Carnival Of The Horse & A Bit Of A Giggle!

I am honored to be able to host July's edition of the Carnival of the Horse. 

For those that don't have a clue what I am talking about, I'll do my best to explain. The following is taken from the "Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch" blog. 

A blog carnival is a monthly collection of writer-submitted blog posts about all things horsey.

Blog carnivals are a great way for bloggers to recognize each other’s efforts, organize blog posts around important topics, and improve the overall level of conversation in the blogosphere. Carnivals come in edited “editions,” like magazines or journals. Blog carnivals are edited (and usually annotated) collections of links that serve as “magazines” within the blogosphere, with readers clicking in from all over the world to enjoy each month’s offerings. Carnival hosts can earn a wider readership by providing high quality collections.

Since blog carnivals include a number of posts on specific topics, they also serve as a place to connect with those who are expert (or at least highly opinionated) and those who are interested in that field.

Basically, its a great way to find new horsey themed blogs, and for bloggers (like me!) to link up with each other. I honestly don't remember how I found it originally, but I can tell you how totally PSYCHED I was to learn that I was picked for July - one of my most favorite favorite months of the year! 

So, without further ado, I present, 

The Carnival of the Horse, July 2010

this to

Welcome to the July 1, 2010 edition of carnival of the horses.

Elise Fagerås presents

          href="http://taktur.blogspot.com/2010/06/make-horse-feel-like-sucsess.html"

>Make the horse feel like a sucsess

> posted at

          href="http://taktur.blogspot.com/"

>Kraften fra Hestene - The Power of Horses

>.

enlightenedhorsemanship presents

          href="http://www.enlightenedhorsemanship.net/2010/06/crazy-name-common-sense-journey-of-the-homing-pigeon/"

>Crazy Name = Common Sense: Journey of the Homing Pigeon

> posted at

          href="http://www.enlightenedhorsemanship.net"

>enlightened horsemanship through touch

>.

theliteraryhorse presents

          href="http://theliteraryhorse.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/the-mother-of-all-road-trips/"

>The Mother of All Road Trips

> posted at

          href="http://theliteraryhorse.wordpress.com"

>The Literary Horse

>, saying, "The Mother of All Road Trips, Pregnancy, and the Mafia, all in one day!  Grab some fries and come visit."

Kerry Kelly presents

          href="http://blogs.chron.com/hoofbeats/archives/2010/06/post_1.html"

>How Horses Think

> posted at

          href="http://blogs.chron.com/hoofbeats/"

>Hoofbeats

>.

That concludes this edition.  Submit your blog article to the next edition of

carnival of the horses

using our

title="Submit an entry to “carnival of the horses”"

href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_3973.html"

>carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our

title="Blog Carnival index for “carnival of the horses”"

href="http://blogcarnival.com/bc/cprof_3973.html">

blog carnival index page.

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I have to add this one in today. I know I've been a bit off kilter this week and last with the posting, but you all were just awesome and kept sending me ads anyways. Sarah sent me this with the comment "I think somebody is very confused..." and I just HAD to look. 

And giggled. Looked at the ad again. Looked at the picture AGAIN. Giggled even harder. Decided that for the Carnival post I just had to throw it out there because it kinda fit with a carnival attitude. 

I think this time I'll let the ad speak all for itself. 

NOTE TO THE IDIOT OWNER THAT POSTED THE AD: The horse is BLUE NOT RED YOU FREAKING MORON!!!

! Last I checked anyways, BLUE and RED were nearly color wheel opposites...

Ok, one more time. 

This is BLUE. 

This is RED. 

See the difference? Now lets compare to the horse in the picture. Which color does that horse match up to? If you guessed BLUE, you get a cookie!!!!! YEA!!!!!

As utterly stupid as this is, It still made me giggle. The horse isn't even that pretty. Why they want $8000 for that 3 year old gelding is wayyyyy beyond me, but at this point the whole red/blue debacle is so entirely dumb I can't help but sit here with a stupid smile on my face, and laugh at the moron that actually typed that out, KNOWING they didn't take the 2 stinking seconds to double check what it was they just wrote. 

How dumb is that ad, really! (Thanks Sarah!)

And to Celeste and Sue - yes, both of you ladies sent me links to yesterdays ad. I believe one of you sent the individual ad links to the horses first, then the other sent me the one I featured yesterday. 

Get this ladies - I opened up the 5 or so links to the individual ads, and left them open in my browser window for nearly 6 days. I rarely, if ever, shut my laptop off, and on top of that, since I have the 20 inch flat screen monitor hooked up to it, I just shut the monitor off without even touching the laptop.

So, as I was typing up yesterdays post, I had anywhere from 10-20 tabs open in my Chrome browser. Did I ever one time think to double check what I was typing might already be open? Heck NO! I got Celeste's email first, opened up the ads, left them open for later screenshotting (is that even a word?), and a few days later got Sue's email with the same horses. Did I connect the dots here? Nope, of course not. 

Silly me :P. Who is the moron now, right? I WOULD do something like that. Between the heat, the new kitten, and my kids, my brain is just turned to jelly this week, I swear! We are at the start of our summer monsoon (big massive loud thunderous thunderstorms that flood areas fast and can cause lots of damage really fast) season here in Arizona, and the heat is just beyond oppressive. We need rain, and soon!

So, credit for yesterdays ad goes to BOTH Sue and Celeste, and kudos to both of you ladies for your sharp eyes on those horses. On a slightly serious note, they really do need some upgrading and soon, so if anyone is in the area, and can take on a great summer project horse, those paint horses would be perfect!

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And one more quicky note, tomorrow makes my 100th post!

YEA!

I know you all have been bugging and bugging me for an update on one story that made a huge impact with all of you. I have that update, and have been dying to share it. The update will be posted tomorrow for the 100th post. 

I can't wait!

A Carnival For July; "They Won't Last Long".... How True!

So, some while back while cruising through different blogs, I came across a very, very unique blog called Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch (metta horsemanship). This blog I think is unlike any other blog out there but I'll let you head on over there and let her explain what the whole deal is. The link will go to the page describing the Carnival, btw.


She also created something called the Carnival of the Horses - a gathering of different blog entries from various blogs all horse related thats posted every month by a different host. I am going to be hosting July's Carnival - I should receive the info today sometime and I will put it up at midnight my time. So If you get a few extra minutes today, head over there and see what she's all about - you'll be there for quite a while reading, I assure you! 

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Lets get back on track with the ads, shall we? (Well, as long as this half pound stinker stops walking all over my keyboard while I'M trying to type! I guess the clicking of the keys is too much for one ratty little kitten to resist! Oh, its amazing what a few feedings of wet cat food have done to this starving little ragamuffin...)               

The ad features 3 paint horses up for sale. They are all in very poor shape, but the way the add is written they could be ALL be your next world champion. Uh huh. 

1 Paint Mare, 2 Paint Stallions - $1 (NW Colorado) 

I'm selling these horses for a friend on mine 

First Photo: Striker is 9-10 years old. Sired by reigning champions, this special guy produces nothing but painted babies even on solid mares. Owner thinks he is possibly homozygous for the tobiano gene, though he has not been tested for it. He is very calm for a stallion, and a very pretty color that looks like cherry glazed chocolate. Could make a nice competing stallion with the right training. He has been ridden a few times a few years ago, so he sells green and untrained. He is a good solid 14.3h, and could build some massive muscle with some nice green grass to chomp on instead of just hay. $800 

Seriously folks, there's hay, but if the horses are still looking that rough, there's something else going on here. He might have been sired by "

reigning champions", but he himself will not be that unless a freaking miracle happens. Why they are breeding him I will NEVER understand, because he's a crappy stallion. And its not just because of his weight. Geld him, and turn him into a great pleasure horse, do gymkhana's on him, mounted shooting, roping, heck whatever. Just stop breeding him, and for heaven's sake, a power pack from Panacur would do wonders here!

Second Photo: Silver Lady is a 4-5 year old grey mare. She is out of a APHA Paint stallion and an Arabian mare. She has the height and build of her sire, but is a bit on the skinny side after this winter and could use some nice green grass. She can be registered with PtHA, and I am looking into the possiblity of more from her pedigree. She has lived in the pasture most of her life and thus is a bit wild. She is starting to be halter broke, and learning to lead. She will soon start saddle training in the next month. Get her and finish her your way before training raises her price. Could make a nice trail or endurance horse. $600 

This I think is one of the saddest mare's I've ever seen. Literally. The expression on her face - this is I believe one of the worst pictures I've seen on craigslist yet. If she could talk, I really think she'd be saying "just kill me now". With some TLC, this mare could be absolutely jaw dropping gorgeous. Look at her mane! 

I think that the person writing up this ad probably got these horses dumped on them. Three half wild, mature horses that will barely lead, much less anything else is a pretty huge problem. I applaud the halter training (thats the long leads you see). Its a trick with mustangs to get them to teach themselves to give to pressure... they step on the lead and can't lift their head, the only way out of it is to back off and take a step backwards, thus releasing the pressure. Its actually a very humane way to halter break an older horse, once you can get the halter on them, that is. Its also an easier way to catch them if need be out in the pasture. 

What I DON'T agree with is the saddle training in just a month. This mare will need much much more time than just 3 weeks before a saddle goes on her back. Thats rushing the job, and it will cause more harm than good in the long run when you have a horse that was half wild, a saddle thrown on its back, and so many holes in the training you can stick a car in it.

What "MY WAY" Would be is to keep working with her daily, get her weight up, and when she doesn't have her hips sticking out like that - THEN consider putting a saddle on her back. But my way would take several MONTHS to do that, not weeks. 

This mare is still way too skinny for a saddle anyways. She needs at least another 100 pounds before I personally would feel comfortable putting a saddle on her without running a high risk of saddle sores.

The ad suggests you can register her with the Pinto Registry - well right now the Pinto registry is accepting just about any horse you want to throw at them! 

Third Photo: Buster is roughly 5 years old, and 14.2h's. Sire is about right about 14.3h's, and dam was 14.2h's. Sire is a sorrel paint (paint listed above) and dam was a black paint. He is being sold as untrained, and he has never been saddled, though he is being halter broke. He is stout and could make an incredible show horse, but could use some nice green grass to really build up those muscles. He's grandsire is a World Champion Reining Show Stallion. Buster is still a stallion, but can be gelded before pick up. He could be homozygous for the tobiano gene but isn't guarenteed. His sire produces nothing but paints even on solid mares. I will provide more information on pedigree and registering him, once he's paperwork is located by owner. His sire is registered with APHA, so Buster can be registered with PtHA right now. $600 

And again we have to ask, why is this horse a stallion? Because whomever owned them threw them in to a pasture and pretty much let them live out there unattended, thats why - for a very, very long time. This is the son of the FIRST stallion above - and they figure Jr here is about 5 years old.

I could go track down how much it would cost to register a 5 year old stallion with Paint - though I'm sure its several thousand dollars. It might be easier just to let his registration go at this point, or get him registered Pinto.

This whole ad is just one big screwed up CF, really. 3 Underweight, untrained, mature horses that barely know what a halter is? Yet this is what is everywhere. 

The ad ends with the phrase "They Won't Last Long" - I have to ask what would have happened to them all had they stayed with the owner for another year - I seriously doubt they would have lasted that long. 

They would make awesome project horses, I can promise that. The prices are actually decent at least - enough above meat prices to discourage those buyers, but not so high that its ridiculous. 

I have the reply link if anyone in the area is interested, just mention it in the comments and I'll send it to you. 

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The next week will continue to be a bit unusual in terms of posts. Not a normal week by any means. The Carnival will be tomorrow, then Friday will mark the 100th post. I have the update you have all be asking about - so make sure you come back and read the next two days for sure, you won't want to miss it!

KohKoh who has been 'helping' type this entire time, has made creating this post about 3 times longer than normal with all the backspacing, is now totally passed out on the top of her crate. It is totally and completely adorable. Yes, I crate train my cats, makes life so much easier when it comes to moving them. She has taken to domesticated life with a zest and energy that quite frankly, is wearing ME out. Or maybe its those 1 am and 4 am checks to make sure she uses the litter box if needed, and is fed if hungry......I forgot to mention she's only about 5 weeks old, and not nearly quite big enough to go roaming about the house at night by herself yet. Yes, I am a very nervous kitty mommy, and I would much rather her be safe in her extra large comfy crate on the floor next to the bed than worry about what peice of furniture she's gotten stuck behind!

Anyways, life is a bit more entertaining now, thats for sure!

Can't You Hear Him Braying OUCH?

I will freely admit that I have a soft spot for 'long ears'. Donkey's, Hinny's, Mule's - the whole lot of em. They almost always gentle fast, are usually very sweet and loving, and I haven't met one yet that just didn't love attention! 


My affection for "donkind" came about some years ago as a fresh faced 19 year old who just got hired as part of the livestock division out at the old Rawhide. For those of you that aren't local - Rawhide is a 1800's style western town tourist trap that was built on a large amount of mostly undeveloped land. Rawhide is a multi-layered attraction park - offering a steakhouse, shopping, theater style shows put on by the street comedy troupe, and the world famous Rough Rider Stunt Crew - but also offered hay rides, a camel ride, a stagecoach ride, a petting zoo, and a donkey ride for the kids, amongst other things too numerous to list here.


So, anyways, I was 19, and had just been hired on in the livestock division, and had been assigned the 'donkey ride' as my job. I was suddenly responsible for a herd of about 17-18 donkeys, one hinny, and one jennet. That job at first taught me more about how NOT to handle mules and donkeys than HOW to handle them, but after the first few days, we all got along just fine. (My friend who was hired alongside me was assigned Joe the Camel... needless to say her experience was a LOT different than mine! Working with the Camel, while certainly interesting and challenging, was certainly a difficult task. He was cranky, stubborn, moody, loud, obnoxious, smelly, and liked to spit on people. Personally - We didn't blame him a bit.)


The care of the animals while 'backstage' was the reason I ended up walking out of the job I otherwise loved. The girl that was put into the Livestock Manager's Job was a 20 something, 4'3", 110 pound soaking wet, absolute brainless twit of a girl who had a degree in advertising and marketing, and had been hired originally for said department in the front office. She got it into her head one day that she wanted to learn to be a horse trainer, and started attending Equine Science Classes at a local Community College - the exact same classes I was also attending at the time. (PUKE! Imaging going to college alongside your boss...for the very same field she manages and has NO clue about...) The difference between me and her though - I had real life, hands on experience, and had since I was about a year and a half. SHE didn't even know how to put a halter on the right way. We had mules that would rather kill you than eat, and she was convinced she knew what she was doing. 


The front office had already approved the transfer though, and we all of a sudden had a manager that knew absolutely NOTHING about basic equine care. The first day on the job she tried to halter the worst of the 'killer mule teams' - and she damn near ended up in the hospital. They charged her, reared up, tried to strike her on the head, and chased after her when she turned tail and ran out of their pen. That incident scared her badly, but it broke her out of her ego for a while though!


There was a group of us that went up to the main office, and made a very strong case for her to be removed/replaced, but since she was a favorite of the owner - well that didn't work very well. We even tried to sneak a farrier in one day on her day off, to trim several donks and several of the mule teams because they were getting dangerously long, but he was stopped at the back gate and was asked to leave by security. Finally one of the stagecoach drivers broke down, and started trimming hooves, something he was fully capable of doing, but the afternoon put him in the hospital due to severe back issues and mules that again, would rather kill you than eat. 


The situation got worse and worse, and I finally left after several attempts at arguing with her about a donkey that had a bad limp, and they were still insisting she go out with her string's rotation. I didn't know anything else I could do, and had already made several calls to the sheriff, animal control, humane society, and even a news station or two... but of course no body picked up or believed the story, even with pictures. 


I bring this all up now not just for 'the memories', but because even in all the neglect and ignorance I witnessed during my 18 month employment with them, I NEVER EVER saw hooves get THIS bad....

This is ignorant, moronic, careless, pointless, heartless cruelty. 

There is absolutely NO reason at all that donkey's hooves should be that overgrown. He can't even stand normally anymore! I will never ever be caught racially profiling either - but there is a very strong culture of cruelty that comes from Mexico. And if this isn't proof, I don't know what is. 

What is even more disturbing is the next picture... and makes absolutely NO sense...

They take a picture of the donkey being 'trimmed' for the sale ad... but its quite obvious that donkey hadn't been visited by a farrier in MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS??? What the hell are these people doing to this poor animal!!! And they pose their kids with him like they don't even have a clue that his feet aren't supposed to curl out 18 inches like that!

There is NO way ONE trim will repair this donkey's feet. It would take nearly half a year of trims to get this guy properly balanced again. This is a semi-long term project, and one that requires a knowledgeable and experienced farrier to do. A farrier that takes off too much at once can cause even more damage to the legs/tendons/fetlocks/etc, because the animals legs have begun to adjust to the extreme angles and difficulty walking. Suddenly reversing that can cause extreme amounts of soreness and pain for the animal as the tendons, ligaments, and muscles need some time to readjust back to what they are normally supposed to be.

I don't care who you are, how much knowledge you have or don't have... One look at those feet and any joe blow off of the street can tell you that poor donkey is in bad shape. These owners have NO EXCUSES for letting him get THAT BAD! NONE! 

I tried to blow the images up to get good close ups of the slipper feet, but zooming in just causes extreme blurriness, and even photoshop can't fix it. 

The ad itself is almost irrelevant at this point, but it does give a brief amount of insight into the owners. 

Ad Text: 8 YR OLD JACK DONKEY FOR SALE.REAL FRIENDLY,LEAD ROPES WITH KIDS AND EASY TO CATCH.450.00 OR B.O. IF INTERESTED CALL 315---9603 

Even as a jack donkey, I'd still snap this guy up just to GET HIM THE HELL OUT OF THERE! Any animal that would put up with this crap is an animal that would be welcome in MY barn any day. Especially one with long, cute, fuzzywuzzy ears that just beg to be scritched!

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On a side note that needs to be mentioned; in digging around on everyone's blogs the other night, I came across a Blog Carnival that  is being run by Enlightened Horsemanship.net. The Blog Carnival is horse focused, and usually is hosted by a blog other than her own on the first of the month. Content consists of blog posts that were published the month before, but are all collected in one spot. Its a great way to find new blogs, exchange links, and generally have a good time. 

I have submitted a request to host a Carnival here, but then literally days after I got the approval email, she blogged that April's Carnival might be the last one due to lack of new material being sent in. She asked all her current submitters to branch out, mention the Carnival, and try to drum up some new interest/new blogs. 

http://www.enlightenedhorsemanship.net/carnival-of-the-horses-home

The above is a link directly to the submission page. 

http://www.fromthehorsesback.com/2010/03/aprils-carnival-of-the-horse/

That is a link to this months current Carnival, so you all can see what exactly it is.

I would like to encourage all of you that have your own horsey blogs to send in a link to her - even though I just discovered this, I think its rather cool and a great way to network together. And I selfishly don't want it to go kaput before my turn to host! LOL.