He's a skewbald frame overo, DUH!

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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*

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!

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?

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.

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.

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...

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.

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...

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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!

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.