Do YOU know who is driving your horses?

As I've noted before, there's a difference between an accident and something that was reasonably likely to happen due to ongoing negligence. A reader recently sent me this example of someone who clearly cannot get their act together and needs to just STOP HAULING HORSES!

25 year old AQHA mare falls from trailer (September 1, 2008)

Here we go again, except this one died (July 6, 2009)

Further details from a local, who saw the bloody trail all over the road: "This animal apparently fell from the rear of the trailer, somewhere in the vicinity of Jamestown Road. The halter and lead rope did not break, and the animal was dragged, apparently down Racetrack Road and most of the way into town. The track of the bloody drag mark moved laterally back and forth across the traffic lane, indicating that the animal struggled and flailed for a very long time before eventually succumbing. Tell me, Margaret, did you finally stop driving when someone down town honked at you or screamed? Why did you not notice in your rear view mirrors the trailer doors flapping and banging open? "

FHOTD back in: WTF, Margaret, were you drunk, high, what? I notice if they start moving around or bickering with one another. So do most people. You can feel it through the steering wheel even if you can't hear a ruckus! How the HELL do you not notice that you have lost a horse out the back and are dragging it to death? And how the HELL does that accident happen to you twice?

So, awful story but it brings up a very good question. Do you know who is hauling your horses? When your horse goes to a show, is it your trainer driving? Their spouse? Another client? An assistant? Do you know how they drive?

Do you know that they are sober? This is a big one. I have seen an awful lot of people drink an awful lot of beer at rodeos, horseshows, polo games and trail rides and then hit the road. And yeah, I'm just as guilty as everybody else of not ordering them not to drive, though sometimes I've offered to drive if that was an option. It's a real problem in the horse community, and not one that many people talk about. In many places, you can find out easily enough online if someone has a DUI, and nobody will ever know you checked. Check out the court records for your state. You may at least be able to find out if someone has a history of drinking and driving, though many just haven't been caught yet.

Then there's equipment. I was on a rescue seizure once where somebody showed up to volunteer his truck and trailer and, I am not kidding, there were HOLES in the floor. They were covered up with plywood. OMG. Please, don't put your horse into any trailer you have not checked out yourself. Go into it, look at the floor, stomp on the floor. Look for areas of rot if it has a wood floor. Pick up the mats. Floors rot out underneath the mats all the time!

Back doors of trailers should always be secured with more than just the latch - most latches have a place for a lock or clip to go through to ensure that the latch doesn't bounce free during the trip. Make sure that extra protection is on there, every time. Same goes for escape doors and tack room doors. You don't want a $4,000 saddle hitting the highway, either.

And of course check the lights every time you hook up. If your trailer is dark, odds are great that some inattentive driver will slam right into the back of it. I know a lot of people who drive with the interior lights on for greater visibility. You can't be too careful with all of the idiots and drunks on the roads.

Ugh, I can't get over this - what a story. And I want to slap her mother too. Did she have to tell the world her kid is bipolar in the news story? That's a 14 year old girl. She's had her horse dragged to death and now she has to go back to middle school next month and hear her classmates' comments about her mental condition. You twit. You already had the sympathy vote - you didn't have to embarrass your poor kid.

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This is SO freaking cool - the Jockey Club enhanced the online tattoo search so that you can use the horse's color and markings to help ID him! AWESOME! The days of Thoroughbreds losing their identify are coming to an end. There's no reason for anyone not to search now and find out who their rescued Thoroughbred is. It couldn't be easier!

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Remember all that silly Dreamchasers drama where they tried to act like they were being unfairly persecuted and Shiloh Rescue was just a bunch of bad-mouthing meanies? Well, here is Thoroughbred mare Tenacity BEFORE (at Dreamchasers) and AFTER (at Shiloh). A picture is worth a thousand words or at least five: You're full of it, Diane. Because she has Wobblers (it's amazing what you find out when you CALL THE VET), Tenacity will never be adopted out but NOW she gets to EAT.

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It's Friday so of course we have a Friday Featured Rescue. This guy's kind of been on the blog before. Do you remember the three Arabians that were abandoned up in the Port Orchard area? This is the oldest of the bunch. Simon is 25, sound and broke and probably has many usable years left in him. He is an honest 15.2, clips, loads, bathes, blankets, and has had his teeth done recently. He can still eat hay but has been on mush too to gain weight. AHA #0320384. He is available on a gift contract to someone who can afford to feed him well. Gets along fine with other horses but does not mind being alone. Look at that beautiful head! Simon is south of Seattle and you can find out more about him by e-mailing Chelsea.

Responsible unbreeding - What's your take on it?

Oh, this will be a can of worms, but I think we can discuss it and stay civil!

Here's the scenario: There's what may very well be a decent but unbroke Thoroughbred mare being thrown away on the Internet. The mare has papers. She was bred thirty days ago to a grade stud by some moron who has had his head under a rock for the past several years and does not realize that the value of said foal will be $25 on a good day.

My theory on a case like this is that the ethical thing to do is rescue the mare, abort the foal and train the mare to try to ensure that this will be the last time she is in danger of being picked up by a slaughter buyer. In this economy, I believe it is irresponsible to allow any foal to be born that is not reasonably predicted to have a moderately high value ($2000+) based upon the current sales prices of other foals of its type and breeding. (I do not care what one sold for 5 years ago. That's as irrelevant as if it took place on Mars.) If you can catch such an embryo early, and abort the mare, I think that's great. You're preventing one more unwanted horse from being born, and you're taking back six months or more of the mare's useful life.

I've also frequently pointed out that you do not have to have a foal because of an accidental breeding. Your vet can come out and give the mare a shot, and while it is not 100% effective, in most cases it does work. There is little reason for an "oops" foal to be born these days.

I do not think this issue has anything to do with being pro-life or pro-choice with regard to humans. An unwanted human child has a lot of possible options. There are waiting lists of people wanting to adopt them. There are government agencies willing to step in with help of every kind - foster care, medical, education - a million hands are waiting to help that child have a chance at a good life no matter what kind of miserable situation he or she may have come out of. It can still be a tough road for them, but do not have to worry they will be sold for $10 and die a horrible death at six months of age or younger - or that they will go through this all too familiar scenario:

Accidental foal is conceived. Accidental foal is born. Awwww! It's so KYOOT!

Wow, Sugar sure got protective of that foal, didn't she? She actually nipped at the kids. Kids, stay out of that mare's pen. Maybe she'll be better when it's older.

That foal sure is getting big. My neighbor said the mare will wean him herself when she's ready. Mares know. I don't know, what is he, about nine months old now? Maybe he'll be easier to work with when she kicks him off of her. I tried to put a halter on him and he struck at me. He's really feisty!

Yeah, the little one? That's her son. They've never been apart. They just love each other. But it's kind of hard, we don't really ride her anymore because they scream and throw a fit when we take one away from the other. And he's real pushy, so the kids are scared to go out by themselves to get Sugar now, and I just don't have the time to help them.

We just don't know what to do. Our vet says Sugar is pregnant again! We didn't think she would breed with her own son. He's only a yearling, can they do that? I don't have time to take care of them, and the kids are scared to go out there with him because he chases them. She hasn't had her feet done in a while now, either, because we can't bring her into the barn without him and my farrier won't do them in the field ever since the colt bit him. I saw an ad from somebody who buys horses and I think I'm going to sell them.

Yes, it's a familiar scenario and one that we see the results of every day. Foals may be cute, but they're also hard to handle and if you're not experienced and/or don't have someone experienced to help you, can become little monsters in a shockingly short period of time. We all know that the barely-halter-broke, pushy, nippy two year old stud colt has no future in this world. He sells for $50 at the auction, straight to kill. Even rescuers shy away from him - where would they put him until he's gelded? Who could safely handle him? What if he kicks a volunteer?

Foals are a ton of work and long before you ride, you lay the foundation that will create either an excellent riding animal or a difficult, hard to train one. There are so many homes that are good, decent homes for a riding horse that cannot handle a foal and will create a monster. If every foal was born to a home that knew how to train it and was committed to training, proper nutrition, etc. and had safe facilities for it, we wouldn't have a slaughter issue. There wouldn't be enough low value horses for slaughter buying to be as lucrative as it is today! (Everybody blah-blahs about racehorses, but the truth is that Thoroughbreds make up less than 10% of what goes to slaughter. If they were all that rescues had to absorb, we could do it.)

And we all know what will overcome a lack of registration papers/mediocre quality in this world - training. If you can train something to be a low level eventer, safe for an intermediate rider, by all means, you do have the power to eventually create value in a typical grade half-Thoroughbred foal, and make it into the sort of horse who will always have a home. But how many people can - and more importantly - WILL - do that? Looking at the odds, if I adopted the mare in my original scenario, I'd have the vet pinch the foal.

What would you do? And why?


And if you DO want a grade foal and have the knowledge to give it a great home - adopt one that is already here! This picture is Loki who is at the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society in Texas.

(Hey I have the same emotional response everybody else does - I just want to kiss his nose! The question is, will he still have someone to kiss it when he's a fugly yearling, and will someone adopt him who gives him the training he needs to have a successful life? His odds are much better now that he is with a good rescue, but he is in competition for a home with so, so many.)

The Equine Fountain of Youth - What's In It?

Keeping humans looking and feeling young is a multi-million dollar industry. Between human growth hormones and Botox injections, lots of people are making a lot of money promising to stop time, one way or another. But we feel the same way about our horses. No one wants to see them get old and sick, or break down physically. We'd all like them to live as long as possible while staying as sound and healthy as possible. So what elements go into that?

As with humans, good nutrition is a factor. While horses fortunately do not have access to the wide variety of unhealthy foods that we do, getting the right blend of vitamins and minerals still counts. We've talked before about how to feed young horses so that you don't create leg issues and permanent damage, and about how to feed old horses so that they don't lose weight.

Also as with humans, exercise is a good idea. Remember the 37 year old endurance horse? I do believe that sound horses who continue to be ridden are likely to live longer, but there is nothing wrong with a "good" retirement - one that involves lots of turnout, if not all turnout, but also attention. I hate the misguided idea that an idyllic retirement for a horse involves being thrown out into a field and left alone. People do this all the time with horses who were used to daily attention and the result is usually a horse who goes downhill fast, both physically and emotionally. A typically social "people horse" needs continued interaction. If he can't be ridden, he can at least be groomed and brought treats. I've seen people teach their old horses in-hand trail, just to give them something new to do, and I've seen the horses love it!

I've also seen people use the "well, they're not being ridden anymore" excuse to skimp on farrier care, which is sad because older horses so often have issues with abscesses and many times the farrier is the first one to catch a horse who is at risk of founder. It's a safe assumption your older horse will need all the same care, and more, that he did when he was in his competitive years.

And there are plenty of little things you can do that decrease the risk that you will lose a horse too early. Colic does not need to be as common as it is. Keeping fresh, clean water in front of horses 24/7, making sure your old horse is not being stressed out by an aggressive one in the pasture, lots of turnout, and feeding a supplement for sand control if you live in the southwest are all things that can keep you from ever having to deal with colic.

Finally, we've all seen the sad older person whose family has abandoned them, who sinks into depression. This is the same for a lot of older horses. A 25 or 30 year old shouldn't be hanging out all day with his head in the corner. That's not normal and it's a sign he's not happy about something in his environment. Either he's not receiving the attention he was used to from people or he's unhappy with his equine companions, or something hurts so much that it's keeping him from enjoying life. I've met many bright, happy 30+ year olds. If yours isn't, there's probably a reason.

Interesting article by Deb Bennett about extending your horse's life.

So here is my question: If you have a horse who is over 25, how is he doing? What is his history - riding, competition? Is he still being ridden? What is his lifestyle - stall, pasture, etc.? Do you have problems keeping weight on him or is he an easy keeper? Do you know when he began his riding career? Have you had a light bulb moment with regard to care of your older horse that you'd like to share?

What would you tell the person with a three year old horse who'd like to be riding that horse twenty years from now?

On the left is my 29 year old. Much of her life, she was stalled half the year (polo season) and out the rest, and then she's been out 24/7 since 1995. Harmony was broke out at three and retired sound at fifteen. The last time I jumped on her was 2005 and she still shook her head and reminded me she could offload me if she wanted to. She has mostly eaten alfalfa in her life - even in polo, we grained very minimally, with a little Clovite and Red Cell for vitamins. She loves being with the herd and maintains weight easily. We had a colic scare when she was 8 and were told she had a 20% chance of survival, but I walked her all night and here she is today. (Pretty sure that was caused by inconsistent watering at her boarding barn at the time, by the way) She moved to a milder climate in 2006 and I think it does help her continue to thrive. Thanks to Paradigm Farm for continuing to give her fantastic retirement care!

At least they are going to Heaven!

Just for fun, I decided to google the term "perfect confirmation" to see what I got!

So here's just one example. This is an underweight, straight-shouldered 3 year old AQHA gelding. His unattractive head is as long as his short, upside-down neck. The whole front half is pretty much fugly. Someone recently wanted an example of straight-shouldered. Here you go. Look at the attachment between the shoulder and the neck and how upright it is. Every time talk shoulders, some purist has to point out that shoulder angle is actually determined by the placement of the scapula. Correct, but that is usually roughly parallel to the much easier seen line where the shoulder joins the neck - so that's what I point to for people who don't know how to see a straight shoulder. Either way, this horse has a straight shoulder. He is not going to be a great mover - that shoulder won't allow for much reach. He is not going to be a comfortable ride - a straight shoulder usually results in a jarring gait that is hard to sit. That can be improved with training, but it's never going to be great. And he will be more predisposed to lameness in those front legs than a horse who has a beautiful, laid back shoulder. I honestly cannot think of a single time I've seen navicular in a horse with a great shoulder and a long, sweeping stride.

Example of a beautiful shoulder for comparison - click. That's an AQHA racing stallion called Hail Corona. I am not surprised he is fast - speed index of 105. He is built for speed and built to last, with good bone, great shoulder and pasterns, compact build and a great hip. There is no actual "perfect" horse, but this is WAY closer to it than poor little gelding will ever come.

It's just a bad picture of poor little gelding in general. He looks camped out because of how he is standing (was he about to pee or what?) and while I don't mind a 2-3 year old being a little ribby, this is too ribby. He needs some weight before being offered for sale. I will say that little gelding's trainer has a good marketing strategy on him. She is super hot and wearing short-shorts in her video. Her conformation really is pretty exceptional! Guys are going to flock from miles around just to meet her, their eyes easily distracted from the gelding's flaws. I will bet she sells him in a week. :-)

Now, here's a broodmare advertised as having "perfect confirmation." Maybe she looks better in a white dress? It would at least hide her short, steep hip, which resembles that of a greyhound. I don't mind goose rumps as much when they're heavily muscled, but this mare's got about as much muscle as a typical contestant on Celebrity Fit Club. She has a thick, unattractive neck, a plain head and big ears. And unlike the first horse, who I think is just standing funny, this mare really does look camped out, with her hocks far behind her. I guarantee she won't win any halter classes and advertising her as "perfect" is a lot like stating that your used Kia is ideal for drag racing. C'mon folks, just be realistic and you won't wind up here!

The funny part is that I found some horses who are actually super nice advertised with this term. First of all, it's conFORmation - the last time I checked, the Catholic church only permitted humans to be confirmed. Secondly, superlatives when deserved are fine - your halter champion most likely does have excellent conformation. Your pleasure champion or dressage winner is most likely an excellent mover. But nothing with a heartbeat is flawless in this world and your ads will sound more professional if you keep that in mind.

You may, of course, tell your horse he is the most perfect horse EVER to your heart's content!

The old broodmare I am currently rehabbing gets told she is the cutest thing in the whole world on a daily basis but I am aware the conformation shown at left is not going to win any halter classes. She does have a nice shoulder, but that was not an great hind end even 20 years ago and the age-and-pregnancy related swayback does not help her appearance, ha ha. She is, however, already in better weight as a 24 year old mush-eating rehab case as that 3 year old gelding, which is a pretty sad observation. And she is riding like a champ!

If anyone will know the answer to this...

...one of my readers will!

Has anyone come up with a better solution for maintaining the stall of a stall-walking Thoroughbred? Is there some newly-invented bedding I haven't tried? I have a very cute 24 year old OTTB mare who unfortunately walks circles and turns even the cleanest stall into a wet, filthy disaster. You can't even pick it by the time she's done, because she's got everything broken down and mixed together. I pick my stalls AM and PM and it doesn't help that much. She pees and walks and smooshes! Not only does it make me crazy since I love seeing my horses in immaculately clean, fresh stalls, but sheesh, it's expensive.

Is there any solution other than - I'll beat you smart-asses to it - a bale of straw? I hate cleaning straw. My lower back hates cleaning straw. She's currently on rubber mats with 3-4 bags of pelleted bedding, pre-soaked, on top of that, and she is trashing it. She goes out about 12 hours a day but is separated in a stall for now because she's eating alfalfa pellet mush to fatten up.

I would love to hear your ideas and if there's no solution, well, let's just commiserate about whether we have horses OR PIGS!

(Yes, considering I'd like to find an adopter for this mare, marketing FAIL. But hey, at least I'm honest! She is sweet, quiet, doesn't know how to pin her ears and pretty darn sound even if she does snap, crackle and pop when she moves. But she is NOT neat!)

Happy Let's-Scare-The-Pets-To-Death Day!

Yes, we're coming up on the fourth of July, otherwise known as that day when thousands of normally calm, rational pets will wind up hiding under a bed, shaking all over, peeing on themselves and thinking that the world is ending. I wish I could figure out why we still have to re-enact the rockets' red glare over 200 years later, and cannot just content ourselves with having a nice parade and taking bets on where a mini will choose to poop (if you have not seen this phenomenon, you need to get out of the city more!), but I can at least go over some tips for surviving this very loud holiday without ending up dragging your poor veterinarian away from his or her well-deserved third beer.

(I just thought this pic was adorable. I LOVE the elephant! This is from Sunny G Acres, mini donkey breeders. What a nice site. Definitely makes me want to buy one!)

For horses, this is one night when you might want to keep them in, even if they normally like to be out. By all means, don't keep a horse like my Buffy in - she hates stalls with a passion and would weave herself into a white sweat all night. (But then again, Buffy would stomp a firework to death if it annoyed her. She's that kind of mare.) However, for the average horse who isn't opposed to occasionally being confined, tucking them in to a safe stall with non-slippery bedding and a huge pile of hay to distract them is often the wisest choice.

Stall mats are great cushioning for a hard floor, but they're not always grippy. I have seen many a horse slip and slide on rubber mats, particularly if they get wet. Likewise, I like bedding pellets but if you don't wet them down to turn them into sawdust, they can also be a slipping hazard. You know this if you have ever gone ass-over-teakettle sliding on them yourself, as I admit I have! If there is any day your horse is going to slip and fall in the stall, it is this one, so be sure to provide the best footing possible in case your horse ends up putting on a show when he hears the ruckus outside.

If they are going to be out, what's your fence like? If you have iffy wire fence, the round pen might be a better choice tomorrow evening. If there is a chance the horse will be panicking, you want them on very visible fence that is unlikely to hurt them if they bounce off of it. If you can pair them with a horse that you know doesn't get upset, that's even better.

Please plan any riding for early enough in the day that you won't be mounted come twilight. As we've discussed before, there is something that will spook even the "bomb proof" horse and fireworks are often on that list. I know that with the holiday and family visiting, it is so tempting to put the little ones up for a pony ride. Just do it during the daylight hours!

The Fourth is a day when you have to worry about fire. I know I have readers here who've had pastures set on fire by illegal fireworks, and of course there is the same risk for your barn. If you tend to have herds of free-range drunks, feral teenagers, etc. in your neighborhood, you might want to park your own 4th of July celebration in full view of the horses as a deterrent.

I know many people still use the old trick of stuffing a cotton ball or piece of sponge in their sensitive horse's ears for the show ring. Well, that old trick will work tomorrow evening, too. Just make sure you get whatever you put in completely out afterward. I read a really cool idea online where the person puts the sponges inside old nylons and ties the nylon to the halter so that the sponge can easily be retrieved and there is no risk it will break apart and go down into the ears. I'm also told you can buy horsey ear plugs now. Those look pretty nice for three bucks!

I know some of you are going to say, hey, desensitize those silly horses - and you're not necessarily wrong. A horse who has been hunted off of or used for mounted shooting is likely to rest easy on the 4th. But that is easier said than done with some horses and my goal is to keep everybody's day safe and the vets on vacation!

Now, what about those small animals? Your barn cats will disappear into the hay and wait for the noise to be over. Dogs have more trouble with it, in general. Every 4th of July, many dogs run away in fear and many of those are never recovered alive. Please keep your dog inside or in a kennel/run he cannot escape from. Keeping him inside may not be that easy if you have guests over, so you might want to consider putting him somewhere more secure - the basement, a horse stall, etc. Remember that he may chew things when he's upset, so you might regret the tack room. Like horses, dogs can wear ear plugs, and tranquilizers are available from your vet for the pet who is truly terrified.

HSUS's page on keeping your dog safe on the 4th

Sometimes the best idea is to just board your dog! There are many completely indoor dog boarding facilities where there is no chance of escape and many are located right within the city where fireworks are confined to "official displays" and it isn't as loud as it is in rural areas. Especially if you are going out of town or will be out late at a party, this is a truly wise choice. As with everything, check the place out and make sure it is well-reviewed!

All right, now that all of that is said, have a fun Fourth and remember, if you're drinking, that's where you need to be sleeping!

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I wanted to do a Friday Featured Rescue from the Midwest today, and I've heard some good things about Indiana Horse Rescue, so I checked them out. Look at the FACE! Love her.

This is a senior Tennessee Walking Horse cross mare, and she is adorable. Her page says she's supposed to be well broke (hopefully they've had someone up by now to check that out), so if she is, what a cool addition she would make for a family that loves the gaited horses and has a young rider needing a good old girl to start out on. Check her out if you're interested. Their adoption fees are very sensible - she's just $250.

This is something I'd want in my backyard just so I could kiss her nose and feed her carrots! I hope she finds someone to do that in her part of the country.

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Early warning for the PNW'ers - the SAFE horseshow will be August 22 at Frontier Park in Graham, Washington. This is a show that has Rescue Horse Classes, so just bring your adoption contract or your "before" pics and you can compete against other rescues. It is a really great show if you have not shown before and want to be with other beginners. Stalls are available this year. They are looking for class and trophy sponsors - click here for more information. This is a great opportunity to help a worthy, well run rescue that publicly displays where every dime of donor money goes on their message board, follows up on all adoptions and does not have "OMG we have no hay money!" emergencies.

If you ruled your breed organization...

What would YOU change if a genie waved a magic wand and you got total control over whatever breed organization or other equine organization you're most heavily involved with? Top three things. Let's hear them!

For me, with AQHA:

1. Policy change to anti-slaughter (obviously) and investment of a significant percentage of registration and other collected fees into a structured specific AQHA registered horse rescue with branches in each region of the United States. Every horse eligible to enroll in the Incentive Fund (pre-nomination of sire not required) at the time of his first show or other competition so that actually training and then showing/competing with your horse is incentivized. This would help trainers in these tough times and encourage people to make the investment into their horses that would keep those horses safe even if the original owners couldn't keep them.

2. The end of halter as we know it. Halter split into three divisions for each age: Hunter type, western pleasure type and working horse/cowhorse type. Let's face it, we have different types of Quarter Horse so why not just embrace it and judge each based upon its suitability for the event it aspires to or currently performs in? Why are we, instead, continuing to create a whole separate type chock full of post legs and nasty pasterns and small feet, that is overfed until its legs are ruined and it doesn't ride at all? So that now we have to have Performance Halter? It should ALL be Performance Halter. It should all relate to an intended, eventual if not current USE. You want to show something that just looks pretty standing there and has no other purpose, show model horses. They will not care if you throw them in a pile in the garage when you are done with them.

(Note: I know some of you have ex halter horses that ride and are sound, that you didn't ruin. But that is not the majority, sadly.)

3. Absolutely no registration of N/H horses. N/H stallions must be gelded or their papers would be recalled by the registry. No registration of foals from N/H or H/H mares after a reasonable future date, even if the foals are N/N. We have to stop allowing the Russian Roulette breeding. And once we get rid of Beef Steer Halter, nobody will need to breed positive horses. See how well that works?

So what do you want to change? This can be for a breed registry or for 4-H or Pony Club or even for your local saddle club? If you were in charge for one day, what would be different?