The Humane Society of the United States is back at their begging, running commercials with their president speaking oh-so-sincerely about how horrible the animals in the country have it and asking for money. With a hitch in his voice.
Kudos for his acting, actually.
No Kudos for his organization. If you're seeing these commercials and are tempted by the admittedly haunting images to send the organization money, DON'T.
HSUS collects a ton of money, yes. They own shelters, yes.
Here's the important bit though- 75% of donations go to paying salaries within the organization, and those shelters kill most of the animals that walk through their doors, to make room for "more adoptable" animals.
So ignore the over-the-top images (they dug up footage of someone CLUBBING A SEAL!) and the soft-voiced pleading from the president of the organization.
If you want to help unfortunate furry friends, consider the ASPCA, because at least they actually make the attempt to rehabilitate the animals. Granted, some dogs are euthanized when they show behavioral problems such as food aggression or animal aggression, but an effort is made to modify that behavior before the dog is given up on.
Not a fan of the ASPCA? Do some research and find a horse rescue near you. Then do some research on that facility and the people who run it. A little more work in this one as there is no country-wide organization to throw money at, yes, but these days good horse rescues are overwhelmed.
Since the ban of horse slaughter in the country more horses than ever are being neglected, starved, turned loose to fend for themselves, or abused. That's not artfully phrased begging, just the facts.
But please, if you do decide to donate to a horse rescue, do your research.
Because there are those out there who pretend to be a rescue, rather than actually being one. I know one place personally that claims to be a horse rescue but refuses to take any horse that cannot be "re-purposed." Then they charge a decent adoption fee, and the people who own it live quite well.
This is not the sort of place that needs your donations.
So talk to the boss at any place that you're thinking of donating to. Ask questions: What sort of horses do you take? What kind of rehabilitation do you do? What will my money go towards? Can I purchase and donate vet supplies instead? What vet supplies would you suggest I donate?
If they refuse donation of vet supplies, ask them why. If the answer is anything other than "We're very picky about what we use" or "we have an arrangement with a veterinarian" they're probably either not accepting horses that need extra care or they're not GIVING the extra care... also, if they say yes but only ask for wormers and vaccinations, find out WHY they don't accept donations of supplies like antibiotics or anti-inflammatories.
Ask them if there are any other items that you could donate in lieu of money. Places that refuse donations of blankets or leg wraps for any reason other than "we have too many" are a little suspect, to me. If they're spending the money on the care of the animals they should be perfectly happy to receive the items to care for the animals as well.
These points (with minor alterations depending on what kind of animal) can be applied to any animal rescue organization.
And HSUS doesn't even come close.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Away From The Blog..
For a funeral, since I'm in a bit of a funk.
In place of actual content, have a couple of links:
First: the first link that came up on Google about a coyote in a New York City parking garage a few days ago.
Second: take a serious warning from this tragic accident, and don't let this happen in your home.
In place of actual content, have a couple of links:
First: the first link that came up on Google about a coyote in a New York City parking garage a few days ago.
Second: take a serious warning from this tragic accident, and don't let this happen in your home.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Breed All About It: Rocky Mountain Horse
Today we're going to take a look at another uniquely American breed of horse, the Rocky Mountain Horse.
Much like the Quarter Horse these sturdy equines were bred to be multi-use, versatile beasts with the ability to work every day. Unlike Quarter Horses, they weren't intended for the races. Rather they were bred to be an all-around versatile beast of burden, sure footed and easy to ride.
The Rocky Mountain Horse is a gaited horse... meaning that it has a natural way of propelling itself across the landscape that fits a particular rhythm and is, reportedly, quite comfortable to ride for long periods. This gait is- regardless of what breed of gaited horse we're talking about, and there are several- faster than a walk, more comfortable than a trot, but not as fast as a lope, or canter, if you prefer. The Rocky Mountain Horse is required to have a four-beat gait, meaning that, like at the walk, each hoof strikes the ground individually, rather than any two legs striding at the same time, as with the lope, which is a three beat gait. This gait is natural, present from birth, and cannot be taught. Each horse has its own "way of going," meaning that no two horses will have precisely the same gait or speed. Rocky Mountain Horses have been known to gait at up to twenty miles an hour.
In the late 1800's a stallion emerged into the limelight of the Kentucky horse world, which at that time was far more practical and far less race-focused than it is today. This horse came out of the Rocky Mountains, and was called "The Rocky Mountain Horse."
Other than his unusual coloring, and the fact that he was bred to a geographically small sampling of gaited riding horses in Kentucky, that's pretty much all that's known about the stud who gave rise to a handy little breed.
I mention the stud's coloring, because the rather startling colorations available in the breed today are one of it's most recognizable features. Since we're talking looks, I'll show you some pictures. (It has nothing to do with the fact that I think Rocky Mountain Horses have some of the neatest coat colorings in the horse world. Not at all. So hush.)
Above is a particularly striking example of the dark body/flaxen mane coloration that is such an amazing first impression of the breed. More common is the chocolate/flaxen combination:
More pairings of bold body colors with flaxen mane and tail are apparent in the breed, although by no means are they all so strikingly colored. A Rocky Mountain Horse can be any solid body color, according to breed standards, and facial markings are acceptable if not "excessive." No white markings are allowed above the knee or the hock, however.
The color combinations seen above are examples of a particular expression of the same gene that makes a horse dapple gray. In some horses (as a breed, notably, Lipizanners, but the gene and this expression of it are apparent in many different breeds) the gene can cause them to fade from a more standard coat color, gradually over a lifetime, to a washed out dappled shade of their original color. In others, it simply creates a ghost of dappling in the coat, and still others are born dapple gray.
Other standards for the breed include height, (between 14.2 and 16 hands*) and notably, a good temperament. Very few breed standards include temperament, considering that to be an area in which bloodlines can be allowed to differ.
Since the Rocky Mountain Horse was a very utilitarian breed, its numbers plummeted with the advent of better roads, automobiles, and tractors. At one point it was listed as an Endangered Species.
Today, though, the Rocky Mountain Horse Association is dedicated to preserving and propagating the sturdy little beasts. While they're not anywhere near as common as Quarter Horses or Thoroughbreds, they're making an impact in the world of the pleasure horse, as sure-footed trail horses and gaited show ponies.
* 1 hand = 4in. This measurement was originally, much like the cubit, more haphazard, being the breadth of a man's hand.
** Second image ganked shamelessly from Hidden Trails.com
Much like the Quarter Horse these sturdy equines were bred to be multi-use, versatile beasts with the ability to work every day. Unlike Quarter Horses, they weren't intended for the races. Rather they were bred to be an all-around versatile beast of burden, sure footed and easy to ride.
The Rocky Mountain Horse is a gaited horse... meaning that it has a natural way of propelling itself across the landscape that fits a particular rhythm and is, reportedly, quite comfortable to ride for long periods. This gait is- regardless of what breed of gaited horse we're talking about, and there are several- faster than a walk, more comfortable than a trot, but not as fast as a lope, or canter, if you prefer. The Rocky Mountain Horse is required to have a four-beat gait, meaning that, like at the walk, each hoof strikes the ground individually, rather than any two legs striding at the same time, as with the lope, which is a three beat gait. This gait is natural, present from birth, and cannot be taught. Each horse has its own "way of going," meaning that no two horses will have precisely the same gait or speed. Rocky Mountain Horses have been known to gait at up to twenty miles an hour.
In the late 1800's a stallion emerged into the limelight of the Kentucky horse world, which at that time was far more practical and far less race-focused than it is today. This horse came out of the Rocky Mountains, and was called "The Rocky Mountain Horse."
Other than his unusual coloring, and the fact that he was bred to a geographically small sampling of gaited riding horses in Kentucky, that's pretty much all that's known about the stud who gave rise to a handy little breed.
I mention the stud's coloring, because the rather startling colorations available in the breed today are one of it's most recognizable features. Since we're talking looks, I'll show you some pictures. (It has nothing to do with the fact that I think Rocky Mountain Horses have some of the neatest coat colorings in the horse world. Not at all. So hush.)
Above is a particularly striking example of the dark body/flaxen mane coloration that is such an amazing first impression of the breed. More common is the chocolate/flaxen combination:
More pairings of bold body colors with flaxen mane and tail are apparent in the breed, although by no means are they all so strikingly colored. A Rocky Mountain Horse can be any solid body color, according to breed standards, and facial markings are acceptable if not "excessive." No white markings are allowed above the knee or the hock, however.
The color combinations seen above are examples of a particular expression of the same gene that makes a horse dapple gray. In some horses (as a breed, notably, Lipizanners, but the gene and this expression of it are apparent in many different breeds) the gene can cause them to fade from a more standard coat color, gradually over a lifetime, to a washed out dappled shade of their original color. In others, it simply creates a ghost of dappling in the coat, and still others are born dapple gray.
Other standards for the breed include height, (between 14.2 and 16 hands*) and notably, a good temperament. Very few breed standards include temperament, considering that to be an area in which bloodlines can be allowed to differ.
Since the Rocky Mountain Horse was a very utilitarian breed, its numbers plummeted with the advent of better roads, automobiles, and tractors. At one point it was listed as an Endangered Species.
Today, though, the Rocky Mountain Horse Association is dedicated to preserving and propagating the sturdy little beasts. While they're not anywhere near as common as Quarter Horses or Thoroughbreds, they're making an impact in the world of the pleasure horse, as sure-footed trail horses and gaited show ponies.
* 1 hand = 4in. This measurement was originally, much like the cubit, more haphazard, being the breadth of a man's hand.
** Second image ganked shamelessly from Hidden Trails.com
Monday, March 22, 2010
Light Blogging
As something that calls itself real life interferes.
The next Breed All About It is written and ready to go up so I'll set it to publish tomorrow morning.
*For those of you using a feed or a reader to get the posts... Sorry. User Error in changing the date on the post. It'll go up again tomorrow.
The next Breed All About It is written and ready to go up so I'll set it to publish tomorrow morning.
*For those of you using a feed or a reader to get the posts... Sorry. User Error in changing the date on the post. It'll go up again tomorrow.
Friday, March 19, 2010
The Census
With all of the blathering about the census, federal funds, and the "omg fill it out or the government will have to spend money sending someone to your house to get the info" hysteria, it frankly amuses the hell out of me as I am out and about to see plastic bags plastered with "Census 2010" in red swinging in the breeze on doorknobs and fences in the country.
At houses that are boarded up, overgrown with weeds.
It's tempting, oh so tempting, to take one of those bags, fill it out saying that three ghosts live there, and send it in.
Incorporeal Americans? Bodily Challenged?
Ectoplasmically Talented?
What do you think?
At houses that are boarded up, overgrown with weeds.
It's tempting, oh so tempting, to take one of those bags, fill it out saying that three ghosts live there, and send it in.
Incorporeal Americans? Bodily Challenged?
Ectoplasmically Talented?
What do you think?
Back In The Saddle
Since I don't have an indoor arena with engineered footing and no-fire heaters, I don't get much riding in during the winter. Cold, snow, mud, wind, all of these things sap both my will to ride and my ability to do so, unless it's absolutely necessary.
When it's cold and your horse is feeling like kicking up his heels to warm up, and you're feeling like your nose is about to shatter and fall off your face, you just can't ride to the same standards as when you can actually feel your fingers and toes.
So I don't ride much during the winter, unless we get a rare day with warmer temperatures and no snow or mud on the ground. I'm extremely paranoid about treacherous footing when riding, simply because I'm not set up to stall a horse with a minor leg injury to keep them from moving too much. Being in a pasture rather than confined can turn a minor strain into something more serious in short order, so I watch my horse's legs. If we have to go into a muddy field to retrieve a straying cow, we go, with due caution, but I don't ride for fun when the footing is too bad.
So, Wednesday when we moved cattle, I had been off horseback for literally months, and I was so excited to finally get back on a horse and get back to doing what I love.
I rode Rebel, instead of my beloved and cow-loving Monkey for a couple of reasons. First, Monkey has been off for months as well, and if he was going to have a fit of exuberance about the spring day I'd rather it didn't happen when I have cattle to handle. Second, we have a bunch of little calves, the kind that don't always have the stamina to walk miles at a time, and sometimes those guys need picked up and given a ride in the trailer or the back of a pickup. The easiest way to get a hold of them without risking The Wrath Of The Mother Cow too much is to drop a rope over their heads while walking beside them on horseback. Monkey doesn't do ropes. At all.
Anyway, Rebel and I saddled up and started pushing cows. With wheat growing green and lush in the ditches, most of my job consisted of making sure that they didn't wander into the wheat fields and pushing and shoving them along as they dropped their heads to graze.
We didn't get too excited about getting anywhere in a hurry. Cattle who want to drop their heads and graze as they walk along are far less likely to go tearing off into the wild blue yonder for no real reason. Plus the slower pace means the calves can keep up.
Starting off we had Farmdad in the lead with cake in the back of the pickup. Our cattle love their candy so much they followed him like rats behind the pied piper for about five miles before the lead cow started eyeballing the wheat field across the road too much, and trying to slowly wander off.
At this point I was still helping push, with Farmmom in the other pickup, since the cows in back were more interested in the green stuff under their feet than the cake up ahead.
Once the lead cows got more interested in other things than the cake, I had a bit more of a challenge. I had to push in back to keep things moving, and also keep an eye on the lead cows to make sure they didn't take everyone off across the road.
When they started to wander that way, I had to get up to the front of the herd, which was strung out, before they could get too far.
Now, this can be a delicate balancing act, between getting there before they get out of the fallow field we were crossing and onto the road, and not startling the other cattle into going back the way we'd come or further into the field.
So I needed speed, but not too much speed. Luckily, Rebel was feeling very cooperative and listened to my cues well, keeping an eye on the lead cows we were going to head off while I kept an eye on the ones we were passing and adjusted according to their reactions.
All in all we moved the cattle seven miles in a little over four hours. Mom figures Rebel and I covered at least twelve miles, what with the back and forth behind the herd, circling around to keep the cows pointed in the right general direction when we'd stop and let them graze a few minutes to give the calves a rest, and the back and forth between pushing from the back and heading off the leaders before Farmdad went to the back to push instead of trying to lead them, leaving me to provide a block between the lead cows and the super juicy goodies across the road.
All in all it was a great day for a ride, I got a little sunburn on the back of my neck, my face, and my ears, and I discovered exactly how out of shape for riding I've gotten in the last few months.
But ya know what? Even though I was sore before I ever got off the horse, even though I knew I was going to pay dearly in muscle aches and bruises on my seat bones, I was smiling. Hell, I'm still smiling.
The first ride of the spring, my horse and I doing our work well, watching the calves at their mothers' sides, or pushing in front of the cows to try to get them to stop mom I'm huuunnngrryyyy!
I couldn't have asked for a better day. Everything went smoothly (ok except for the bull deciding he was done walking just short of the pasture gate and turning the lead cows back into the herd... even that was kind of entertaining, I mean, ever seen a bull work a cow like a working cow horse in competition?) and the day was lovely and at long last I got back in the saddle.
Unfortunately I had other things I had to do yesterday, and today a cold front moved in, dropping the temperature to ranges that I know better than to try to ride in with sore muscles, lest I get so stiff while riding that I can't get my leg over to get off.
Soon, though, the weather will warm back up and I'll get back in the saddle. Getting the horses back in shape and polishing their training, moving on to new things and hopefully getting some client horses in to work with.
Spring. I love it.
When it's cold and your horse is feeling like kicking up his heels to warm up, and you're feeling like your nose is about to shatter and fall off your face, you just can't ride to the same standards as when you can actually feel your fingers and toes.
So I don't ride much during the winter, unless we get a rare day with warmer temperatures and no snow or mud on the ground. I'm extremely paranoid about treacherous footing when riding, simply because I'm not set up to stall a horse with a minor leg injury to keep them from moving too much. Being in a pasture rather than confined can turn a minor strain into something more serious in short order, so I watch my horse's legs. If we have to go into a muddy field to retrieve a straying cow, we go, with due caution, but I don't ride for fun when the footing is too bad.
So, Wednesday when we moved cattle, I had been off horseback for literally months, and I was so excited to finally get back on a horse and get back to doing what I love.
I rode Rebel, instead of my beloved and cow-loving Monkey for a couple of reasons. First, Monkey has been off for months as well, and if he was going to have a fit of exuberance about the spring day I'd rather it didn't happen when I have cattle to handle. Second, we have a bunch of little calves, the kind that don't always have the stamina to walk miles at a time, and sometimes those guys need picked up and given a ride in the trailer or the back of a pickup. The easiest way to get a hold of them without risking The Wrath Of The Mother Cow too much is to drop a rope over their heads while walking beside them on horseback. Monkey doesn't do ropes. At all.
Anyway, Rebel and I saddled up and started pushing cows. With wheat growing green and lush in the ditches, most of my job consisted of making sure that they didn't wander into the wheat fields and pushing and shoving them along as they dropped their heads to graze.
We didn't get too excited about getting anywhere in a hurry. Cattle who want to drop their heads and graze as they walk along are far less likely to go tearing off into the wild blue yonder for no real reason. Plus the slower pace means the calves can keep up.
Starting off we had Farmdad in the lead with cake in the back of the pickup. Our cattle love their candy so much they followed him like rats behind the pied piper for about five miles before the lead cow started eyeballing the wheat field across the road too much, and trying to slowly wander off.
At this point I was still helping push, with Farmmom in the other pickup, since the cows in back were more interested in the green stuff under their feet than the cake up ahead.
Once the lead cows got more interested in other things than the cake, I had a bit more of a challenge. I had to push in back to keep things moving, and also keep an eye on the lead cows to make sure they didn't take everyone off across the road.
When they started to wander that way, I had to get up to the front of the herd, which was strung out, before they could get too far.
Now, this can be a delicate balancing act, between getting there before they get out of the fallow field we were crossing and onto the road, and not startling the other cattle into going back the way we'd come or further into the field.
So I needed speed, but not too much speed. Luckily, Rebel was feeling very cooperative and listened to my cues well, keeping an eye on the lead cows we were going to head off while I kept an eye on the ones we were passing and adjusted according to their reactions.
All in all we moved the cattle seven miles in a little over four hours. Mom figures Rebel and I covered at least twelve miles, what with the back and forth behind the herd, circling around to keep the cows pointed in the right general direction when we'd stop and let them graze a few minutes to give the calves a rest, and the back and forth between pushing from the back and heading off the leaders before Farmdad went to the back to push instead of trying to lead them, leaving me to provide a block between the lead cows and the super juicy goodies across the road.
All in all it was a great day for a ride, I got a little sunburn on the back of my neck, my face, and my ears, and I discovered exactly how out of shape for riding I've gotten in the last few months.
But ya know what? Even though I was sore before I ever got off the horse, even though I knew I was going to pay dearly in muscle aches and bruises on my seat bones, I was smiling. Hell, I'm still smiling.
The first ride of the spring, my horse and I doing our work well, watching the calves at their mothers' sides, or pushing in front of the cows to try to get them to stop mom I'm huuunnngrryyyy!
I couldn't have asked for a better day. Everything went smoothly (ok except for the bull deciding he was done walking just short of the pasture gate and turning the lead cows back into the herd... even that was kind of entertaining, I mean, ever seen a bull work a cow like a working cow horse in competition?) and the day was lovely and at long last I got back in the saddle.
Unfortunately I had other things I had to do yesterday, and today a cold front moved in, dropping the temperature to ranges that I know better than to try to ride in with sore muscles, lest I get so stiff while riding that I can't get my leg over to get off.
Soon, though, the weather will warm back up and I'll get back in the saddle. Getting the horses back in shape and polishing their training, moving on to new things and hopefully getting some client horses in to work with.
Spring. I love it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
