Fugly Friday Stallion #7 & Monday Madness: Thank GODS He's Gelded!

This week I think I'll do a 'catch up' of sorts, as I have around 10 or so ads sitting in my inbox that are all very worthy of some blog time. Expect at least 2 ads per day this week.  


As for today, I *did* say I'd post the Fugly Friday Stallion over the weekend... and well, that just didn't happen. You'll get it today, and our regular ad for Monday Madness as well. 

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I am learning, that Fugly comes in all sorts of shapes, colors, sizes, and breeds. Whats Fugly to one person, will not be to another. 

This one though... while I'll not call him the ugliest horse I've ever seen, he's defensibly got his own charm. Its a Mini Stud, and *most* of them, generally are rather appealing. 

The ad is innocent enough. 

Ad Text: Miniature Horse - $500 (Crestwood, Ky. 40014). Very nice bloodlines. He is the grandson of IMA Boones Little Buckeroo Too on the bottom side and the great grandson of Alvadars Double Destiny on the top side. He will make a great addition to your breeding program. He is registered AMHA 

Breed: Miniature 

Gender: Stallion 

Birth Date: Jul 30, 2008 

More information at: http://www.equinenow.com/horse-ad-276194. 

I can't tell if its his pasture condition, the angle he's standing at, or... something else, but there's just something wrong with this little guy's picture. 

I think his hind legs are in a little dip in the ground which would account for his sloping downwards like that. But... sheesh people. This picture just makes what would be a very adorable miniature horse just look like dog meat! I have to say though, I *LOVE* the mane. That screams "I am rock star quality" to me *giggle*, and its really sad that the owners don't give two shi*ts enough to take him out of the pasture, hose him off, and take the 15 minutes to take a decent picture of him. 

They used this same picture on the Equine Now posting as well... with the exact same information. 

Again folks, its NOT THAT HARD to take a half way decent picture of your horse! 

I've known people that literally handed their digital camera to their kids with the instructions "keep taking pictures until you can't anymore". Yea, you'll end up with 99% crap photos, but I guarantee there will be at least ONE that will stand out and is that money shot. 

Again, some pointers. 

1) Find a decent, solid, non-distracting and pleasant background. Sides of buildings, hedges, open fields with a tree-like background, etc. Everyone has someplace they can use. Stand there and look through the camera eye without the horse present and just LOOK. You'll find things like tires on the ground, bags of trash, old parked bikes, etc will suddenly become the absolute RUIN of the shot.

2) Its amazing the difference that a hose can make to a horse that is covered in dirt. Don't even have to really use soap. I've been able to get just as much dirt off of a horse by some creative hose angling and just plain water, as I have with a sponge and soap. Takes less time too! If a full shower/hose off isn't possible due to cold weather, a BRUSH, some baby wipes, or a bucket of warm water and an old rag works wonders. Don't scrub the dirt, just wipe it off in the direction of the hair growth. Scrubbing will bring up mud and lots of other things that is more difficult to clean off. Just WIPING the horse off with a damp warm rag will make him shine too. 

3) Add in a decently fitting halter, and whammo, we're in bidness! Start snapping away. 

Its common sense folks! This isn't that difficult! Sometimes I wonder if most of the idiots I put on here wash their CARS more than they wash their horses! 




EDIT: 1:21 pm. I had an email sent to me in response to this particular ad that really made me stop and wonder what are we doing to our horses.


Check THIS out! 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1268831/Meet-Einstein-worlds-smallest-horse-weighs-newborn-baby.html


A black and white pinto miniature horse was born just this last week in New Hampsire, and like she said, there's a very striking resemblance. 


I read all 6 comments, and one said the horse was deformed, and another said that minis sometimes are just born weak in the hind end like this.... which leaves me wondering which is true? No doubt that it looks like there is something seriously wrong with this foal - he's all unbalanced, his head is way out of proportion from his body, and then there's the back end/legs... 


WTH?

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If this next horse was a stallion, I think I would have lost my mind at the very moment I saw  the ad. Thank GODS they gelded him. I think this might just actually be the ugliest horse I've ever seen outside of the halter show rings of the big breeds.

The ad itself is even infuriating: 2006 Appendix TB - $1150 2006 Appendix thuroughbred, chestnut. 4 year old, would make a good riding horse. He was gelded in october of last year and was the last time he had his shots along with having his teeth floated, he has also had his wolf teeth removed. He was to hard to keep as a stud, but is now filling out nicely. Stands good for the farrier. Need to see him go to a good home. $1150.00 916-x0x-3237 

Now, before we see the horse, lets just dissect that ad a bit, shall we?

He's 4, and he's not saddle broke yet. Some of you would say this is a good thing, and I would normally agree. I think I'll let you all make up your minds about the 'good riding horse' part... but while yes, thanks are in order for the brain surgery, teeth float, and removal of wolf teeth - why hasn't the owner done SPRING shots too? This guy obviously doesn't go anywhere, as there's no mention of a Coggins done. 

"He was to hard to keep as a stud, but is now filling out nicely." Why oh why does this make me want to slam my head into the wall repeatedly? 


What was it about him being a stallion that made him hard to keep? Was there mares nearby that he couldn't get to, and worried himself to skinniness? Was there a medical condition? Or was it just his freaking teeth that you had floated (probably for the first time) while he was gelded that was the entire problem? Horses that can't chew well don't get that much food in their bellies. If it hurts US to chew when we have cavities, or exposed nerves, imagine what it would feel like with giant spears jabbing us in our mouths every time we took a bite! 

1) Yes, he was kept as a stud for nearly 4 years. I am soooo scared to think that he might have been bred. 

2) Who in their right mind would think he would make a great riding horse??? Conformational F*Up's aside... If I didn't know better I'd think they bred his dam to a friggin' CAMEL!

I am perfectly aware that there are some horses with severe swaybacks out there that can be, and are ridden daily. If you look to the right sidebar you will find a blog listed there, called "Guns And White Roses", and it is the ongoing saga of a maximum splash overo daughter of "Gunner", the Legendary Paint Reining Stallion. She's solid 'white', Deaf, and also sports a swayback as well, though, in her case, its a medically caused condition. The blog is quite informative to read, with a great touch of humor as well. The owner of Rose has searched long and hard for the 'right' reining trainer for her very unusual mare, and "Trainer X" (as she calls him) has done wonders for the mare, even inventing his own mode-podge of a saddle blanket that they are going to *hopefully* make into a regular design, and start marketing. The blanket he has come up with was designed specifically for Rose, and her very unique back. A back that I don't think is nearly as extreme as that geldings.

Rose is a very unique story. This gelding above? There is No Way In Hades that he would ever be placed with a high priced Reining Trainer. 


Just looking at him from a very basic training point of view, fitting a saddle to him would be the biggest nightmare anyone ever willingly took on. Anyone that buys this guy would really do better to just learn to ride him bareback, and save both themselves and the horse the pain of a saddle. 


And then there is the legs and feet. I'm shuddering just looking at them. 

I don't know what else to say about how much of a major catastrophe that horse is. There is NO way he'll ever stay sound through anything but the lightest arena work, and maybe some light trails. Thats all that poor gelding will ever be good for... besides being a pasture ornament. 

*sigh*. This picture is appealing to me because of his expression. This is I'm sure, a very sweet gelding (now that he's had his brain removed) and fugly body aside, he does have one of those faces that you'd just *LOVE* to meet at the fence every day. 

This is a very sad example of poor breeding... I am very curious to know what his parents are, just to see what the stud looks like. Where did he get that horrible back from at only 4 years old!!?? I want to find the person that bred him, and just smack them for being stupid. This horse has to be a Back Yard Bred horse... between two fugly horses themselves. 

The owner will never get the asking price for him, thats for sure.