has halter pts, FR knee? clean colt, correct
450- mare, flashy dun pinto, registed paint, correct
410- buckskin reg QH mare, 14, skipper on papers, correct, broodmare, maybe broke
1550- red dun, 5, rode thru, hollywood jac, reining started, spins slide, moves well
825- palomino, papered, 7, mare, fit, rode trhu, quiet, trail
200- geld, black, outtie bellybutton, 2, halter, paint papers, not trotted
50- stud colt, papered, buckskin paint, thin, fugly
485- black, rode thru, good stops!, paptered, trail rode by old lady, mare
1700- pretty gaited appendix geld, 5, quiet, rode thru, light sorrel, very nice
1000- red roan, 12, 1 week guarantee, very broke, neck reins, rode through, rollbacks, roman nose
325- 4 yr geld, pony, bay, kinda cute, rode thru
450- pissy mare, bred, cool skip/2 eyed jack on papers, parrot mouth, cut up , has the runs
390- led thru, roach back, geld, 4, unbroke
475 x 2 13 and 17 y.o. geldings, skinny, quiet, percheron type, driven, used for planting, amish
875- rode thru, dark bay geld, 10, trail horse, neck reins, rollbacks, cowhorse/roper, moves well, had a video to display as well.
450- palomino, reg AQHA, geld, not trotted, ridden thru, trail, big
25- pony/mini, welsh, horrible tailset, ribby , buyer will resell to anyone interested.
500- AQHA, brown, 13, trail, hairy, nice mover
4200- Bay roan, ranch, shown, big, young, nice mover, rode thru
2100- English pleasure horse, AQHA, red, zips chip, loud, good springy gaits
1000- 9 yo, 2D barrel horse, quiet, fast, sound, gentle, black bay, cute!
900- clean, 15.1, collected, cute, AQHA, impressive on both sides, N/N,
350- AQHA bay, 8, conclusive/TNT, bred, N/N,
335- paint/pinto, led thru, bred
250- trail-sorrel, skinny, fugly, mare
825- aqha, mare, sonny dee bar, move em blu, open shows, pleasure gaits
900- 8, registered paint geld, plain headed, trail, job loss, dun
950- apha, blue roan mare rode thru, fugly, has go! and stop! ranch used
200- AQHA 2, stud, concluded/investment, little , butt high, cute, clean
1000- Mom dad and baby (!) rode in on this, 13, trail, geld, walked only, video of gaits
550- 4, palomino, geld, aqha, classic clu and dee bars on papers, HYPP H/H!!! led thru
275- Buckskin mare, QH, led thru, 2
2300- 8, dancer on papers, gelding, shown, smooth looking
750- aqha, geld, older?, quiet, not run around
2750- hunter type, reg appendix, hunseat finished, quiet, dark bay, 6, very cute!!!!
1750- red dun, QH, silver, geld, skip/2 eyed jack on papers, so very broke!, 11, cute!
175- thin faced, thin boned, bay roan geld
2000- geld, 3, peppy san badger, smart pep on papers, rode thru, mover, spins, big slides
3500- mare, 5, chips hot choc/big leager on papers, pleasure plus, pt earner
775- QH mare, good stop, haunch turn
500- 6 yo, grade, skinny, amish, rode thru
550- 6, gelding, Doc's hickory on papers
250- conclusive/skip walk thru, filly, brindle, grulla, cute!
2400- 7, invitation only/intimidator gelding shown, english showmanship, thin
375- mare and foal, doc/ investor, 13, "easy breeder" exposed
500- 15, doc bar, cutter bill, long udder, push button
100- small grade pony, needs trim, no butt, gelding
1625- 3, mare, paint, registered, smooth gaits, rode
325- 12 year old finished head horse, geld, grade
160- registered, QH, halter broke, doc o'lena "great pedigree"
1728- B+W gelding, 5, papers, quiet/drugged
1450- 5, gelding, smart chick olena, paint papers, clean , palomino
2200- 8 y.o gelding, registered QH, bronson?
425- amish, gelding, registered, bars on papers
675- 13, sonny dee bars, registered, ridden , paint, trail
425- grade, 5, mare, buckskin, long pasterns, green broke
675- Foxtrotter, registered, 13, dark bay, parelli trained, geld, really nice, cute, moves rode thru
600- pony, double rode by kids through, listens
1325- ranch, 2 eyed jack, dancer on papers, clean, ridden, geld, nice
100- stud, low tailset, sonny bar/investment, 2, fugly, parrot
800- grade gray, 6, rode thru, big, clean, mover
1175- 10, mare, registered, doc on papers, appendix, broke to cows, good, sickle hocked
275- grade, 8, not cute, rode through, nice though
285- leopard app, rode thru, geld, walked,
500- foxtrotter, 9, bay, mover, flashy
1700- 3, double zippo on papers, cute, flash, mover.

No sale with amounts:
NS 60- pony, blue roan, grade, skinny neck, not broke, stud "ground work" done
NS 50- plain, ribby, green broke, spooky, rode thru
NS 375- 5, trails, ranch, stocky paint, rode thru, drafty, geld
NS 135- driving team, welsh cob driven through, 4 and 8, matched mom and daughter, dirty, one hurt by trailer, broke to ride too
NS 50- also no interest- welsh, and cob registered, 4, thin, rides and drives, walked thru
NS275- rode thru, anxious, responsive, 4, listened, sonny doc bar on papers, loud, sorrel
NS 500- rode thru by kid, haflingerish, has nest, geld
NS1050- 19, Doc QH, reg mare, 15 halter points, 40 pleasure points very correct, clean
NS 100- walked yearling filly, zippo on papers, pretty, red, possibly lame
NS675- registered b+W paint, 4, mare, upside down neck, smooth
NS50- extra fugly mini, looks like sheep, started to clip middle? yearling
NS1250- appendix mare, limp at trot, speedy glo zippo on papers, 4, silver smoky buckskin, beautiful headset and spins
NS460- appendix gelding, 16, ranch, broke, plain, slides
NS2100 pretty halter walk thru, incentive, 8, mare, lame and sickle hocked, bred
NS2200- light buckskin roan/rose gray (i wasn't close enough), reg QH, dash 4 cash, braided, guarantee, moves!
NS1750- overbent pleasure horse, finished, rode thru tobaino, 5, cool skip boston d bars on papers, shown halter, has pts.
NS750- stallion, doc wrangler, symmetrical markings walked thru, 2, glossy and cute
NS1550- walked thru black clean mare, appendix, 2, zips choc and last detail, 60 days, correct
NS60x2- young dark skinny yearling
NS475-6, palomino, Hunter jumper 3-4 ft, trails, lesson horse, very very cute
NS825- thin, 5, rode thru, geld, well broke, not balanced at canter
NS150- skinny 4 yo mare, reg QH, rode thru
NS250- broke, long toed walked thru, smooth gaits with suspension
NS1350- big 9 yo TB, gray, pretty, elegant, vetted, jumped, quiet
NS1250- homely plain geld, sunny D skips ruler, apha 30 day guarantee
NS675- registered QH, dapple, no trot, gaskin injury
NS 875- Flashy 7yo gleding, 2 eye jack, montana ranch horse, only one lead
NS350- mare roan bay, upside down neck
NS750- TN registered, big and flashy, diryt, brown and white
NS180- Dun paint colt, rank, registered, conclusive on papers
NS450- mare, star/two eyed jack, pack horse, bred/exposed to a nobody
NS425- registerable QH mare, 6, scar on nose, bay, rode thru
NS485- QH, papered, geld, ranch, homely, amish, low tail
NS850- reg freckles/doc, 5, bay tobiano, correct, shown 4H


Okay, I'mma rest my fingers. Remember this was probably the better half of the stock for the sale, with the loose and unbroke ones mainly arriving later. These kinds of deeds are best done at night.

Thorse

Okay so the Doop and I both would like to tone up. Him because vet said so, and training starts soon (as soon as I think he could do real work for an hour and have enough energy to think, too!). Me because in November I'm going on a cruise. I ain't scared of no swine flu, and that means deep discounts.

We've been doing long-trotting, more cantering on the line, and just more saddle time. I at least want sweat under the pad.

He's been behaving very well.

I entered (all my pets too) the Doop on Marvel.com's dress up your pets contest to join the Pet Avengers. He was then featured on ToplessRobot.com. I had photoshopped him (hastily) as "Thorse" (Thor+Horse). http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/05/all_hail_thorse.php

I thought my Dr. Strange Cockatoo was better.

Oh my, upon searching he made superpunch and appeared on quite a few blogs! Makes me wish I had better photoshopped him. Oh well.

Haha anyone in the Twin Cities Area wants a pony ride on Thorse with photos I'll gladly only charge a nominal fee...

Lamewad

My poopy Doopy has been lame lately. That has made me lazy. However, he's learned to suck up money like it's going out of style in the meantime.

In order to fix Dante's bucking at the canter, I wanted to get the cowboy to do it. Get Dante adjusted to the transition and comfortable in the gait, and then add the floppy doing-it-wrong Noob to teach (which I'm confident he'll allow once he's capable). I fixed his trot to not be death trot, but I already could trot well. Now it's canter time.

So first I noticed the head-bob. We soaked, we left him alone, we got him trimmed. It was fading, but oh so slowly. No heat anywhere. It got to the point where it was only visible when looking for it.

Vet says his feet are too long, and horse is too fat. New farrier cut them nice N short. No beefs here with old farrier, just needed someone more experienced. After he was trotting with much less bob, and occasionally no bob after the trim. I washed him up on our first summery day. I'm sure he's rolled in feces since.

So... "Free" horse's bills for the past month have been: likely 200+ for powerfloat, sheath and lameness exam, 110 for chiropractor, 30 for new trim, and this is before training! And Truck needs an oil change!

Here's to hoping his feet are better later this week! I need to ride off that fat!

Top 10 Ways to Help the Help not Hate Your Horse

And this time I mean it when I say I'll be better!

For the past few months, I've been working as a poop-shoveler at my barn. (I am up to 4 jobs.) It started as a favor as my BO needed someone, and then the money was nice and it got my butt to the barn at a reasonable hour (and not lazing around in bed), so I had more of my Saturday to ride.

Of the 70 horses there, for the winter 10 were stalled, and an additional 8 were pulled from pasture board and grained/supplemented/medicated as needed. Two people work 2-3 hrs in the morning.
Now it's warm and no horses are stalled so there's just 18 to be fed.

I have another list for owners: it's my Top 10 Ways to Help the Help not Hate Your Horse.

10) Give your horse a reasonably unique name. We have two Mollys. We have a Coda and a Dakota. There's Buck, Buck, and Buck. Only one of those is a buckskin. Brody and Brady, Ace and Ace. Don't do this. Generally there is little confusion, but the offhand "Oh, can you grab Molly while I prep this?" can result in either the geriatric mare or the yearling. The worst part is that the owner of the yearling changed her name from the very singular "Kiara" to "Molly" fully aware of the other mare's presence. Now I have to learn the horses' last names?!

9) Bag/prep your feed. For our supplemented horses it's all premixed and rationed in ziplocks. If you're paying the extra cash for the service, you might as well buy some supplements and give it. Our barn supplies the base grain, so make the extra effort and get your money's worth. Don't tell me I scoop too large, to small, or make me remember 18 recipes for breakfast. Likewise if you have multiple horses with different breakfasts, when you reuse bags don't have false names on them or I question my sanity.

8) Blankets: clean them, at least the clasps, occasionally. Yes, we get covered in poo by the end of chores but mining through turdsicles to get to a clasp is unpleasant at best. I HAVE had to use a hammer in the past. Also, teach your horse to be blanketed calmly. Label your blanket, and do not move it randomly. Size your horse properly. Otherwise the horse's current state of blanketdom may be considered "good enough" (within reason)

7) If your horse is not where I expect it to be, I may ask you a question. If you are riding said horse, and I tell you that he hasn't had breakfast and ask if you'd like to feed him before returning him to his pasture, do not look at me like I have multiple heads. I have no idea when you're planning on finishing, and don't want to keep checking every 5 mins waiting for his return to pasture.

6) On the same token if you're taking off with said horse, let someone know, BEFORE I go check the wooded area in the back of the pasture past the swampy spot with 3 other grain-faces wuffling in my ears wanting their turn!

5) Also if you know your horse is grained in the mornings and you see I'm graining horses, don't just feed your already-fed horse! I dont mind you disrupting my pattern, just let me know the game plan.

4) Make your horse happy. If your horse hates being stalled maybe just buy a super awesome blanket and leave him outside. If he hates his supplement and I have to mix it with molasses and cover it with a little grain to trick him, don't buy that kind next time (when there's equal alternatives).

3) Have your horse well halter-broke. He can go ahead and pretend he's never seen snow before, but not at the expense of trying to bowl me over. He shouldn't race me to his food. He should walk over a puddle, away from his friends, etc. Yes, I'll correct him, but at the same time this is not my job to turn this into a lesson opportunity.

2) If I use a whip, rope, stick etc, to shoo your precious poopykins, that is to be safe. My position makes them all view me as some sort of fantastic grain-pinata, and I need defense. I might have other chores in the pasture and not really want to be in the middle of a team huddle so that PITA alpha mare can come up behind and shock one or more of them into trampling me. So even having the sweetest cutest babies all ears at me is not enticing.

Same snotty mares are not allowed to crowd the gate waiting to take a nip at the horse I'm trying to get back in there before she's released. I had an incident where bitch mare would not let me return geriatric Molly to the pasture, so I got her back out and snuck her in the back gate to go find her friends. I had her in but couldn't turn my back or let go to latch the gate and couldn't let go of the gate to free her while Miss Bitch went chomp chomp chomp on the other side of her, out of my reach.

1) Gate manners. Teach them. This goes along with halter breaking. I turn around after going through a gate to latch it. I should not have to wrangle to not free the others.

My letter

My letter to my congressperson:

Let me first start by saying I've never written a congressperson before. However, two issues you are to vote on have actually moved me to do so: HR305 and HR503. I will try to be as brief as possible but cannot sacrifice completeness.

HR305 is the Horse Transportation Safety Act of 2009.

HR503 is to ban the export of American horses for slaughter.

I am a graduate student at the U of M in Comparative and Molecular Biosciences. My advisor works in the department of Animal Science. I have had to sacrifice animals for my research. I have no qualms about eating meat. I am not afraid to pet a cow intended for slaughter. I understand the delicate balance between humane treatment of animals and efficiency of agriculture as a business. Would I make changes? Yes, but I do understand.

There are tens of thousands of unwanted horses in America, just like dogs and cats. Unfortunately, people equate the very true "Horses are expensive" with "Horses are valuable". This is an unfair equivalent. Some horses have very high value (winning racehorses, horses with fantastic pedigrees, very well-trained horses), while others do not (losing racehorses, horses that have developed riding issues such as throwing riders, horses that have suffered injury from sport, horses that were never trained, "grade" or mixed-breed horses of unremarkable parentage, old horses). People who make the equation of horses being expensive to horses being valuable may breed thinking to gain money, and often breed poorly-marketable animals. The low-end horse market is simply flooded.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners estimates that the minimum yearly cost to care for a horse, not including veterinary and farrier expenses, is $1,895.

The market is so flooded I can go buy a trained, young, papered, healthy horse for under 3000, likely even under 2000. You can imagine how cheaply I could purchase one of lower quality than that. If I'm prepared to pay the 2000 a year to maintain a horse, why wouldn't I be willing to pay the very slight extra for a much higher quality animal? Why would I pay to keep something dangerous, or injured?

And thus, we have unwanted horses.

One would think a breeder would be particular about what they were breeding, worried they would have this financial, unsaleable burden. Well, they don't have to worry, thanks to American horse slaughter.

At hundreds of auction houses across the US, horses are auctioned to the highest bidder. Some are pleasure mounts, some are professional show horses, and some are unwanted for other various reasons. At many auction houses, there is someone known as a "kill buyer". He will buy any horse for about 300 dollars or under. He will smile at the seller. He will promise a good home. He will listen to the little girl selling her pet tell him what kinds of treats her pony likes. He will buy the broken down horses. He will respond to "free horse" ads. If you're very cool about it, you can buy one off him before leaving the auction house provided there's an instant profit for him.

These auction houses exist in Minnesota. I have watched several kill buyers argue over prices. They quote prices by the pound. The kill buyers in question have land in Kansas, where they fatten the horses up and ship them to Mexico. I knew the woman next to me at the auctionhouse. She was selling three horses. She had already bought two before hers were up on the auction block. She needed some better horses for her summer camp. She had a 3-horse trailer, those three were not coming home. I asked her if she would sell to kill buyers. She told me there is no slaughter anymore.

"Horses are shipped across the border to be slaughtered now. You can look at the Las Cruzes, NM report, at least a thousand per week," I told her. She didn't think it was possible. At one point the auctioneer, who liked to say where the horse was going after sold, joked when the kill buyer purchased one saying "This one's Mexico-bound ladies and gentlemen!" The kill buyer: the Auctioneer's son.

There are two main destinations for the slaughter-bound horse. Mexico and Canada, as you may guess. Horses are transported there, sometimes in what are called "double deckers," This being because they are two levels high. There is an internal ramp to the second level, which is narrow. They were designed for cattle. Horses are crammed in the tight trucks, and are often injured in various manners. They fight. Sometimes there are are foals in the same trucks. There was an accident that made the news when one was tipped over. Some surived- photos available http://www.kaufmanzoning.net/foiaphotos.html.

The horses are then slaughtered in manners differently than anticipated. In Canada it is captive-bolt, like cattle. The machines were designed for cattle, but are decent at rendering the animals brain-dead before rendering. In Mexico, at at least one slaughterhouse the horse is run down a chute, where it is stabbed in the neck (repeatedly, with an ordinary-looking knife), until the spinal cord is severed, and then rendered after falling. It is likely conscious. Both examples are readily available on youtube.

It is my personal opinion that horses are unsuitable animals for traditional slaughter. Horses are very reactive. Horses have very large nostrils, and very strong flight responses. Example: a horse tragically died in our arena of a twisted gut (colic). The horse was promptly removed. No blood was present, nor was this a lasting illness. The area was very well ventilated. I could smell nothing. Upon entering the arena a day later, my horse became wild with fright and unrideable. It took a full week. I have no doubt that horses entering a slaughterhouse are aware of their surroundings and to be frightened.

You would think, given the reasons above, that making transport conditions and slaughter like the above illegal would be an easy decision. Unfortunately, it is not.

Not all unwanted horses are sent to slaughter. Many are simply neglected. High hay prices (drought last year doubled them), failing economy (you know...), higher property taxes, and some do not have the transport to sell a horse, or think that it will pick up, or make excuses (such as old horses are skinny, mustangs don't have vets or farriers, I can breed her and sell the baby and make money, some trainer will want my bad horse as a project) and this causes the owners to retain horses they cannot afford. Neglect is common.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, the American Quarter Horse Association (largest breed registry), and the American Veterinary Medical Association and various Rodeo associations are pro-slaughter. Their reasoning is not unfounded, but it is flawed. They say that without slaughter the value of all horses will drop, including the high quality ones and run the horse industries to the ground. Neglect will be everywhere. Unwanted horses accumulating like rabbits. They paint a picture of the kill buyer as a garbageman, cleaning up after everyone.

Yes, I believe that banning slaughter and slaughter-related methods of transport will lower horse values. But, not ALL horse values.

The bottom of the horse market is artificially high, which is what encourages the breeding and irresponsible ownership in the first place. This fattens the pockets of the breed registries (many slaughter-bound horses are registered, and more breeding makes more registration fees).

Yes, tough times are ahead for horses. However, the solution is not to enable this fingers-jammed-in-ears "I Don't see this" attitude behind breeding more horses, pretending the kill buyer is not sending them to slaughter, and pretending the slaughter is humane.

High-end horses are still expensive. There will always be sub-par offspring from even the best breeding stock to supply the average horse-owner. All of the cats at the Humane Society have not made purebred Ragdolls any less expensive. All the Labs available at the shelters do not make a trained hunting dog undervalued. The reasoning is greed.

I urge you to please vote to end this cruel practice. To affirm that Americans are not afraid of setting a higher standard. You may contact me if you would like to further discuss the issue.

Thank you for your time,

10 things....

Been a long time. I'll update on the Doop and myself in a bit.

Update: the appy in the below post is down to 200 dollars. Not surprising.


One thing I enjoy doing is watching Dumb Girlie Horsie movies. I know they're stupid, often insipid, and usually feature long shots of just horses running around for no reason. I'm not an idiot. I don't make my husband watch. Anyways, I thought I'd share the following:

The Top Ten Things I learned about Horses and the Horse World by watching Dumb Girlie Horsie Movies.

10) Horses make lots of noise. They're always whinnying and snorting. They rear a lot too to look majestic for you. It is not a sign of aggression.

9) Hay is soft and snuggly. It is always fun to snuggle up in a stall with a horse. They won't step on you. There is no poop. It disappears after a "chores" montage demonstrating responsibility.

8) The more people don't like you, the more horses will.

7) English is for snobby girls.

6)Horses are not tamed and broke by hours of training or require you to ever be authoritarian, you just give them treats until they like you and then they let you ride! Bonus if they're completely batshit crazy to everyone else- they just need the love a small angsty girl can give them.

5)Feel free to walk on any farm to work your wiles onto horse owners. Don't call.

4) Lessons are for suckers, you're a natural if you love horses enough.

3)Any horse can do anything if you just believe in them hard enough. Children are the best at spotting talent. The more people think it is rank and untalented, the more awesome that horse is furreals.

2)All the boundaries set by your parents, barn owners, or teachers are just to keep you from reaching the next level, because they don't believe in you. Prove them wrong.

1) There are thousands of washed-up ex-superstar trainers just waiting for a young girl's exuberance to break them out of their funk and launch the pair into super stardom!