My View on Horse Slaughter. Here we go...

*Gets on soap box*

I have a hard time sharing my opinion on this topic of horse slaughter. It's a very personal topic to me & yet so many of my closest colleagues have opposite views. I recently got into an online debate about it which left me feeling that I need to just put my opinion out there. I don't know if writing this will make a bit of difference because it seems that so many are stuck on one side or another. My hopes are that I can shine a light on why I think the slaughter plants should never be opened again.

My convictions go right to the heart of the unwanted horse problem. The year before the horse slaughter plants closed in 2006, over 100,000 horses were processed in America. To give you an idea of how many horses that is, that's about the same number of people that live in Topeka. That number boggles my mind because that's just the number of horses slaughter & not the exact number of unwanted horses for that year! Since the closings, it's estimated that the number of unwanted horses has doubled.
This brings me to my point of- WHY THE HELL ARE WE BREEDING THIS MANY HORSES???

When the plants did close & later the economy tanked, I couldn't believe how many craptastic breeders were coming out of nowhere trying to dump their mediocre breeding herds in the market. It reminded me of rats abandoning a sinking ship. It seemed like wherever I looked, some no-name farm was abandoning their stock. Oh, and what stock they had! Unregistered foals, stallions with little pedigree, & broodmares that hadn't worked a day in their life. Just what every horseman needs right? A straight-shouldered, out of shape, rank broodmare to break out at 12 years old! If only I had a dime for every ad I saw that was labeled "Good project." I could put that money into funding our struggling rescues!

This brings me to me next point. Some horse rescues were already having a hard time before the economy tanked. Now the times are much more difficult. My heart breaks for them because I wish I could do more than I can. I hear all the time "The rescues are struggling because the slaughter plants closed." Yes, the rescues are struggling because we as a horse industry are not doing enough to help! Why should we leave the responsibility of the unwanted horse problem up to the rescues? Are they the only ones capable of feeding, providing shelter, or have the ability to love these animals? I mean come on! Really?! It's not that difficult to take in one of the approximate 200,000 unwanted horses. You just have to a) Have a horse-friendly facility, b) take care of them & c) not be a scumbag!
It seems to me like maybe rescue horses get a bad rap which keeps people away from adopting. I think those conflicted about adopting would be surprised just how many nice horses are in rescues. Here's a great example:
Meet Magic or Elkin Magic as researching the brand on his neck has found. Yes, I say researching because after the Arabian Rescue Mission pulled Magic out of the kill buyer's pen at an east coast auction house, they had a little fact finding to do. The research tells us is that Magic was bred from wonderful, old Polish Arabian bloodlines. You can see here that someone cared enough to publish his breeding online. Also, it turns out that someone also thought he was nice enough to breed. Yes, Magic is a papa to a nice filly with a show record! Not only was Magic used for breeding but someone took the time to break him out. His foster farm discovered that Magic is a solid riding horse that even neck reins to the softest touch. In fact, he was so nice they used him as a therapy horse for children with special needs. We don't know exactly how Magic made it from A to B & probably never will. Magic is now adored by all & will live out his days as a beginner rider mount here at our farm.

So I've pointed out what I feel are the two major elements of the unwanted horse problem but where's the solution?
Here's my thoughts- Be Responsible! What if every horseman became more educated about the horse industry so they can do their part in solving the unwanted instead of leaving it to the bloody hands of the processing plants? This is a big problem in our industry & doing little is not going to solve it. When a sink floods you don't just remove the water do you? You shut off the faucet & clean up the mess! This is my hope. That together we'll all do our part for these animals we are so passionate about & take care of the mess we have all neglected.


Before I get down from my box, I'd invite you to look at Magic's picture. Would you want the hundreds of thousands like him to die if we continue to ignore the heart of the problem & let the slaughter plants re-opened? He missed that fate when someone took responsibility & saved him from the slaughter truck. I don't want to even think about where he would be if no one was there for him. Thanks for reading...

*Steps down off soap box*

Goals, dreams, & expectations! Oh my!

Spring is officially official. We are expecting our first big thunderstorm tonight & I am forced inside. Along with green things growing & bad weather blowing, Spring also brings along another horse show season. This is the time of year I most look forward to, even more than Christmas!
I've already been to a couple of shows so far. Miss Sugar-Boogars went to her 1st dressage schooling show &, last weekend, an all-breed show. Miss Sugar ( I now refer to her as "Miss" because she is currently my only show horse & therefore dubbed a diva! Ha! ) was entered in the dressage schooling show for shits & giggles. My favorite part in one of our tests was when we were trotting across the diagonal & had to arrive back to the rail between a pile of poo. Miss Sugar did not care for the closeness of the rail or getting close to the pile so she slammed on the brakes & stopped. Yeah... I had a little chuckle but the German-bred dressage judge did not. Oh well.

I know some may look at us, see that sometimes we really don't have it together, & that's fine to me. I am well aware of our problems & am constantly searching for the solutions. We both have huge flaws in our training & that would be confidence. I have my ups & downs like everyone but Sugar has just never had any. Miss Sugar was barely handled until she was seven & was severely neglected most of her life. Everything is a big deal to her because before it was so bleak.
No matter how uncertain she may be, I know my horse. I know what she is capable of that day, that moment, & in every step. I never ask for more than she can give & really try to keep a level head. I feel I am building a better horse every second I am in the saddle & that gives me courage.

One thing that I've learned is to always work toward a goal. Goals are so vital to training. Goals give structure to your riding. It keeps riders focused & horses from getting sour. I started keeping a goal sheet for my horses when I was eleven years old. I look back at my scribbling & laugh- Look up, breath, & smile. Fast forward 15 years later & I'm still working on them! I keep goals for my horses, for me, for shows, for everything! There is no better feeling then working towards a goal & achieving it.
Now, goals are one thing but expectations are another. When I ride, I throw all expectations away. One thing I've learned that nothing is worse for your confidence than dashed expectations. Riding young & green horses has really hit that realization home. At the dressage show I made a mistake of having some expectations of another horse I rode, Bambi. She warmed-up beautifully before our class but when we came to the show ring, they were running about 15 minutes behind. As we waited & walked around, I thought of our great warm-up & how we were going to nail this test. When our time came, our test was far less than I imagined. We were stiff, she was behind the leg, & it all fell apart in many of the movements. I slinked back to the trailer & felt the tears. How stupid was I to expect so much.
There's a saying to shoot for the moon & if you miss you'll be with the stars. Sounds glorious but what if you you've worked so hard & miss everything all together? Dashed hopes can set you so far back that everything loses it's spark. I saw some huge expectations this weekend, too. A woman went in to a class without properly schooling her her horse. She bragged earlier about how she hadn't ridden him since the summer in that certain discipline. She went in that class & guess what? The horse exploded so big I thought she was going to hit the roof! For whatever illogical reasons she reprimanded the horse & continued to push. Sometimes you can't solve the problem when it's your thinking that's wrong.
Now I'm not saying to lose hope or give up on dreams. I dream all the time as I'm sure many do. I like to imagine showing my girl Sunny at Nationals. Beating those big name trainers with their greased-up Gayrabs would be such a highlight! I would love to ride Bambi to FEI dressage levels. I dream of taking Miss Sugar to the Olympics ( Don't laugh or I'll spank you )& winning the gold against million dollar warmbloods. But I'm a realist &, like I said, know my girls. I also know my bank account & that these dreams are such. I'll dream on, set my little goals, & keep any expectations in check.
By the way, if any millionaire playboys are reading this, please feel free to contact me. :) Anyways...

Well, I hear the rumbling of thunder & my scaredy-cat dog is telling me we should take cover. Keep dreaming readers & happy riding!

Good horsemen are mental

Cabin fever has struck me again. So here I am, babbling away because the cold & damp weather keeps me from getting in the saddle. In this time I've also been doing a lot of reading on different horse training methods. These books follow different training techniques from a classical teacher to a zen master & finally an old school cowboy. In reading their publications, I've found one thing that they all have in common-Attitude.
All of these books stress the importance of both the horse's & rider's mental state & how they relate to one another. From my experience I've also concluded that either the horse's or the rider's attitude will determine the outcome of their training.
For example, a rider that has fear tends to over-ride the horse. This rider worries when the horse reacts differently than what they intended. This worried emotional state can affect elements used for balance such as breathing, muscle relaxation, & body awareness. The loss of balance from the rider hinders communication between the horse that's essential for control. Control is needed to establish confidence between horse & rider. When the horse has no trust or confidence of it's rider then it will act on it's own. It's a cycle that could have been prevent if only the rider started with a good attitude. Unfortunately I see this pattern a lot. The outcome is never good & most often the horse is blamed when it's only the victim.
A positive attitude is essential for success not only in working with horse but also in life. So I'm going to continue to think positively that the sun will make an appearance tomorrow so I can get in the saddle again!

Sugar's Story: Part deux!

I left Sugar & her colt, recently dubbed Cinnamon, to settle in their new digs. I watched them for a while as they sniffed around the paddock. That night it finally hit me about what I was getting into. They needed shots, a good worming, bathes, hoof care, & a lot of good food. More than that they need attention & training. This was going to be some project! The time & money needed to accomplish my goal swarmed in my head but it didn't overwhelm me. What I was doing was good & I couldn't wait to get started!
The following days were spent on getting both of them acquainted with me. It turns out that although Sugar was six years old, she didn't have any training at all. (Ugh) The halter that the previous owner left on her didn't mean she was halter-broke whatsoever. It was a symbol of their carelessness to take the time to work with her. When she was willing to let me touch her face I took off the raggedy old halter. They had left it on her so long that it left sores in many places. I hoped that it wouldn't scar her beautiful face.
It didn't take the new pair long until they were both comfortable letting me touch them everywhere. In fact, both of them soon enjoyed my company & lavished the new attention. Cinnamon followed me around like a puppy dog. When I didn't give him the attention he wanted he would take off, wildly bucking. He was the cutest, furriest little fireball ever! I couldn't help to imagine what he would be when he grew up.
The next months are a blur of teaching them to pick up their feet, giving them much needed baths, & their first vet visit. When the Spring & Summer months came, their ruddy coats disappeared into lovely, shiny hair. It was a transformation to be seen! Their past is only a memory now. They are completely different horses now.
In the years, Sugar turned out to be one of the most sweetest mares I've ever worked with. Her training would have came easy if it hadn't been for her lack of confidence. What I was trying to teach her now was so new from her earlier life of doing nothing. It has taken us a longtime just to get the basics down. Even though her progress is slower than I hoped, it still brings me great joy to work with her.
The little baby fireball named Cinnamon grew into an easy going colt. He actually didn't grow much, a result of being malnourished at such a young age. His good nature & desire for attention made his training come easily. It took no time at all until he was broke to ride. Their second winter, I put both of them up for sale to see if they could find that perfect home they needed. Cinnamon was immediately scooped up by a family. The youngest daughter loves him & rides him around the yard regularly.
Sugar got some hits but nothing that really suited her. Now I realize my time spent on finding her that perfect home was wasted. Sugar had already found it here.
Last year I rode her in a few clinics & even took her to her first shows. At every outing she showed like a star! (I'm being maybe a little biased!) My heart fills with pride everytime I think about that mare & how far she's come. She's not the size, color, or even gender that I prefer but I will not dare to think about not having her in my life.

Sugar's Story

It's been over a year since I thought about blogging & never got around to doing it! Now, this string of awful winter weather has forced me to get around to things that I've set aside. (You should see my spotless house!) So for my first post I wanted to write about a horse that needs her story told. I met her almost five years ago to the day at an auction & I can still remember that first glance at her.
We first heard of this estate auction from a friend. She knew the seller & that he had a herd of Arabian horses. The man's financials were a wreck so he could no longer afford his horses. I was interested in taking on a project horse so I visited his farm the day before the auction to see what he had. When I first walked onto his farm I was shocked. The seller had about a dozen mares, all with foals, in a tiny pen with mud up to their knees.
They were all skinny, unkept, & eating moldy hay. My heart sank as I inspected them closely. Most of the broodmares were covered in lice, ringworm, & rain rot. They were all sweet & didn't mind me walking around them at all. They were too intent of eating whatever they could! However, the babies were wild! The foals were like fuzzy rabbits & bounced around every time I got close.
The seller talked about how they were out of prestigious bloodlines. I pretended to listen but really didn't care. He was so delusional that I wondered if he even knew how terrible his herd looked. The more that man talked, the angrier I got. I didn't stay long because I thought I might snap & strangle him.
I made notes in my head about what order of horses I would bid. First, the more experienced horse was an older gray mare. Next, a younger gray mare with nice size & a flashy bay colt on her side. Finally, a very typey chestnut mare with a super cute colt. I knew they all would be big projects but how could I not give them a chance?
The next morning, I arrived just before the auction started. The ignoramus seller was over by his stallions talking them up to a small crowd. I had only glanced at the studs the day before. They were in about the same sad state like the mares. I was too depressed to even take a closer look. I went over to the mare pen & stayed there until the auction started.
As the auction went, my first two pics went for the most money. I figured that would happen as they were the best of the group. The two gray mares went to a nice looking family. I hoped that all of them went to good homes. Then my chestnut pair came through. They hardly looked up to the commotion, too content on eating whatever was left of the hay. I was the only bidder as they were one of the last horses to go through. A whopping $75 a piece & they were mine.
Afterwards, I talked a little more to the seller & got all the information I could on my new pair. He offered to help my load but I kindly refused. Incidentally, they loaded just fine. I imagined they knew what was happening & were happy to leave!
More to come on their arrival, etc.! It's bedtime now so stayed tuned for part duex!