Saturday, April 17, 2010

Valora's Story Continued...

The next chapter in Valora's story has been revealed tonight, as another news station was able to snag an interview with the Farrier accused in the beating of the 14 year old Thoroughbred mare, previously named Susie-Q. 


I gotta say, this is getting more and more complicated, and the more of the background of this horse that gets out, the worse this whole situation gets. 


Wayne Tolliver, who is the local Farrier who is said to have been seen beating Valora in the road, while trying to get her to get into the trailer, claims he never beat the horse once. 


His story is this: The lady that owned the mare for nearly her whole life contacted him about him taking the mare off her hands, as her husband had just passed and she couldn't afford the vet care on the mare. 


This mare, has been through hell and back her entire life. Joey, the founder of LUV Shack Ranch, has gone on camera and stated that this mare had NEVER left her stall her entire LIFE. 


Her front legs are deformed from never being let out of her stall. Apparently she has also lost an eye, but whether it was prior to this incident or from the incident, I am unclear on that. The picture of her hooves on the prior post is apparently the way she's been living for some time. 


According to Tolliver, she'd never BEEN in a trailer before, and thus got more and more upset. He claims he never pushed her into it, and after numerous attempts to her her to load, she became more agitated, and thats when she bashed her head against the sides. 


Now, neighbors say they saw a man beating the same horse on the head. So who's telling the truth here? 


We have a mare with serious, possibly life threatening injuries to her skull that has suffered neglect and abuse her entire life. She's never been out of her stall, or at least hasn't been in several years. 


I have already spoken briefly to the head honchos of LUV Shack, and hopefully will be heading out there monday or tuesday to visit, see how I can help - maybe sign up for some volunteering - and also see if this blog can be used to help them in the future.



LINK to ABC 15 story


I don't believe the farrier for one minute. 


What do you all think?


EDIT: Its been a few minutes since I hit publish, and the news video started playing once I did that. I watched it a second time, and then a third time.


I want to point something out - the neglect that this mare suffered at the hands of her prior owner has nothing to do with the fact that the husband died, and she's loosing her house. That mare is 14 years old, and the prior owner claims to have owned her most, if not all of her life. 


10 years... we'll be generous here... is a AWFUL F'ING LONG TIME to NOT LET YOUR HORSE OUT OF ITS STALL,  wouldn't most of you all agree??? 


I can't wait to see what the Maricopa County Sheriff's investigation comes up with on this one. 

LOCAL Asshat beats a horse nearly to death

I know I don't usually post on weekends, nor do I comment about news stories (maybe I should!), but this story from a local tv station just really Pissed Me Off. Not only did this happen in MY backyard, but this is something that can happen to any one of our horses, at any time when transferring ownership. I don't want to be a fear monger, as I know that often its without any alternatives that we have to give up or sell our beloved horses. This is still a classic reason why even when giving horses away for free, maybe a background check wouldn't be such a bad idea....



There are two news videos that I'll post, but here's the background in case you can't view the videos. 


A lady has a mare that she's willing to give away for free. She advertises the mare, and a 'gentleman' says he'll take the mare. Last Thursday, (April 15th) he arrives to pick the mare up, a little 14 hand Thoroughbred bay cutie called Susie-Q. 


The story is simple, the mare doesn't load into the trailer, for whatever reason. Her rescuers at the LUV Shack Ranch and Rescue swear she already KNEW what a f'ing jerk this guy is, and was refusing to go with him. they go on to say that they think she knew she'd be killed if she went willingly, and I will agree with them whole heartedly....


Now, most people would stop, and try to come up with a reasonable solution to this problem. Note I said "MOST PEOPLE". 


This ASSHOLE (I'm refraining from using stronger language) decides that instead of asking for help from the woman giving her away, he's going to start punching little Susie-Q ON HER HEAD! Punches her so badly and viciously, that she, in her desperate attempt to get away from her attacker, slams her head into the side of the trailer!!!


Would you all like to know why the 'new owner' wanted her? 


The rescue group states on their website and facebook feed that the "new owner" - who is a FARRIER!!! - was planning on taking her, putting a bullet in her head, and selling her body for the meat price at a rendering plant.


Video 1: 





LINK to story.

Can you believe that??? If you watch the video, you'll see the lady from the local rescue attempting to get her to load into a trailer. Thats Joey Ogburn, the founder of LUV Shack. 
Note that she's doing it slowly, without anger, and without stressing the poor mare out again. This mare went through hell standing at the entry of a horse trailer, and now her rescuers have to do the impossible and get her to trust them enough to get her into another trailer. They had to load her in backwards to get her in the trailer, how bout that smart thinking!


Maricopa County Sheriff's Office got involved too, thanks to the calls of some astute neighbors, when they saw the guy beating the horse. The prior owner claims that she didn't know he planned on killing the mare, and sending her off to the rendering plant. They are now investigating the Farrier - but so far any planned charges won't be filed / released publicly until next week.  MCSO Officers 'requested' that the prior owner call and PAY for the vet services to get her injuries taken care of. Names have not yet been released yet either.


Her injuries included 20 + stitches in her head and one hind fetlock, numerous scrapes, bruises and swellings, a laceration on her face, and her skull in fractured in two places. She is suffering from a concussion as well.


If this does not make you sick, then I don't know what would.


Last nights news update:





Link to story.  The anchor is reporting that the mare has found a new loving home, but that is no where NEAR the end of this for her. LUV Shack is so flooded with rescue horses right now that they had to find an outside foster home for her, and the kind hearted Gary and Amy Guthmiller took her in. 


There is so much more to this story too...


The lady that was getting rid of her, due to reasons being 'she couldn't take care of her' let her feet go for a very long time without farrier work. How ironic is that! The powers that be at the LUV Shack are pushing for the prior owner to face neglect charges as well - I think most of us will agree on that - either way it should be interesting to see how getting her charged plays out.



I know its a bit hard to distinguish between the sawdust and her feet, but if you look closely, you can see how overgrown they are. This is the work of the woman that was giving her away. This poor mare, who not only suffered a brutal beating, has suffered much longer, and in much more subtle ways. 



I am not a fundraiser type. I am not even a decent sales person. People say no once to me, and I don't push. I believe in helping out when circumstances deserve the help, and this is one of those times. I will be sending them what money I can afford. Unlike our roadside zoo-rescue-breeding-skunk-farm scam, these guys are the real deal. They are worthy of donations, and I will certainly be donating. 

As soon as I am done writing this, I will post the link to this blog post on their face book feed. I will offer to publish horses that need homes for them for free on this blog. I think I might even offer to come out and volunteer a time or two for them. The LUV Shack Ranch is less than 30 minutes from me - an easy drive. 


There is a good note to this story. Quoted from the news article, "Amy Guthmiller says, 'I immediately called and said she could come here. I have an extra stall and nobody's gonna mistreat this horse again. It won't happen here.'"


*STANDS AND CLAPS* Amy decided that along with a new life, the little Thoroughbred mare should have a new name too. She's been renamed "Valora". The name was discovered when Amy was searching for names that meant courage. 


I promise you all that every update I can find about Valora will be posted here. As soon as I know the 'farriers' name he will be posted on here as well for the entire world to see what an ASSHOLE he is. Alleged or not, the man was witnessed by several people beating the horse. The fact that he punched/abused the horse is no longer a question of if in my mind. I will not deem him guilty until the court does, but until then, I can still express my very LOUD opinions of the situation. 


I invite all of you to as well. 


FaceBook Fan Page for LUV Shack Ranch 


Luv Shack Ranch Website

Friday, April 16, 2010

FFFS #6: His Mane is a Main Quality

When deciding to breed your mare, there are certain things you look for in a stallion. Quality conformation, a decent personality, good looks, a decent show record, and maybe what his other offspring have accomplished? These are all things that I would expect any mare owner with some common sense to look at and consider when stallion shopping. 


Would a thick Mane be one of the MAIN qualities you'd look for? I can see having that be on the list, but maybe at like stallion selling point number 110. 


Then again, I guess it depends on the breed you are looking at, right? Quarter Horses and Paints aren't really known for their long, thick, manes and tails, though some reining stallions can really grow 'em long. Most 'saddle' horses, long is ok, but they tend to be a bit thin sometimes. Now the Baroque breeds - Lippys, Friesians, Paso Finos, Andys - they all are known for their excessive hair, and its more of a given there. Its expected. 


Ad Text: Tired of breeding for color and getting a breeding stock paint? We have a gray and white Tobiano stallion that stands 15.2 hands. He has been tested and is homozygous for the tobiano gene. We have bred him to both colored and solid mares and he has produced color-two tri-colors, four black and white, and two brown and white. All have his thick mane and tail, great dispositions and good confirmation. 

It's breeding season and time to plan for that 2011 paint baby. His pictures don't do him justice (we've been told several times.) Contact us for more info, pedigree and/or pics. Asking $300 plus mare care. Inquiries welcome.

Pictures show stud and his 2010 tri colored filly (out of a buckskin paint). 

But, we have a stallion being marketed on the basis that his mane and tail are worth breeding to him for. 


I shall let you all judge for yourself, I think. 




Yea, I'm not quite so impressed here. The owners say he's a Blue Eyed Homozygous Gray and White Paint. Who knew that meant "includes manure stains on belly"? 


The sheer amount of stallions out there that are homozygous this, and homozygous that boggles the mind. 


He must have some interesting genetics though... because this is one of his offspring...




A buckskin crossed with a grey and white homozygous paint with the results being a black and white tobiano foal. *YAWN* As if there weren't enough black and white tobianos offered up for sale right now as it is.


Anyways, where is the show record? What are his bloodlines? Where is the professional pictures that show that the owner really cares how the horse is presented? Where are pictures of him being used as a riding horse? WHEN WILL THESE STALLION OWNERS START DOING SOMETHING WITH THEIR STALLIONS?


He would actually be a decent looking horse if they cleaned him up, got him nice and snowy white, took the yellow out of his tail, got a nicer picture of him, and THEN advertised for his services. (NOT that they are really needed right now anyways!)


This ad can be summed up in one statement - "But he has a thick mane!!!"

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Today we have another stupid parent just begging to have their kid hurt, or even killed. 



So does anyone want to take a guess as to why this horse is being offered up for sale? 

I'll give you three hints. The horse is or is not a kids horse? The horse is or is not too big for the child? The horse does or does not need an experienced rider? 

*sigh*. 


*IF* you can get around the horrible spelling, read between the lines here a bit. Then compare to the picture above. 


THIS IS ANOTHER REASON I WRITE THIS BLOG. As a person that was responsible for starting children off on the right 'hoof' (as it were), teaching lessons to beginners and first timers, this type of basic stupidity makes me want to scream bloody murder. 


Its absolutely wonderful that this mom wants a horse for her daughter. Did she ever once consider taking the child to a professional instructor first? NOPE. I seriously doubt it. No, we have a mom that was so gung-ho on getting her child what the child wanted, that she probably went out and bought the first horse that came along. 


And she ended up with a mare that her daughter can't ride (except for BAREBACK, NO HELMET, AND NOBODY HOLDING THE FREAKING HORSE), is too big, and is too much horse.


I am not against children riding horses. I think children NEED to ride horses, because when taught properly, it sets the child up for learning all sorts of good life skills. Responsibility, caring for others, caring for animals, the value of hard work, the thrill of accomplishment when mastering a skill such as Posting, and the joy one takes in seeing another living being contented and happy in their lives are all some things that kids (well, and adults too) learn by being around horses.  Plus its just downright FUN!


I am also NOT against children riding bareback. AGAIN, when taught properly, say with a helmet, and the horse is either on a lead line or lunge line for the first, IDK, 20 or 30 times? Bareback riding increases the strength of the muscles used in riding, promotes a better balanced seat, and allows the rider to truly feel the horse under them. 


A rider first starting out bareback should never ever ride alone, and often on a lead or lunge is way preferable to the alternative of the horse spooking because they know something is a little different, and they are on edge because of it. Or just hyper excited, as some horses get when they realize there is no saddle involved. Hyped up horse often turns into a spooked out horse, and what happens when we have spooks? Horse goes weird directions like sideways, and the rider, not having a decently balanced bareback seat yet, goes the other direction. This is why its recommended to have someone else with you for a while. 


BUT this ad is a fucking joke, 'scuse my language. This picture, and the absolute plethora of parents that don't realize they could LOOSE THEIR CHILDREN by this 'cuteness', makes me want to go absolutely postal and start screaming at these parents. 


I refrain of course, save screaming on here. I thus also give YOU all permission to scream and rant as well.


Commence the screaming. (and thank you, Sarah, for emailing the ad to me!)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

NO WAY! People Are Crazy...

I have just finished catching up on the last 4 episodes of the ABC Show "FlashForward", and if you haven't seen it, its about the entire world blacking out for 2 minutes and 47 seconds, during which most people have a vision of themselves in 6 months - seeing the future. There are character stories of hope, of despair, of confusion, and of one guy that sees himself as a tv Evangelist that rakes in a LOT of money. 


I know it doesn't seem like that would have anything to do with any Craigslist ad I could ever post, right? Just a fictional tale of people that don't exist. 


Well.... I think the person that wrote this ad just might be living in the same world. I'm sure they see themselves in the future with a lot of money too. Just like in the TV show, it doesn't mean its going to happen. 




Without knowing anything else about this mare, how much would you be willing to pay for her? Her pasterns are *fugly*, she has NO hip, NO hocks, as upright as a shoulder as you can get, is as long as a bus, withers higher than her head, and a pencil neck. Not to mention no muscle tone at all. Her blaze is pretty though! I'll credit her that! 


Now, I'll throw in that she's an english horse. HUS. Ok, so the long back and pencil neck is more acceptable...though not by much. If she were being used for anything else though... .like say barrels or poles, she'd have so many problems getting her hind end under her and collecting for the stop. She's just not built very well, though its no fault of hers. 


The asking price is the million dollar question now, isn't it. The owner of this horse, wants a LOT of money for her, because I'm sure she thinks she'll get it. She sees that in her future. And continuing with the analogy here, not every 'vision' in the show, comes true. 


She wants....... 




















$3000!!!!!!!!!!


$3000 for that mare. 



Ad Text: 8 y/o Paint Mare for Sale/Lease - $3000 (Pleasant Grove) "Sunny" is a registered sorrel, breed stock paint mare. She just turned 8 and stands at 16 hands. She is sound and UTD on vaccines. She has a natural horsemanship training foundation and knows lots of Parelli ground work. I love this horse and used her in 4-H this year, but sadly, she needs to be worked more than once every few weeks and I have too many horses to give her the time she needs. She rides in a halter or a bridle and knows walk/trot/canter. Broke to ride English and western. I think she would make a great English or western show horse easily. She is barefoot with great feet. Great hunter under saddle, or western pleasure horse with a little more time and training. She is super smart and loves people. She needs a confident rider because she can be a little strong at times and needs someone who can make her focus. Email for pictures/videos. 

For her sale, I am asking $3000 OBO.. or trade for bumper pull SLANT trailer of any age. If you would like to do a full lease with her, the price would be $200/ month, but she must stay at my barn. If wanting to lease, we can set up a lease to buy option also if interested. I am pretty flexible on payment options, my main priority is finding her a good home. Call/Email any time if you have any questions or if you want to come and try her out and meet her. My number is 916   or email me at boribear@ .com . Thanks 

I got a pretty good idea why the seller is having issues with her under saddle... could it just be because she's so looooonnnggg that she can't physically do what you are asking her to do? Have you ever thought of that? My guess is nooooo..... they just hopped on her and did whatever they wanted, and if the mare couldn't physically perform, its the mare's fault! Shes 'headstrong', and 'won't focus'. BULLSHIT. 


Oh, and, I'm not even going to get started on the Parelli Training. That just might also be another damn good reason the mare is 'headstrong' and 'won't focus', but you can't ever tell the Parelli Kool-Aid drinkers that! Oh no, we can't blasphemy their GOD!

 KEEP DREAMING DARLIN'. Cause it just ain't gonna happen! NO way, NO how is THAT mare worth $3000 even if she were bathed, shined up to blinding, and every grooming product known to man used on her. She is good for between $500-$1500 depending on training, personality, and breeding. And even then... I'd say $1500 is one hell of a stretch. 


NOW - The reader "Trail Rider" that sent me this ad, also mentioned this, and I quote from her email, "and cant wrap my brain around how this horse is worth $3000 ... course its not sold and the property its located at has some seriously skinny horses. a friend went out to see another horse also posted on CL - bait switch..supposed to be free Oh she's $500, have papers, oh wait no lost them...total crap. "  
  
How lovely is that!

Some people should stick to watching tv, I think. At least there, no body laughs at the fantasy!


(Thanks for the ad!)


Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The 5 Horse Cluster *F* Deal of a Lifetime!

If I have proven anything on this blog in its short life already, its that people are stupid. They will expect you to literally buy anything they try to sell you, hook, line, and sinker. They cast a wide net, and know pretty soon, some unsuspecting moron is going to bite on the bait they have set, and faster than you can say "hippopotamus" we've got a live one. 


I wonder how big of a net the writers of this ad cast...because its a doozy of an offer. 


I can just picture it now, the carnival tent, red and white striped, with the ring master standing on his soapbox in all his glory, with his carnies spread around him, fire flaming, balls spinning and knives flashing in the air, the smell of popcorn heavy and seductive. He's yelling out to the crowd, "Come close everyone! Come listen close! Have I GOT the deal for you today! Have you ever wanted to start your own breeding operation in just one day? Have you ever wanted to look out in your pasture and see lots of adorable fuzzy baby horses frolicking around? For the low low price of $5000 you can have JUST THAT!" 


Now, picture the blonde in the bikini standing in front of the curtain pulling the drawstring, and the red heavy velvet drapes slowly fold backwards on themselves...


              

Ad Text (Its LONG, Don't say I didn't warn you!):  For Sale:: AQHA/APHA package Deal. The 2 AQHA mares are exposed to foal in 2010, Sire is an APHA stallion. Grand Son of Smart Little Lena, Son of Little Lenas Legend(NCHA Money Earner). One of the mares is a Grand Daughter to Sonny Dee Bar & a Great Grand Daughter to Dr.Fager(TB). The other Mare is a Great Grand Daughter to Easy Jet & Double Bid. The Stallion also has Peppy San Badger, Doc O’ Lena, Doc Bar, King Fritz & Skipper W. These are Legendary Names in the horse industry right in One Package!!! I searched long a hard for these mares because I need mares that produced correct foals, but they also needed to be SUPER easy keepers & know how to be a horse. These mares can run on crap land & stay nice fat & healthy. They also have wintered now 2 years on the mountain without Assistance! They know how to hack it in Wyoming’s ever changing weather conditions. They LOVE grain & will follow you anywhere too!! We turned the stallion out with them May 09’ so babies could drop here in a month. 
The stallion is Amazing & parting with him is a tough decision. He is super easy to maintain, doesn’t require much to keep him fat & happy. He can be pasture or hand bred. Can be pastured with the gelding as well. I have had the youngest of kids around him without having to worry. Just not a mean bone in his body. He was injured when he was younger so never got trained for anything. We have never wanted him for a Saddle horse either, just a stallion. In 2008 he lost his left eye in an accident. If you are thinking you want to get him for a saddle horse I suggest you look at another stallion/horse. If you are trying to start into the horse breeding business this stallion is a good one. Easy to handle & get along with. Easy to catch, stands tied, load/hauls great. Has been hauled into town unloaded & walked around then tied to the trailer. Wasn’t bothered by the commotion. He stand around 14 hands on the smaller side, but built like a TANK with a HUGE hip on him. He too winters with the mares on the mountain without assistance. He now has a 3 year old Filly going to start competing in Reining. We have been VERY impressed with his offspring & there natural abilities. 
This is a 3 horse package deal with potential to get 2 babies. I have filed all the paperwork so that the babies will be registered as well. ONLY reason for listing this group for sale is that I moved out of State & can no longer attempt the trips back & forth. I am losing more money trying to do that & I can not bring them to where I live Now Unfortunately……. Price is $5000 for this Package Deal. SERIOUS ADULT INQUIRES ONLY PLEASE…….. I do have some video of the mares & stallion…..If anyone is interested I also have a 4 yr old Gray Quarter Mare(have her AQHA registration application, just never sent it in) who is also exposed to the above stallion to foal 2010. Blue Valentine breeding, I could also add to this package deal for a little more money… 
Email us at wrangler_     @yahoo.com. Once we have established you aren’t a scammer we will release our phone number or would be happy to call you too…. 


Now.  If you managed to make it through all that, congratulations. You get the prize behind door number 3. 

If not, l'll sum things up for you. They have 2 mares, whom are going in foal in a month. They were bred to the do nothing, no name stallion, who's only claim to fame is that he can winter with the girls out on the range - Who is also thrown into the deal! They didn't even bother to saddle break him! Advertising that he can be turned out with the herd is NOT a quality that I would look for in a stallion, especially a BREEDING stallion. 

Just about the only good thing that would come out of a stud spending time with a bunch of cranky half wild broodmares is they WILL teach him manners. He'll be very respectful of space, and you probably CAN do anything with him, because if he took one bad step out of line, them mares woulda just whaled on him! In a mixed gender herd, the stallions DO NOT rule the herd like most wild west romance novels would have you believe. They are there for two reasons only, to procreate, and to keep his harem together / defend from other stallions. 

That is the stallions job in life. Thats it. Summed up into two small sentences. 

This ad made the blog because of several reasons. 

1 - the no name stallion breeding that shouldn't be. 
2 - who can afford 5 horses these days!? There is no need to keep this herd together like this. Break it up and sell independently if you are targeting family buyers. A decent breeding operation might be interested in a deal like this for the mares, broodmares with damn good lines are being sold off like this for pennies on the dollar, but without the market to purchase the foals, the mares are worth little to nothing. 
3- Who the hell says that they are running their horses on "crap land" and THEN says they didn't help feed them during the winter? Did they totally ignore the horses for months, then suddenly decided they didn't want the horses anymore? Have the horses been wormed? Vaccinated? Feet trimmed? 
4- They don't want the stallion sold as a riding horse because of his eye missing? Total BS if I've ever heard it. 

We discussed riding blind horses -  horses going blind in both eyes due to Moon Blindness. This is NOT the same case. This horse has a fully functional eye still on one side of his head, and I've known plenty of animals, with hooves, paws, or feet, that do very well with just one eye. I bet there is something else with that stud that they don't want anyone to know about - some reason that they don't want him ridden. I just can't see anyone being that stupid to say a horse can't be ridden with just one eye. I'd trust a horse with one eye a TON more than a horse with moon blindness - and many of you would do the same. 

5- who really has the money to raise 2 foals right now, with the intention of keeping them?  Theoretical question I know, but many many people don't have that ability right now. 













More Info On the 18 month old Colt

Its been a very long day, so I'll try to be as coherent as I can. 


I spoke to both the lady that is selling the colt and the lady that is trying to upgrade him. 


I truly think that the seller got scammed in this case by the rescue. The "RESCUE" is Skunkie Acres, located in White Springs, Fl. Here is their website.   It looks ok on the surface... until you start seeing things like this- 


8 Hours til Daylight

Don't worry Daddy. Tomorrow is only 8 hours away. We got through today and everyone got their dinner. All of our prayers have been answered for today. Now we have to prepare ourselves for tomorrow and perhaps for a day that our prayers will not be answered. With your help Daddy we will survive. God has given you so much faith even when the days are dark and the night is so long. Your faith is a very bright beacon that seems to brighten the whole world. We know you will be there for us Daddy as you have always been. We are afraid to think how it would be without our Daddy. When we have done our very best and it still isn't quite enough, we know God will allow you to be there for us, as it has always been. Sometimes it is hard for us to show our love and thanks. But each time our little noses touch your cheek we are telling you Daddy how much we  love and  trust in you. If I could speak and write these are some of the things I would say.  I am speaking for all us animals. God Bless you Daddy and all the Daddy's who love and sacrifice for the skunks and all of the 350 animals at Skunkie Acres and all over the world. 



They refer to potential adoptive clients as "Mommy's and Daddy's". Several times they mention "God bless you" and "God Bless all those who help those which cannot help themselves." 


Wanna hear the really juicy part? They are a legal 501(c) Non-Profit that takes in SKUNKS! They are not a specific horse rescue... they are an EXOTIC animal rescue that also just happens to take in horses, dogs, cats, ferrets, cattle, sheep, deer, and other lovely creatures like Possums! They have a childrens petting zoo - free to the public of course. They offer horse back rides, and THATS how they 'make money' for their overhead costs???? They accept school field trips, church trips, and are open to the general public every darn day. They don't charge admission at all - yet they are screaming for donations on every page of their website. Doesn't make a whole lotta sense to me, does it to you? Even a .50 cent admission to the petting zoo will help defray some of the costs! 


OH and LOOK - This is the picture used to advertise the trail rides, showing a little boy getting ready to go out with a group of tourist trail riders! Doesn't this just scream responsible? Wonder if they ALWAYS send out kids without helmets, improper shoes, no jeans, and in saddles that don't even shorten the stirrups enough so the kid can keep his feet in them!!!  They say they have 32 horses that live permanently on property - and wow - I quote: "We have 32 horses, Some of them are horses's that cannot be ridden and they will be on our property and in our zoo for the rest of their lifes.While some of these horses are excellant trail horses, they are helping to support the sick and injured horses, while they are enjoying the rest of their years by doing what they enjoy doing. . So these horse's, we will care for them the rest of their days. We did not create these animals, and we will not take their lives unless they are very, very sick with no hope of recovery.  The other horses on the property are used for Stable Horses for the Trail RidesWe can accommodate 15-20 horses and riders if necessary. My 23 old daughter, Megan, and my 15 year old daughter, Samantha, and my 12 year old daughter Tabitha all ride horseback very well. They know the trails very well. They know the safety  practices and they understand the horses."


This is NOT the way you run a reputable rescue. (Did you also catch the little blurb about not putting the animals down unless they are very very sick? Very sneaky place to put that you are against optional euthanasia!) 


They are a road side attraction, petting zoo, with some exotic animals thrown in to get the general public interested. They are now advertising that they have a female cougar in their zoo. The best part about that is they have NO government Bond to hold that wild cat. 


So... how does an 18 month old quarter horse colt end up in this mess? That part is yet unknown, and probably always will be.


What I was able to find out/piece together is this: Seller somehow gets word that there are 2 young male horses being offered by Skunkie Acres. With a little sleuthing online, I found the ad for the other young stallion on an ebay free classified ad service through Gainsville, FL. He was advertised as a 2 year old male palomino for $400. The other colt was not advertised, or they have pulled the ad. 


Seller pays for the two animals, and makes arrangements for the rescue to drop them off at her private residence. She said when she went to look at the boys at Skunkie Acres, it was at night, they were in an arena with 6-7 other horses, the arena was semi-lit, but she was not able to get a very good look at the situation of the place. 


Representatives from SA tell her that the horses are 2 years old, have been 'trail ridden' and sat on a few times. When they drop the colts off, they arrive at the private residence at night, when the adopters are NOT home, dump the 2 colts off in a pasture without any halters on at all! However in the process they let one of the other horses out of a pen without putting him back in! 


(OK, also how the hell did they get them in the trailer to begin with, if BOTH OF the colts won't let anyone catch them???)


New owners have their vet come check out the new arrivals, and vet states they are NOT two, they are 16-18 months - but that info came out a bit sketchy with the question being asked if the vet can get close enough to check age - again the inconsistencies are showing - why can't the chestnut be caught? 


At any rate this giant Cluster "F" of a tale continues on. They have managed to work with the palomino enough so that he's now accepting a halter and is leading well, but they are having a ton of trouble with the other guy. They took the pair on after being told they were broke, but the harsh reality was they had been barely handled. 


I am now seeking places to send this information to - word has it that this 'rescue' is being investigated for other reasons.


There are soooo many red flags here the sheer number would cover Texas from border to border. 


I - Shady business dealings. The rescue lied about the ages, training levels, and that they could be handled. They also chose to drop off the animals in a very VERY unprofessional way, and by letting the other horse loose, could have been liable for a myriad of things had this loose horse run amok or gotten hurt or run over by a freaking car!


2 - They did NOT geld the animals before the animals left their property. NO rescue worth their salt will allow an un-gelded male horse leave their care as 'adopted'. They were dropped of at the adopters house severely underweight. My assumption is they also had not been wormed, either. The adopter did not mention any type of no-breeding contract either...


3 - They are not a horse rescue in such that they concentrate only on the horses. They use their RESCUED HORSES FOR PUBLIC TRAIL RIDES TO SUPPORT THEIR OTHER COSTS. 


4 - Exotic animal Zoo by the side of a freeway? Seriously. WTF? I get the sanctuary idea. I get that its cool to rescue exotic animals and wildlife, and this in of itself is a very needed service. There are a lot of idiot people out there that think its cool to buy a cougar cub and have it in the back yard, not thinking that its gonna grow into a 1000 pound giant PREDATOR. ......The theory of the exotic rescue is not what I'm having the issue with. I keep thinking  "BUT skunks? Do we really need a skunk rescue that adopts them out as pets????? Or a POSSUM? Who loves these animals enough to want one as a pet???" 


5 - Skunkie Acres is just a screwed up name. (Ok, I'm throwing that one in there because of personal bias. I don't care if you disagree, its my blog LOL. I can dislike the name if I wanna.) Its just too similar sounding to Skanky Acres. Which... would be fitting here.


The reader that sent the ad did talk to the owners about getting the colt close enough to a halter/lead rope to actually get them on him, but she needs help finding someone that either has all day to sit and help get this guy haltered and in the trailer sans trauma, or be willing to lend her a trailer for the day so she doesn't have to worry about wasting their time. 


If anyone is in the area that can help - or at least just offer help as to how to actually GET THE HALTER ON HIM, without scaring him further, that would be greatly appreciated! Just post in the comments. He will allow someone close enough to sniff a hand, but as soon as he sees the halter/lead rope, he has NOTHING to do with it, and is out of there in 2 seconds flat. I do not know how big his pen is, I don't know what the currently owners have done with him. They want the best for him, and just want him to go to a good home that will train him properly.


.........................What a note to end the day on, eh?! 


Be back in the am with a new ad. G'night!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Monday Morning Madness Double Header: The Blind One and The Untouchable One

I have a double ad post for you all today, so without further ado, lets just jump right into it. 


Ad #1


Ad Text: 11 Year old Gelding! MUST SELL! MAKE OFFER! - $1200 (torrington, wy) For Sale: 
11 year old Grade QH gelding. This is a retired Barrel and Breakaway Horse. He is a great gelding, only reason for selling is he was diagnosed with Lepto(moon blindness) and is loosing his sight. My boyfriend has been on his back and riding him in the pasture and he has been fine for him. He can get a little on the hot side, but for him he was fine. I think he just needed time off from running and time to gain someones trust. We have been working with him as much as possible and he is doing really well. With college i just dont have the time for him and i hate to see him stand around. With work he could again become a barrel horse, but he would have to gain the trust. I was running 1D barrel patterns before he started loosing his sight. He would be a good horse for someone looking to have something to work the ranch with. This horse is very cowy even with limited vision. Like i said with the time he may become a barrel horse again just would need the time for someone to work with him. Also would make a good companion horse. Right now paying board on 3 horses is alot for me and with college its hard to keep up. I am asking $1000 obo which is WAYYY less then what i paid for him, but i know i will never get that out of him. I am willing to negotiate with the price. Make me an offer. The pictures i have on here are of him running barrels. I also included the link to the video of him but the price on their is before we found out he was loosing his sight, it is lowered alot since that. 


Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8ip-SSiExM 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3tYDc5Gy-0 
Feel Free to email or call me at 307.534.xxxx SERIOUS INQUIRES ONLY!!! 


(Left the links live for viewing.)
$1200 for a nearly Blind Gelding? Or is it $1000? This chick can't make up her mind. I don't care how good of a Gymkhana / Gaming horse he is, or was. He's going blind. Todays market will not support a blind horse for $1000. Note to seller: YOU are obviously getting rid of him because of it. I don't care how much you talk about your 3 horses and college and money. You aren't selling your other two horses on Cl - cause I checked. Why dump this guy who has been a great horse? You mention that he could be a great companion horse... well, to be honest, thats about all this poor guy is going to be able to do. I've seen horses do wonders with one eye gone. But Not Both. Give this poor guy away to someone that can take care of him properly, or charge a re-homing/adoption fee to weed out the crazies, but $1000? AND THEN say that he can continue competing once he gets his trust back in his rider? OK - if the current owner can't get his trust back after owning him for years, how is a NEW person going to do it? 


 I'm only posting one of the pictures the ad showed this time, but they were of the gelding roping, running barrels, and 2 running poles.






Readers, if you have any stories of horses that have gone fully blind in BOTH eyes and have continued doing things like barrels, or roping cows, or poles... events that pretty much require the horse to SEE where he is going... i'm not talking leisurely trail rides here...I mean hard hitting, fast paced competition...Please post them in the comments. I'd love to be proved wrong here. 


This gelding deserves a great retirement out somewhere where he can be completely safe, and learn how to navigate sightless. Almost every fully blind horse I've known had another horse that took over the alpha role, and became the blind horse's 'eyes'. Some incredible equine friendships have been created with this type of partnership, and this gelding needs to find one of those homes. 


At the very least - if there IS no other option for this horse - nobody wants to think that Euthanasia is an option, but - this horse will no longer be able to be ridden by anyone other than a very, very experienced horseperson. No beginner will be able to ride this horse safely. There just aren't enough homes out there for horses like this! A rescue might take him in, if he's lucky, and just let him be a pasture puff with a few other older geldings that will take care of him. 


But will the owner do that? Its sure obvious that this chick isn't. Nope, she's looking for the quick dump, pass the problem on to someone else solution.


Thanks to Sue for sending that one in!


Ad #2. 


This ad was sent to me just this morning by anemonie. This one made my jaw drop. 


Ad Text: 18 month old qh - $100 18 month old quarterhorse stud. We purchased it from a rescue about 3 weeks ago. They dropped it off in the field and we haven't been able to catch it since. His feet were just done right before we bought him but he does have a few sun blisters on it's nose that needs to be treated. We have put about twenty pounds on him since we got him. He really needs a home where someone has the experience to work with him. We think he will make a great horse someday. When we got him we also got another stud, who is doing great and has made a lot of progress. This one just is not opening up to us, we can barely pet it. We have tried to put a halter on him and have been unsuccessful everytime. We are only asking what we paid for him which is $100. You will need to bring a halter, lead rope and be able to catch him. If you have any questions or would like to see him call (phone).



Anemonie... If you go get him, update us asap please! I want to know who this 'rescue' is  that allowed him to be 'adopted' out. There are so many things wrong with this I don't even know where to start! 


1st - NO REPUTABLE RESCUE will let a horse go to a new home in the condition this yearling left in. He was still underweight, still a stallion, and NOT HALTER BROKE?????? 


OH - and there were 2 HORSES allowed to leave in this same condition??????????


2nd - "they just dropped him off in a field and left him there" O. M. G. This is unreal! Again, NO RESCUE WORTH THEIR Exempt status would EVER EVER EVER do this. 


3rd - If the people that are selling him now can't handle him - they why did they take him in? Was the situation at the 'rescue' that bad that they felt they had no choice but to get him out of there?  


This just screams scam rescue to me, and it should to all of you reading too! 


Again, anemonie... please please keep us updated. At the very least, let us know if you went and got him.