That's me and Tad Plaid up there. Really.
Really, really. I'm channeling Mike Myers, for those who never saw Shrek 1, 2 or 3. Classic historical, if you get that kind of mature humour.
I watched my Flip herd seven garter snakes today, and we even got to see a snake ball. Yup, that's what it is, and that's what it means. They were having a ball, ball. Bravest husband, yelling from 100 feet away, as I reported their numbers "I don't LIKE snakes!"
I'm always clinically interested in others animal orders idea of sex. I'm also fascinated by decomposition, as some of you already know. Little Red Dog shoulda been on CSI. She was forever pointing out dead stuff. In various stages of.
I didn't take a picture of the snake ball. I'm not a pervert. Poor snakes, it must be so discouraging for them to see Flip come dancing towards them. Flip herded them for a good two hours. Flip is exhausted! Blaze has been brazenly blasting into the pond the last couple days, even though the weather's just above freezing. Blaze is so rolley-polley round right now! So, today, she got to swim a bit, with floating Frisbee, totally necessary once the ice disappears. Blaze is STILL not tired, and we played for a good 3 hours. My dogs can run forever, well, Blaze can. Flip's sleeping, or herding, very important work.
They got me thinking. Always a dangerous idea, right?
No matter what animal you are dealing with, everything you are doing at that moment is relevant to them. Or irrelevant, if you're Flip, dancing around a snake ball. The "trick" I've noticed with these super dooper smart dogs, is how exactly they mirror your tone and the undercurrent of your tone, and the shape and the position of your body. Your intentions. Everything I do tells them something. Points them somewhere. Or, of course, they go completely the wrong way. Flip, WAY more than Blaze. Blaze goes my way. At least, that's how my dogs and I interact. Is that odd?
Today was a "weak" day for me, losing my migraine, cautiously weeding and walking and tossing FrisBees. The weaker I am, the stronger my dogs are. The less in control I am. It didn't bother me/surprise me, which is the difference between how I would have tried to train Flip when I got her and today.
Then, I INSISTED, even when she was clearly scared or deaf to what I wanted. I forced, I didn't listen first. As I'd very gently directed Rusty, but without the timing or real attention with Flip. I was still training little (perfect) red dogs, at that point. Flip just collapsed under that kind of attitude. If I'd just tried a different, less directly forced approach, she would have started trusting me sooner. I should have trained Flip, not expected the perfect trained memory of Red Dog. I was weak. In the Head! No surprise, there.
Now, with Flip, I accept where she is, what she's doing, and let her be. She'll listen, if I growl. Heck, I need to keep ahead of these weeds, and snakes make for great dancing partners. It's the difference between a serious walk, with "strict" obedience, when I really want/need it, and a snake dance break when I'm not strong enough to want "perfection".
You have to either want to hack, or want to school. But you do have to want to do SOMEthing.
Let's imagine you're on your horse, in a dream. He is walking/trotting/cantering in a deep,smooth, safe river channel. Whatever you're comfortable with. Whatever it is you are doing, his movements are surprisingly larger even than life would be. Every step is slowed, yet has more forward power. Horse is deep in the water, but he is still able to touch the river bottom. He wants to follow the channel, where it's safest, in the middle, between the two banks. He likes water, okay? Stay with me!! Your job is to help him do that, follow the river bed. Some horses are fast flowing, some aren't:)
Some flow backwards, a very sad, unnaturally trained thing. (shivers).
Still in the dream, would you look down? Or would you sit up? If you watch the water swirling past you, you can see how the horse is always undulating, like a belly dancer, and yet traveling straight, like a bicycle. Of course, largest HallPass Credit Ever to kestrel for that notion. (cowers)
You and your horse are traveling the middle ground, in the river bed. Anyway, a half halt is like when you ask him to whoa, while swimming. It's a moment's hesitation in the river current. Wherever it may go. What would you do, to slow your horse? To direct that current? Follow the bends in the river,and stay between the banks. That's your job. By straightening up a tad, wouldn't you slow the water current? That's a half-halt, and there are a million times you will ask for it. Or, of course, not mean to ask for it, and get it anyway..
Oh, and make sure you know where the river is supposed to go!
Whew, almost forgot that.
ha.
Your turn:)
All analogies welcome, but hold the football.
Peter Stoeckl and GoLightly, 198? Whatever.
The first horse I ever rode, that really understood, and rejoiced, in that river channel. His impeccable training opened my flood gates.
I hope I dream of Hawaii and GoLightly tonight. Wish me luck..
Have a great week, all!
51 comments:
Beautiful analogy ! I always am amazed by the way you express these things. One of the things I have preached at riders ( hesitate to call them students ) Is COMMIT, If you prepare your body for what you want your horse will feel it ( hard to describe ,easy to ride) So what ia m say is ,I f you want to slow down , sit down straighten up. and prepare for the slowing,or stop , the way you describe it .. soo much better!
Great analogy. I like the comments about how the animals pick up your intent. And I like this one in particular:
"No matter what animal you are dealing with, everything you are doing at that moment is relevant to them"
Very nice.
DogsDeserveFreedom
I liked that one too, everything at every moment is pretty darn relevant. Its almost freaky how much our animals learn from us, even when we don't feel like we are meaning to teach them anything.
good post!
Funny ,the times that I have had real "breakthroughs" with some of my horses have often been when I was feeling "under the weather".
Wow girl, you have such an amazing analogy going! I went out and used the river on my Annie girl, just from the ground, and was able to get her focused attention. She had been horribly abused, and then spoiled by her next owner. Result, hysteria...non-trusting, lock down and ignore everything until it intruded on her internal world, then big sad reaction to old trauma. The horsie equivalent of severe post traumatic stress syndrome. By using the river bank approach she felt safe enough to connect with me for 45 whole minutes! The longest she'd been able to stay with me in the past was about 15 minutes, then she'd fry and lock down. Wahoo!
Um, could someone go over and boot TrexX in the arse?
She was around water, aGain!
Oh, right, PNW...right.
check her temp! NCC, stethoscope!
Just jealous, really.
I'd be a frozen wreck.
Tad was no fan of water, but he'd gladly jump it.
I don't think I ever let Butch GeT wet. No rust on him, anywhere. Well, that I can see:)
my fault, TrexX got soaked.
Sorry:(
derned river..
Hey, we're getting Your snow, cut that out!
Winter's back, hello.
Dogs are wrestling mightily, Flip is as always, louder. They have a lot to say:)
I'm pretty irrelevant right now:)
Still wanna push Sally Swift books, since she's been named by that HP and the Chris Irwin ciute guy.
The river goes up and down..curves and rapids..
It's butt simple in dreams.
Hard on the butt, in RL.
Sorry, entire body, as we all know.
ouch, straighten that:)
To Horse Sport:)
Have ya missed me?
Probably thought I'd been zoo trampled or something...
Had some major computer thingies (technical term for nonnerds) in that the power supply port on my laptop died. No power. No postie.
Now I am working from my ppc waiting for a new adapter cable...another week at least.
OT...how animals relate to people. I've vet teched for 9 years. Animals come in stressed or in pain, have strangers poking and prodding...no wonder they freak. I'll tell you a secret or maybe 2. When I go to do anything to a 4legged kid at one of the clinics, I explain everything before I do it. Owners laugh when I explain to them and then sit with their jaws hanging when it works. They may not know exactly what words mean, but they *can* read intent and tone.
With my own "kids," I've done obedience competitons with my dogs...even one who came to me and at first would lay down and cringe when you would hold out your hand to pet her. Even one who was terified of men when she came to me.
Who they are is a reflection of what and who *we* are. Calm slides down a leash or reins. Calm flows through fingers when handling must be done.
People comment on how quiet and well behaved my kids are. I tell them its because they have a calm and quiet environment that they live in.
If you have a difficult one to relate to, sometimes you just need to be there...not engaging...and let them see whats what. Interact with others of their kind and leave them be. I had one little dog who took several months just to LOOK at me, let alone interact. I don't even want to think about what she had been through in her short life.
What brought on this novel? I was inhouse today and there was a kitty there who had been through every person there trying to get a blood sample. They'd tried all the tricks in the book and were getting ready to sedate her as a last effort. I looked at her through the door of her cage and she looked back. then I just opened the door and picked her up...walking down the hall with her on my shoulder talking to her and explaining what and why we needed to draw blood. She settled in and relaxed. i walked back and set her on the table and said okay...and we drew the blood. No fuss. With me just cradling her to keep her in place.
They react to who we are and how we feel. Training when you are tense or in a bad mood doesn't work...just makes the horse tight and you unhappy. Don't do it. Take the beastie for a little walk. Do some grooming. Each that zen state where you are at peace inside. That will go right down the arms through the reins or leadrope and *then* you can accomplish something.
Build the trust. Show them they are safe with you. Then go on from there.
Sorry for the ramble...
zK
Sorry...didn't mean for the above to sound preachy...
: )
zK
I use the water down the canal analogy for explaining drawing your circle with your outside rein.
Water is rushing down a straight canal. There is a bend in the canal...it is the outside bank the directs the flow of the water. So your outside rein needs to be the wall that directs the motion and flow of the horse, like the wall of the canal does the water.
Zookeeper,
I agree, I always talk to the horse. "This is what we're going to do today.....what do you think? Are you up to it?" I also explain it to student and horse at the same time...they are a team right...both members of the team have to be on the same page.
water? canal? riverbed? seahorses?
I am way too thick.
Hey, Zoo!
Glad your thingy is working again:)
Great ramble!
Kudos for your work, the animals sure need more like you.
HP, very cool, and wet.
NCC, come on in, the water's fine:)
I can't swim, either.
I like this river current analogy, GoL. But I often feel as if I'm going against the current, at least with one of my two-legged fillies :).
Like bringing a horse into a shoulder-in , with the water flowing as an aid. Wonder how Sally Swift would put it? Can we illustrate this one?
Zookeeper, I always clean stalls and do some groundwork when I'm feeling off. Am sure the horse will pick up on my not being there 100 per cent. Last week I was nervous in the woods, and the horse sensed it and moved forward with baby steps. Our two golden retrievers, our male in particular, picks up on fragile human emotions. He approaches the family member who's either blue or crabby, and places his paws on their shoulders. He trembles and whines, and is very concerned about a person's happiness when it's lacking.
Wow, great question, Paddy.
Hmmm.
You are directing the horse to turn slightly towards the inside bank, and then to hold that slight inward turn, while still going straight forward, holding the centre line of the channel. The horse, by his slight bend to the inside bank, is held straight, by the outside rein/bank. The FORWARD flow of the water keeps him moving straight. i.e. You are the energy/river, making sure he remains moving forward...
nah, that's not it. crap. Help!
In shoulder-in, heck, any movement, you know your body is the mirror of what you want your horse to do, right?
Say you want a left shoulder in. Your left shoulder draws further back, and left leg is used to create the bend. Your right shoulder must of course, go more forward...
dammit, I better eat.
getting worse, not better:(
Illustrations?
Sheesh, Butch can't DO shoulder in, he's not very flexible:)
He's 52, fcs. Steel doesn't bend, at all.
Paddy, um, why are your fillies two-legged?
Am I missing an inside joke, or something?
I'm slow, like a little weensy stream:)
I'll try this again, after some food.
Great to see ya, Paddy.
Zoo, tooooo! I wondered where the heck you'd gone. Sorry I was witchy. Start counting down from today. In another 20-28 days, I will be a wITCH, again. Might as well turn the internet OFF:)
That was bloody brilliant, Zoo.
14th
How would the horse carry himself, in your mind's eye, in shoulder-in?
That gentle curve is just the shape that you chose the river to be.
How would you yourself, physically, do your own shoulder in? Look at what your body does. So does your horse.
Okay, he bloody should, if he's trained properly.
Turn in a channel of water? Ever paddled a canoe?
I'm thinking about FernValley's artist friend's incredible painting of a canoeist..
You look, you point, you intend, where you go, what your body does.
So goes your horse.
Okay, was that worse, or better?
The oatmeal and of course dark chocolate chip cookies helped.
sorry about 14th.
I'm Sooperstitious.
GoL,
LOL< my three fillies are the two-legged humanoid variety :)
-and i've got a "colt" , too. He's a bay, as well as are two of his sisters. One filly is a palomino with blue eyes :) These kids would roll their eyes at me if they knew I was comparing them to horses now!
I'm a horse-nutsy mom.
GoL, forgot to mention what a lovely photo that is of you and Tad Plaid. He's a beauty, and looks like he floated over that jump effortlessly, all lines of grace. -and you're a very good rider, too.
Re. current, again. I've only canoed a few times, and wish I could say I was good at it, but I stunk. I am more comfy in a sea kayak. With wind waves on Puget Sound, ya have to go across the current at a 45 deg. angle, or you can find yourself in the drink. Maybe that's like a horse's inside legs crossing in front of the outside as he moves forward in a shoulder in? (See, I think of riding-analogies with everything I do, it seems).
Turning around calls for a figure-eight action of the paddle. 'course, it's a different one than a canoe's. I like a feathered one, with the paddles at an angle. Helps prevent sore wrists.
Ooooh. duh.
Lucky Kids!!
:)
hat made great sense , I think of riding as a full body experience , if you commit yourself to the movement it should follow easily
Ok, someone help me here, I'm dyin!
In shoulder-in, there is not a whole lot of crossing going on, that comes later. Yes, slight flexion, slight crossing, but always going forward, or it's a useless movement.
The horse should be moving on three straight ahead tracks.
Outside hind, inside hind + outside fore, and inside fore. In all three gaits. Bent around your inside leg, curved slightly. Your outside leg making sure his rear stays on the track you see, straight ahead. See how it's a bit of an "unbalancing" exercise?
Most of the horses I've worked with, always wondered WTH I was trying to prove, at first. You're showing the horse he can move slightly sideways, curved through his body, without falling down, with you on him:) It's tough, for a green horse. Really tough. It's the beginning of "trust me".
It's the same idea with all the yielding movements. Show the horse what he can do. Then when he's able to balance through all of this, show him what he can REALLY do.
Like teaching counter-canter to a horse that chronically crosses behind..
I think. Cookie alert:)
I know they are called two-track movements. That's just to confuse you. The horse is supposed to move on two tracks. Two, straight forward tracks, like a railway line. A river course, two banks, get it?
The beginnings of shoulder-in are the beginnings of controlling the hind quarters.. But you must be able to move on to the next step. Doing shoulder-in for the rest of his life is not a horse's idea of a good time:)
You can exaggerate to make a point of course, but it's not a highly "bent" movement.
It's value is for introducing bending and flexion, but, as a lower school of movement, i.e. less difficult, because the horse is bent/flexed AwaY from the direction of travel. The higher movements want to use that bend, and then start moving in the same direction. The ultimately balanced way of turning, that the horse can do himself with your help and training.
The Half-Pass.
That's what a shoulder-in is working towards. So that instead of bending away from the direction of travel, you are bending with the direction..
Butch is nodding his head, but he's biased.. He's been listening to me for years..
TooMuchInformation. Any useful bits?
Just throw the rest out.
GoLightly showed me half-pass. What a frickin' lightbulb moment for this dimsum.
OkaY, I will blog about him again..
Just try to stop me, Fern:)
blathering out:)
K I will try here , what you are saying ,is not a side pass ,or an actual turn per se. Just a light flex ,to curve or soften to one side ?Change slightly the flow of movement? kinda don't lean to far to paddle or you will tip the boat? Am I getting this at all?
Hey, of course you get it.
A kayak is fine, they just scare the heck out of me.
How do your shoulders turn the kayak/canoe/dingy?
It's too cold to go swimming..
Brave lass, that Paddy.
Kayaking?? Ya mean, on the OCEAN??
holy crap..
I'll stick to my old amusement park aluminum canoe, on "my" pond.
Plenty dangerous, for me:)
The first time I got half pass on my own...I started with a leg yield, then changed my direction of travel. Talk about going the long way around.
I can get be spatially challenge when it comes to these lateral movements. Shoulder-in, etc. Even when the instructor asks for simple turn on the forehand, I might blow it and start out with turn on the haunches! concentrate, concentrate...
Last year I started to work crossword puzzles in a big way to keep the neurons mylenated...that's for linear thinking, but how about keeping mentally sharp for 3-D thingies?
( Sorry, but I've had an awfully bad cold for too long and it's affecting my mind)
(btw, when we kayak we stay close to the shore of the islands and sheltered coves. You see more sealife that way. Otters, seals, purple and orange seastars. A friend of ours, though, does ocean surf kayaking off Vancouver Is. A wild man, that one)
Hands down PW has the Bestest avatar
Yeah, sure, Paddy, that sounds way safer.
(rolls eyes)
canoe/pond. safe.
Ocean!! Kayak??
You're brave, 'k??
Why is everybody in the pacific NW sick?
Ya poor guys, that terrible weather you had. Have. Had. Have.
Warm drying winds start in the west, so Hurry UP already.
Still snow here.
Yoga exercises are good for 3D stuff?
Or a virtual reality chair, I heard you can get them at Circuit City for $10,000.00.
:)
I'm sick too GL. Bad, bad head cold, sinus thing, congestion...downright annoying as hell. Ears get plugged, nose gets drippy, temper gets short. :) I think it is the weather. When you go from cold, hot, cold, hot, sorta cold, really hot...the bod gets confused. So, I sits upright in the recliner to get some rest at night. 'Ya gotta do what 'ya gotta do. :)
I loved your post. Then again, I always do.
The virtual reality chair is only $10,000 at Circuit City? Oooo, I'll take two!
Oh, dear SWA, have you been flushing?
I've heard talk of a neti-pot?
We call it "aquasense", now, and charge you for it at the DruG store.
("YES,YOU IdioT", I hear, all the way from where are you again?)
geography fail.
Warm salt water into your nose, and then out, oh, I'm sorry, keep the warm drying winds.
You guys need them being right beside that large OceaN.
(shivers) I find Lake Ontario large enough, thank YoU.
Poor guys.
Take care, huh?
Can you imagine, eh, turn on a movie, be "in" the movie. When does the line get stopped?
Can you imagine? Who needs real life. weeerd.
eeesh..
I'm reading more books. Yup, some of them, aGain.
LOL, hubby happily brought home books his buddy had lent him to read. You know the kind.
Smell them before you see them?
An episode of James Herriott comes to mind. I'd watched it that darned day. The TV series, early was great.
"All Creatures great and Small"?
Oh, crap, never mind..
Good smells, warm drying winds
<<<<<
That away!
Oh, and permission to ignore all forms of housework, until further notice.
I do that anyway.
Loved those James Herriot tales of the animals he loved and cared for. Found my husband in bed the other night watching an episode on his laptop!
Smells... I cannot wait to get my sense of smell back. And to lose the chesty cough and plugged up head. Feel better, secondwinacres.
Try the neti pot GoLightly recommended. I bought a plastic one at Walgreens-
on sale.
NCCatnip, I don't know the baby mini in my avatar, but I liked his little boots :)
Just read that Toronto CADORA is holding a benefit for CHDC and Longrun, July 4, 2009, 6-9pm,at RCRA in Newmarket, Ontario.
Had an interesting e-mail discussion with Sinikka at CHDC, regarding their latest action alert.
Very interesting...
Sinikka has responded to me. I wonder why Sinikka thinks I am inferring that I condone inhumane treatment? I do not.
I worry for them all. How?
e-mails below.
Dear Sinikka,
(quoting)
"You state, "Inhumane slaughter, yes, end it." Herein lies the problem--a common misconception that horse slaughter is humane. It is not. One has only to look at the inherent make-up of a horse--an intelligent flight animal who panics easily. This makes slaughter of a horse very difficult. Have you been on our website to watch the footage that was obtained from above the kill box at Natural Valley Farms? Have you listened to Dr. Nicholas Dodman responding to what he observed in the footage?"
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I have indeed, in both instances. I absolutely agree with the terrible nature of what I've seen. It shakes me to the core. But I've also seen it done, properly. Yes, in an "assembly line" situation, with some horses not even receiving the courtersy of handling, before they are killed, that IS completely utterly shocking. I guess what I'm trying to say is it "could" be done. The Knacker Man was an honest profession, at some points in our history. If you'd like to outlaw the consumption of horses as meat animals entirely, you may unfortunately create a black market type of operation. I would gladly welcome such a ban, but it worries me, in these terrible times, to think of how the black markets often spring up in these types of economic downturns.
Farming for meat is also a long inherent part of our culture. Most cultures, around the world. You must understand, if we could stop the eating of these animals, I for one, would be thrilled. But I still think it would be a very hard sell with my generation. Also with the majority of people who don't seem to have any empathic understanding of others, at all. Oh, dear. We'll be gone soon enough, anyway:)
Oh, and of course, we are talking about the honest people who have to do this terrible work. I do not speak of the back yard, screw driver killers. One was shut down, east of me. They are definitely still out there. We need the rules and regulations demanded. At least, in Europe, there are regulations for registering and breeding horses. Their knacker facilities, while shocking to anyone who loves horses, are quick.
We have nothing like that here, yet, do we?
As far as death, it varies. My mother died, suddenly in 1988, out of country, of a cardiac fibrillation. Apparently it was peaceful. But I wasn't in her head, when she died.
Sinikka, I'm on your side. I'm trying to understand how you can do this, without understanding that prey animals are always ready for death. It's a part of their evolution, to be ready to fly. I think a local knacker man, with horses legislated as companion animals only, may be the answer. And rampant legislation. And ending the eating of horse meat. But that's a LOT, isn't it? Baby steps, or?
Our government certainly moves in very mysterious ways. As a struggling small business owner, I can't imagine how challenging your work is. I have a hard enough time staying afloat of the paper burden.
Oh, dear. I will continue to post your alerts on my blog.
Horse feed lots. The thought is sickening to me. I didn't realize they existed.
I do wish you all the best.
I have to make more money, to pay myself, after the govt. and my employee & family etc.
I look forward to your next communication.
Thank you again for replying.
(my sig)
----- Original Message -----
From: Sinikka Crosland
To: barb@macgraphics.ca
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 9:14 PM
Subject: Re: Great News for Horses!
Hi,
You state, "Inhumane slaughter, yes, end it." Herein lies the problem--a common misconception that horse slaughter is humane. It is not. One has only to look at the inherent make-up of a horse--an intelligent flight animal who panics easily. This makes slaughter of a horse very difficult. Have you been on our website to watch the footage that was obtained from above the kill box at Natural Valley Farms? Have you listened to Dr. Nicholas Dodman responding to what he observed in the footage?
You admit that we just can't seem to achieve humane slaughter yet. In other words, you infer that it is inhumane. In that case, how in the world can you love horses and condone inhumane treatment of them?
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition is committed to a ban on horse slaughter in this country, on the grounds that it cannot be done humanely in an assembly-line situation. View the footage..we have.
Death by lethal injection does not cause suffocation. It causes the heart to stop beating and, if performed properly, is painless and peaceful. I have also witnessed this in large and small animals.
You are right that it is up to people to prevent terrible situations for horses. But, our world being what it is, responsible behaviour is only a term to many....they will not follow through. That's why legislation is required. Take away the slaughter option, and irresponsible breeders will stop bringing surplus horses into the world.
Thanks for writing,
Sinikka
----- Original Message -----
From: barb@macgraphics.ca
To: Sinikka Crosland
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 1:20 PM
Subject: Re: Great News for Horses!
Oh, dear.
This is great news, Sinikka. Please don't misunderstand me. I am a meat eating tax payer. I know what slaughter, in even it's kindest forms, entails.
And that is why I have a problem with your last sentence, one I must disagree with. Unless, you do wish to end all uses of animals, which I don't think is possible, as well. I am for the humane treatment of all animals, regardless of their use to us. We have used animals since we stood upright.
If you can please continue to demand humane treatment of the horse, DURING transport, as well as in their last moments, I wish you all the best. I believe that's inherently necessary. If you are asking for the end of KillBuyerAuction horses as they are today, unregulated, badly bred, poorly treated & trained, again, I agree with that.
But to end all slaughter?
Inhumane slaughter, yes, end it.
Humane Slaughter is NOT an oxymoron. We just can't seem to achieve it yet. I hope with your voices, this achievement will be seen in my lifetime. I am a firm believer in the work in Temple Grandin. I understand your shock and horror, when horses die. Cattle die too, and with the work of Dr. Temple, the stress of their final moments has lessened considerably. I firmly believe that it's possible to humanely slaughter a horse. We need these facilities, for the horses. It is ridiculous to me, to inject the animal with an overdose of anaesthetic. It may look more peaceful, but having watched many such euthanasias, in smaller as well as larger animals, it is death by suffocation. A bullet would be quicker, and less frightening, IF done properly.
To The Horses. Bred them less, train them immediately, let them be the animals they excel at being, and give them a kind end. It's possible.
People place the horses in these terrible situations. It's up to people to help prevent those situations.
I'm hoping you will understand my position. I would ask for more education, as mandatory, before one was allowed to own a horse, or any animal for that matter. Ignorance begets cruelty, as well.
I laud your work.
Thanks you
"This horse sees only ahead, his vision blocked except to the front, where he doesn't see as well. This is frightening. His fear washes backwards, through the line of quivering horses behind him, all ages, all conditions, all are now afraid. They will stop, when afraid. This horse is driven cruelly forward, still feeling visual claustrophobia, a terrifying state for an elite prey animal. Fear makes this prey animal stronger, dangerous, much harder to kill. This horse was a kind old schoolmaster named LeoBear. If LeoBear had been quietly herded, with no narrow blind chutes to pass through, he might have kept the line behind him quiet. I'm ashamed, that so many like him will continue to suffer through the same needless terrible fear. I am ashamed that humans cannot see this."
To My Old SchoolHorses. I wish I'd been rich enough to own you, so that I could guarantee the above didn't happen.
Quoting Sinikka Crosland :
Great News for Horses!
Natural Meat Company Shuts Down
We are pleased to inform you that Natural Meat Company (formerly Natural Valley Farms) in Neudorf, Saskatchewan, closed its doors in mid-February. No more horses are being slaughtered in that facility!
According to the Director of Parliamentary Affairs for Canada, Natural Meat Company was shut down by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for food safety concerns. At this time we are attempting to clarify details surrounding the closure.
Graphic evidence of animal welfare violations was documented at Natural Valley Farms in April/May 2008. This footage was released to CHDC by undercover investigators, and the concerns were aired on CBC's No Country for Horses the following month: http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_feature/no_country_for_horses/no_country_for_horses.html .
In September 2008, CHDC Western Region Director, Twyla Francois, filmed horse blood from the slaughter plant being illegally dumped on the banks of a nearby river: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udbD6OeiUBY .
Further Good News from the U.S.
On April 3, 2009, the governor of Montana issued an amendatory veto on a bill that had already been passed by the Montana House and the Senate and simply needed an official signature. That bill was intended to stop any citizen from launching a lawsuit that might prevent a horse slaughterhouse from being built in the state. On April 2, 2009, CHDC had assisted U.S. horse defenders by supplying proof of the closure of Natural Meat Company for food safety reasons. This evidence then found its way into the hands of the governor. As a result of the veto, the amended bill will now go back to the legislature for consideration, thus opening up an opportunity for debate. With such strong evidence of food safety and environmental concerns, to say nothing of animal welfare violations that are inherent in the horse slaughter industry, it is clear that step-by-step progress for the horses is being made.
We applaud the Equine Welfare Alliance for serving as an intermediary between our efforts and the many wonderful grass roots groups involved in the state and federal initiatives in the U.S.
Remember the Horses
In order to commemorate the lives lost in Neudorf and to pay homage to the suffering that occurred there, we plan to visit the massive horse graveyard on site--resting place for former pets, race horses, rodeo horses, and other unfortunate animals who, one way or another, were sent to a fate that none should ever have to endure.
Anyone wishing to submit a poem, blessing or memorial message for this occasion can e-mail it to Twyla Francois by April 8, 2009: twyla.1@mts.net . Your tribute to the horses will be placed where their remains lie...and where each strong and graceful spirit moved forth...away from the pain, away from the crippling fear, and away from the betrayal of trust that marked this final and brutal interaction with humankind.
But no matter what has gone before, horses continue to have friends...in all of us who defend them. And our numbers are growing.
May the equine spirit be the wind beneath our wings until slaughter is ended forever.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition
P.O. Box 26097
Westbank, B.C.
V4T 2G3
Ph/fax: 250-768-4803
info@defendhorsescanada.org
www.defendhorsescanada.org "
have a Happy Easter, everybody:)
I used to be a bay but now I'm a roan.
I'm a roan, too, gator.
Ooops, nope, husband just came in.
(is there such a color as a brown roan? -because that's where this broodie is heading)
Paddy, that would be a broan.
I'm a chestnut roan, or chroan.
:)
Hey, I'm just making that up, ya know..
does that make a blonde roan a blown?
ducking and covering
- Ok, I promise to get back to horses, so does anyone here know what to do with a horse whose hind fetlocks are sinking? We are very worried about a gelding whose ligaments seem to be stretching, thus, his pasterns are near being parallel to the ground. Well, not quite, but with sinking fetlocks it is just not looking good for this sweet guy.
do you think it's worth trying Sports Medicine boots that give the suspensory ligaments a little hug and lift?
I think I am silver dappled under this dye.
Paddy- more info on the gelding? Age? Any health issues? background? (not that I know jackcrap, but worth tossing out)
Pad - I am with ncc, some more info would help us here. :)
Padraigin_WA said...
' Ok, I promise to get back to horses, so does anyone here know what to do with a horse whose hind fetlocks are sinking? We are very worried about a gelding whose ligaments seem to be stretching, thus, his pasterns are near being parallel to the ground. Well, not quite, but with sinking fetlocks it is just not looking good for this sweet guy.
do you think it's worth trying Sports Medicine boots that give the suspensory ligaments a little hug and lift?'
How old is he? I hate to say it but generally that turns out to be a weakening of the suspensory ligament. I've known older horses to end up with their fetlocks nearly on the ground - seriously.
I'm not trying to scare you but often in an older horse it's just something that will continue to progress. I would have your vet out to determine if that's the cause. Boots will not help. Check the website below... I'll see if I can find others.
http://www.horseshoes.com/advice/anatomyandfunction/rooney2/suspensory.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/bc/curlygait/dsldorg.html
DSLD = Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis
I've seen cases where they don't seem very painful like this website states. They actually sort of just drop, go post legged and are creeky but get around. However that is if they're no longer working.
Again, have a vet out ASAP. Figure out if what you're dealing with is DSLD but a bilateral sinking of the fetlock is very indicative of DSLD.
I hate being the bearer of bad news.
http://dsldequine.info/
That one has pics and more info.
Somethign similar happened to my cat Buster. He walked on his pasterns(front legs) because of diabetic neuropathy. Which is unusual because with cats it's usually in the rear legs and they walk on their hocks.
It was painful to watch but he mad eit clear it didn't bother him.
Wehn hi blood sugar got low I fed him canned cay food mixed with maple syrup.
http://people.delphiforums.com/RZECH/dsldvet/index.htm
And another...
I'll stop now.
Paddy, that isn't good news.
Often the kindest thing is euthanasia.
Thanks AutumnBlaze:)
DSLD, can be managed to a degree. Added support through corrective shoeing, some of the supplements seems to help. It is however progressive. The more the ligaments give, the leg will become progressively straighter. If you can keep the horse comfortable that's great.
If you haven't had a vet really check it out yet...I would get on it ASAP. The sooner you can help the horse to compensate with support and treatment the better.
I've known a few with it. Some seem to compensate with the shoes and added support really well for awhile. Others, not so good.
Yeah, Paddy, it is an ugly thing to see. It was very rare in my day.
What is happening to horses legs??
I can't imagine how it would be comfortable for them..
Sure would help if people would FEED them, and care for them..
Dogs are demanding more outside time..
Gotta go.
To Horses, well-cared for, and well-loved. Healthy would be NICE, too!
sorry, off soap box now..
Thanks again, all for your help to Paddy.
Thanks to all who offered advice for the gelding with the sinking fetlocks. Will look into the DSLD dx.
You guys are awesome.
Sorry to rush off, but am flying east for a week to visit my dear ol' mom. Her family had horses on their farm when she was a kid- they were logging drafties.
Love what you've done with the place, GL. Really....well, professional!
Goes along with all these professional photos you've been posting. And thanks for the river analogy/metaphor. I'm big into rivers, that flow thing.
My next post is pretty wet, too, Blue.
Maybe all wet, but we'll see.
CCH got a sneak peek, the brat..
Pushed "publish", not "draft".
Darnit! Husband is often annoying for making my fingers hurry.
(waves to Paddy)
Have a great trip!
GL:
I like the changes you made here. Very easy to read.
Pad:
Good luck with your gelding and have a good visit with your mom.
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