Raccoon's Ravings

More "dancing horse" horror.

2011-03-07T09:42:00.000-08:00

el caballo azteca bailando en culiacan

Did you see how the horse struck out at the handler? And how his ears were pinned several times? And how he was a nervous wreck the entire video?

That, in my opinion, says far more about the handler than the horse.

El compa alonso, entrenando caballo bailador
This one is also particularly upsetting. I'm not exactly sure what the guy is trying to do, but I think the horse has made it perfectly clear what he thinks of it. And that's all I need to see.

El Macho Bailador 1

Yes, let's put chains around the poor thing's legs, tie him up, and whip his legs to make him prance. Awesome.

El Macho Bailador 2

Same mule again. Isn't that just precious.

El toro bailador

El toro bailador 2!!

And because doing it to horses isn't enough, let's try it with a bull!
The poor thing looks aggravated. It tried to bolt a several times. The reins attached to the nose ring make me want to cry a little. Ouch.

Notice how long they make the animals do that. At least several minutes at a time, no rest. And often on hard surfaces.

One more horror show.

Are your eyeballs burning out of their sockets yet?

Let me just say something...

2011-03-04T10:17:00.000-08:00

Horse slaughter is often referred to as a "necessary evil".

A necessary evil.

...

There is

No.

Such.

Thing.

Horses aren't slaves and I can prove it.

2011-01-24T20:00:00.000-08:00

I find it interesting that certain animal rights extremists (or radical "horse trainers") feel that riding horses, or even keeping them at all, is somehow "enslaving" them. They should all be set free, right?

Mkay. Let me explain something.

Domestic horses are, for the most part, the farthest thing from slaves as any creature can get. In fact, most horse owners will tell you that the horses are the ones cracking the whip.

Bottom line:
Dogs have masters. Horses have staff.

Have you ever seen a horse prepare his own meal? And when's the last time you saw a horse clean up after himself? That's what we're for. We are their personal cooks, maids, beauticians, fitness trainers, and body guards.

Assuming they have decent owners, which is the case more often than not, horses never have a care in the world. They're generally a lot happier and healthier living with people than they are out in the wild, taking their chances with the bears and mountain lions.

I don't know, I think I'd rather be a pampered pet than lunch for a large carnivorous mammal.

United Horseman and the Pro-Slaughter mess in Vegas.

2011-01-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Firstly, I apologize for my absence these past few months. I've been having computer issues and other stuff going on. Anyway, to the point.

United Horseman on Horse Slaughter.

Okay, seriously? First off, they lumped slaughter in with rescue and rejuvenation. WTF??? Are they TRYING to piss people off? Rescue is about as far from slaughter as it gets. Rescues are there to help horses. Slaughter, as in hitting them in the head with a captive bolt and hanging them upside down, is not helpful to the horse. Obviously. It does, however, enable breeders and irresponsible owners to make their "unwanted" horses go away.

Scroll down to the slaughter section.

"For those horses who have lived past their useful life, who are unsound, or dangerous and untrainable..."

This is a very telling statement. It shows exactly what kind of people we're dealing with. Let me translate that highlighted part:

"If you're sick of paying to feed and care for your old show horse that can no longer compete or be ridden, slaughter is a no-brainer solution."

These cretins who claim to want the best for these animals only care for them as long as they're useful. If a horse can't be ridden anymore, they're better off dead. That's exactly what that statement is saying.

Think about it: How many decent horse people would ever allow one of their horses to end up in a slaughterhouse? Good owners just do not let that happen. What good owner could stomach the idea of their beloved pet being cut up and shipped to a foreign restaurant to end up on some rich bastard's dinner plate (or in this case, United Horsemen seem to think that America will be happy to start eating horses)? How would you feel if your horse was turned into dog food?

Even if horse slaughter was humane (which will never happen), how could you stand the idea of your pet being taken away and killed, butchered, packaged, and sold for food? Is that not mortifying as all hell?

Horses are not food animals. Bottom line. They are pets. By pro-slaughter logic, it should be perfectly fine to start slaughtering cats and dogs. Wouldn't that go over well with the American public? Horses are exactly the same as any other pet. Ever seen a pig being ridden in a parade? Ever seen a cow in a presidential funeral? Not. Food. Animals. End of story. It's not about which animal is smarter (although you will never convince me that pigs are smarter than horses) or whether or not they have the ability to reason or any other BS that some pro-slaughter advocates spew. And it has nothing to do with which horses are better quality. A fat, shaggy, grade pony shouldn't be in a kill pen any more than a Hanoverian showjumper. A horse is a horse.

And that Horse Eater's Conference in Vegas? Way to go, Dave and Sue. You just made total dickweeds of yourselves. I hope you're happy.

He's a skewbald frame overo, DUH!

2010-11-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

Why does everyone need to know the exact, "official" color and/or breed of their horse? I just find it confusing. I never understood all the different pinto patterns, besides tobiano and overo. A spotted horse is a spotted horse. A brown horse is a brown horse. A white horse is a white horse. I don't always pay attention to all the genetic or "technical" terms for color. You don't have to use all the correct jargon to be a good horseman.

For instance, I would probably call these horses white:

Even though I'm well aware that they are cremello and grey. It 's just out of habbit.

And I might call this horse brown, or just bay. Not "mahogany bay" or "blood bay" or any other goofy term that people come up with to make a very common color sound exotic.

I'm not ashamed to say that my horses are plain 'ole bay and plain 'ole chestnut. Nothing rare or spectacular about their colors at all. And when I'm talking to children or non-horse people, I use terms like, "that brown and black horse" or "the pumpkin-colored horse". You get my point.

So when someone refers to a horse as "caramel", there's no need to puff up like a blowfish and say, "It's buckskin." You'll sound like a know-it-all. And that's not nice.

OT, but have you ever noticed when people say, "two white stockings" or "a white blaze" or likewise? As if those markings come in any other color? XD rofl I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as a black snip or a chestnut sock. I've never seen one, anyway.

Silly people.

This is a direct shoutout to Ms. Beth Lynne Hoskins.

2010-11-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

How do you sleep at night, you dumb shit?

How can you sit there and act like a victim when your 73 horses were starving and standing in a foot of feces? How DARE you try to make yourself out to be the victim when your horses were out in your filthy barns, wasting away! What kind of mental illness are you suffering from, to think for a second that you deserve to have even a single animal returned to you? You're a poor excuse for a human being, you dirtbag. I hope karma gets you if the justice system doesn't.

I've seen the photos and video footage of the seizure. Most of those horses were matted with mud and feces from head to toe, had bones sticking out, and generally looked like they'd been left in a stall and forgotten for a few months. In good animal husbandry, horses don't look like that. Ever. There is no excuse. And NOBODY needs 73 horses, especially when they don't have any help. One person cannot take care of that many animals. Period.

40 horses have been given back to her. Can we say INFURIATING? That woman should not have ANY animals. How the hell does the judge think she can take care of 40 horses?

I can safely bet that we haven't heard the last of Hoskins' stupidity. Just wait.

I feel better now. Just needed to get it all out.

Someday, it'll be legal to shoot people like her.

I would like to know something.

2010-10-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

How and why do the worst horse people end up with the most incredible horses? Seriously. If you're a regular on Youtube, you know what I mean.

Especially these idiot teenagers who go crashing around on horses that are worth their weight in gold. The worst part is their attitude. I think that's what makes it so aggravating.
'
One thing that irks me is when young riders post public videos and then tell you they don't want any advice or negative comments. Those are usually also the people who make up all these excuses as to why they're doing stupid things. It's never their fault! Of course not.

So what, they only want suck-up comments? They want the world to tell them how great they are and only tell them what they want to hear? That's not the way it works. Let me explain something.

When you post a video on the internet for the world to see, you invite any and all types of feedback. People can say whatever they want. You won't always be told what you want to be told. It's not all sunshine and butterflies, mkay? If you can't take criticism or advice, don't post your crap on the web. Or at least put it on the private setting.

And it's really fucking annoying when I hear things like, "YOU DON'T KNOW MY HORSE SO JUST STFU!!!!!"

I dare you to go to your next show and say that to the judge.

For the record, it's not how high you jump. It's how well you do it. Being able to leap over a 5-foot oxer absolutely does NOT make you a great rider-- unless you do it correctly.

I do not necessarily think these kids are bad riders. They're just green riders who are getting impatient with the basic -but essential- lower level practice and trying to pull off stunts that are way too advanced for their skill level. That is what makes them "bad riders".

But hey, there's usually no telling them that. 15 year olds know everything, right? *wink* Their personal riding instructors are the only knowledgable horse people in the world and nobody else has any right to give them tips or advice! The audacity of some people, how DARE they give their honest opinions or try to help you! Gosh.

[/end sarcasm]

It also irritates me when they say, "If I was doing it wrong, my horse would just refuse!"

Actually, no. Apparently you don't know your horse as well as you claim (and I bet you're one of the idiots who raves all day long about what a majikal "bond" you have with your horse). You see, a lot of times, animals don't show pain. Horses are particularly enigmatic in this way. They are astonishingly complaisant, especially when it comes to immature brats like you, and it's beyond me how or why they do it. Your horse is well trained and obedient, so he tolerates your foolishness when he really should kick your spoiled ass a few times and knock that attitude right out of you.

Either that or a teacher that's strict as holy hell. They'd put you in your place mighty fast.

Will you please feed your damn horse?

2010-10-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Nothing makes my blood boil more than seeing skinny horses. There is NEVER an excuse for a horse to be skin and bone. Never.

There are two excuses that are repeated like a broken record:

1) The horse is old

2) The horse just had a baby

Or, like a dickweed I saw at the county fair in August, the mare was old AND she just had a baby. Awesome. That poor mare was a rack of bones, and this asshat took her out in public for the world to see, obviously not seeing anything wrong with the picture. But that's not the point...

I'm seething right now after watching this.

Not only is there junk laying all over and they threw the horse's grain on the ground, but the poor mama horse looks like she's about to keel over. She's droopy and depressed on top of that. God, this is so aggravating.

I'd like to know what kind of delusions these fucktards are suffering from.

More skinny mare horror.

And more.

Notice some of the comments on the second to last one. Makes you want to blow chunks, doesn't it?

There are plenty of normal, healthy mares with foals. I fail to believe that those lowlifes in the video have never seen one. Shouldn't that tip them off that something is wrong? Apparently not.

Don't ever tell me that it's normal for mares to be skinny after having a baby. My horns will come out and you shall have the wrath of Hell upon you. There is just no excuse.

Do you you see that horse? Do you see any bone sticking out of her? And do you see the baby at her side? THAT mare's owner knows what they're doing. Maybe you should take some advice from them.

Here's another one, just because.

I'll send you a million more if you want.

This is really starting to get on my nerves.

2010-09-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

From the ad, my commentary in purple:

I have a few purebred Gypsy Vanners and Sporthorses (Gypsy/Friesian) for sale. I'm pretty darn sure that crossing a Vanner with a Friesian doesn't make the baby a sporthorse. Sure, it sounds fancy and speshul, but a horse actually has to compete in a sport to be considered a sporthorse. Shocking, I know! These horses have outstanding bloodlines going back to "The Road Sweeper" and "Charlie" Yet the horses you're advertising don't look half as impressive as their ancestors. in which you can google these Gypsy stallions and see their accomplishments in the show world. I don't really care about their distant relatives' accomplishments if the horse I'm looking at hasn't done anything or is lesser quality than said famous stallions. These horses would excel in the show ring with the proper training. So they haven't done anything! Surprise, surprise. These horses are very personable and are real people horses.They are an absolute joy to be around! I do offer creative financing with a 50% down payment. I'm guessing that implies that she's asking an arm and a leg for these horses that don't even seem to have a show record. I am also open to trades for ???? What do you have to offer? For more information and pricing please call XXX-XXX-XXXX.Please keep in mind tha these are exotic draft breeds. And...? What is there to keep in mind? Like being a non-native draft breed is something extraordinary? There is only one native American draft breed, all others are technically "exotic" (and I use the term loosely. Horses are not exotic animals, period. It's just a fancy word to make her horses sound rare and amazing).

SERIOUS ADULT INQUIRIES ONLY!!!! GYPSY VANNER AND FRIESIAN STUD SERVICE ALSO AVAILABLE!!!!!!!!!!! Greeaat...

So, she thinks her mixed breed horses are something special, as if mediocre-quality Gypsies and Friesians are uncommon. Yet she fails to mention any crucial details like age, height, gender, training, and price range. Well, I don't really want to know what she's asking for any of them. I'd probably fall out of my chair.

Gypsy people. *eye roll*

This just made me ill.

2010-08-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

Sometimes love just ain't enough, that's why we have vets!

That whole thing is a very sad state of affairs. Mostly for the poor pony. Here are my two cents on this:

First of all, I do not blame the girl for the pony's death. She's a kid, and she can't pay vet bills. Her parents are ultimately responsible for making sure her animals are looked after, because they are the adults. She obviously keeps her horse at a boarding facility where there are plenty of other people around. No one else's horses were skinny, so you'd think that would give her a clue. You'd also think that SOMEONE would notice Pony's spine sticking out and say something to the girl and/or her parents. Where was the stable owner when this was going on? Where was the instructor? What the bloody hell were her parents thinking??? From start to finish, this lasted less than a year. Pony was healthy and perky when she got him, and in less than a year, he's dead. That's a very rapid decline. You can't tell me that no one saw anything wrong with that picture. I guess nobody at that stable understands that there is NEVER an excuse for a horse to be skinny. Maybe they thought it was normal because he was old. Bagh! I loath that excuse.

On the other hand, I have little to no sympathy for the girl. I get the impression that she's a few bricks short of a cartload. Who the hell films their deceased animal??? Isn't it bad enough that you have to see it once? Why on God's green earth would you want to relive it? And why would you think that anyone else would want to see it? That bit with the dead horse was more than a little mortifying. It's obvious that some thought went into those photos and videos, especially the walking away scene at the end. I wonder if she was already thinking about what song to put in the video? Did she pose for those photos of her cuddling with Pony's corpse? For God's sake, her pony just died. Making an over-dramatic video should be the last thing on her mind!

Call me crazy, but she didn't look like a little girl that had just lost her pony. Most people would be inconsolable if their horse had just dropped dead. She didn't look all that choked up over it.

Now, I do blame her for continuing to ride Pony when he was looking like a rack of bones. As much as she rode him bareback, did she not feel his ribs and spine sticking out? She appears to be in her early teens, and she's damn well old enough to tell the difference between fat and skinny. There are kids half her age who could look at her pony and know that something was wrong. She made the choice to keep riding the poor thing when she should have known a hell of a lot better than that. She needs to be taught that there's more to horse ownership than riding. It also bothers me that she never says anything that would imply that she acknowledged that her horse had lost a ton of weight. She seems to believe that it was a sudden and unexpected tragedy, when any normal person would have seen it coming a mile away.

This girl is obviously bright enough to make videos and put them on Youtube (and disable comments on certain videos. Wink wink). There's no reason she couldn't have gone on a horse forum and asked around as to why her horse was losing weight. And she definitely could have done some research.

I understand that she's now on her third horse. Don't tell me this kid isn't spoiled. And extremely dramatic.

Those dead pony scenes are burned into my mind. I never want to see that video again.

I hate people sometimes. rant

2010-08-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

Our new neighbors are pretty nice for the most part, or at least I thought so until about three weeks ago. The wife came by and asked us if her cat could come live in our barn, because apparently she's pregnant and they don't want her anymore.

Why is the cat not spayed? WHO KNOWS!

And why were they letting their UNSPAYED cat outside? I haven't the faintest notion.

These people have money. They own several houses and have their own mechanic business. I could understand if they were really pinched for cash, but they're far from it. I guess it's just too much to ask for them to stick a crowbar in their wallet and cough up the money to spay their cat.

And here's the best part: if we don't take her, the wife is going to take her out back and dump her in the shed. So she can just raise feral kittens who will grow up and mutliply into hundreds more feral kittens that will likely either be killed by coyotes or picked up by animal control and put to sleep.

I'm not made of money and the last thing I need is another cat and God knows how many kittens to feed, spay, and vaccinate. I already have a stray tomcat that I need to catch and have neutered (I'd be willing to bet that he's the father of the kittens). But I can't stand the idea of their cat and kittens being thrown out and allowed to reproduce like bunnies.

I haven't heard anything from them for a while so I'm not sure what's going on. I guess I'll find out if I go out to the barn one of these days and find an extra cat in the loft.

It's a shame because these people are really nice, but this cat thing just pushed me the wrong way.

Craigslist Dickweed of the Day!

2010-08-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Link.

And in case it gets deleted:

BROKE PONY nobody wants but needs home - $150

Broke to ride and drive but for some odd reason nobody wants him. He is a 2 yr old gelding...for more details and pictures by phone only call X-XXX-XXX-XXXX thanks serious people only!

No one wants him? Maybe that's because you've included next to no information about the pony. Maybe that's because you have very poor marketing skills. Or maybe it's because said pony is already broke to ride and drive at the ripe old age of TWO!

Who the hell wants a pony that's likely to have soundness issues early in life? I'll bet you anything he'll be lame by the time he's 12. That's just ridiculous. I wonder what the photos look like? I'm picturing a wormy little pony standing in a muddy paddock, possibly with a few helmet-less kids using him as a jungle gym.

I hope some nice person comes and upgrades him.

Are ponies really stronger than horses?

2010-08-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

I don't think they are. I think they're just hardier. I can't stand watching full sized adults riding ponies (or worse, minis).

And just because ponies can carry a lot of weight doesn't mean they should. Why do you think so many of them founder? Because they gain weight easily, and carrying around all that extra weight (which pretty much equals the weight of a small rider) damages their feet. So no, I do not believe it is safe for them to carry oversize riders any more than it is for horses.

I don't even like seeing adults riding mini donkeys, and they're supposed to be the hardiest equine you can get. But they're so docile and good-natured that they wouldn't put up a fight even if they were in discomfort.

Strongest horse in the world

Does anyone else feel really bad for that pony?

This one is even worse. Take a gander at those hooves.

Flicka

I hate people.

You gotta be kidding me.

2010-08-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Most people want to know exactly what they're getting when buying a horse. So let's talk about one of my biggest pet peeves: people who sell mares who *might* be in foal.

Okay... what? Why the hell would someone want a mare that might be in foal? I don't know about you, but I want to know up front, for 100% certainty, and with vet records, that the mare is or is not pregnant. I don't want any surprises 11 months from now. If the mare has been exposed to a stallion, you better show me some paperwork proving that she is or isn't in foal.

What if someone pays for a mare in foal and the mare ends up not being pregnant after all? And what if someone buys a mare not knowing she's pregnant, and ends up with a foal that they can't afford or take care of?

I hate it when people do that. It gives me the impression that they're lazy, bottom-feeding hillbillies.

Blegh.

It's about damn time.

2010-07-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Lawmakers Consider an Animal Abuse Registry.

I'm all for this bill, and I hope the rest of the states follow suit. Way to go, Mr. Florez!

Some of the comments made me sick. Who the hell compares animal abuse with speeding? Those two are leagues apart. Everybody speeds. People who get speeding tickets usually aren't serial killers. They're average people. Speeding usually means that a person was in a hurry or not paying attention to the speedometer. It doesn't make them criminals.

Animal abusers are on a whole different level. An individual who beats, starves, tortures, or kills an animal is a dangerous criminal. I dare go so far as to say that it's eerily similar in nature to child abuse and domestic violence. There is a very short transition from animal abuse to, say, a spouse abusing his/her partner or some sicko going around and kidnapping and raping women.

To me, animal abuse is just as mortifying and despicable as child abuse. Both children and animals are powerless to change their situation, they're completely innocent, defenseless, and they have no idea why they're being hurt. Animals can suffer just as much as any human.

Anyone who would lump animal abuse in with shoplifting or speeding has their head up their ass.

And we're not talking about a registry for people who don't keep up on their horses' hoof trimming (which is something only a poophead would do, but that's not the point). It would be for FELONS. People like Michael Vick and Ernie Paragallo. The truly evil, sadistic asshats that nobody wants around.

I would use this database. I'm sure plenty of other people would, too.

I read an article in the paper about it the other day, and a question came up asking, "Do people who abuse animals deserve a lifelong label?"

Oh, Hell yes.

I can't believe that that's even a question. Anyone who would do something bad enough to be charged with felony animal abuse deserves to be hung up in the nearest tree.

And besides, let's say you were looking for a babysitter for your kid and you looked an applicant up on the registry, and he/she comes up for dog fighting. Would you want someone like that babysitting your kid? Would you even want that person in your neighborhood? Hell, no!

Call me a PETA-loving animal rights extremist all you want (it's not true, but go ahead). You don't have to be some crazy lunatic to agree that animal abuse is serious business and nothing to be taken lightly. Yes? Yes.

And, FYI, if it was up to me, all violent criminals would be branded across the forehead and be subject to public ridicule.

Actually, scratch that. All violent criminals would be subject to death by firing squad. That's what I would do.

To all you people who want to buy a baby horse for your kids...

2010-06-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

DON'T DO IT.

You'll regret it. Trust me, I've been there. I know it seems like a good idea to a lot of parents to have their kid "grow up with" their horse, but it doesn't work like that in the real world.

It's cute for about two weeks and then the novelty wears off and you're left with a really big problem. Why? Because baby horses are naughty, uneducated little accidents waiting to happen if you don't know how to train them. They're a massive investment of time and money and should only be taken on by experienced horsemen. They are NOT safe for children. And it isn't fun anymore after your kid gets kicked or run over by a belligerent colt. Foals are frisky, mischievous little buggers. They like to roughhouse. They don't understand that children are delicate and that they have to be on their best behavior around them. Even though foals are small and cute, they are still strong and dangerous. And it gets worse when they're one and two years old. It's like trying to control an 800 pound teenager with an attention span of three seconds!

Furthermore, your kid is not going to want to wait three years to be able to ride their horse. Actually, scratch that. No greenbroke three year old is kid safe. You'd have to put a lot of miles on the horse before you even think of putting kids on it.

Can you afford a trainer for all those years to teach the thing to load, tie, bathe, clip, lift his feet, pony, and all that good stuff you should teach a horse before you ever put a saddle on him? Then you need the trainer to break the horse and get him trained enough for beginner riders, and who knows how long that would take. At this point, your kids are probably getting impatient and losing interest.

My parents bought me an unbroke 2 year old for my first horse, with the intention of us "growing up together". Of course, I didn't know any better either, and it soon turned out to be a huge mess. The horse was sedated when we went to look at him and when we brought him home, he was a nightmare. He was pushy, rude, obnoxious, and dangerous. I sure as hell couldn't handle him. The only thing I could do was sit in his stall and brush him. He eventually turned out to be a wonderful horse with several years of maturing, a couple of good trainers, an emotional roller coaster ride, and a huge chunk out of my mother's wallet (can you guess who it was? It was Norman!). Would I go through that fiasco all over again? Probably not, and I would advise anyone else to make a wise, clearheaded decision when purchasing a horse. ESPECIALLY if you're getting one for your children. Go for a good 'ole, middle-aged, dead broke, babysitter-type horse. It doesn't have to look like a perfect little show pony, either. ALL horses are beautiful to kids, and they're just happy to have one.

Raising a foal can be a wonderful and extremely rewarding experience, IF you know what you're doing. But don't even think about it if you're a non-horsey mom or dad who wants to get your kiddie a horse. Mkay? Don't.

Some people need to chill out.

2010-06-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Is there really any reason for some people to be so uptight about their horses? The stable is supposed to be a fun place. If you make it miserable, then what's the point of even being there? You're supposed to have fun with your horses, not get worked up over every little minor detail.

For instance, there was this stallion at my old barn who was kept in his stall 24-7-365. He wasn't even allowed to go out into a paddock by himself, even though the BO offered the owner a separate turnout area. The owner claimed that she didn't want to risk him getting nicked up or injured and he had special shoes on and she didn't want them to get ruined. She kept him blanketed and hooded even in 50 degree weather and put chains around his ankles. She also frequently tied him up so he couldn't reach his food or water. And she was adamant that no one was to go near him or pay any kind of attention to him, EVER. Never gave anyone a reason, but the horse was to be locked up and isolated at all times. The owner would absolutely go through the roof if she even suspected that anything near his stall had been touched. Although, oddly enough, the owner boasted all day long about his outstanding temperament and that he was so well-behaved that you wouldn't even know he was a stud. Which was true.

This stallion was one of the most polite and gentlemanly horses I've ever known. Whenever I was alone at the barn, I'd open his stall door and pet him and give him a few treats. He seemed grateful for the attention and never once did anything wrong. How he was so friendly despite the way he was treated, I will never know. You could tell that he was going loopy from being locked up. He would just stand in the corner and stare off into space like a zombie. He had no muscle tone and his tail was falling out, just from deteriorating in that stall. It was so sad.

And then you have people who flip their lid if someone pets their horse. I mean, is that really necessary? I understand if the horse is dangerous, but if that's the case, you should have a sign posted on his stall. I know that lots of non-horse people like to go to the stables and visit the horses. Is it going to kill your horse to have someone pat him on the neck? I think not. Count to ten and take a chill pill. Not everyone is fortunate enough to own a horse, so would it be so much trouble to let them visit with yours? Like I said, barns are supposed to be fun. Don't be such a poophead. Life is too short to be getting your panties in a bunch because someone gave your horse a carrot.

A lot of people at the Midwest Horse Fair are like that. It's a shame.

Be nice and post a note if your horse isn't safe. You don't need to go batshit every time a little kid walks up to your horse and pets him on the nose. It's okay. Horses don't often have allergic reactions to children and keel over, I promise.

And you don't need to call the vet every time your horse sneezes.

It's also okay for your horse to have shavings stuck in his mane and tail. Because you see, horses like to lay down in their stalls. They make these nifty little things called combs, and it takes all of five minutes to have your horse looking as good as new.

I promise that your horse won't die if he gets bitten by another horse. It's perfectly normal for them to nip each other once in a while, and it heals right up in a couple of weeks!

And lastly, horses are outdoor animals. They're a lot tougher than humans and they don't need to be rugged whenever it's less than 80 degrees outside. A little bit of rain never hurt a horse, either.

I'm sure most of you have heard about this...

2010-06-14T10:29:00.000-07:00

Click.

The teenage girl and her mother who are trying to get rid of their dying horse. This situation makes me so angry that I can barely type. I understand that the girl is young and probably doesn't have the emotional maturity to look at her situation with a clear mind. But her mother needs to step up to the plate and teach her the meaning of responsibility. Of course, that probably won't happen.

What really irks me is that the girl is whining and crying like a spoiled little toddler. A 14 year old should know better than that. If you scroll down the page you'll see that she says putting the horse down would be too painful for her.

Here are my two cents.

She claims she loves this horse, and I say bullshit. Putting an animal down is never easy. But it comes with the territory. You have to deal with it. Furthermore, your own emotions should never cloud your judgment when considering having an animal euthed. Your feelings mean nothing and it doesn't matter one damn bit what YOU want. You have to put your emotions aside and think about what's best for your animal. How DARE you say that you love this horse so much, but in the same breath you say you can't bear to give him a quick and painless death because it's just too painful for you. That is not love. There's a word for what you're feeling. It's called selfishness.

She has some nerve complaining about her feelings being hurt when her horse is terminally ill. She's not the one that's dying. Where the hell does she get off crying because her wittle feewings were hurt? What a spoiled little brat.

I don't buy it when she says they can't afford this horse. She shows in Hunter/Jumpers for crying out loud. Either give him a retirement or put him to sleep. The money you would have spent showing this season could easily pay for that.

It makes me want to gag, the way she tried to guilt trip everybody with her "woe is me" bullshit. This isn't about her, it's about her horse. But she's making it about her. Someone needs to bitchslap her idiot mother into next week for allowing this to happen. All I can say is that I hope this mess ends well and someone knocks some sense into those two. The girl has to have a trainer or some other peers who can talk her into doing the right thing. I would hope. I know she's been getting her ass chewed on the internet. And I'm glad, because someone needs to wake her up because her mother obviously isn't teaching her any better.

*sigh*

Excuse me while I go cool off.

I really wish I'd taken my camera.

2010-05-22T16:54:00.000-07:00

My mom has been wanting a mini donkey for a while and a friend told her about this lady that breeds them. We went to go check it out, and it was a dump. Let's see if I can even count all the things that were wrong.

1. The place was run by some lady and her mother. They were both chain smokers. Each one of them lit up at least three or four times in the half hour or so that we were there.

2. There were ten bazillion matted cats running around and the lady said she bred them and had more in her basement. *cough*hoarder*cough* She said she used the money she made selling kittens to have her other cats spayed and neutered. *gonk*

3. She had ten dogs. Yes, ten.

4. She had an Appaloosa filly in a teeny-tiny little dirt lot barely big enough for a goat.

5. She had at least eight mini donkeys that I could see, and none of them looked healthy. They were dirty and hadn't been brushed in a very long time.

6. She was breeding a foundered jenny that had pretty severe slipper foot.

7. She was trying to breed her yearling stud donkey.

8. She proudly proclaimed that she sold several jennies that might have been pregnant, then ended up having to buy them back because the buyers didn't want babies.

9. There was not one safe paddock on the whole property, especially for baby horses and donkeys. Everything was falling apart, whether is was rusty pipe fencing or loose wooden boards with nails sticking out everywhere.

10. She had three mini horses. One was a stud colt that she said was bombproof and kid safe, but the son of a bitch spooked three times during the two minutes that I watched him. Another was a pregnant mare who was thin and had clumps of fur falling out, and was kept alone in a tiny dirt paddock with a rusty little shed for shelter. The last one was the worst. It was a skinny, sick-looking mare that had trouble chewing and was really stiff. The lady called her their "geriatric" horse and said they could never keep weight on her. I almost died when she told us the mare was only 18 years old.

11. She and her mother bragged on and on about their donkeys' phenomenal bloodlines. The poor critters all looked diseased.

I don't know if this is unusual since I know nothing about donkeys, but the lady said she had her donkeys' feet trimmed twice a year. Is that normal? Because that seems outrageous to me. Their feet didn't look long, but a few of them were crooked. O.o

It's easier to just say that there was NOTHING right with that place. We ran for the hills.

I felt terrible for the animals. They all needed to be upgraded, but I refuse to give that woman money and enable her to keep doing what she's doing. She puts every dime she has into acquiring more animals. Her priorities are seriously screwed up. Why doesn't she put some money into fixing fences and buying some beet pulp for her poor old mini mare? *sigh*

Nothing shocks me anymore. But I never cease to be disgusted with people. If you're sitting at home right now, go give your animals lots of hugs and kisses and tell them how lucky they are to have a good home. ;)

It's a... llama?

2010-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

I want to know why the modern halter Quarter Horse is so trendy. In my opinion, they're as ugly as sin. But hey, that's just my opinion. I'm a Thoroughbred person from the realm of general English riding, and my idea of a good horse seems to be the exact opposite of what halter QH people look for. The stock breed halter industry in general seems to like the same kind of conformation.

Massive, chunky bodies and tiny everything else. Short, skinny necks, tiny heads, and teeny little feet. It looks like their little legs can barely support their bodies. I believe the horse in the first photo is only a 2yo. I think.

They also have really steep croups and their huge butts make their tails look tiny. And they're downhill. In most disciplines, a downhill build is a no-no. Most people want a horse that's well-balanced and athletic, and I can't see any halter horse being either of those. Those horses aren't big boned, yet they have that insane muscle tone and it's not a good balance. I really want to know, can these horses do anything other than stand in an arena and square up? It looks like they have a hard time moving because they're so massive.

Halter Stallion.

I just don't see how that could be desirable. He's tanking around on his forehand and he looks really stiff. Kind of like his legs are toothpicks.

You'd think that horses like this:
would be more desirable. The gray horse looks a lot more athletic and well-proportioned than the other ones. He could easily go English or western, and just about any discipline. I wouldn't worry about his legs giving out if he tried to trot. ;) He's got nice muscle tone and the bone to support it.

I want to see a halter horse doing something besides halter. Can you even ride them? Maybe the weight of a rider would be too much for their little feet.

Where have the good hunters gone?

2010-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hunters are stereotyped as goofballs who can't ride out of a wet paper bag. Well, there are a lot of hunters out there who look like frogs going over fences and are famous for sticking their butts out and lying across the horse's neck. It's a broad generalization, but I think hunters have lost a lot of respect in the horse community. Could it be because hunter-type disciplines are popular with novice and young riders? Whatever the reason, I think it's sad. The talented hunters out there don't get enough recognition and the discipline's reputation suffers for it.

Let's run a comparison.

Here's a good hunter:

And a goofy one.

Good hunter:

Goofy hunter:

Good hunter:

You're getting the picture, yes? See, there are some good hunters in the world. At least, I thought the good ones in the pictures looked pretty good. It's time to bring back our sport and restore its reputation. I'm tired of hearing, "Hunters don't know anything" and "Hunters can't ride".

Hmph.

Goofy show trends that I don't understand.

2010-01-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

When it comes to showing (and horses in general), I'm all old school. In my opinion, classical and traditional is the best way to go. That's why it annoys me when people come up with these ridiculous gimmicks to "improve" (and I use the term lightly) their horses and their chances of winning. I don't understand how anyone can think that these things look good. You might get a good laugh out of some of this stuff. I did.

First on my list is the infamous grease. A very, very conservative amount can look nice on certain horses, like Arabians, but nowadays people like to just slather it on.

This horse looks like plastic. It's like the groom took a big gob of the stuff and smeared it all over. It's not like there's goo on the horse; the horse is inside the goo. Gross.

Which brings us to the second subject: clipping. Again, clipping can make or break a horse's appearance. Clipping the whiskers and the fuzzies under the jaw makes the horse look tidy and well kept. But when you completely shave off everything on the horse's face, it starts to look goofy. That combined with the grease makes the horse look like a Breyer model. You gotta have some hair or else it looks fake. I like to see natural ears as well. It looks nice when the ear fur is just trimmed, not completely shaved. But that's just my personal preference and I also think it depends on the horse.

Next, we have the lovely tail extensions. I went to a few shows last year and I kid you not, almost all of the horses had fake tails and all of them looked like the one in the picture. It was terrible. It was like the exhibitors all had brain farts. What the hell were they thinking? I don't even know how you can't realize how yucky that looks. Ye gods.

Some of the extensions didn't even match the real color and you could see where the real hair ended and the fake stuff started. It just hung there and didn't move with the real tail. To be honest, I've never personally seen a fake tail that wasn't obvious. And trust me, most judges don't go for gadgets like that any more than I do. At least in open shows they don't.

Another thing people will do is if their horse has a clubbed foot, they'll epoxy the hoof and cover it with polish. Why??? So your horse has a minor flaw. So what? Every horse has some kind of imperfection. Everybody knows that. You should be proud of your horse, flaws and all. Don't try to cover up every little detail you don't like. It turns the judges off.

Now this last one is the only thing that actually makes me angry. Look closely at this horse's feet.

You see those huge, square shoes that make his feet look twice as big as they should be? They do that so they can have as big and heavy a shoe as possible so the horse lifts his feet higher. The horse in the photo doesn't look at bad as a lot of the ones in my area. I should get pictures sometime. Most of them have flat, cracked hooves and are long overdue for a trim. They also have no heel whatsoever. If you've gone to any draft shows, you've probably seen it. They even shoe baby ones like that. They often have arthritis before they even reach the double digits, which is why you never see any older horses at the fair and whatnot. You won't see any working plow horses shod like that.

What's weird is that most of the draft people I've talked to are pretty decent and they seem to love their horses. It's like it just doesn't register with them that they're damaging their horses. A lot of show abuse cases are like that. Most owners are probably raised using certain methods and they think it's just the way things are done. Sad.

This will make you grind your teeth.

2010-01-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

Youtube is polluted with retina-burning images of horsemanship FAIL. I particularly have a problem with the so-called "dancing horses", where a horse is tied between two posts and some asswipe stands to the side and flicks its legs with a whip until it's too freaked out to stand still. That's how they get that awkward, grotesque version of the piaffe. If you can call it that at all.

I love how this little horse is tied up and hobbled while that POS is going to town with the whip.

caballo azteca

Another SOB who has no scruples about using a whip. Sure, it's easy to hit a horse that's totally confined and helpless, the coward. Did you see the horse try to kick out at him?

Patron dancing

And isn't this one charming? A kid riding a foal.

"Caballito Bailador" 2

Look at those hooves.

El Duende

I love it when they disable comments. Chickenshits.

Dancing Horse

I could keep posting these all day.

Napolian dancing horse

villa juarez navolato

Yegua Bailando

CABALLO BAILANDO LA CANCION EL HIJO DE LA GUAYABA

CABALLO BAILANDO SINALOENSE

CABALLO AZTECA BAILANDO

Caballo Azteca "El Conquistador" en venta

caballo bailador

EL TONTO BAILANDO

caballo bailador

caballo bailador el R15

If the sheer amount of dumbass-ery doesn't make you sick, the horrible music will. The crow-hopping, pinned ears, thrashing tails, head tossing, and striking out should be obvious to anyone. I don't want to hear the "cultural tradition" excuse. Live sacrifices were a cultural tradition in a lot of ancient civilizations and there's a reason people don't do it anymore.

And there is a huge difference between that garbage and Alta Escuela.

I want to know why those horses are always on hard surfaces. Would it kill them to at least let them do it in sand or grass? Many of them had horrible feet. A few were underfed. All of them were stressed out and angry.

Why don't those whip-happy morons take up something else, like goat herding or something? That hideous trotting-in-place thing is not a piaffe, it's not dressage, and it's definitely not High School. Notice the utter lack of cadence or rhythm, and almost all of the horses were heavy on the forehand. I have no idea how one could consider it High School. All it is is the product of some inbred Sasquatches having too much time on their hands. They think they can skip the years of schooling and imitate the real dressage riders. It's nothing but a mockery of the real thing.

I'm back!

2010-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

And I'm scared.

BLUE is a 9 year old registered paint gelding with aexceptional mind great attitude quite he does it all he has many high points &reserve high points I'm away at college he has been retired for 2 years he has a lot of life left he does have some arthritis in his hocks but is very manageable he will ONLY be sold to a good home call xxx-xxx-xxxx or xxx-xxx-xxxx

She's talking about this horse like he's freakin thirty!

He still has a lot of life in him? I would hope so! He's nine! That's not even half of a normal horse's lifespan! Why does he have arthritis at the ripe old age of nine? I get the feeling that she probably broke and showed him as a two year old. I would bet money on it. Those kinds of equestrians think it's normal for a horse to retire at nine. *facepalm*

*sigh* A nine year old horse should normally be perfectly sound, assuming he doesn't have any hereditary problems or was mistreated. And yes, I consider backing two years old to be mistreatment. It's never a good idea and there's nothing in it for the horse.

I don't know this horse's story, I'm just going on a hunch. It just bothers me the way she's talking about him.

Missy is my trainer's horse. She's 32 years young and still sound, healthy, and ride-able. She was a Western Pleasure horse in her day, and the photo was taken during a showmanship class last spring.

It is possible for a horse to be show-worthy past the age of ten. There's nothing wrong with waiting three or four years before backing your youngster. It's just one thing you can do to ensure that the horse will be a sound riding partner for the next 20+ years.

Judgment is seventeen years old in this photo. He put the eight year olds to shame! If you watched the 2008 Sporthorse Cup, you'll know that he and Beezie kicked butt! I believe he retired just recently. That's a damn good career. A lot of people should learn something from the two of them.

Besides the fact that riding babies is wrong, there are so many other things you should be doing with them in the mean time. Ground manners, loading, ponying on trails, long reining, standing for the farrier, desensitizing to things like cars, kids, water, etc. Teaching things like yielding the fore and hindquarters will make riding them a lot easier.

How important are bloodlines?

2009-10-23T12:50:00.001-07:00

It always amuses me when people brag about their horse's pedigree, especially when the horse is less than impressive. It's even more hilarious when people say, "He goes back to the Bedouin Turk!" or, "He's a great-great-great grandson of Man O' War!"

Ha. Victor is from the Man O' War line, and that's not something I'm particularly proud of. Man O' War was a nasty son of a gun and horses from his line have a tendency to be quirky and high-strung (Vic's living proof!). Granted, knowing a horse's pedigree is nice and it's even nicer when it's a good pedigree. I like to know that my horses have good health and soundness in their family.

On the other hand, it won't turn me off when I'm looking at a horse that has a not-so-famous pedigree or no papers at all. Bloodlines mean next to nothing to me, unless he has an ancestor like Impressive. I care about the animal I'm seeing in front of me. I couldn't care less if he's sired by Doc O' Lena if he has nothing to show for it.

I was at an auction a while back and this snooty girl rides in on a skewbald gelding. The horse is cute, but not gorgeous. She's all cocky and starts spouting off about the horse's incredible pedigree and apparently famous roping stallions that he's descended from (I don't know much about stock breed pedigrees, so I don't remember exactly what she said). But ummm... the only reason I would care about bloodlines is if the horse actually inherited the traits that made its ancestors famous. Or if I was going to do breed circuits. Which I don't and I don't plan to, so I rest my case.

The primary things that I care about are level of training, conformation, and temperament. I know some people who don't care as much about temperament, but to me it's just as important as good conformation. If our personalities clash, it sucks the fun right out of it and it's not even worth it.

One more thing I look for is a "perfect face". It's not as important and I try not to be too picky, but I'm a sucker for horses with perfect necks and faces. I can't get past jug-heads, knife-necks, or ewe-necks. I like curvy, muscular, well-shaped necks that tie in nicely to the shoulders and head. I especially like faces with sharp, chiseled features and gentle eyes. That's just my personal preference. Some people like the softer, cuter look. And some people don't care either way. ;D

I'm not sure how we got on the subject of faces... hehe.

Stop abusing your horse and use a bitless bridle!

2009-10-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Re: A bit is not horse abuse

That video is extremely biased and one-sided. Not to mention utterly uneducated. This is just one of the many anti-bit videos that I've come across. Reasonably knowledgeable horse people see right through it, but beginners probably soak in every word. I can see how it would make a newbie think that anyone who uses bits is a horrible animal abuser.

Here are my two cents. With the exception of things like gags, bike chains, twisted wire leverage bits, etc., the bit itself has nothing to do with abuse. There are some monstrosities out there that are designed to cause pain and those ones should all be melted down and prohibited. However, generally speaking, bits don't hurt horses. People hurt horses. Allow me to illustrate.

On the left, we have a horse in a double bridle. He's slightly ahead of the vertical, as he should be, and he appears relaxed and comfortable. Eyes bright and calm, ears pricked and alert. I don't see anything in his body language that would suggest that he's in pain. I also like the slack on the curb rein. This is the way the equipment should be used.

Now on the right, we have a Rollkur picture, otherwise known as "how NOT to use a bit and bridle".

Are we seeing the difference? Both have essentially the same equipment, but the look on this horse's face is heartbreaking. His mouth is open, despite the crank noseband, his tongue is lolling, his eyes are rolled back. Look at the taught reins and the angle of the leverage bit. This horse's head is in a vice grip, and it must be miserable.

The one factor that determines whether or not a bit is cruel is the rider. Instead of blaming a piece of metal, we need to look to the real source of cruelty: the hands on the other end of the reins. Even something as simple as a halter can turn into a torture device in the hands of a thoughtless rider. The same could be said for any piece of equipment, including hackamores and bitless bridles. It's not what you put in the horses mouth, it's the skill and knowledge of the person using the equipment.

Choose your weapon Pt. 1

I like this guy. He explains bits very well and I think he does a good job of getting his point across.

Is this even healthy?

2009-10-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

I was watching Truth Be Told: I'm Obsessed With My Pet the other night, and I was appalled. It's one thing to love your pet, but it's quite another to treat that pet like a human child. Animals are not humans, and they should never be treated like humans. Now, before the sensitive people (and I am one of those sensitive people as well!) flame me, I want to clarify something.

Animals should not be treated like humans because it just doesn't work for them. However, pets should be valued like any other member of the family. That doesn't mean you put sneakers and a sundress on your Yorkie and walk her around in a baby stroller. That's a little creepy.

The lady that had the Italian Greyhound ticked me off for several reasons. She seemed completely convinced that the dog was a little human and enjoyed being treated like a child. She spent thousands of dollars on designer dog outfits because she put the dog in beauty pageants all the time. She kept a record of every time she fed her, groomed her, and even every time the dog peed or pooped. Who does that? And who the hell spends 300 bucks on a doggie outfit? The only "clothes" I would buy for a dog would be a jacket/sweater if he or she needed one. It's just like blanketing a horse in the winter. Dogs are dogs. They don't need shoes or T-shirts. I hardly believe that they like wearing clothes. It's a huge waste of money, besides that.

And then there was the lady with 11 cats. At first I thought, well, that's not that strange. I would have 11 cats too, if I could afford it. But then she had a birthday party for one of the cats. Is it any wonder why she only had one guest? The lady was nuts, and not just crazy-cat-lady nuts. She was fostering that cat named James Bond, who ran away and she was looking for him for like a month. She kept setting a trap up every day for weeks on end, trying to catch a cat that wasn't even hers. If the cat didn't come back after about 2 weeks, I would assume he either found a home or doesn't want to be caught. The cat could have been in the next city for all she knew. I just found it really strange that she was convinced that it couldn't possibly be raccoons or stray cats eating the food in the trap. She just knew it was James Bond. *facepalm*

Finally, there was the lady with the monkey. She dressed the monkey up in little T-shirts and pants every day and took him everywhere she went. She claimed he was a service animal, but I personally don't buy it. You'd think she was caring for a baby, the way she treated him. Her entire life was the monkey. She claims he would never show any aggression to anyone, and that proves how much of a naive fool she is. Monkeys are wild animals. There is no such thing as a "tame" wild animal. Remember the lady with the chimpanzee that attacked her friend? I'm sure the lady never would have thought the chimp would attack anyone. She treated him like a human, and I'm sure she trusted him 100%. And look what happened.

When you bring a wild animal into your house and expect it to act like a domesticated house pet, you're asking for trouble. You can never entirely trust an animal like that. They don't belong in houses. I think that lady will get a rude awakening if and when her monkey turns on someone. It can happen at any time with little to no warning. It's like the people who buy illegal exotics (i.e., tiger and lion cubs) and think they're going to make great pets. Then said tiger cubs grow up and become unmanageable and they end up being taken away by the SPCA and either put in zoos/sanctuaries or euthanized. Wild animals are not pets. Period.

I love this article

2009-09-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Horse

Is that cute or what? It pretty much hits the nail on the head. Everyone needs a Perfect Horse in their life at some point. :D

My mouth hurts.

2009-09-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

There's a really good article about Wonder Bits that y'all might be interested in.

The "Wonder" Bit.

Why anyone would use something like that is beyond me. Using one sends out the message to the rest of the horse world that you are a moronic excuse for an equestrian.

I cried a little bit on the inside when I came across these bits.

Shame on you, Valley Vet. I would have thought better of you, but now I see that I was naive. Listen to the description:

(Charmayne James) This is a good beginner bit for young horses. Good transition from the D-ring snaffle, allowing more stop and control. An excellent bit for introducing the curb strap. Mouth 5 ½”, shank 6”.

I'm sure your three-year-olds will be thrilled to go from a snaffle to a twisted-wire gag. It's great for introducing the curb strap? That's news to me. I bet it makes a great first impression when this piece of shit has a horse in a headlock.

(Charmayne James) Designed for better turns and stops. Triple jointed mouthpiece is comfortable and will not pinch. Works well on all types of horses. Lifetime guarantee.

You are a dickweed if you think this bit is comfortable. Gags are designed to cause pain. And with that sliding action and the length of the shank, the amount of leverage you can exert on a horse's mouth is pretty much limitless. But hey, it can be yours for the low, low price of $59.95.

Furthermore, Miss James is now added to my Hall of Infamy. Go to her bits page and all you see are thin, twisted-wire leverage bits. All but one of them are leverage bits. Gag, gag, gag, curb, gag, wire, chain, gag. That's all it is.

She and people like her barrel race in these things. Awesome.

And what's more, all three of the stallions on her website are extremely downhill. I find this really irritating:

Clayton is Scamper's clone. Okay, so they're rich enough to clone a horse. Lots of BNT's are. He is horribly downhill and small and his stud fee is a whopping $4,000. He was also broken as a two-year-old and was standing at stud that early as well. This proves the greed of the BNT's. They break out their horses way too early and pimp them out as soon as it's physically possible for them to reproduce. Who cares if the horse is lame by the age of nine when you can still profit off of his stud fees, right?

Off topic, but that is the reason I was suspicious of the Jackson's motives when they put so much money into trying to save Barbaro. I have a hard time believing that any big time racing owners/trainers truly care about the horses. Even if he couldn't have raced again, his stud fees would have been sky high and everyone with a fertile mare would have been lining up to have a few minutes in his breeding shed. I believe that if big name Thoroughbred owners care at all about their horses, they care about their money even more. Do you really think any one of them would give up their class and social status if it meant saving a horse's life? I don't think so. People who have the horses' best interests at heart do not break and race them at two or flog them 30 times in two minutes or dope them up on steroids and/or bute.

[/end rant]

Back on topic. I know not all barrel racers ride like Neanderthals. But enough of them do to give the sport a bad reputation. The bad riders usually ride is some kind of leverage bit and would go flying off the horse if they weren't clinging to the horn for dear life. They do nothing but yank the reins and bludgeon the horse with their legs and reins all the way through the pattern. The horses are running out of the chute like banshees and crash through the pattern looking totally sloppy and out of control.

And Charmayne is marketing her very own signature torture devices for any greenie to purchase. I have no respect for anyone who endorses equipment like that. Like every other BNT website I've seen, there are no warnings about the harsh equipment they sell. Any beginner who has no understanding of bit mechanics can purchase these items under the false pretense that they work magic on problem horses. I know many horses who would flip over backwards with the slightest pressure from a gag. I would too.

Equitation FAIL.

2009-09-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

When your horse is on the vertical all throughout the jump, you know something is wrong with your hands. That should be one of the first things a rider learns when beginning to jump.

And yet we have people that are competing with that kind of flaw. Contrary to popular belief, I do not have a problem with beginner riders, or even not-so-great riders (as I am one myself). However I DO have issues with riders who think they need to rush and do things they're not ready for. Even worse is when those riders are completely blind to their lack of skill and continue to move on to more advanced levels before they've mastered the one they're at. The first rider looks really good except for the absence of any kind of release, but that's an important factor. You can hurt your horse if you yank his mouth over jumps.

My trainer had me release over TROT POLES. She would screech at me until she turned red and veins popped in her neck if I didn't get it right. That's when her devil horns come out and she threatens violence against me if I continue to screw up. Not really, but she gets scary as hell. So does Victor, and he's even scarier than Lorena when he's pissed off. Heehee...

Anyway... How much are you willing to bet that none of the riders like the one up top have ever ridden anything but schoolmasters? Their horses must have the temperaments of puppy dogs and about $10,000 worth of professional training.
This rider is another ballgame. There aren't many good things about this photo other than the gorgeous, saintly pinto. I think you can pick out the issues for yourselves.

Again, the horse's nose is cranked in because the rider is leaning on the reins. Bet that hollow back feels real good during landing. The whole thing just looks tense and unbalanced. Horses should look natural over jumps. Not like a 15th century painting of Pegasus leaping into the air. Your horse is not a magical pony. He has a wind pipe and vertebrae that can easily be damaged in the hands of a careless or unskilled rider.

This one isn't all that bad, but it made me laugh. I'm not sure why her stirrups are so short, but that's probably why she's stuck in the chair position. This ended up on the blog because they used it as a sale photo. All they had to do was look at this to realize that it looks goofy and maybe they should have fixed her leathers and taken another picture. Oy.

Okay, last one. I didn't think much of this at first, just one of the thousands of fuglies for sale. I figured the sellers were typical fugly owners because the poor mare's name is Silly. And because she appears to be underweight. But that's to be expected from fugly owners.

But then I saw that they're asking $3000 for her.

Okay. You do not ask a small fortune for a horse that looks like that. No one with a decent head on their shoulders is going to fork over that kind of money for weak, ugly hindquarters and an ewe neck. Her coloring is stunning, but that means nothing to anyone who knows anything about conformation. She will never be athletic, so how do they figure she's worth three grand? There are better horses in auctions that are going for 18 cents a pound as I write this. It makes no sense.

No wonder Arabians are loony.

2009-09-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

Not all of them, but most of them. Just look what they're subjected to.

I'm especially cringing at the crown piece. That's one of the most vulnerable areas on a horse and Schneider Saddlery is marketing this thing.

Ever met a horse who didn't like his ears touched? It's probably a trust issue. A horse's cervical vertebrae are pretty well protected until you get to the top of the neck, which is where the bones have the least protection. So if your horse lets you touch his ears and the area behind his skull, that says he trusts you.

This piece of shit would most definitely make a horse headshy. I can just see that curb strap pinching the hell out of there jaws.

Arabs are hot blooded anyway, so why add fuel to the fire? You KNOW any horse would be extremely upset if this was on his head. Imagine a flaky, two-year-old Arab colt. Yikes.

If you can't train a horse to square up and stand with a plain halter, you need to step back and reevaluate your skill level. And question whether or not you should even have horses. It doesn't take long for anyone who knows anything about horses to figure out who knows what. In the horse world, you can't hide incompetence or lack of knowledge. Everyone is gonna know, and you'll look like that much more of a fool if you try to deny it.

Your opinions on dog aggression?

2009-09-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

This is a very controversial subject. There are a lot of people who would put a dog down the first time it bit/nipped/snapped at someone, no questions asked.

The only way that I would put a dog to sleep because of aggression is if it came to the point where I didn't trust the dog at all. Meaning, if it became a frequent occurrence, if he injured someone enough to be life threatening, or in the rare case that it was unprovoked.

When I was little, we had a Chow Chow and a Shar Pei. The Chow frequently growled at me because I would crawl on her and pull her fur and whatnot. Then one day she bit a delivery guy and the shitstick neighbor lady almost had a pulmonary and long story short, my parents had to put her down. I don't remember her, but I still feel bad about it. The Shar Pei snapped at me a couple times too, so they gave him to a home with no kids. In the case of both dogs, their growling and snapping was my fault.

Case in point, dogs rarely attack without a reason and it's almost always the person's fault. Our second Shar Pei turned on my dad and actually drew blood, but we didn't put him down. It only happened once and it wasn't very serious. He was a good dog otherwise. That kind of thing is to be expected from Shar Pei, seeing as they were initially bred as fighting and guard dogs. All three of our Shar Pei had strong resource guarding instincts as well.

I grew up with food aggressive dogs, and I'm still alive. That's one thing I don't like about most shelters and rescues. They usually don't adopt out food aggressive dogs. And it's really not a major issue.

You know how you solve that problem?

You stay the hell away from them while they're eating. I would bite too if someone tried to take my Doritos away from me. I understand how they feel. I learned at a very young age that you don't bother dogs when they have food in front of them. Shelters should put regulations on them and only allow them to go to homes with no or older kids. Make the adopters sign an agreement that clearly states that they understand that the dog has resource guarding issues. I do not believe that it's the shelter's fault, either. I do not pity the moron that gets his fingers bitten off when he touches the dog's food. And if a dog bites a kid, it's the parents' fault for not teaching the kid any better. If a child is old enough to walk, it's old enough to understand not to bother the dog. Either that or feed the dog in a separate room and close the door.

Furthermore, if you tease a dog, you deserve to get bitten. Do not whine and cry like a baby when it happens because everyone with a decent head will know that it was your own fault.

I also hate it when people (mainly solicitors) carelessly walk right up to houses with BEWARE OF DOG signs. Do you know what that sign means? That is a clear warning to anyone who does not live in that household that there is a dog there that will attack a stranger if given half a chance. They're called guard dogs, and that's exactly what they do. I do not want to hear about boneheads that get bitten after they went and did something stupid.

So. Any thoughts?

Does anyone else think this ad is really bizarre?

2009-09-11T13:23:00.001-07:00

giant white mushroom.... could be dried out for decoration...... not for food, could be poisonous....$5 ..... still growing........

That is one big 'shroom. I can picture what the sellers where thinking...

"Hey mama, did you see how big that there mushroom's gettin'?"

"What'd y'all reckon we should do with it?"

"Dun sell it is what we gon' do!"

Why would you sell a random plant that's growing in your yard? I would just as soon throw it away if it's bothering you that much. It seems like this could be a situation where the people are really hard up for money and are selling everything they can possibly live without.

Furthermore, they don't even seem to know what species it is, since they said it could be poisonous. Like anyone would buy that thing to eat...

That would be the ugliest decoration in the world. This ad made me giggle.

This made me so angry.

2009-09-11T07:54:00.000-07:00

Shame in the Horse Show Ring posted this, and I'm dumbfounded yet again by the stupidity of some people.

Harry Meade rides an exhausted horse.

Doesn't that make you sick?

You know what I don't get? Meade is competing at pretty high level events and he's either too stupid to realize when his horse is about to drop dead or he just doesn't care. Or both. You could see poor Dunauger was starting to lag and get clumsy and he barely made it over the last few jumps before he got caught. You'd think it would be a huge clue to stop when your horse is stumbling over jumps and heaving like a half-dead moose.

Guess what Harry. You're fucking stupid. Dickweed. I'm sure there are plenty of other people who would like to wring your neck, too. Do the world a favor and pull your head out of your ass before you swing your leg over another horse.

Yet another annoying sale ad.

2009-08-21T11:28:00.001-07:00

HORSE NAME: CREAM BLAZE BREED: QUARTER HORSE (REG) COLOR: PALOMINO GENDER: GELDING THIS HORSE IS A BEAUTIFULL LIGHT COLORED PALOMINO,HE IS AN ATHLETE BUIL FOR SPEED,WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT BARREL PROSPECT OR ROPE HORSE.HE TURN AND STOP GREAT ,HE HAS DASH FOR CASH AND EASY JET ON HIS PAPER.HE ALSO GREAT ON TRAILS HE HAS PAST OUR TEST NOT FOR A BEGINNER RIDER,NEED SOMEONE WITH SOME EXPERIENCE. HE IS NOT A BAD HORSE JUST VERY QUICK. ASKING PRICE: $1800

As if they think no one can read the details they filled out on Equinehits. And the caps lock. And the bear-like man sitting on the horse like a rank beginner. I hope that's not his usual riding position. Their website is... well, obnoxious.

Nothing like showing off a sales horse by standing up on his back while he's in the pasture with at least one other loose horse. All I think about when I look at pictures like this is how much of a moron the seller is. Not how patient or quiet the horse is.

You know how people like that try to tell you that vaulters do the same thing and nobody bashes them for standing on horses' backs? That's a bunch of bullpoop because there are several differences between vaulters and backyard nincompoops who think it's kewl to stand on horse's backs.

Number one, vaulting horses are massive. Usually some kind of draft or draft cross.

Two, they have a vaulting pad to cushion their backs.

And three, vaulters are stick-skinny. They're light as a feather compared to the above individual who looks suspiciously like a steroid-loving beefhead. That and the fact that said beefhead is being an ass and standing right on the poor horse's kidneys. These guys would be classified as dickweeds. Definitely.

New blog!

2009-08-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Yep. I've finally made the What Not To Wear Blog that I've been wanting to do for a long time.

Check it out if you have time. I think you guys will like it (or at least have a good laugh. Either way, as long as you're amused). I'm in the process of making a banner.

Silly hunters, shows are for good riders!

2009-08-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

As you know, I ride huntseat and soon to be hunter/jumper. And I'm really starting to question whether or not I want to be involved in this discipline, simply because of the majority of the people involved in it. Especially in the schooling shows. It's all just bratty little whiners who have mommy and daddy to buy them $50,000 ponies when they can't even ride.

I was at a hunter show a few years back and my mom got talking to a horse show dad. He was telling her how his daughter just upgraded from her pony and her new horse was imported from Belgium. O_o Cha-ching. $$$

This photograph was taken at a very prestigious show barn in my area, and I am appalled. Someone has a major ducking problem.

Notice the rider laying across the horse's neck and her ass sticking out in the air. And she's looking down as if to say, "What a lovely fence. Looks like cedar, doesn't it, Breezie?"

Now, a lot of the photos are actually very impressive. But the ones that aren't are just as glorified as the good ones. The picture above is what people today consider "great riding". Even in equitation classes.

Click for larger view. It's enough to make your eyeballs bleed. The caption for this one is, "OMG this new mane conditioner smells sooo perdy!"

Y'know, I'd be willing to bet money that 90% of these riders have ridden nothing but schoolmasters their entire lives. If you put them up on a less-than-perfectly-schooled horse, they would not know what to do. That's why they get away with their scary equitation. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not that great of a rider, and I would scarcely even qualify as a "decent" or "pretty" rider for that matter. But you will never see me flopping through courses or doing anything else that's above my level and I would certainly never go to shows looking like that. And I don't have a good ole' schooling horse to take lessons on. I'm stuck with my knuckleheaded (but lovable) lunatic who thinks trot poles bite. I'm sure most of you can relate at least a little bit.

This is a direct shout out to all the hunters in the world:

STOP LOOKING DOWN AT THE FENCE YOU'RE GOING OVER. STOPIT STOPIT STOPIT. KTHANXBAI.

And on a side note, if you can pull off an automatic release, good for you. But you do not have to reach for the horse's elbows. You will look like a moron (i.e., the ass sticking out again). Mkay? So don't exaggerate it.

I know not all hunters ride like this, but enough of them do to make the rest of us look bad.

This one's the same horse and rider. So you know the last one wasn't just a bad moment. Gorgeous horse, but don't you just wanna crack the rider over the head with a two-by-four? I'm going to have an aneurysm one of these days from looking at all these riders.

What is with the ducking and looking down. Seriously. How are you going to plan the next fence? For those of you who ride English (and probably western, too), I bet your instructors are constantly shouting, "EYES UP! Where's the next jump?!" Eyes are extremely important. And I'm sure many of your instructors would be dragging you off the horse by your shirt collars if they caught you staring down at every fence you jumped. The thing is, it's really not that hard to fix. It's a bad habit, not something more complex like having something wrong with your seat. You just keep reminding yourself to keep your eyes up, and eventually it'll be second nature. But you have to keep your eyes up or your seat won't do any good because the horse won't know where to go. It's like a domino effect.

I also think people are confused about what makes someone a good rider. The truth is (and I've said it before), it's not what you do, it's how well you do it. A person that can clear a 12' cross rail with perfect form is a better rider than someone who can launch over a 5" oxer with chicken wings and a floppy seat.

Hear that, hunters? No matter what you jump, you are only impressive if you do it right. If you don't, you look like a total dickweed. That means you need to be solid in one level before moving on to more advanced things.

That goes out to parents and instructors, too. Do not put a kid on a horse that he or she can't control, and do NOT make that kid do things that are way above their skill level. Take it slow. Make sure you do it right. OK? OK.

Folks, we have a new winner.

2009-08-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

I thought TWH bits were as nasty as they come. But I think this monstrosity takes the cake. Click for a larger view.

What. The fuck. Is that. Look at the mouthpiece on that motherfucker.

This thing makes it a cinch to slice your horse's mouth to ribbons. It's called a Large Screw Offset D-Ring Snaffle.

Anyone who would use this on a horse needs to have this bit shoved into their mouth while someone yanks and saws away on the reins.

It looks a lot like something Cleve Wells would invent.

This one isn't much better. A bike chain mouthpiece on a gag. Again, you could shred your horse's mouth with one pinkie finger.

It's called a Showman Stainless Steel Wonder Bit.

Yeah, I bet it keeps a horse's face cranked in whether they want to or not. Awesome.

I cannot even imagine how fucked up you'd have to be to use one of these. It's probably people with the mentality of Big Lick Dickheads who don't give two shits about the well being of their horses. People are unbelievable.

More on the performance TWH industry.

2009-07-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

I'd like to say a huge thanks to MissMellyMel for giving me a link to a very interesting article regarding the big lick industry.

http://www.hphoofcare.com/lick.html

Very interesting. And profoundly disturbing. I'm officially boycotting the words "discipline" and "sport" in instances in which they are used in the same sentence as "big lick" or "performance Tennessee Walking Horses". Instead, I will be replacing those words with "activity".

The lengths people will go to in order to achieve a despicably horrendous and unnatural gait. I'm sure most of us are aware of the cruelty involved with the big lick practice, but seeing it in writing really makes it sink in.

Big lick people have actually issued death threats to advocates of sound horses. Some have even had their barns burned down (with horses inside???). Just to give you an insight on what big lick people are generally like. Don't they sound like a jolly bunch? Just the kind of people every equestrian aspires to be like.

If they would issue death threats to people who stand up for sound, healthy horses, can you imagine what they must do to their own horses? What are you so afraid of, big lick people? What do you have to hide? Why so defensive? You guys must know you're doing something wrong, or else you wouldn't be going to so much trouble trying to sweep your dirty little secrets under the rug.

As we all know, soring is only a small tidbit of the rest of the picture. Stacks, chains, 10" shanks, tail sets, blinders, training shackles, stewarding, the list goes on. These cretins put an unbelievable amount of effort into making their horses miserable. Human beings (women in particular) are willing to torture themselves for the sake of beauty, but apparently that isn't enough for some people. They have to force their foolishness onto voiceless animals that have no choice in the matter and have to bare their agony in silence. If those horses could talk, what would they say about their owners? Nothing nice, I'm sure.

If there was nothing wrong with the TWH industry, this controversy wouldn't exist. I think big lick people are so set in their ways because a lot of them honestly (or at least outwardly) believe there's nothing wrong with what they're doing. Why? Because they come from long lines of big lick people. It's been hard wired into their brains that either 1) all the fancy artificial gadgets don't hurt the horse at all or 2) it's completely ethical to cause your horse discomfort in order to win. Children are being taught how to sore horses. Young riders are discouraged or even reprimanded for asking too many questions concerning big lick horses. Just goes to show what a sneaky and slimy industry it is.

It's no wonder 99% of the rest of the equestrian world has zero respect for this activity. Not only is it completely devoid of any taste, talent, or artistry, but abuse is so rampant that the government has to step in! That fact, if nothing else, should slap people in the face and make them open their eyes.

Another point I'm sure we can all agree on is that the consequences for soring or other abusive practices are way too lenient. Anyone found soring a horse should have all their horses taken away and be banned from owning ANY animal ever again. See it Through My Eyes is a really good video. It reignites your resentment for this activity every time you watch it. At about 5:10, that footage almost kills me. Can you imagine that horse's agony as he stumbles under the pain of first or second degree burns on his legs, coupled with the weight of a rider and chains around his ankles that only aggravate it more? If that pain was inflicted on a human being, they'd be on the ground, writhing and screaming. But the horses are too saintly to offer an iota of protest.

Wrapping up, if you guys get the chance, visit these links. They have a lot of info on the gaited industries and they're just plain awesome.

Friends of Sound Horses

Sound Horse Conference

Stop Soring

Tell me something, big lick people.

2009-07-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Most of you claim that big lick riding isn't uncomfortable or unnatural for the horse at all.

If that's true, why on God's green earth would you need bits like these?

You would have to be the biggest piece of shit in the world to put something like that in a horse's mouth. Most of these are advertised as training bits. What a way to introduce a young horse to riding, right? God forbid that anybody start a horse in a snaffle.

I don't know what's worse: The pads and chains, or the scary-ass bits that resemble medieval torture devices. And FYI, comparing pads to high heel shoes only proves my point because ladies, you know that heels are murder on your feet/knees/back after about an hour. I can only imagine how they feel to horses that wear them all throughout their show career. I've never once seen a big lick horse that looked happy or comfortable.

Big lick people also seem to believe in riding and competing on two year olds. Let me clarify that for you. Not sitting on, not going for a walk around the arena on, but seriously riding two year olds as if they're already professional athletes. The notion that Walkers (or any other horses) are full grown at two is nothing short of outrageous and as far from the truth as you can get. No horse on earth, regardless of breed, has ever been fully mature before the age of five and a half, give or take six months. Some horses are engineered or bred to appear full grown on the outside, but the inside is still just like every other horse in the world. So just because a horse's "knees are closed" does not mean it's OK to start riding them. There are growth plates on every bone behind the skull, and they aren't done fusing until at least five years of age. The bones in the spine and base of the neck are the last to mature. And you know how big lick horses always have their heads cranked back and their cheeks ripped up to their ears? Bet that feels real good on a baby horse's growing bones.

This video says coming two year old. I'm afraid that means they've been riding him since he was a yearling. That would be extremely disturbing. The fact that the whole thing looks disgusting and unnatural and the rider is slumped over like a sack of feed is beside the point.

I used to think there was no such thing as an ugly show horse. But big lick people have managed to turn beautiful animals into hideous critters that don't even look equine. What's up with that canter? Even a Western Pleasure horse would be marked down for having a four-beat lope. Why is it acceptable in the TWH ring? And did you see her pulling on her horse's mouth with that ginormous shank? Just looking at it makes you want to bang your head into a wall. I will never ever ever change my outlook on this discipline. It's just sick.

Animal Planet's Untamed & Uncut: Morons On National Television.

2009-07-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

I have a love-hate relationship with this show. Sometimes there are freak accidents, but there are endless videos showing "accidents" that were caused by human stupidity and could have easily been avoided.

This video in particular pisses me off to no end. Most of you have probably seen it. There's just nothing right with any part of it, other than the fact that the dickweed rider got what was coming to her.

Woman Crushed By Horse.

That was completely, one-hundred percent her fault. Number one: she neglected to keep her horse's teeth floated. Those sharp edges wouldn't have been there in the first place if her teeth were floated. That whole thing would have never happened if she'd taken proper care of her poor mare. Number two: she KNEW beforehand that her horse wasn't acting right. That should have been a huge red flag. But instead, she ignored her horse's warning and overlooked her welfare for the sake of a fancy belt buckle. There's a saying that I absolutely love: a good rider can hear his horse speak, a great rider can hear his horse whisper, but a bad rider won't hear his horse even if it screams at him. And it couldn't be more true.

The narrator cracks me up. "Barrel horses are specifically trained not to spook. So what scared Bee-Bee?"

The horse wasn't scared, you dolt. She was pissed and in pain. She never spooked.

And finally, there's the fact that Miss Natalie was hauling back on the reins like a banshee once Bee-Bee really started tossing her head. That is one of the last things you want to do in a situation like that. It would have been obvious to an educated horse person that the horse's mouth was hurting. So what does Natalie do? She goes a-yankin' away, trying to stop her horse from going crazy. Does that seem counterproductive to anyone else? I would have flipped over too, if I was Bee-Bee! No freaking wonder. Thank God the horse wasn't seriously injured.

You now what, Natalie? Whatever pain you caused your horse, I hope she paid it back tenfold. It was your fault and it could have been avoided if you weren't such a moron.

I love how he says, "she's now a calm and happy trail horse," right when it shows her tossing her head and chewing at the bit. That's calm and happy? In what universe? And it's no wonder. Did you see that leverage bit and the short reins?

One last thing. At the end, Natalie says, "Horses are animals, and animals do things sometimes that you just don't expect."

After all that, she doesn't learn a thing. That fiasco should have been a major learning experience. She honestly didn't expect anything to go wrong when she knew there was something wrong with her horse? She shouldn't have been surprised at all. She deserved every one of those 400 stitches, and she doesn't seem to realize it. HELL-O! Stupidity at it's finest. Way to go, Natalie. You made an ass of yourself on national television.

Moving on. This one I find just plain hysterical. This guy could be a Darwin Award candidate.

Crocodile Death Roll.

The part I don't understand? Everybody is shocked. No one can figure out why the croc clamped down on the dude's arm (you'll know if you've seen the rest of the show). Hey dude, I'm no genius, but I can tell you that the croc bit you because you stuck your arm in his mouth.

You could see the croc was sitting there with his mouth wide open thinking, "I'm just waiting for this shnuck to do something stupid..." Sure enough, WHAM. He gets nailed and almost gets his arm torqued off. Well, I'll be damned.

Serves you right, you idiot.

OK, one more just for giggles.

Shark Bites Diver.

I have one thing to say: What the fuck were you thinking? A three year old could have told you that kissing a shark is a bad idea. You are just stuck on stupid, aren't you?

*headdesk*headdesk*headdesk*

Idiotic color breeders abound.

2009-07-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

And where there are imbecilic color breeders, there are fugly horses. I swear I'm never going to run out of material.

I don't know what's worse: Their fugly stallions or their half-assed website.

Looky here at this critter. Yes, his coloring is quite flashy, but that can't mask his camped-out hind end, short bull neck, crappy pasterns, and his nonexistent hip. There is nothing on this horse that's worth replicating. I would not want to pass on a single one of his traits to another horse. Period. He needs to be a gelding. But oh, he's a proven sire because he's fathered several fugly (but perdy colored!) foals. Awesome.

They're also very proud of their tri-colored stallion. And yes, he is a stallion, not a colt. Again with the crappy neck and feet. This one even has a shitty topline and tiny, itsy- bisty feet. Along with no muscle tone to speak of, which seems to be the norm for horses at this breeding farm. My geldings have more muscle than their stallions. There's something wrong with that.

But hey, it's got four legs and a heartbeat, so let's breed it! He's not athletic and hasn't accomplished anything and never will, but he's sure a bee-yoo-tee-ful color!

Let's all give a round of applause to these morons for further enabling kill buyers, auctions, and slaughterhouses! Thanks so much for contributing to the number of slaughter-bound horses!

Yeah. Fantastic.

What is up with this cross?

2009-07-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is a cross between an Arabian and and registered Tennessee Walker. He has a gentle nature and is ready for training. Has had saddle on him but no one has ridden him yet. I am selling him to make room for the new colt born June 1, 2007, which is a registered Tennessee Walker. I am not sure of height. He has turned out to be a very pretty horse. Samson had the fluvac Innovator 5, shot last year. Horse is located near Troy, NC. He was made into a gelding on May 30, 2007 and is doing fine.

I will never understand why people cross gaited horses with non-gaited horses. It does not have a good outcome. I can honestly say that I have never once seen an impressive gaited/non-gaited cross. So why is this an Arab/ Walker cross? Who knows!

I found this ad really amusing. She's getting rid of one fugly to make room for the next one! At least her new one is purebred. This homely critter can be yours for a whoppin' $850. Frankly, I don't think this horse is worth half that, but who knows what kind of newbies will come along and think he's amazing? You never know.

And the phrase "made into a gelding"? Priceless. I lol'd at that one.

Sad News.

2009-07-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to apologize for the majorly belated post. My computer crapped out on me and we ended up having to get a new tower. But it's fixed now, so we're good to go.

Second of all, I regret to say that our baby raccoon had to be put down about a week ago. He just wasn't responding and the vet tried everything, but his kidneys were starting to shut down. I still call it a partial success because he would have otherwise died of exposure and/or dehydration. I don't even want to think about that.

So, he's buried out in the garden in the back yard. I miss the little guy... Rest in peace, little dude.

The show industry is in need of some modern pioneers.

2009-06-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

If you've been to any kind of horse show, you've probably seen horses that resemble dolled up robots. Meaning, they seem to have no mind of their own and they have so much makeup and fake accessories that it makes you wonder if the horse would even be recognizable without them.

Tail extensions, overdone grease, shoes that are a size too small. And the more evasive things like tail blocking, gingering, wiring their mouths shut, drugging them, soring, pads, chains, and all other manners of torture that people come up with. And for what? A piece of plastic and maybe a little money? Come on.

As for me, I'm bringing back oldschool. You know, the good ol' days when pleasure horses actually had a pulse and fake tails hadn't been invented yet?

I braid Vic's tail into a dozen little braids the night before a show and take them all out and brush it before the class. It looks great, it adds volume, and I don't need any cheesy artificial enhancers. That's how my trainer did it, and her trainer before that. Tail extensions are hideous and unnecessary. Take some time to do it right. End of story.

Generally speaking, show horses are naturally beautiful. If you take the time to groom them to perfection and get them looking gorgeous, you do not need fake crap to get the judge's attention. Judges even favor natural horses. It's true. I've talked to many judges and most of them aren't fond of fake accesories.

And like I've said before, your attitude is everything. Even if your horse isn't the most over-the-top stunning example in the class, your attitude can win it for you. If you walk into that ring like you know what you're doing and present your horse in a way that screams "Look at us and give us first place because I worked for this and I am DAMN proud of my horse", you will get the judge's attention and you will stand out. This is what the industry needs. Exhibitors that win with nothing but skill, attitude, and a good horse. It would only take a few to make a difference. People would see that fake theatrics aren't what wins it, and they'd start to rethink it. The honest exhibitors could be the new trend setters, and it would actually be a good trend for a change.

Showing used to be about exhibiting your horse's natural beauty. Makeup does not enhance a horse's beauty, 1) because they're made perfect already and 2) it looks like absolute shit and gives the impression that you're trying to hide something or you're trying too hard or you're not confident in your horse. Or all of the above. Which is pretty sad.

Put a little effort and elbow grease into your horse instead of going the easy way around and buying fancy gadgets that look like shit. Your horse will thank you, and you will be a better all around exhibitor.

We have a little coony crisis.

2009-06-17T18:34:00.001-07:00

A couple officers found a baby raccoon that allegedly fell off a two story roof. So, they brought him to my mom and I and now we have a little coony to take care of. If my username doesn't give it away, raccoons are one of my favorite animals. :)

He has a brain injury and the vet gave him a shot of steroids to help reduce the swelling. He's also on antibiotics and I'm giving him water every hour or so, along with kitten milk. He was bleeding from his right ear when we first got him and he's still really lethargic. But he purrs when I rub his tummy and he can swallow. He can move everything, too, so we know his spine is intact. The steroids should kick in soon, but it's touch and go for a while. If he doesn't respond within 24 hours, he's probably not going to. We're keeping our fingers crossed. Poor little guy.

This incident has brought to light another issue, however. We were calling a bunch of wildlife rehabilitators and none of them had any room for our little guy. One rescue has about a hundred raccoons that are due to be released right now. But there's a lot of opposition. People just want them all to be killed because "they're pests that get in the way".

What a horrible attitude. It's the same with just about any native wildlife around here. Rabbits, foxes, coyotes, you name it. People want them gone. It's disgusting. Take one look at that sweet little face and tell me how anyone can go out and shoot them. People with that mentality are nothing but soulless monsters. If you're not intelligent and caring enough to at least try to get along with the local critters, you have no business taking up space and oxygen. The critters were here long before people were and they have just as much - if not more - right to be here as we do.

Tell me, what makes an animal unworthy of being saved? What makes you so much more important? If you see an animal that needs help, what would possibly possess you to just walk away? That's just unthinkable. What if you were in the situation of our poor raccoon, and you had taken a bad fall and were seriously hurt? I bet it would be pretty horrible if everyone just said to do away with you because you were "in the way", or nobody cared. You know what? If you're ever in a situation like that, don't ever expect help from me if you have that view. Maybe I'll just shoot you and put you out of your misery, because you seem to think that's the right thing to do for a living being that's hurt.

I think it's our obligation to make room for these animals because we take so much from them and give little to nothing back. These morons think raccoons and rabbits are so overpopulated? Ha. Have they taken a look around recently? Look how overpopulated humans are. We crawl out the of woodwork like cockroaches, therefor we're taking land and resources that the animals need. It's our own fault that the wildlife has nowhere else to go, so it's our job to take care of them. Would it kill people to at least try to get along with the animals? It's not hard.

I measure intelligence by an individual's ability to adapt and live alongside other species, and by that criteria, raccoons and other critters are a lot more intelligent than most humans. It's disgusting how people in this area just want to do away with them. Those kinds of people can all get rabies and die. They do nothing but suck oxygen and have no heart or conscience. Society would be vastly improved without them.

As for right now, I'm really hoping the little coony pulls through. There's a perfect, safe place near my house to release him if he makes it. *keeps fingers crossed*

Found another one, dammit.

2009-06-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

I really need to stop lurking the classifieds. This guy looks awesome. The back legs look a little camped out, but the rest of him is gorgeous. And he's got stunning color to boot. I hope he finds a fantastic home. =D

Am I cinvinced yet?

2009-06-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

I do not need another Thoroughbred. I do not need another Thoroughbred. I do not need another Thoroughbred. I do not need another Thoroughbred.

Seriously. What a perfect horse. He's sooo handsome. It's a good thing he's a thousand miles away, because I'd steal him away in a heartbeat. Someone buy this horse and spoil him rotten for me.

Extremely obnoxious sale ad.

2009-06-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

GO LQQK AT THE REST THEN COME BUY THE BEST & YOU WILL KNOW WHY OUR HORSES MAY BE A LITTLE HIGHER / CAUSE THERE BETTER !!! HER PEDIGREE LINK ---------------------------------------------------- http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/red+bucks+wendy ---------------WENDY IS REALLY GENTLE , WELL BRED MARE , IN FOAL TO ZANS TOUCHDOWN SON , FOR AN 2009 FOAL / SEE STALLIONS INFO ON OUR WEB SITE AT htt://www.sldavidsonfarms.com She has been ridden by all ages , she is a great trail horse now will lead or follow , she only plow reins at this time , but is coming along on her training Quite well , This mare is the kind , sweet type that will make a great lesson mare for many years to come , she is super easy to catch and puts her own head in halter or hackamore , doesn't move when getting in the saddle or out , We haven't used a bit on her she never need one. you can ride her bare back with just a lead rope a halter , Wendy loves being groomed and not bad about baths or her feet at all . This is one that want get children hurt . We have never tried her on cattle but she is bred to know what one is , She has been jumping 12" in hand . and lead over wood platforms , tarps etc.. We are a breeding training farm and She is truly a good one , We offer a 10 day money back Guarantee Contract on all horses we sale , try asking someone else for one . we also have a half sister to her that is sorrel and is just as gentle for 900.00 her name is HOLLYS SUPER JACKIE

Wow. Read that and tell me that didn't grind your gears. First with the annoying caps, them bragging about a horse that hasn't accomplished anything and never will, and has nothing to show for her supposedly great pedigree. She's ribby and wormy-looking on top of that, not to mention the lead rope that's dragging on the ground.

It just annoys me to no end the way they claim that their horses are the best. Oh, and did I mention they claim that that mare is brindle? Yep. What a laugh. Check out their other ads. It's pretty scary.

They move like that naturally? Bagh!

2009-06-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard WP people claim that the slow, pitter-patter gaits are completely natural and you can allegedly see them doing it out in the pasture on their own. Well, I've never seen a horse with no rider move like that (except in stock breed shows, which I won't even go into). This video is proof. You see the stallion running around his pasture like a normal horse at a normal speed (with his head up!), and then they show him under saddle and moving like a 35 year old cart horse with his nose down to his knees.

The WP gaits are not natural. They've taken natural gaits and ruined them. Show horses are supposed to embody the vision of a proud, strong, and alert horse, but WP horses don't convey any of those. The slow gaits are nothing but a hideous, tasteless trend. The whole point of WP is to show a horse that is a pleasure to ride, but these horses don't look very nice to ride at all.

In the last quarter of the video, it shows the lady riding him bareback and he's moving with a lot more energy. So he can move normally. Plus it looked a lot better to ride. Notice also that there were of couple of HUS pics, and the horse had the same frame as a western horse and the rider had the reins draping. That should never be acceptable in an English discipline. It's bad enough that western horses are so messed up. English horses (and horses in general) are suppsed to have elasticity and freedom of movement, and you see none of that in the HUS ring. And, like WP, it didn't start out like that. It's all a trend. As obsessed as equestrians are with tradition, you'd think we'd want to go back to the way things were, when the horses were actually not stick-legged robots.

I thought I'd seen all the crap NH has to offer.

2009-06-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

But Deb Bennet's Horse Training Commandments has just proved me wrong. To me, the list sounds like the writer's head is up in the clouds. There are some good points like the "Thou shalt learn to use the outside rein well" part, but some of it was just goofy.

Like the "Thou shalt not render thy horse's body hard". WTF? Fantastic muscle tone inhibits a horse's range of motion? I suppose that would be possible if it was like a QH stallion on steroids, but that's not going to happen realistically. Muscle supports the horse's structure, as do strong and conditioned tendons and ligaments. And working them strengthens their hearts for high level competing and whatnot. Keeping them fit and muscular throughout their lived is soo important. They tend to live and be healthier longer. They'll be in much better shape when they're old. You cannot put too much muscle on a horse, especially just by working them.

In fact, my trainer's old OTTB was absolutely massive. Just a freakin powerhouse. People always thought he was a QH. She was barrel racing him well into his 20's, and he only died because of colic at 29. Don't tell me having tons of muscle isn't good for a horse.

Maybe that's the excuse NH people use to explain why a lot of their horses aren't the fittest horses ever. They don't want to work them on a lunge line or anything because being super fit is bad for them. Is that right? It impedes their range of motion, right?

These Quarter Horses look totally stiff and uncomfortable, right? Yeah, cuz they have too much muscle. Shame on the owners for keeping them in such awesome condition. Yep. It really screws them up.

*headdesk*

Talk about an extavagant ad for a dime-a-dozen horse.

2009-06-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

This mare is true royalty, and would be a rare diamond in the crown of any Arabian breeder. Gorgeous, sweet and affectionate Princess Aliahmah. Great- granddaughter of both the sensational half-brothers Shaikh Al Badi and The Egyptian Prince. Her grand-sires are the beautiful and talented Ruminaja Ali AND the amazing *Fol Yasmeen. Her pedigree runs back four hundred years to the very sands of the desert. What fantastic babies she would produce when bred to a stallion worthy of her bloodline. Expanded pedigree and more photos upon request.

This ad made me lol.

First of all, what Arabian's ancestry doesn't go back four hundred years? They're one of the oldest domesticated breeds out there. I would hope their pedigrees go back a few hundred years.
I thought she was going to start boasting that the horse went back to the Byerley Turk or something. That would have been the icing on the cake.

If your mare has such great breeding and is so amazing and would be the envy of all the Arabian breeders out there, wouldn't it make sense to get some good conformation shots of her when she's shed out? Nothing screams "I don't know what I'm doing" like a bunch of cruddy pasture shots. The ad says nothing about any show records or level of training, either. She doesn't even have a bridle path.

If this mare is all that they claim (which she is certainly not), she should be clipped or shed out, squared up, have a nice long bridle path, and maybe even be in a show halter. That's how you advertise a quality horse, and convey to potential buyers that you know what you're doing.

I don't know why they think they're going to get $8,000 for a dinky little Arab mare that hasn't accomplished shit and may not even be trained to ride. I just get the impression that the seller is a little loony. Oh, well.

If I wanted a horse with a skinny neck I would have gotten an Arab x Akhal Teke cross.

2009-06-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

I understand that in many disciplines such as Western Pleasure, pencil necks are desirable. Why?

It looks disproportionate, unbalanced, and ugly, particularly on bulldog-like quarter horses. Stock breeds are generally muscle on top of muscle. Just massive. And then they have a skinny little neck. I don't see the appeal.

Where do you draw the line between a pencil neck and a knife neck? They both look scrawny and shapeless to me.

I will say, one thing I absolutely love about Victor is his big ol' muscley neck. Not thin, but not too cresty, and very curvy and solid. Thoroughbreds are notorious for having knife necks. I think we owe a big thanks to the racing industry for that one. Them and their careless breeding.

I can't stand it when a horse doesn't have a nice substantial neck. Horses I buy must have a nice neck and a nice ass. Those are my biggest peeves.

Does this not look a bit ridiculous? This big, massively muscled QH with that little bitty neck?

How does having no neck affect a horse's performance?

This sad little bay horse has a knife neck. The only difference I see is that he has no muscle whereas the other two have sufficient muscle and still have skinny necks.
Neither are pretty.

Now compare this one. Yes it's an Andalusian and crestiness is what they're famous for, but still. It looks a lot better and in proportion. Baroque horses are usually pretty bulky too, and their necks actually match the rest of their bodies.

I'm not saying horses should be bull necked or too cresty, but pencil/knife necks are a bit ridiculous.

Who cares about conformation when a horse has beyootiful spots???

2009-06-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

The "Pintaloosa" has been added to the branches of the International Spotted Horse Registry. There are more and more of these "double spotted" equines coming into view everyday and ISHR has recognized the need for these beautiful equines to have a place where they will be noticed and recognized for their extra beauty and spots! The Pintaloosa pictured is of "EASY TO SPOT" just one of the Pintaloosas registered with ISHR. The owner is Irene Wiederhold of Ft. Myers, Florida.

HA! XD "These beautiful equines"? Don't make me wretch up my Ovaltine. I know the spots are a bit mesmerizing, but they can't hide the faults in these horses. Could you imagine this horse if he was a solid color and had no pretty coat patterns to mask the fugliness? Ouch. There's nothing pretty about this horse, and certainly nothing worth replicating.

You are absolutely bat-fucking crazy if you think this horse is stallion material. Jesus tap dancing Christ.

In my futile search for decent quality pintaloosas, walkaloosas, and other "new breeds", I cam across this wall of fugly. Be warned, there are some hideous horses in that link.

I'm not even going to go into the problems this "hunter-type" critter has. Suffice it to say that he has utterly disgusting conformation. Poor guy.

I don't know about you, but I wouldn't even ride a horse that is as badly put together as this guy. Not just because it would mostly likely be incredibly uncomfortable. Major fuglies look fragile to me. I don't know why. I'm just scared that he'd fall apart or something the second I swung my leg over him. Maybe I'm weird.

I don't know where these people get the idea that he'd make a good hunter. He'd probably fall on his face and break his neck the first time he went over a vertical.

These photos pretty much speak for themselves. I can honestly say that these are some of the worst quality horses I've seen in a long time. And probably the most I've seen on one website.
Most of these horses are mixed breeds, some don't even have know parantage. Almost all of them look wormy.

It cracks me up how they're described as "lovely" or "stunning" or "great show prospect". On what planet are these horses worth a bucket of spit? These people must be blind. I think we should strap them into a chair in a slaughterhouse, tape their eyes open and make them watch all day. I can guarantee you that there are horses being killed right this instant that are ten times better than the critters that are being mass- produced here.

Why settle for normal gear when you can have sooper speshul Parelli tack?!

2009-06-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

I could not believe my eyes when I was looking up the Parelli merchandise. Not that I would ever buy anything from them anyway because I think they're all a bunch of loonies, but this was insane.

$92 for a 22 foot lead rope. $40 for a rope halter that you could buy for ten bucks at Farm & Fleet.

And y'know that plastic orange stick that NH people can't go without? $62.67!!! For a damn carrot stick! Unbelievable. And there are actually people who fork over the cash for these things. Why on earth would you want to pay these outrageous prices? Because Pat and Linda said so, of course!

But that's not all, folks. Their saddles start at - are you ready? $4,000! Like we all have four grand to blow off on a Parelli saddle, right?

This particular saddle sells for over $7,000. Yep. Who the fuck has money for that? The saddle's more expensive than my horse!

What about this chunk of leather is so special that makes it worth $7,000? I've seen prettier saddles go for half that price.

Linda's stirrup irons are going for $239, by the way. When you can get brand new ones at any tack store for 20 bucks. Absolutely insane.

Now let's have a look at this chart that supposedly shows what conventional (aka anything not sold by Parelli) saddles do to your horse.

There is no way in hell that any saddle will give a horse a downhill build or a "prolapsed belly".

The saddle has nothing to do with the horse's muscle tone. That's all reflected by the rider. Unless the saddle is so badly fitted that the horse can't do anything. Any poorly fitted saddle will hurt a horse. A well fitted saddle will not.

No saddle is going to cause a horse to have a bad topline. It's not the saddle, it's the rider.

And a "rotated shoulder"? WTF is that? A straight shoulder? All the faults stated in this chart are not the result of a saddle, but of naturally poor conformation. They're basically saying that buying a Parelli saddle will make your fugly into a gorgeous, well- conformed horse. Please, don't fall victim to the Parelli Propaganda. It's the biggest load of shit I've ever heard.

I find it amusing when Parelli people accuse non-Parelli people of being narrow-minded. I tried Parelli once and got nowhere. Victor didn't like it. He stared at me like I was crazy. So I stopped and I'm never going back to it. He also had no balance or muscle tone when I got him, which had a lot to do with the fact that he was with a Parelli worshiper before. I've notice more than a few Parelli horses who have no muscle. That running-around-in-circles thing doesn't do a damn thing for them. Since lunging is so horrible and it's taboo to NH people.

I will never understand the appeal.

Parenting FAIL.

2009-06-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Warning: Tiny little kid on a ginormous horse.

I wouldn't have a problem with this at all if the kid had boots and a helmet, they were in an enclosed area with no loose horses, the Belgian had a halter and lead rope on, and the kid had at least one adult holding on to him.

But nooo. The horse is loose out in the pasture with no one holding on to him, and the kid is sitting there bareback with no helmet or boots. Plus the loose horses, particularly the foal and what looks like a yearling. It only takes once for a seemingly dead broke horse to spook and end up mangling somebody. I don't care how quiet he is, and I understand that he is a draft. He looks like a real sweetheart, but he's still a 1900 pound prey animal with big, sharp hoofies the size of hub caps. He may be as close to bombproof as horses come, but I guarantee you that all the other horses there are not. If one spooks, they all spook, including the one that your kid is sitting on.

Do they think that horse is just a big puppy? These people need a reality check. That animal is the equivalent of a frieght train with a mind of its own and is more than capable of killing a human, especially a child with no safety gear. Sure, 99 out of 100 times, nothing happens. But it is possible, and it does happen. What are you planning to do when your luck runs out? There's sure as hell nothing you can do if and when that horse spooks while your kid is on him. And that's a long way for anyone to fall. Then you have those feet to worry about.

Lord have mercy.

There's something wrong here.

2009-06-05T08:33:00.001-07:00

Yes, that's Rachel Alexandra.

Why is she lip chained? Who knows!

What does it say about her trainer when it takes 2 men to lead a lip chained filly? The thing that baffles me is that Rachel doesn't look spooky or out of control in this picture at all. She's just walking like any normal horse. I think her lolling tongue says it all.

So is the chain really necessary? I think not. Is it just for show, because I highly doubt that she enjoys having her gums ripped up to her eyeballs. I'm sure she's very comfortable. They must be proud.

My farrier makes fun of Vic because he's a Thoroughbred. Well, my farrier is a bull rider and seems to only approve of roping bred stock horses. He was telling me how he shoes racehorses (two year olds that don't know anything) and that they have to sedate a lot of them before he can even go near their feet. He thinks SB's and TB's are just batshit crazy because of that.

But think about how those horses are treated. They have little if any turn out time, they're run down to nothing, they're in their stalls if they're not on the track, and they're doped up with God knows what. Plus most of them are no older than 3.

They train those horses to race, and that's it. They don't train them to stand for the farrier or anything else. Race horses can run fast and turn left, and that's about it. They're treated like machines, not actual living animals. So I don't blame them for being loony. They're also bred purely for speed, and they don't give a shit what they look like as long as they're fast. Can anyone really blame that on the horses? Furthermore, a lot of OT horses go on to have successful second careers. You just have to put them out to pasture for a while so they can learn how to be a horse and get their brains back in their heads.

Anyway, if the dickweed trainers would actually take the time to teach these horses to lead nicely (and without a stud chain), that would make a big difference. And train them to stand still while they're being shod while they're at it.

Where is the horse industry going?

2009-06-01T21:23:00.000-07:00

It scares me, how low the standards have become for just about everything in regards to horses. Especially riding. I'm tired of seeing twelve year olds who have been riding for six months start jumping 2 foot verticals (and being allowed and even encouraged to do so by their instructors). It never ends. Riders with no seat, flopping legs, and never do so much as a low crest release while going over fences and think there's nothing wrong with that. Riders with little or no lesson time with a good instructor- particularly the haughty ones with huge egos. In today's world, as long as you get over the jump or around the barrel or even just stay on, it's considered "great riding".

I've talked to many people like this. And one thing I've learned is that you can't tell them anything. They're so set in their ways that they don't want to hear what others have to say, and they hate criticism, even from more experienced horse people. Cynthia is a perfect example (see other blog). Lorena has tried to give her advice, and she just blows her off every single time. It's like talking to a brick wall.

I talked to one girl recently who never released when she jumped. Her basic response was, "If I was doing something wrong, don't you think my horse just wouldn't jump?"

To me, she was basically saying, "Why should I try to jump correctly when my horse jumps just fine already?" All I have to say is she's damn lucky she has such a well schooled horse, otherwise he wouldn't put up with her. Honey, your horse is still jumping in spite of you because he's too well trained and patient to flat out refuse.

The philosophy seems to be this: Why learn to ride when you can just buy a dead broke lesson horse that will jump anything and go anywhere no matter what the rider is like? Why put more effort into it than you need to to get by?

What kind of mentality is that?

It's disgusting how low the standards of riding have become. The sad truth is, you can buy your way to the top in this sport. You don't necessarily have to be an exceptionally talented rider.

Another thing is the trainers and instructors that are happy to take your money and tell you to sit up and kick, and that you look great. This is what creates more mediocre riders. The more poor instructors I meet, the more I love my trainer. She's more in-depth than any other instructor I've had, and she accepts nothing less than 100% from me and my horse in every single lesson. If she sees that I'm doing something wrong, she's brutally honest about it. She's not afraid to tell me that I'm not a strong enough rider yet and that I need a lot of improvement. Every instructor should be like that, but unfortunately, most of them are not.

If you go on youtube, you can find endless videos of riders that are doing way more advanced things than what they're ready for, and they think they're great riders because of that. But the reality is, it's not what you're doing, it's how well you do it. I don't care if you can jump a 4 foot oxer if you can't do it correctly.

The philosophy should be: Why settle for "decent" when you can be an excellent rider?

It really worries me when I see so many people in the wrong mindset.

How do you know if you're a dickweed in the horse world?

2009-06-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

I've compiled a list of criteria that one could relate to in order to be classified as a Class A Dickweed of the horse world.

Definition:

dick.weed [dik-weed] n. 1. An utterly senseless, foolish or stupid person 2. A person of profound mental retardation having a mental age below twelve years old and an intelligence quotient under 25. 3. An insufferable moron who does nothing to contribute to equine society and only leaches on the rest of us.

1) If you have ever ridden a horse that's under three years of age, you may be a dickweed.

2) If you have ever cranked a horse's head back so that his chin touches his chest and he's wheezing like a moose with pneumonia, you may be a dickweed.

3) If you have ever used a bit like this:
You may be a dickweed.

4) If you have ever tied a horse with the reins and/or tethered a horse to a t-post or other obscene object not intended for horses, you may be a dickweed.

5) If you think pretty spots or a long mane and tail make a horse breeding quality by default, you may be a dickweed.

6) If your horses are contained in a chain-link fence, you may be a dickweed.

7) If you can't recognize when a horse has major conformational faults, you may be a dickweed.

8) If you breed mustangs, you may be a dickweed.

9) If you have ever named a horse "Penelope", "Butchie", "Doug", "Taco", or "Peggy Sue", you may be a dickweed.

10) If you have never sold a horse you bred for over $500, you may be a dickweed.

11) If you have ever advertised a stud on craigslist, you may be a dickweed.

12) If you have ever bought a horse because "junior wanted one", you may be a dickweed.

13) If you have ever spelled "gelding" as "gilding", "mare" as "mar", or "breeding" as "breading" or "bredding", you may be a dickweed.

14) If you have ever ridden in booty shorts and/or flip flops, you may be a dickweed.

15) If you have ever used your kids as marketing tools to sell your "calm, gentle, kitten-like" stud colt, you may be a dickweed.

16) If you have ever allowed children under your responsibility to use a horse as a jungle gym, you may be a dickweed.

17) If you have ever hopped on a miniature horse because you think it's "cute" or "funny", you may be a dickweed.

18) If you ride a horse who's girth is smaller than the circumference of your waist, you may be a dickweed.

19) If you think the term "pony" reffers to a baby horse, you may be a dickweed.

20) If you can't tell the difference between a foal and a Shetland pony, you may be a dickweed.

21) If you have ever been around or ridden a horse while drunk, you may be a dickweed.

22) If you think the term "stallion" reffers to a breed of horse, you may be a dickweed.

23) If you breed your walkaloosarabian mare to your neighbor's grade stud, you may be a dickweed.

24) If you breed any horse because you think it would be a good experience for the kids, you want to witness the "miracle of life", or because you think you can create a sooper speshul new breed, you may be a dickweed.

25) If you breed exclusively for perty colors, you may be a dickweed.

26) If you buy your twelve year old kid a three year old colt so he/she can "beak him out him/her self", you may be a dickweed.

28) If you put bits, blankets, boots, or any other tack on backwards or use them for anything other than their intended purpose, you may be a dickweed.

29) If you think launching over fences and running barrels without ever taking lessons is a good thing or somehow earns you bragging rights, you may be a dickweed.

30) If you hang miscellanious objects (i.e., lawn furniture, lariats, children) on your horse as a method of desensitization or to show potential buyers how "quiet" the horse is, you may be a dickweed.

31) If you have ever hopped on a horse just to show off to your boy/girlfriend that you rode a "big scary horsey", you may be a dickweed.

32) If you have ever used the phrases "you'd never know he was a stud" or "he's a stallion but doesn't act like it" in a sale or stud ad, you may be a dickweed.

33) If you are not a farrier and you have tried to trim a horse's hooves yourself, you may be a dickweed.

34) If you have ever trotted/cantered/galloped a horse on asphalt, concrete, or gravel, you may be a dickweed.

35) If you blame your horse every time you fall off or the horse bucks, rears, shies, etc., you may be a dickweed.

If you can relate to any of these, you could probably be a major dickweed. If this is the case, you need to get out of the horse business and seek alternative occupations.

Are Irish Draughts the new favorite of BYB's?

2009-05-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

I think we need a lesson on what an Irish Draught Horse is (or draft, however you want to spell it). Because nobody seems to know anymore. Breeding your Thoroughbredraftrakehner mare to an ID stallion does not make the baby an ID, or even necessarily an Irish sporthorse. It's definitely a mutt. Whether or not it ends up being a sporthorse prospect is anybody's guess until it's actually born.

This critter's from the same breeder/website as that bay colt (which was also a mutt that was advertised as an Irish SH).
This one is supposed to be a Thoroughbred/ Irish SH mix. I still have no clue what breeds consist of an ISH, so if anyone can shed some light on that, it would be much appreciated. They claim his registration is pending, but how can they register him when he's a mixed breed? Anyway, they have him listed as an Irish Draught, even though he's clearly not even close to purebred. Get a load of those pasturns and the nonexistent heel. Ew.
I know dinky little Arabians that have more of an ass than he does. He looks wormy, too.

I'm kind of confused because on the website, those horses are pretty decent, to say the least. Most of them are TB's, too, so I'm not sure what the deal is there. Well, until you get to the Irish SH page and there's a big bay fugly. Half their pages don't even work, so I don't know.

Furthermore, why would you combine all those breeds? More often than not, the offspring tend to inherit the bad traits of all the breeds. I can understand crossing two really nice purebred horses, but don't let the offspring reproduce. You don't know which genes could end up where. As seen with this colt. What cracks me up is how much they're asking for him. $15,000! He's a fugly three year old who has next to no saddle time and they're asking a fortune for him.

Aaandd we have another gem from the same people. This one's a filly going for $14,000. She's got better feet and hindquarters than the other two, but has a bad shoulder and a knife neck. Again, listed as an ID, but has mixed breeding. She has no saddle time, since she's only two, but she's still $14,000. This makes no sense. Maybe, in a good economy ten years down the road, if she's dead broke and has actually accomplished something or has some kind of show record, maybe $14,000 would be reasonable.

In the ad, they talk a lot more about her ancestor's accomplishments than about her. As if having accomplished ancestors makes the filly more valuable by default. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way. If the filly isn't sporthorse calliber, she's not worth all that much, regardless of who she has in her pedigree. What do you think an offspring of Secretariat is worth if he/she can't run worth shit? Absolutely nothing. At least as far as the racing industry is concerned. It's the same in the sporthorse world. They're proudly rambling on about her bloodlines because they have nothing to say about the actual horse they're selling. Very good marketing technique, right? Awesome.
Well, this mediocre fugly that hasn't done shit can be yours for the low, low price of 14 grand. Whip out that checkbook, eventers.

Slightly OT, but I have a serious question:
A draft cross isn't a warmblood, is it? Like if you breed a Thoroughbred to a Belgian, would the baby be considered a warmblood? I don't think that would be the correct term.
I was always taught that a warmblood is a pure breed. Swedish Warmblood, Danish Warmblood, Hanoverian, Oldenburg, etc. The purebred sporthorses that originated mainly from Europe and have prominent Thoroughbred ancestry. I understand that the term "warmblood" refers to horses with mixed hot-blooded and cold-blooded horses in thier ancestry. They're the result of generations of selective breeding and the warmbloods we have today are the final result of that. Well, I've been seeing a lot of dime-a-dozen draft crosses listed as "warmbloods". Can you just cross a draft with a hot-blooded horse and call it a warmblood? The offspring isn't a new breed or anything, just a half breed. Would "warmblood" still be the correct term for those horses are are those people confused?

Rollkur - What's the deal?

2009-05-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm an ignorant hunter and I know next to nothing about dressage. So enlighten me.

1) What is the purpose of Rollkur?

2) Out of all the photos and videos I've seen, all the horses looked angry, miserable, and looking like they wanted to drop dead. What would possess someone to crank a horse's head back to the point where he's rasping and heaving like an asthmatic cow?

3) Hyperflexion is extremely damaging to horses and yet I've heard that Rollkur is used as a training tool by some dressage trainers. WHY???

4) A good rider wouldn't hyperflex her horse, at least for any long period of time. I can't think of when a horse would need to be stretched that severely in any situation. So again, why?

5) What is considered non-abusive Rollkur? Where do you draw the line?

Based on what I've seen and heard, Rollkur is supposedly fine in small doses. I can't see any way that this would be okay or beneficial to the horse. If it's supposed to teach collection, that makes me even more opposed to it. Nobody needs to suffocate their horse in order to teach him to collect himself. That's what lunging, side reins, and competant riding is for.

Do any of these horses look remotely comfortable? They look tortured to me. And Lord knows I'm against anything that causes a horse an iota of discomfort. Even in short intervals, why would hyperflexion be a good thing? I'm having a hard time researching it because I'm trying to weed out biased and one-sided articles. Does anyone have first-hand knowledge or experience with this?

It looks pretty abusive to me.

Ur doin' it wrong!

2009-05-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a piggy back off of Bad_Riding, but I have to post it. This sooper speshul trainer dude has a bunch of videos showing his ridiculous methods and less-than-decent riding. This one especially stood out to me. Check out that position. Not only was all his weight in his ass, but he was flopping around like a sack of potatoes and was too heavy on the reins. How the hell can anyone use their seat correctly when all your weight is in your ass all the time and you're leaning back on the horse's hindquarters? No wonder he has to haul back on the reins like a banshee to get the horse to stop. *sigh*

The juiciest part was the dumbass comment that almost had me gagging up my Dr. Pepper.

Hey crazyhorse,

Ignore all the other 16 girls commenting about your riding (they all went to english riding clubs with instructors telling them line up ear, hip, ankle and drop your heels). Your riding is perfectly fine. As long as you are relaxed and the horse is relaxed, who cares what position you ride!

I do ride straight up and down most of time but I have ridden like you have and I stop yelling at my kids for adopting their own style.

Everyone is different and every horse too.

Can this statement be any more ignorant? "Who cares what position you ride"? Gee, I don't know, maybe your horse? I guess this person needs to have something explained to her.

Your seat is everything. If you have no seat, you have no hand or leg, and if you have no leg, you have no seat. You go to seat, then to leg, then to hand. Always. Your seat rides the most important part of the horse: the hindquarters. Your seat is the first thing you go to when you're aiding your horse. The horse responds to the smallest shift in your weight, which is impossible when you're flopping way back behind the vertical and have no weight in your heels the whole time. Then you have the leg, and this guy's are loose as wet noodle and flopping in every conceivable direction. Your legs ride the hindquarters and ribcage. It's impossible for your horse to be balanced unless you have a firm, steady leg and you let your weight sink into your heels, which also secures your seat. Yes, our English riding ways are sooo goofy, right? It's ridiculous that we focus on being balanced and secure, isn't it?

The horse can't read this guy's seat because he has none. He stops/ slows the horse with the reins alone, which is just plain sloppy and inefficient. He isn't secure in the saddle at all, and I guarantee you if you put him in an English saddle and the horse stopped suddenly, he'd going catapulting over the horse's head.

The sheer stupidity is enough to make you bang your head against a brick wall.

Is there anything right with this ad?

2009-05-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I hate it when people talk up their mediocre-quality horses and make them sound like more than they are. This little gem is a perfect example of that.

Dusty is a blood bay 3 year old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Dusty is sired by the Elite Hanoverian stallion named Gold Luck, who has been top-listed in the USEF Dressage Sires List for years. Gold Luck is sired by the legendary Grand Prix Dressage stallion named Grundstein. Dusty's dam is Ashley Whisper Waddilove, an Irish Draught mare imported from England. Ashley placed 4th in the 2 year old IDSH class at the 2001 Midlands Irish Draught Show in Southam, England. Ashley is sired by the TB steeplechaser Mr Waddilove. Ashley's dam's sire is the Irish Draught stallion named Diamond Jake who was a Grade B showjumper and foxhunter in the UK, and represented Great Britain in the Young Riders Showjumping Team. Dusty is a beautiful, brave and flashy horse. He is very friendly, highly trainable, and intelligent. He has good feet and bone. Dusty has a great attitude, nice conformation, fantastic movement and superb quality. Dusty has 3 elastic gaits with lots of suspension. He has an excellent temperament. He should mature 16.1+h (Dam 16.2h & sire 16.1h). He ties, bathes, blankets, fly sprays,loads, and is good for the farrier/vet. He is UTD on vaccinations, deworming, and farrier. He is presently being started under saddle.

Things that I find wrong with this:

1) They're talking about the colt's pedigree more than the actual colt. It makes it even worse when he clearly doesn't look the part and no one cares about the pedigree when the colt has nothing to show for it. I see an ewe neck, sickle hocks, and cruddy pasterns. Not to mention the lack of muscle. This horse is worth nowhere near $15,000.

2) They have him listed as an Irish Draft. If his sire is a Hanoverian, he's not an Irish Draft. He's a cross. A mutt, so to speak.

3) They're advertising him as an "Irish sporthorse". A horse isn't a sporthorse unless he actually competes. And I have no idea what an Irish sporthorse is. Hanoverians originated in Germany, so what makes this colt an "Irish sporthorse"? Could you just as easily call him a "German sporthorse"? He's only half ID, so I have no idea why they call him that. Again, probably in an attempt to make him sound sooper speshul.

4) A horse can't have a blaze, and a star, and a snip. It sounds like they're really trying to make him sound unique and amazing. What he has is called a stripe. Just a plain ol' stripe. You would know that if you ever picked up one of those 3rd grade level horse care books from the school library.

I hope anyone in the market for a horse that has 15 grand laying around is educated enough to see the faults here. You can go to just about any auction or feedlot and find better horses for 200 bucks. Like this Quarter Horse colt. He's way too nice to be in a feedlot, but that's where a lot of them end up. You can find your next jumping prospect at an auction if you know what you're looking for. Plus all the horses that are actually worth 15 grand out there. How much chance do you think they have of selling him? Exactly. *facepalm*

Totally random encounter.

2009-05-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

There was a turkey outside my window this afternoon.
I've been laughing about it since. It was so random. XD I managed to snap a few pictures, since she was just strolling around the yard, surveying the flowers. They're kinda blurry because they were taken through my screen.

That's the last thing I'd expect to see out my window. I hope she wasn't lost. I didn't see any other turkeys.

OT, but did you know turkeys sleep in trees? It makes sense, since they probably couldn't get away if a coyote attacked them in their sleep. But how do they get up there? Especially the males. I've never seen a turkey fly more than 12 inches off the ground. And I've never seen a turkey in a tree, even at night. What do they do, shimmy up the trunk? I'd like to see that.

Has anyone else had critters show up in their yard?

HOLY SH** BATMAN.

2009-05-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

This poor filly.

Those are the worst legs I've seen in a long, long time. Can we say camped out? (She's also over at the knee and has a straight shoulder, but who notices that next to those hind legs?) This is ridiculous. How does she move?

I've never seen a horse camped out this bad before. She looks rather uncomfortable. No one is going to pay $1,800 for this conformational train wreck. She's advertised as an English/western performance prospect, which makes me question the seller's mental state. This filly will never be an athlete. It's going to be nearly impossible for her to collect herself, and she'll certainly never do well in the show ring. I don't even think she'll make that great of a riding horse. And she's more susceptible to joint and lameness issues, which just adds to the long list of things that are stacked against her.

I see where she got that straight shoulder. Momma doesn't look so great, either. From what little you can see of the dam, there's nothing about her that I would want to replicate.

Their stallion has no business being a stallion. He's not bad, but he's not special, either. Not exactly breeding material. He would make a nice gelding. We wouldn't be missing out on anything by not spreading his gene pool. I don't get it.

Why don't you put a bullet through your own empty skull?

2009-05-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

That would be much more beneficial to the rest of the world, as opposed to going out and slaughtering wolves to your heart's content. Now, unless you live in a cardboard box, you've probably heard that wolves are being taken off the endangered list in Idaho and Montana. They expect to start hunting them again this fall.

We might as well send the hunters/poachers out there now and say "Here, try again! You didn't finish the job last time!"
The ranchers are thrilled about this. Now they can shoot wolves on sight and it's perfectly legal. Now, I appreciate steak and hamburgers, but I will never approve of killing wolves to keep them from eating cattle. That's why I tell people to get a dog. Watch dogs protect livestock. Therefor they keep wolves, cougars, and bears away. Second of all, the wolves were here long before we were, and they have to eat. We're the ones destroying and invading their habitat, and therefor their food sources in the wild are becoming more limited. They have no choice but to prey on livestock when we're taking away their resources.

This brings us to another issue. Another reason people want to hunt wolves is to keep them from over-hunting other game animals such as deer and elk. Um, HELLO! That's what they're supposed to do! Deer and elk are their natural prey! What else would you have them eat? 'Cause y'know, I'd be happy to feed a couple of you soulless cretins to a pack of wolves. They're not eating your livestock, are you happy now? You want to start shooting wolves (because they're doing what they were made to do) because you want to preserve your precious sport hunting.

Wolves hunt to survive. Human beings kill off wild animals for a cheap thrill and an ego boost. Oh, and of course to have their heads lopped off and hung on a wall like some kind of trophy. If it was up to me, sport hunting would be banned. I don't understand how anyone with an iota of humanity can hunt down and kill another living being for the sheer pleasure of it. You want a thrill? Why don't you let me squeeze off a few rounds in your direction, then have you skinned and your pelt tacked up on the wall above my mantle? That would be my trophy for improving the human gene pool by removing you from it. Sounds like fun, right?

We have hope, though. The Western Wolf Coalition is fighting the proposal, along with other people who've been writing to Congress. As you can imagine, a lot of people are pissed about this. We just need enough people to speak up.

Ever wonder why English riders get a reputation for being narcissistic snobs?

2009-05-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

This is why.

This girl's riding isn't the issue at all. She's actually a very good rider. It's her attitude that makes me angry. Take a gander at the title and description. The arrogance.

Anyone who thinks English riders are cocky have probably only met people like her (although she does do western as well). I've met many accomplished and admirable riders, and not one of them has ever referred to him or her self as an "amazing rider", or even talked themselves up in any way. In fact, many of them just shrug and smile when people compliment them. Apparently no one ever told that girl that modesty is an attractive trait. lol I left her a nice comment and I'm curious to see if she replies.

I also noticed that she gives very little recognition to her horses. Another difference between her and other riders. If you look at Beezie Madden or any other well-known equestrian, they rave about their horses like proud parents. And isn't that the way it should be? I love how this chick is soaking up all the praise for herself.

People like her make all of us look like haughty stiff necks.

My cat just brought a live sparrow into the house.

2009-05-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

I thought it was just a toy... but then I saw the feathers. O.O

I thought it was dead at first, because it was just laying there when she set it down. Then it made a little cheeping noise and I was like, OMG! So I grabbed Annabel and put her in the bathroom, then caught the sparrow, who had flown into the windowsill. The poor little guy was scared out of his mind. :( He was just limp while I was making sure his wings and legs weren't broken. There was no blood, either. I took him outside and put him in a tree, and he flew off right when I let him go. So I think he'll be fine.

That reminds me of when I rescued a frog at the barn last summer. He was in one of the horse shelters and he was all dried out and had a bloody eye. And he was about to be stepped on. D:
So I caught him and ran through the barn like, "I've got a frog and he needs water!" (I got some weird stares from that one). I put him in the creek and then he was a happy frog.

Yes, Ernie, you were wrong.

2009-04-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

The king of understatements.

Ernie Paragallo seems to be taking responsibility for the 24 horses he carelessly lost track of, and the rest of them that he almost starved to death. If, in fact, the 24 mares truly were intended to go to the breeding farm and not the kill pen, which isn't proven. You never know with people like him.

Let me ask you something, Ernie. How do you explain these photos? This kind of condition takes months to happen.

Paragallo claims he feeds his horses 14 tons of hay and 5,000 pounds of feed a week and that they were not in that poor shape when they left his farm. He admitted some of the horses at his farm were "skinny" as a result of dominant horses scaring off others. "Some were skinny but others looked like elephants," Paragallo said.

Excuses, excuses. I don't want to hear it. The timid horses at my barn get bullied away from the hay, so we separate them. There is absolutely no valid excuse for a horse not getting enough to eat. And where are the ones that "look like elephants"? I sure don't see any. All I see are emaciated, sick, parasite-infested horses living in filth. If he feeds his horses like he says he does (and we all know he doesn't), those horses would never be deathly thin. The malnutrition isn't the only issue. These horses are absolutely filthy and infested with parasites. Classic examples of long-term and blatant neglect. There is no justification for not making damn well sure that your horses are being fed.

Deworming is such a basic, easy part of caring for a horse. How any kind of "high-class" owner/breeder could overlook it is beyond me. Along with the lice and rain rot. So easy to avoid.

And this really made me angry. Richard Baiardi, the guy who picked up the 24 mares from Paragallo's farm, says that all the horses were in bad condition and wouldn't have made the 1,290 mile trip. He says one died not even 90 miles into the trip.

First of all, if you see these horses that are hundreds of pounds underweight and you're supposed to be taking them to be bred, wouldn't that be a HUGE red flag? Why the hell would you take those horses when they're in that kind of condition?

Baiardi, who sold the horses to the kill pen for $680 because he said he had no other choice, believes it's not Paragallo's fault, but the fault of his help at his farm. "I can't blame Ernie," Baiardi said. "He's at the track, but at the same time he's got to keep eyes on his farm."

Richard, pull your head out of your fucking ass and open your eyes. It's all Paragallo's fault. And yours, for not putting the kabosh on transporting those horses and not calling the authorities when you saw their condition (AND selling them to the kill pen). That dead mare might still be alive today if you hadn't ignored the situation. If you contacted the humane society like you claim, why did they end up in the kill pen?

Ernie was the owner and manager of a facility and it was his responsibility to oversee every aspect of it. Every single animal on that property was his responsibility and it was his obligation to make sure all of them were well cared for. He should have known that going into the business. I don't want to hear your petty excuses about him being too busy to keep an eye on his horses. If his staff was doing a crap ass job of taking care of his horses, he should have been the first to know. And he should have fired their asses. How can he possibly be that blind? He goes to his farm and sees starving horses, and nothing seems amiss? Ernie, are you completely blind, deaf, and dumb, or do you just not care? Don't tell me your horses were fine and don't tell me you didn't notice it.

I don't care how busy you are or how many horses you have. If you're the owner, you need to be on top of everything. If that's not possible, you have no business having horses. If one of my horses is hurt, I want to know immediately. If they're off on one leg, I want to be the first to know. If they pop a splint, I want to know about it. They're no excuse for being blissfully unaware of your horses' conditions. If I put someone in charge of my horses and they were slacking off, their ass would be out the door so fast their head would spin and they'd never be coming back.

No fricken excuse.

That brings us back to the fact that he had no idea where his horses were. How do you not know? Do you live in a fucking cardboard box? And how could you entrust your horses to someone who sold them to a kill pen? I would have had references and background checks on someone who was transporting my horses over a thousand miles. I wonder what would have happened if the 23 remaining mares had arrived at the breeding farm. Would the owner have sent them back without breeding them, like any responsible breeder would do? I honestly don't know.

22 counts of animal cruelty isn't enough. He needs to be charged with the full 177 counts. No punishment is harsh enough for him.

"Of course it's a wake-up call," Paragallo said. "It's a tragedy and totally my responsibility. It was a major screw-up, but I'd never send my horses to the killers."

A "major screw-up" is an epic understatement. And sure, maybe you'd never send your horses to kill buyers, but you have no problem starving and neglecting them! As far as I'm concerned, he's a worthless piece of shit that doesn't have the brains God gave a sheep. He shouldn't be allowed to own animals ever again, either. We'll see.

Crappy stallion of the day!

2009-04-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

This guy's 23 years old, and he looks every day of it. His age can't excuse the big, klunky head, shitty pasterns, and crooked legs, though. He's toed out and knock-kneed pretty bad.

I don't like his face or neck at all.

But you can breed your very own for $500.

I don't get how anyone can look at this horse and think he's a quality, textbook Arabian. It doesn't sound like a BYB situation, either.

I don't know how to educate these people. Most of them are freakin brick walls. You can't tell them anything. And God forbid you try to tell them their horse isn't breeding material.
Good grief. That horse should have been gelded 2 decades ago.

Priceless.

2009-04-15T14:49:00.001-07:00

This colt is 18 months old ready to start saddle work he has been lunged , worked in creeks and lakes . He stands for clipping , trimming , shots and most other activities that need done . He has a calm attitude , with a ton of spirit . Likes a challenge . Lunges beautifully over obstacles such as cavalleties and such . Just an all around great colt will make an awesome show horse , blood lines are foundation with hall of famers through out . price is firm we are in no hurry to sell him we would rather find a show home for him as he will steal the show .

Really? A show home? And for $2,000? WTH? It's a piece of crap yearling that looks like he could easily end up smuggled into Mexico in a double decker. Shitty legs, shitty topline, shitty neck, and absolutely no ass. And this was the most flattering of the pictures. A real show stopper, right? Nobody is going to pay two grand for that mess. A kill buyer might pay 40 bucks for him, though. I guess these people win the prize for the most over-the-top-ad and the shittiest horse.

And when she says "ready to start saddle work", I hope she means just putting the saddle on his back for short intervals, not actually trying to get on him. He's not even two, for Christ's sake. I don't even think an 18 month old horse should be lunged.

But that's not all! Check out their stallion. Is it any wonder why the colt turned out so fugly? I see the family resemblence. Here's what the ad says:

Geronimoslionhawk is lethal white negative and has been producing more stud colts than fillies . Out of each mare he throws big strong foals all so far have multi- colored tails and usually manes too . all have been bomb proof and intelligent , independant foals from birth .added to his ad is this years foal . who is up for sale . geronimo is foundation bred and has many hall of famers in his lines QH as well as APha . we are proud of his production so far and even his solid born foals by two are getting unique white spots on them . Pocorose this year has a white u on her neck and a white spot the size of an adult hand on her side and is still cinnamon colored . Pahkennepeh is getiing white spots as well . so check out his new foal .out of pks mom.

I think it's pretty clear that these people are under the misguided belief that unusually-shaped spots make a horse rare or valuable. They're proudly presenting their managerie of fuglies as if they're the most special horses in the world. Of course, you know multi-colored manes and tails are soo important and amazing, too. That's good enough reason to breed them, right? So what if the stallion is completely unaccomplished and the farthest thing from breeding quality you can get!

*headdesk*

This has nothing to do with the yak breeders, but I found this to be odd.

Thoroughbred with a Quarter Horse body

...

That's it? That's all you have to say about her? Is she broke? Off the track? Has she accomplished anything? What kind of rider/handler is best for her?

If that's the best thing you can say about her, I highly doubt you're going to be successful in trying to sell her. Victor and Jessie are mistaken for QH's on a regular basis. Hearty TB's aren't that unusual.

And besides that, I honestly don't think this mare looks Quarter Horsey. She looks rather ugly from the picture.

People. Come on.

Could you imagine riding these critters?

2009-04-13T22:08:00.001-07:00

Here are some fine examples of conformation that are horrendous to the point of making one wonder how the horses are even able to move.

Fugly KMH filly. She looks rather uncomfortable to me. It would be interesting to actually see her walk. Or trot. Or *gasp* even canter.
Train wreck.

Is your mama a llama?

Not a fugly horse, more like WTF is the rider doing???

Why, oh why would you ride backwards? I don't see the attraction. It doesn't look fun. It looks uncomfortable and more than a little dangerous.

Riding backwards is not the best way to show that your horse is bombproof and well schooled. So don't do it. You'll look like a total moron. Thank ya.

Isn't this lovely? The poor thing looks miserable. Can you really blame him with that scary, decrepit, chicken wire fencing? I used to use the same kind of fence to keep my rabbit in.

Chicken wire = not good for a mule. That's an emergency vet call waiting to happen.

You knew there would be Vanners on this post, right?
Is there anything right about this picture? Not only are the horses fugly (even if you look past the shaggy yak coats) but their hooves need to be trimmed like there's no freakin tomorrow.

You wanna see some more ass-ugly Gypsies, check out Vines Gypsy Horses. Especially the mares page. Epic fail.

I didn't find one picture there where the horse was clipped, squared up, and photographed from a decent angle. Not all of them were clean, either.

People like that shouldn't be allowed to reproduce. They're obviously too besotted to be able to tell the difference between a breeding quality horse and a shaggy, black and white water buffalo. They seem to have stopped maturing mentally at age 12 and think anything with color and a long mane and tail is perty.

Blegh.

I want this horse.

2009-04-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Look at that carriage. The color, the age, he's just awesome. He's put together beautifully. He's got a nice ass. ;D One of the biggest things that attract me to a horse. And a nice neck. A lot of TB's have skinny, shapeless necks. Here's the original ad.

He's so gorgeous.

If only I was in the market for another horse. I would seriously check him out. I wouldn't have time or money for a third horse, though. My hands are pretty much tied with my boys.

If you're in the NY area, this guy is worth looking at. I hope someone really nice buys him and spoils him rotten. lol

Another horse in need of a liposuction.

2009-04-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

This is a 2-year-old Peruvian Paso stallion for sale.

WTF is up with these obese horses? This poor guy is only 2. No 2yo should look like that. Those poor, skinny little legs of his look like they're about to snap.

Why do people let their horses get like this? Do they just not notice that their horse looks like a pregnant cow? I'd also like to know what the hell they're feeding him. Little too much sweet feed? I think so.
They're asking $3,000 for him. I wouldn't pay that much for a horse that's already been predisposed to arthritis. That is not good for a growing horse, especially.

Although he looks like he'd be a pretty nice horse someday if he loses weight and his muscles fill out. I don't know how much of a stallion prospect he'd be from this photo, but you never know. Somebody buy this horse and take the grain away.

When you flop around like a limp ragdoll...

2009-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

You know there's something wrong with your riding. Check this chick out.
All I have to say is, that horse is worth his weight in gold. He was tripping all over the place because that idiot can chaser was bouncing like a sack of potatoes and kicking the shit out of him, yet he still ran the pattern and didn't pull anything. Can you imagine if you got that girl up on a Thoroughbred or Arabian? Ouch.

I'm pissed.

2009-04-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

My own mother is betraying me. She wants to breed our little Papillon/Pomeranian mix to a full Pom. After all the harping I do on irresponsible/ backyard breeders, all the dogs on Craigslist looking for homes, and especially the ones in shelters with their days numbered. She wants to contribute to the out of control population. I'm so pissed at her I could spit. My dad doesn't know quite what to think about the whole prospect.

Mom says she only wants to breed her once and she'd find homes for the puppies because she has friends that would take them. WTF. You don't even know how many puppies she would have. She could have 2, or she could have 12. What the HELL are you planning to do if she has a dozen? I know it's uncommon, but it can happen. And besides that, you'd be taking away homes that could go to animals that are already homeless. On top of that, the economy is in the toilet right now and people are giving up their animals left and right because they can't afford to take care of them. The shelters are more overcrownded than ever and now is NOT the time to be making even more dogs.

Another thing. You bought the dog from Petland. Which means she most likely came from a puppy mill. She has no pedigree, no papers, not even pure bred. She could be fucking inbred for all you know. Mutts happen all the time by accident. The last thing we need is to be making more of them on purpose. And who in their right mind would breed their pedigreed, purebred Pomeranian to your puppy mill mutt? Well, at least I found out why she kept putting off getting her spayed. At first she kept making up excuses like, "She's so small and I don't want them to give her too much anesthesia." Yeah, right.

Your co-workers want a cute, fluffy little puppy? Tell them to go down to Animal Control. Kittens and puppys abound.

Am I my mother's keeper? It really seems like it most the time. I suply the common sense she lacks. Whether or not she listens is another story. I might take her down to the shelter and have one of the staff there talk her out of it if she won't listen to me.

Please tell me this is a draft cross.

2009-03-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

I don't think he is, though. The ad says he's full Arabian. It doesn't say anything about being crossbred.

Because that creature is absolutely the fattest Arabian I've ever seen in my life. Look at that poor horse. His head doesn't match the rest of his body. I thought Norman was overweight. Christ love.

Somebody get that horse on a diet. Take him off grain and put him on a workout routine. That's awful. He's going to end up with some major health issues if they don't get his weight under control. They're not loving their horse any by feeding him too much. I think he's be lovely if he was a normal weight. It looks like he has a nice head and neck. You can't really tell further because of the chub. It looks like he's just been a pasture ornament but being fed like a performance horse. Good lordy. Somebody buy this horse and liposuction some fat out of him and transplant it into a few rescue horses. This is crazy.

Yes, I'm picking on WP and HUS again.

2009-03-28T19:41:00.000-07:00

This one is painful to watch. Horses moseying around the arena at a painfully slow pitter-patter, barely lifting their feet up more than 2 centimeters off the ground at any given time. Do they even have a pulse?

When you take pictures of a horse and you can't tell if he's is trotting or cantering, there's something wrong. And when the rider's legs are so straight they almost make a perfect "V". I don't know how they keep their balance in those buckets. I found this article really good. Hmm... where have you heard that before? And WP people say that it's a natural gait. In reality, it's nothing but a trend. A fashion statement. The article really puts it into perspective.

WP people also say you can see babies going at that stick-legged pace.

Have you ever seen a colt or filly puttering around a wide open pasture like an old jalopy with his/her head at knee height? I never have. I see baby horses running around like ecstatic maniacs. Never in my life seen a nerve-dead foal. Does this filly look like those robotic zombies? She looks pretty lively to me. Won't stay that way for long if she's bought by a WP rider/trainer, but you get my point.

How about Hunter Under Saddle? Their equitation is hideous. The horses look half dead. It's an English hunter class. The horse's head shouldn't be lolling down by his knees. Nor should they be heavy on the forehand or have next to zero impulsion. Look at this. Draping reins. Every single one of them. Did they forget that it's an English class? There's supposed to be a straight line from your elbow, through your forearm, to the reins and to the horse's mouth. In that video, I see a languid, puppy-pawed mess. I just got back from a judging seminar. I know for a fact that that's not desirable. But the judges have to place somebody. They make their selections from the lesser of the evils. It goes back to that article on Western Pleasure. It all correlates. It's a trend. There's nothing elegant or beautiful about it.

I also agree that judging standards should be reformed. I really hope some much-needed changes will be made and the show industry might take a step in the right direction.

Self - taught riders?

2009-03-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'm under the firm belief that horseback riding isn't something you can teach yourself. English riding, at least. I can see where one could pick up on western riding by watching and practicing.

But English is too complex. How would you know that the majority of your weight should be down in your heels and you should be supporting yourself in the saddle? How would you know if your seat is correct and you're giving proper rein and leg aids? You can't learn that stuff by watching videos on Youtube or going to a million shows. I can't imagine anybody being a halfway decent rider without any lessons.

There was a lady at my barn who had an Arabian stallion. She's a saddleseat rider and she boasted that she'd never had a lesson in her life. I never saw her ride, but I don't know how she could be that good if she's never had lessons. My farrier said he never took lessons, either. He's more of a cowboy, though. Again, never seen him ride, but I think I'd be scared to. He said he put bullriding spurs on a misbehaving horse one time. O.o

I think a lot of people don't bother with lessons. This scares me for the horse's sake. I'm sure there are people who've been riding for two weeks and decide to start barreling over oxers. Yikes.

You have to have someone teaching you. There's no ther way to do it. The noobish-looking riders featured here look like they need to go back to lunge lessons. If they've ever had any kind of instruction at all. Which I doubt.

I thought I'd heard them all.

2009-03-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

People come up with the most ridiculous excuses to get rid of their pets. God almighty. I can't believe how pathetic and callous these jokers are.

Year and a half old. Neutered, litterbox trained, has not been declawed but has the soft paws covers on front. Very sweet cat and is an excellant mouser. Recently got into my sons mice and killed 3 out of 6. He will no longer leave the mouse cage alone. And my son hates him. Asking a rehoming fee of $50 to make sure he goes to a good home.

Okay.
You're getting rid of your cat because he ate your son's mice? That's messed up on a number of levels.

First off, it's common knowledge that cats like to eat mousies. Ever watched Tom and Jerry? That would give you a clue. Did that little detail ever cross your mind before you bought the mice? Apparently not.

Second, it's perfectly obvious that the mice are more important to you than your cat. This is what I just can't understand. A few mice versus a cat. Mice live two or three years, live in a cage, squeak, eat, poop, and that's it. They can't compare to a cat (at least to most people). Why are you not getting rid of the mice instead?

Furthermore, your unfortunate little mouse massacre could have been avoided. I've always had at least two cats. I've also had a hamster, a gerbil, parakeets, and a bunny. Cats like to eat all those things. Not once did a cat ever harm those animals. It is not hard to keep the rodent cage away from the cats. Put it up on a dresser or shelf. Make sure the cage is secured and shut tight. You can hang a bird cage from the ceiling of you don't have a stand. Keep the cage in a room where you can shut the door. Normally, a cat won't even be able to open a cage if it's secured properly. That incident was your own damn fault.

But, if it's that big of an issue and you can't possibly keep the mice from getting eaten, I would just give them away. Either that or let them go in a field somewhere. If the kid doesn't like it, too freakin bad. I would never put a rodent before my cats. That's just messed up.

Someone doesn't know how to control children.

2009-03-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Re-Homing kitten $1.00 adoption fee. female born Dec. 23rd. Must find new home A.S.A.P. my grandchildren are terrorizing this poor little thing!!! She is a sweet kitten who does like to play. Just a little shy due to the kids, I believe. Please Call Tammy XXX-XXXX

You know what you do with bratty little trolls who aggravate animals? You spank them. Hard. You don't have to get rid of your kitty (who is freaking adorable!). You need to teach your grandkids to be nice to animals, especially ones that are much smaller and more fragile than them.

Hell, I'd get rid of the kids before I give the kitten away. I can't stand misbehaving children.
I hope someone nice takes this little cutie home.

Get off and carry the horse yourself, fatass.

2009-03-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

I have a major problem with people who ride horses that are too small for them. I saw this chick on TV, who obviously wasn't a horseperson, sitting on a small, maybe 15hh horse. This chick was big. Like, 250-300 pounds big. Is it any wonder why the horse kicked her off? This aggravates me to no end. First of all, how the hell do you ride when you're that big? Second of all, she looked like a manatee sitting on one of those plastic, toddler-sized rocking horses. Jeezus.

Full sized adults should never ever ride a mini horse. Ever. That's just wrong. Not even kids. The only human being that should ever be on a mini's back would be a 20 pound child going for a pony ride. I hate it when people think it's funny to hop on a Shetland pony. It's not funny. You're making an ass of yourself and I'll be laughing my ass off when the pony kicks your sorry hide into next week. You might as well just ride a Labrador Retriever. It's not like they're that much different in size.

Now some people believe that minis should never be ridden. I wouldn't go so far as to say that, but I definitely think they should never carry anything more than a really little child. They're great for halter and driving classes. If you're dying to do something with your mini, get a cart and start practicing! Not a hard concept.

Do you need an example of what is acceptable and what is not?
I don't have any issues with this picture. It's a good sized mini with a small kid. It looks proportionate. I don't think the horse has any problem carrying the rider.

Now this one is just plain disgusting. She's gonna need roller skates pretty soon. I bet she had to step down to get on him. Seriously, that broad is three times the size of the horse she's riding. It's not funny. It's not cute. You could end up hurting the poor horse with your over sized ass on his back. GET OFF. Get yourself a bigger horse. Or better yet, just don't get another horse. Keep your ass off of them altogether.

I HATE it when these idiots whip out the ol' "Ponies are stronger than horses" excuse. That does not mean it's ok to plop an adult onto a Shetland pony! What's the matter with you people? Why would you think it's fine to hop on a miniature horse and go for a cruise? Not a good horse to human ratio. Get off and carry the horse yourself, you dumb heifer.

And, for the riders of the larger variety, I sincerely hope you picked your mount well. Horses can safely carry about 20% of their body weight. Keep that in mind. Draft horses and draft crosses make lovely mounts. I would really recommend them if you're on the big side.

I have a few guidelines that I like to follow. And I think a lot of people I mentioned today would do well to take them into consideration.

1. Your horse's withers should ideally be up to your collarbone (not your knees). This can fluctuate with the rider's weight, and it doesn't have to be exact.

2. If the circumference of your waist is equal to or greater than your horse's girth, get the hell off and find yourself a bigger horse!

3. Remember the 20% rule. A 1000 lb horse can carry about 200 lbs. A 400 lb pony should carry no more than 80 lbs.

I'm letting you know in advance, if I see you on a mini horse, I will feed you to Norman.
I'm protecting the little horses. I can kill legally.

Danger lurks.

Cat Breeders.

2009-03-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

Someone restrain me. But WTF is this creature? Am I the only one who doesn't think this is cute?

These Munchkin cats go for $600 a piece! Who in their right mind pays $600 for a cat? A mutant cat, at that. This really torques me because there are hundreds upon hundreds of cats in shelters with their days numbered if no one takes them home. And even more on the streets.

I'm a frequent visitor at the Animal Control here. Their cages are always at maximum capacity and they're practically falling over backwards to get these cats homes. You walk in and see three dozen healthy, beautiful, normally- proportioned kitty cats staring up at you with these big sad eyes and it's enough to rip your heart out. Hundreds of cats are put down every year in my city alone. It's bad enough breeding dogs like crazy, but cats? Their numbers are out of control.

Why pay hundreds of dollars for a disfigured weenie cat when you can pick a healthy one up off the street for free? I see tons of kittens running around in alleys all the time. If you want a cat, adopt a homeless one! If you find a stray one, that's fantastic. If you adopt one from a shelter, great. Adoption fees run at about $40. That's $40 versus $600.

Munchkins aren't the healthiest cats in the world. And they can't even do the things normal cats do, like jump up on the sofa or run around and chase birds.

All of my cats, with the exception of Annabel (who is from a shelter) have been straight off the streets. They make amazing pets. Miss Kitty was thrown out by her owners in the middle of winter -while pregnant- and she had to sit on top of the dog house otherwise the dog would chase her. She'd had a litter before, and the damn dog had killed one of her kittens. We took her home, and she had her kittens days later. That was when I was little, and now she's about 17. Best cat I've ever had. She's just perfect. Living proof that adopted cats are the best ones you can get.

Anyway, back to breeding.
I find the breeding of "Twisty Cats" particularly disturbing, even more so than Munchkins.

These poor creatures have no use of their front legs whatsoever. Their legs are about three inches long and the only way they can get around is to hop or scoot on their back legs.

But isn't this kyoot??? Look at those little bitty legs!

Bagh. That's cruel, that's what it is. There's nothing attractive about it.

This is likely the height of human atrocity. Deliberately breeding an animal for deformity. It's despicable, to say the least.

I'm aware that nature sometimes produces a deformity and Munchkins originally appeared as feral cats in the UK. They eventually died out in the wild, but people thought they were cute, so continued to breed for that particular mutation. A natural deformity is a rare occurrence, and feral/wild animals often don't survive because of it. Which is ultimately a good thing, so they don't pass on their mutation.

Breeding cats in general is just stupid. It's like the breeders are completely unaware of the number of cats in shelters and on the streets. Or that they just don't care.

I'm not as opposed to breeding rare breeds like Abyssinians and Burmillas. In moderation. Moderation is the key word.

I'm also going to pick on the irresponsible sons of a bitches who don't spay or neuter their cat(s) and just let them reproduce like bunny rabbits. That's why you see free kittens advertised in the paper all the time.

I will never ever ever buy a cat. As much as I love Turkish Angoras, I would never buy one. It would be pretty awesome if I came across one in a shelter one day, but that's a one in a million chance. There are still plenty of young, pretty kittens waiting for homes. I did see a beautiful white kitten with one blue and one green eye that I would have taken home in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, everyone else in my family are dog people, and it wouldn't have gone over well.
Darn. I had a name picked out and everything. She was pretty.
The kittens always go fast, though, so I'm pretty sure she got a home. :)

This has been bothering me for a while.

2009-03-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

The fact that Physical Education is mandatory.

Some kids just aren't athletic. Not that they shouldn't exercise, but grading them on their physical abilities? They can't help the fact that they aren't as good at sports as the other kids. I was one of those kids. Me and my group of non-athletic friends spent the class dodging various projectiles that hurt like hell if they hit you. Footballs, baseballs, especially dodge balls. I hated dodge ball with a fiery passion.

Especially in high school. Senior boys throw hard. It was enough to leave a nice little welt if you were hit. I was only a Freshman at the time. It was hardly fair.

But what made the class all the more unbearable was the teacher. I loath him to this day. He was a egotistical, sexist, steroid-loving whack job who hated the non-athletic kids. He seemed to think sports were a way of life and it was fucking blasphemy to suck at dodge ball. He loved dodge ball. He made us play it on a regular basis. I think he found it profoundly amusing every time the "wimps" got nailed. He didn't like any of the girls much, either, hence the sexist-ness. He just had this aggravating arrogance, like he thought he was too good for any of us (except the uber talented athletes, of course). I fancied shoving a hockey stick down his throat several times. Jerk.

And then we have the other extreme. I remember her well. She was my elementary school PE teacher. A fat ass, ex-smoker who preached the importance of exercise and how sedentary lifestyles were heresy. Where the bloody hell does she get off spewing physical education down our throats when the bitch can hardly talk without wheezing like an asthmatic cow? I'd love to see her resume. Did the school even have her fill out an application before they hired her or were they so understaffed that they hired the first person that came along who could blow a whistle? She was an absolute joke.

I hated gym class. My sympathy goes out to all the kids who are still subject to its torment.

PE needs to be an elective.

Not-So-Perfect Horse Ranch.

2009-03-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

This fugly little filly is going for $600. She's a Standardbred x Paint cross. (WTF is up with that combo? And why does the baby have a saddle on?) And here's were the irony comes in. The place is called Perfect Horse Ranch.

Their definition of perfect must not include decent pedigrees and conformation. Everywhere you look on their website, it's fugly after fugly. It's like a nightmare. Apparently they are completely unaware that the well conformed, show-quality purebreds aren't selling right now.

These guys offer training services, too. Isn't it everyone's dream to stand up on our horses' backs? That's really something to aspire to. So amazing. Not.

I hate it when people do that. It does no good for the horse. It looks stupid. It's not good for their backs.
You don't see Beezie standing up on Authentic like a freakin idiot going, "My horse is soo well trained! Isn't he AWSUM?!". It's all useless theatrics. When would you ever need that in a real situation? Dipshits.

I think this photo says it all.

Yeah, I would TOTALLY send my horse here for training.

This chick is asking for a fractured skull. The first time that horse spooks, it's all over. It only takes once.
No horse is "bombproof". All horses spook. Some not as easily as others, but they are prey animals. Therefor they're unpredictable and no horse is guaranteed to stay still while you freakin crawl under his belly and crouch down under him. I can see this girl's future kids. "Hey mommy, I wanna play house. Lightning can be the house!"

Fugly Standardbred x Hackney, again with a girl lounging carelessly between her feet. This right here is the epitome of of brainlessness and bad parenting. My mother would have beaten me silly if she'd found me sitting under a horse. I'd be ready to bet that it was mom or dad who took this photo. WTF are they thinking? That's a 1000 pound prey animal with four sharp little hooves that your daughter is lying under! HELLO! What are you going to do the first time a horse bolts while your kid is under his belly? There's sure as hell nothing you could do to stop it once it happens.

This is just the picture you'd want on the homepage of your website that advertises training services.

Honestly? So many riders spend so much time teaching their horse not to rear. It's the most dangerous vice a horse can have.

Trick horses, fine. Their owners are *usually* experienced and know what they're doing. But that's a girl in that picture. She's what? 14? And if you enlarge the picture, you'll notice the horse's ears pinned back. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

It says they offer breeding services, too, but there's no info about it. (Great wedsite, huh?) I'm scared to know what their breeding stock looks like.

These folks obviously have more money than brains. They've got what looks like a really nice facility. The fencing is intact, the paint isn't peeling, the pastures are ginormous, it just looks neat and well kept.
It's on 67 acres. What I wouldn't give for that much land. Could you imagine what a responsible breeder could do with that place?

I'd like to know why these guys have this nice setup yet all their horses are so uncomely. (No wonder they're selling them for dirt cheap, right?) And why they allow kids to use the horses as jungle jims.

I've encountered my fair share of reckless/stupid horsepeople, and it amazes me how they manage to skid out of danger by the skin on their teeth. But sooner or later, something's going to happen and it's not going to be pretty.

For instance, there's a lady at my barn. We'll call her C. Well, C claims she's been around horses all her life. Fine. But she's a textbook know-it-all. She really doesn't have a clue. She rides like a freaking Neanderthal and leaves her horses unattended in the arena while fully tacked. She's even had both her little kids on a green Arab with no helmets. And she's ridden a horse that had a popped splint. She started giving lessons to beginners a few months ago, on horses that are less than beginner-friendly. She's had four months worth of lessons and she thinks she knows it all. Yes, she's an absolute dolt. I can't stand her. But I'm not the barn owner. It's not my place to speak up. (The barn owner loves her, by the way. They're pals.) But the thing is, C pulls all this crap and nothing's ever happened to her (or her kids). I can't believe she's never gotten hurt. She's put several horses in unsafe situations and she's the reason that one horse popped a splint. She drives me crazy. But I can't do anything about it. So woe is me. Oh, well.

It just baffles me that I've been injured by horses plenty of times and I'm far more cautious and knowledgeable than she is. There are lots of people at my barn that are 10 times more competent than her and they've had their share of cuts and bruises. It defies all logic.

Someone clue me in.

2009-03-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Hunter Under Saddle is like the Western Pleasure of the English world, yes? Although I will say HUS horses are a little livelier. A little. There's still a lot of similarity.

It's a big time, fancy-shmancy discipline. Then explain to me why so many HUS riders have horrendous equitation.
Look how forward she is. She's way ahead of the vertical. Her shoulders aren't even open. The horse looks pretty forward, too.

And that dreaded uber-low head carriage. I hate that. And again with those fake tails! I can't stand them. Gross.

More HUS hideousness.

That rider's heels aren't down. She's forward. And the overall appearance is just sloppy. Every single one of them. If you watch them post, their legs are all over the place. Some of them have their heels up. Some have a way shallow seat. My trainer would eat me alive if I rode like that. She already nearly bites my head off when I go into 2-point too early. (It's kinda funny and scary at the same time. I can envision little devil horns appearing every time I do something wrong. lawlz. ) I'm not implying that I think I'm perfect. I know I'm not an amazing rider. But at least my weight is down in my heels.

This rider is all toe. No weight in the heels. She was actually sitting up straight, but the horse looked pretty front heavy. Why is this acceptable? You don't see respectable jumpers riding like that. Their legs are always tight and they're sitting on the vertical. And the horses are looking forward instead of at the ground! Imagine that. I don't understand the attraction.

Did a Skittles factory explode?

2009-03-04T12:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously. Who buys a puke orange saddle? I can handle funky colored synthetic bridles and polo wraps, but a saddle? I would be ashamed to be seen in any of these.

Can we say gaudy? How do these retailers make any money selling these ghastly-looking things?

I guess parents would buy a hot pink one for their little Barbie-loving cowgirl. She'll grow out of that stage in a couple years anyway and start asking for a havannah show saddle with silver embellishments.

I can't imagine these on a horse. And I thought my orange-ish imitation-leather western saddle from Farm & Fleet was in bad taste. It doesn't look so bad now that I've seen these.

Gross.

This is a joke.

2009-02-28T11:44:00.001-08:00

Are these people serious?

Perfect example of a stallion presented just terribly. The picture is smooshed down so he looks short and stubby, he's got no muscle tone, he's not even close to square, and his ribs are showing. No knowledgeable horse person would breed to this stallion. Granted, he'd make a nice gelding. He's not all that bad conformation wise if you really look at him, but this photo just screams that these people have no clue what they're doing. What a way to advertise your stud, right? The best part is, this is the only in- hand conformation shot they have of any of their horses. Most the other pictures on their site are pasture pics.

Click for larger view.

These people are obviously color breeders. Sure, this mare is a pretty color, but that's all she's got going for her physically. She's post- legged and has a flat croup. It doesn't look like she's got that nice of a head or neck, but again, you can't really tell because of the cruddy pasture shot. You can't even see the baby (maybe they did that on purpose?).
This mare is their "pride and joy"? Again, flashy little color pattern, but not a bit of decent conformation. I'm not going to bother pointing out the faults, of which there are many. Not to mention the shitty pasture shot. That's real professional. The least they could do is catch her when she's square. The junk in the background really compliments it, doesn't it? Well, at least this one is resonably clean, unlike the piebald. But that's the nicest thing I can say about this mare.

And people buy horses from these breeders. Adding fuel to the fire. Come on, people. Wake up and smell the coffee.

Oh, and my favorite part of the whole website.

" We wanted freindly safe horses for kids and adults. The breeding for color, pedigree and agility came second. "

WHAT? All of those things should be equally considered when you breed. No trait is more important than another. Well, color should be the least of your concern, because that's more of a cosmetic feature and doesn't affect the horses' function. We all know what I think about color breeders. That's for another post.

So they claim they breed for temperament. Fantastic. Did they even put an iota of thought into performance or conformation? A puppy dog disposition doesn't save a horse from the feedlot. And I've seen some damn good looking and gentle horses in feedlots.

From their site, it sounds like it's a mother/daughter team going on and they're very new to the breeding world. And it clearly shows. I think it all boils down to a lack of experience, and probably a lack of brain cells.

I'm going to go get my Excedrin. Things like this give me migranes.

The more dumb breeders I see, the more I love my barn. And the more ugly horses I see, the more I appreciate my own horses.

Why the bloody hell are they breeding this horse? Why?

2009-02-26T16:43:00.000-08:00

This 7 yo Appy mare is for sale with a baby at her side, going for $1,000.

The ad goes on and on about how nice a horse she is and how good she is with kids, she's got such a soft mouth, yadda yadda yadda. I understand that, and that's all fine and dandy if you just want a good ol' trail horse.

What I don't understand is the fact that they bred her. I don't care how nice a temperament she has if she has horrendous conformation. She has no hip whatsoever, her neck ties in weird and there's no chest definition. And that shoulder. That is a textbook example of a poorly conformed, upright shoulder. I bet riding her is like sitting on a jackhammer. She also looks like she might have worms, but that could also be due to the fact that she just had a baby. There's no excuse for those ribs, though. Did I mention those itty-bitty tiny feet? Yikes.

Her filly is supposed to be bred to some big time Quarter Horse stallion, but that doesn't do much good when the mare looks the way she does. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I can see that she's forward at the knee. Her legs are just crooked in general. I'd also be willing to bet that she's got a giraffe neck like her momma. But that's just a guess. Either way, those front legs are aweful.

I can't imagine what these people where thinking. They say she "has all the potential in the world". Are you kidding me? This mare is no athelete. She is not a performance horse. She's a train wreck. The ad also says she's high spirited and needs an experienced rider. That adds to the long list of negatives for her. Not good. You know where these horses could end up.

I don't see a nice future for these two. I could be and hope I'm wrong, but it doesn't look likely. Not many people are going to take in homely, high strung horses. Very sad state of affairs. I really hope these horses are bought by someone who will take care of them.

I'm smitten.

2009-02-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

I thought that was a wolf sitting there at first glance.
That gorgeous critter is a Native American Indian Dog. I think I've found my favorite dog breed, next to Shepherds. I'd love to know where I can find a dog like this. The only thing is, they're pretty expensive. I've seen puppies going for $1000, and that's average. I do not have a thousand bucks to spend on a dog. lol

But omygosh. These dogs are to die for. ;D

Look how gorgeous. Hee hee... I love that face. I've always wanted a wolf dog. Maybe I'll get extremely lucky one day and find one in a shelter.

Fat chance, I know, but there's nothing wrong with hoping.

They're supposed to be independent and wary of strangers. So are Chows and Shar Peis, and I have experience with those breeds. I've heard people say they're difficult to train, but I've also heard people rave about them. It probably depends on the individual dog.

I want one. Or two. >:D

This is totally irrelevant, but you'll get a good laugh out of it.
The 1943 Guide to Hiring Women. Hysterical. Ridiculous, but hysterical. lmao

Stupid friggin morons.

2009-02-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

I oughta skin this guy's ass into next week. That's a two-year-old QH gelding right there. Is that a sliding stop? It sure looks like one to me. Or at least a greenie version of one.

Here's what the ad says, my comments in white.

"Hawkeye has had a good start and is ready to go on with. (Sure. At the ripe age of two.) He has all the skills you would want in a two year old, without pushing him too hard. (Is he serious? Is this guy serious??? Without pushing him too hard? That's a baby for crying out loud! Get your ass off of him! Riding a 2yo at all is pushing them too hard, you dickweed.) He walks trots and lopes, side passes, backs easily, and stops hard. (WTF are you doing this on a 2-year-old for? That crap is way above his level!) He is unbeatable on a trail, rides in a group or by himself, anywhere in the pack. He is bred to cut or rein, but is athletic enough to do anything you teach him to do. He has been in the herd of cattle and shows potential there. " Yes, three or four years from now!

That horse is too young to have a rider on his back (much less a full sized adult!). WTF is he doing around cattle?? Have these people lost their marbles? These pictures scare me.

I can see arthritis in this horse's not-so-distant future.

Two is way too young to start a horse. Any horse, reguardless of breed. What makes people think it's okay to lope a two-year-old? What are they thinking?

Can I make my point any clearer? Am I emphasizing this enough? Keep your ass off your two-year-olds. It does them no good whatsoever.

I hate to imagine what this colt will be like in ten years. Crippled? That's a fair possibilty.

Once again we see that stupidity abounds. These morons need to go back to the basics. You wouldn't ask an eight year old kid to run hurdles, would you? Same concept applies.

The people who buy these horses are equally at fault. Here's something to mull around in the ol' noggin: Why don't you try using that vaccant space above your neck once in a while? Utilize what's left of your common sense. Two is too early. Don't buy 2yo's who are already broke. It's unconceivable why anybody would do that. Stop encouraging them. The horses will thank you.

If you catch someone on a baby, you have reasonable cause to wring his or her neck! I'm serious. Just chew their ass out to your heart's content. They deserve it.

Whatsurname???

2009-02-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

Today's topic goes out to all the parents out there who like unusual names.

I'm all for unique names. One thing I hate, though, is when people give their kids normal names with ridiculous spelling. I.E., Schuyler instead of Skylar, Ashleigh instead of Ashley, Jessye instead of Jessie or Jesse. The list goes on. Why do people do this? Is it supposed to be cool? Rare? Exotic? Well, it's just annoying. How long does it take for those kids to learn how to spell their names?

Weird spelling doesn't make the name any less common. There are a million gazillion Ashley's in the world, no matter how you spell it. If you want a rare name, give them a rare name. Not some outrageously configured mouthful that no one can remember how to spell.

Some names should be illegal. Names that are just plain awful. There should be a law preventing parents from giving their kids names that will cause them problems later in life. (Celebrities could learn a thing or two from this.) Seriously. Apple? Why would you name anyone Apple? I wouldn't even name my hamster Apple. And Barbara. I can't stand that name. Or Dorothy, Penelope, Phoebe, Marguerite, Gertrude, Mary, Mildred, Hortence Maud, Bob, Gaylord, Albert, Wallace, Walter, Paul, Chauncey, Maury, Perry, Berry, or Wilfred. They may not be that bad to some people, but I can't stand the way they sound.

However, I love Rosalyn, Siobhan, Geneva, Lucretia, Minerva, Cale, Sophronia, Mercy, Lorena, a lot of 17th century English names. My favorite guy names would be Lucian, Jasper, Vincent, Alonzo, Horatio, Demitrius, Jack, Jesse, Levi, Simon, Cyrus, Adrianus, Kade, and Deidrich.

I also like River for a girl's name. And Willow. They sound pretty.

I've heard of a girl named Temptress. And she wasn't attractive. Irony.

I've noticed that unnecessary apostrophes are becoming more popular. Like D'eva. That's not a name. Why don't you spell it D-I-V-A? And A'isha. WTH is the apostrophe for? Aisha or Asia looks much better. The apostrophe serves no purpose. It's just an obnoxious embellishment. Knock it off. Unless the name really does require an apostrophe because of the language, don't add one. Jeez.

Gaited horses are saints.

2009-02-17T20:49:00.000-08:00

Look at the shit they put up with.

Honestly, I can't imagine them tolerating this crap unless they have saint-like patience or they've been beaten an inch from their lives.

Tennessee Walkers have to be the most docile horses in the world. How else could those repulsive Big Lick riders get on them without the horses kicking their asses into next week? If I was a horse, I wouldn't take that shit for a second.

What would possess a human being to put acid or lighter fluid on a horse's legs? That's a living animal! The horse has to walk on those legs! Excuse my while my brain bleeds out my ears.

What is that???

A traditional Icelandic bit, that's what. Can you say leverage? Yikes. And they use these with flash bridles. If that gait is natural to them, explain to me why you need the nasty bits. And why crank their heads back until they're practically touching the rider? That is not comfortable for them. It's not even remotely healthy, either. The rider looks like he would slide off over the horse's butt if he wasn't hanging onto the reins for dear life.

Notice the open mouth and drop noseband that looks like it's cutting off the horse's circulation. His poor nose is about to turn blue. And they make them gait at high speeds and carry a rider twice their size on top of the suffocating bits and bridles. And tight saddles.

I don't understand how these horses put up with it. My teddy - bear draft horse wouldn't even tolerate that.

Does this horse look relaxed or comfortable? He looks like a wreck to me. Those back legs look distorted and strained. This picture in general looks over flexed and tense. There's nothing natural about it. It's fake, artifucial, man made, whatever you want to call it. Oh, but pads and chains don't hurt them! It just like a woman wearing high heels!

First of all, I've worn high heels. They're fine for a church service or going out to a fancy restaurant, but try wearing them for hours on end. You wear them for more than a short time and you have the wrath of hell upon you. Not only do they kill your feet, but your knees and back ache afterward. I know women who used to wear heels every day for their jobs, and now their feet are messed up and they often have back pain. Heels are evil. Using them as an analogy for padded shoes is only proving my point. Walkers are padded for years at a time. How do you think their joints feel?

Second of all, comparing a horse with a human in any anatomical aspect is completely ridiculous. Do you see any similarities? Because I don't. Okay, we both have two eyes, two ears, a mouth, and we're both mammals. We're totally the same. *headdesk*headdesk*headdesk*
Horses weigh 1200 pounds and walk on four legs. Do you really think a TW with four-inch pads on his front feet, plus the weight of a rider, is the same as a 140 pound, two-legged person wearing heels?

For crying out loud.

TWH people just keep coming up with excuse after excuse. You put pictures right in front of them and they continue to insist that none of it is true. Are they that heartless or are they really that bessotted? That could be said for every gaited horse industry, generically speaking.

I think gaited horses attract the worst, most moronic dolts in the horse world because of their overly-tolerant nature and smooth gaits. Anyone with half a brain can ride a gaited horse. It's the matter of dolling them up with all these outrageous gizmos and gadgets that brings their stupidity to a whole new level of pathetic. It takes a real equestrian to bring a horse to his full potential and do it humanely and naturally. Anyone can pop a shank into a horse's mouth and make him prance with his head held up like a carousel pony. Good riders don't need that kind of crap and put the horse's well - being before anything else. They care more about their horse than blue ribbons and a boost in self esteem. That's more than I can say for Big Lick riders. The whole discipline is completely devoid of any artistry or beauty. There's nothing attractive about it. It's fake.

Again, respectable equestrians appreciate what their horse has naturally and wouldn't wish to change anything about it. The horses are happy in their work and it shows. Have you noticed the difference in demeanor bewteen Big Lick Walkers and natural ones? Night and day.

Even regular saddleseat is better than that. At least Saddlebreds are flat shod. I'm not fond of the leverage bits, but it doesn't necessarily scream cruelty. I can't say I've met very many friendly saddleseat riders, but that could be due to my lack of interaction with them. The last show I went to, they were all snotty. You couldn't even approach any of them.

Go ahead and flaunt your $30,000 stallion in my face. My Thoroughbred could kick your Saddlebred's ass without even smearing his Show Sheen.

Ugh. Tomorrow.

2009-02-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate it? Well, I hate it. It's a Hallmark holiday invented by the cards companies. It's pointless.

And I have to go to a funeral tomorrow. That'll be fun. On Valentine's Day.
Who has a funeral on Valentine's Day? Not that it makes that much of a difference to me, but jeez.

Anyway, I went to the flower store today to pick some up for somebody else, and the place was packed. People really get into this nonsense. You shouldn't need a special "holiday" to give someone chocolate or roses. I used to get stupid little novelty things like Valentine's Day pencils, stamps, knickknacks, and basically junk. You can only use those things near Valentine's Day. Pink and white "Be Mine" pencils look stupid in June. I know my mom means well, but the crap just piles up in my room until I throw it out. I do enjoy dark chocolate, though. But I eat it all the time. I don't care if it's shaped like cute little hearts. I'll eat it. The novelty crap just annoys me.

Another thing I can't stand. In school, they always have sales where you can send a flower or candy or whatever to friends with a kyoot little message attached. They dish out all the goodies during class and you always have the handful of kids who never get anything. (Me being one of those people.) In front of everybody else who are getting 15 flowers each. Go ahead, make your unpopularity blatantly obvious to the rest of the world, why don't you? Way to make people feel left out.

Not that that made me feel bad, per se. It just irritated me.

It's not that I don't have friends. I do, but we just don't get into stuff like that. I never send flowers, and I never receive them. I guess what bothers me the most is the fact that there are kids with no friends who really feel left out. There's lots of them every year. I feel bad for them.

I love Halloween, though. My favorite night of the whole year. I would have an aneurysm if I missed out on Halloween. The costumes, the slew of horror films, the decorations, I love it all. And the candy. I lurve Snickers and Hershey bars with almonds. I steel them from the cauldron every year. >;D Hee hee... I can't wait till next time.

... Happy Singles Awareness Day!

Western Pleasure: Sport of the half- dead, stick- legged robot!

2009-02-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

Look at those legs! Could they be any freaking straighter? They're like toothpicks. Not to mention the noobish Photoshop job, but that's beside the point.

What's so attractive about a horse that looks like he's about to drop dead? Why do they want a little pitter-patter jog?

The lope is even worse. The horse practically has three feet touching the ground at all times. It looks like a sloppy half - trot.
Or is that actually a trot? It's almost impossible to tell!

Here's a good video displaying a WP lope. And the rider's terrible hand position.

And why would you want your horse's nose in the dirt? Is that supposed to look good? The horse looks exhausted. There's no energy in it. The horse barely moves.

And those tail extensions! D:< This one is painful to watch. Did you see the way he jerked the reins? Textbook example of a WP horse with her face in the dirt and looking 99% nerve dead. No energy, no impulsion, no enthusiasm from the horse. She's like a robot.

They look weighed down and lifeless. I'd rather watch an introductory level dressage show than a professional WP show. At least those fat little ponies in the munchkin dressage classes have some life in them and actually pick their feet up off the ground more than 5 centimeters.

They've got two-year-olds already being ridden and showing! One of my very worst pet peeves! Riding a two year old horse is never acceptable. They're too young, regardless of the breed. They're in such a hurry to make a name for their horse and it's for nothing more than short term gratification. If you start riding your 2 year old, how can you expect them to be working saddle horses for the next 20 years? It's not gonna happen. You're asking for arthritis and lameness.

And they don't care. It's all for the ribbons and they don't give the horses the time of day after their usefulness expires.

A 2 year old horse should never be ridden. Now, you're not evil if you try and see if your 2 year old will let you sit on him. I wouldn't do this simply because I make a point of avoiding hitting the ground at all costs, but it wouldn't hurt the horse. I don't even have a problem with going for a little stroll around the arena, as long as it's short and no faster than a walk. Unless the rider happens to be 250 pounds. That's just a matter of common sense. I'm talking about riding an immature horse, as seen here.

I can't stand that head carriage... his nose is practically to his knees. If his head was any lower, he'd be tripping over his own face!

Western riders often tell me they don't like English because we make our horses hold their heads up and it's uncomfortable fot them. Oh, please. First of all, we don't make them hold their heads high. They're allowed to carry their heads up. (You know, like they can actually look around and see what's going on in front of them?) WP carriage is unnatural. Horses don't naturally walk with their heads down, unless they're tired or looking for a place to roll. >.<

I'll use a picture of Victor as an example (Ignore the long stirrups and bad hand position. I don't know what I was thinking that day). I'm not making him hold his head anywhere. That position is completely natural to him. And look! Ears forward, eyes bright and alert. He really looks uncomfortable, doesn't he?

*headdesk*

I'm working on getting him to bring his nose in so he's on the vertical, which helps him collect. It is not uncomfortable, and it does not obstruct their airways in any way. But you don't just pop a pelham into a horse's mouth one day and make him carry his head on the vertical. It's a gradual process of conditioning and working up their neck muscles to where it's perfectly comfortable for them. Same concpet in dressage, and pretty much any other style.

Yes, there are idiots out there that crank their horse's head back behind the bit and I despise them as much as anyone. And yes, there are dipshit trainers/riders that put their fancy little martingales, draw reins, and side reins on their unconditioned horse and make them hold their heads like Olympic level dressage horses right off the bat. Those kinds of people need to have a set of draw reins yanked around their necks and be made to run the jumping course they rode their horse through. See how long they last.

Those shitheads don't account for the rest of the English riding population. Just wanted to clear up that misguided belief for all the ignorant or uninformed non-English riders out there.

Back on topic, you never see a 2 year old jumping or doing pirouettes. You rarely ever even see a jumper/dressage prospect being ridden under the age of 3. Jumpers don't even go near fences until they're at least 5. And again, there probably are dickweeds out there who try to jump their colts or fillies. In the jumping world, we look down our noses at shit like that.

Come to think of it, I rarely come across an English horse that's been started under saddle before they're three, and that's the absolute youngest. Four is the norm, at least around here. But I see 18 - 24 month old Western horses being ridden all the time, whether they show or not. That oughta tell you something.

Someone needs to go back to kindergarten.

2009-02-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

Quoted from the add:

"Standerd fancey hamsters 5.00 with cages

Girbals With Cageds 10.00 tall cage"

Good lord. The dumbest boneheads on the planet post on Craigslist. The last one might be a typo, but Jeezus.

And it sounds like they have lots of little critters they're trying to get rid of. Is keeping the boys away from the girls a foreign concept to them?

Why would anybody have that many hamsters?

And they're asking ten bucks for the gerbils. They live like two years and who knows how old they already are. You could get them home and they'd die in a week. There's ten bucks down the toilet. Well, at least you got a cage out of the deal. A crappy little glass cage.

There's a forehead slapper for you.

Finally! TWH's the way they're supposed to be!

2009-02-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

Check out this mare. She's flat shod, has her ears forward, and looks perfectly natural and relaxed. And the movement so much more attractive than padded horses. Notice how the rider is sitting up straight and the saddle is up near her withers where it's supposed to be. I'm not a huge fan of those leverage bits, but when used correctly and in gentle hands, the horses seem comfortable with it.

And another example of a natural Walker, with a well-placed saddle and competent rider. Is this not 100% better than the Big Lick?

...

This has nothing to do with TW's but,

<<< WTF IS THAT???

Is it a weapon? A 15th century torture device?
Jesus Christ, how screwed up do you have to be to design something like this? What sick bastard would put something like that in a horse's mouth?

My mouth hurts just looking at it.

Bits like this should be illegal.

That's just wrong. Just plain sick.

I've seen a lot of bad necks but this one takes the prize.

2009-02-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is a 2-year-old colt.

Look at that neck. The only other time I've seen a dip that bad is in a 30+ year old Arab mare at my barn. This guy's only two. It says he's been shown at fairs. What kind of fair? I'd like to know. This colt is a train wreck.

And his name is Mater.

You can't scream hillbilly any clearer than that.

I've been looking for a seasoned, kid-safe Appaloosa for a friend of mine. I can't find any that are trained for jumping, and very few even schooled in English at all. Figures. They're a western-type horse.

But Quarter horses are too, and you see them in English disciplines all the time.

Oh, well.

I would never use these things on an animal.

2009-02-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

Pinch collars. I hate those collars. People say, "Oh, it doesn't hurt! Put it on your arm and see!"

Try putting that monstrosity around your neck.

These chokers don't work and they look awful for the dog. There's no way these collars are comfortable.

Did I mention they don't work? I've seen big dogs in pet stores with them, yet they still pull. I've even seen some people jerk the leash when the dog pulls.

Here's some food for thought, dickwad. Why don't you try a head collar or harness that's designed to stop pulling? They work much better and are a lot more humane. You could also try some obedience classes. Using those chokers only shows that you never bothered to properly train your dog and/or you have no idea what you're doing.

#2: Lip chaining.
If you need to lip chain a horse, it shows that you've done a crapass job of training your horse and/or you have no clue what you're doing. ( Are we seeing a pattern?)

I've seen this a lot on Thoroughbreds and Arabians, which makes sense because they're both known for being high-strung. I've never ever needed anything more than a halter and lead rope to lead any TB or Arab. If you're a good horseman, you don't need a lip chain. Most decent horse people don't need chains at all.

The only time I ever use a chain is when I'm deworming Norman, and it's the traditional stock breed show method that goes under the jaw. He hates his dewormer... lol He runs when he sees me coming with that syringe. XD

I firmly believe that no one should need a chain to simply lead a horse. Now, I'm not gonna call you evil if you use the under-the-jaw or around-the-nose method, but shame on you if you use a lip chain!

Have you noticed how many big time race horses are seen like that? The dumbass trainers teach them to break out of the gate and run with all their weight on the forhand, but apparently not to lead nicely. Ground manners are the most basic skill a horse learns! You can't do anything with a horse if they have no ground manners.

I'm really impressed when I see someone leading a stallion with a normal halter and a loose lead. You imediately know that the handler knows what he's doing and the horse has been well trained.

Chains in a horse's mouth is never appropriate. It's invasive in such a sensitive area, and it reflects bad horsemanship. That's the horse's mouth! I doubt they enjoy a chain wedged in their gums. That's an excellent way to hurt them.

These bits scare the shit outa me. Particularly the last two. Nobody should ever need to use a bit like that. If your horse has a strong mouth, you can use a leverage bit with a smooth mouthpiece and still have control. I use a kimberwick for Vic and he goes perfectly in it. I hate corkscrews. I would never use a bit like that on any horse. Why not use a smooth bit with a curb chain? You still have leverage and it's more comfortable for the horse. I understand some horses need a harsher bit, but there's a line to be drawn. If you wouldn't put it in your own mouth, don't put it in your horse's!

#3. That SOB Cleve Wells and his weapon-like line of equipment.

WTF is that? It kinda looks like some Chinese torture device.

What kind of trainer is he if he sells bits like this? If he's half the trainer he claims to be, he should be able to ride a horse in a plain curb or snaffle. It makes it worse when you see how he rides. Jerking the reins like a moronic idiot. Have you noticed that every horse he rides has its ears back and tail swishing?

If you look on his site, he's even got solid metal curb straps and corkscrew snaffles.

Look how thin that is! That's a nasty bit. Someone needs to strap that into Wells' mouth and start yanking away, the same way he does to the horses. This bit is currently out of stock, which means people are buying them up like crazy. I pity the those peoples' horses.

And that's not all, folks! You can get your very own torture kit for the unbelievable price of $650.80! It must be a good deal if Cleve Wells says it is, right? He is a proffessional trainer, after all!

These are the kinds of things that give Western pleasure a bad rap. I don't even want to get into the shit they do to those horses. It's all about winning. They want their stupid little ribbons and belt buckles and don't care how they obtain them. They bit up and use spear-like spurs as a cheap way of making the horse look soft.

I love Prince of Wales spurs. They give you that extra pressure you need for less obedient or more-whoa-than-go horses. It's not easy to hurt a horse with those. You should never use any spurs excessively because the horse can eventually become desensitized to them. They're only to be used as a reminder.

But do you really think people always use them the way they're intended? Western spurs are meant to be rolled, not jabbed, but all too often people abuse them. I've seen horses with their sides torn up from western spurs.

I have no problem with gentle spurs that are used correctly. Sadly, there's a lot of spur abuse in the show ring. Particularly western.

Lastly, a note on the Big Lick discipline. This is probably one of the most controversial topics in the horse world. I'm one of the people who hates it. The pads, the chains, the bits. I hate it all. The gait is not natural for the horse. If it was natural, you'd see them doing it out in the pasture all the time and they wouldn't need the pads or chains. Soring is a consistent problem as well.

You can't watch this video and think that doesn't hurt the horse. It looks unbalanced and uncomfortable, not to mention the rider's atrocious posture.

More big lick horror. And even more. This is video proof and people still deny it. They're caught on camera torturing horses and they continue to insist it doesn't happen.

Moreover, the whole thing is just hideous. The gate is ugly and makes the horse look lame. They call it "enhanced". Yeah, artificially enhanced. Or better yet, artificially ruined.
This happens all the time in the Big Lick show ring. It explains everything in the last video I mentioned. If a few horses are sored, it obviously gives them an "advantage" over the competition, so what do you think all the other competetors are going to do? Even up the odds. How many people in this industry do you think actually put their horse before that blue ribbon? They'll win by any means necessary. Soring is everywhere in this discipline.

People might say, "You don't see dressage horses doing the passage out in the pasture!"

Well, that's true. However, dressage doesn't push a horse's leg action past their natural range of motion. Their gaits aren't enhanced with anything. There's nothing fake about it. And if you look at a lot of dressage horses, most of them love what they do. Ears forward, mouth closed, throwing their effort into every step. Yes, there is mistreatment in dressage, as with any show discipline. But be serious. I haven't seen anything in dressage, jumping, or eventing that compares to the shit they do to TW's. When a lot people think of the Big Lick, they associate it with soring, chains, and generally paints a bad picture. Hence the word controversial.

One more thing! Tail extensions. They're everywhere. I have one question for people who use them: Why???

They're ugly, expensive, and totally obvious. You can see where the real hair ends and the extentions start. They don't move with the rest of the tail. They just hang there. The last show I went to, almost every horse had them. I think every western horse had them. Some were even different colors than the real tail. On one horse, you could actually see where it was tied in. The horse didn't like it, either. He kept fidgeting his tail. Poor guy. I hope he dumps his owner hard one day.

Okay, the last thing I wanted to point out goes back to dogs. Why do they make chihuahua-sized choke chains? Why in the world would anyone put a choker on a 10 pound dog? For shows, yes. But they're available in every pet store! I'm not a big advocate of chokers at all, but on little dogs? They've got delicate little necks! You know they have to breath, right? And they have vertebrae the circumference of your pinkie finger that need to stay intact in order for them to live? Good grief.

No Common sense. None.

Little dogs = fashion accessories?

2009-02-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

This bothers me. I think people have forgotten that dogs have pride. My sincere condolences for Paris Hilton's little gerbil-dog. What's it's name? Tinkerbell? Yeah.

Even my mother dresses up our little Papillon/Pomeranian mix. She's got her little sweaters and and even a little Halloween dress. I have to drag her away from the dog clothing section every time we go to Petsmart.

She wanted to get poor Meggie a sundress last time. Why would you put a dress on a dog? I understand putting a coat on dogs if they're sensitive to the cold, but dresses? Why?

It's a waste of money and resources. I put a stop to the dog dresses, much to Meggie's relief.

The things that bother me the most are those little bows tied to their ears. It's uncomfortable for the dog and it looks stupid.

Look at these poor critters. They've even got the standard poodle in on it. Eesh.

They look thrilled, don't they? If those dogs could see themselves in a mirror, they'd cry.

This isn't cute to me. I'd be ashamed to be seen out in public walking a dog that looked like these guys.

And look, the poodle got second place in the little fashion show. If he/she (I hope it's a she) looks that ridiculous and only got 2nd, I'd hate to see who got first place.

You know what just makes me crack up? Dogs and owners with matching clothes. How much money do those people spend on their dogs every year? That's scary to speculate.

Here's another unfortunate creature. Oh look, its ears are even in little pony tails! Isn't that kyoot?

Not only is the dog shaved like a little circus pony, they've got it dressed up like a Barbie doll.

Why does the dog have a hat on? She doesn't need a hat. She doesn't need the god-awful sweater, either.

Here's the whole matching thing. How ridiculous is that? The outfits are hideous anyway. The least they could do is put them in something less gaudy. Why do people think that looks good?

Animal clothes serve no purpose. I've even seen this lady on TV dress up her iguana. Now that's creepy.

I've noticed a lot of rich people especially like to dress their dogs up. *cough*Paris Hilton *cough*

Is it because they think it makes their dogs presentable? That it shows off their wealth? Well, it doesn't. I'm impressed when I see a nicely groomed, clean, and well behaved dog. That shows that they're well taken care of and looks 100% better than bows, dresses, and little shoes.

I'm not a little dog person. I'm partial to big dogs. But I still feel sorry for the little ones because they're the ones that are usually put through this humiliation. Maybe that's why they shake.

Dogs are not fashion statements. They don't need boots or sweaters. Let your dog be a dog. Keep the dresses off.

Your dog will thank you.

While we're on the subject of dogs, I've been contemplating my dream dog. I really, really, really want a German Shepherd, but I'm afraid of getting one from a bad breeder. You gotta be picky when you're looking for a Shepherd or you could get one that'll have tons of health problems later on. That's the only thing I'm worried about.

Ideally, my dog would look like this:
(That dog is gorgeous!) He'd be about 90-115 pounds, and I'd name him Drigon. (Dree-gan)

He'd go to the barn with me all the time. :)

I saw this little black female at the shelter a few months ago. I wanted to take her home so bad. :( I already have three dogs, though.

When I do get a dog like this, I'm getting him a collar like this:

Or something similar with small spikes. Or just studs with no spikes. I hate the ones that look like weapons. The spikes are like 4 inches long and the dog would be impaling people whenever he walked by. >.>

I'm gonna find out where that shepherd lives and steal him away. XD