I am so excited to tell you how you can help horses in a Very BIG way with minimal effort and absolutely no money! This isn’t too good to be true – this is social networking at it’s most powerful!

Here’s what’s happening. A new website, horseshow.com, has opened up a contest for “The Coolest Horse”. It’s a website created to hold equine competitions of every stripe. Well, ok, I don’t think there are any for zebras, yet – but there are video competitions for Hunter Jumpers, Eventing, and more! It’s pretty cool and you should check it out! They want more people to know about their site – so they’re holding this contest.

Iota McHippus – 5000 Smiles

All-American Coolest Horse!

A friend of mine with a pretty nice network of horse lovers has entered the contest. He’s Iota McHippus. If you don’t already know him, you should. He’s a Facebook sensation who share funny one liners and wacky links just about every day. He is also a therapy horse and a very dedicated equine advocate. He’s already in 16th place in the contest and he just entered a couple of days ago. To win he needs 5000 votes. The first horse to get 5000 votes wins $5000!

Iota has pledged to take the winnings and share it with the top rescues voted by you on his wall! At least $500 each! He will also use a small bit of the winnings to go on a road trip and personally deliver as many of these bags of money as he can! He’ll blog about the rescues and post videos as he goes helping them (you) gain recognition and audience for your efforts!

Win! Win! Win!

This is really a true win-win-win situation. When iota wins, he shares the money with equine rescues and brings them much needed attention! He gets a fun trip and maybe more followers. Maybe he’ll even get some sponsors for the trip so he can give the entire $5000 away! That’s how he rolls.

Your Rescue can Benefit!

Here’s what you do:

1. Vote for Iota McHippus in the “Coolest Horse” contest here: http://www.horseshow.com/shows/#/coolest-horse/entries/177
   IMPORTANT: You can vote once every 24 hours for five total votes!
2. Add YOUR RESCUE (or vote for it if it’s already mentioned) on the question on his Facebook wall. You get to vote for four others too!
3. SHARE these links with YOUR NETWORK and friends!
4. Check iota’s wall for progress!

Iota McHippus wants to visit YOUR rescue and give you money!!!

When he wins, and why shouldn’t he, he will schedule his “Share the Love” road trip with stops to rescues along the way. He’ll be posting this on his Facebook page and on his own website at LittleHorseBIGtrip.com

Thanks for your help and we hope YOU win!!

We think we ALL win – and it doesn’t cost a penny!

Betsy Parker married a TB trainer....

Betsy Sews. Why do you care? Because she sews empty plastic equine (and any) feed bags into grocery totes! And why do you care even more? Because she gives a portion of the proceeds to thoroughbred rescues! One of her faves is The Thoroughbred Connection.

We LOVE Betsy!

She says she married a thoroughbred trainer and her life was never the same. She started making repairs to blankets and girths with her trust sewing machine. Her mom had encouraged such behavior as she was growing up – so this was no big deal for her.

Like so many of us she felt a little bad about throwing away the bags that hold the feed for the horses, dogs and cats in her life. So putting two and two together – she’s upcycling them into wonderful totes, purses and bags!

Race Horse Bag

Her prices are perfectly affordable and the bags themselves are fun and clever. I can’t think of ANYone who wouldn’t want one, or two or a whole set! So here’s someone near and dear to our hearts, she loves horses, she’s into recycling and she’s got a heart as big as Secretariat’s! She also does special orders and is working on a jacket design! How cool will that be!

The holidays are coming and wouldn’t it be awesome if Betsy got a ton of orders from us? Your friends are going to want these and you can afford them! Even her shipping is reasonable. This is one of those true win-win-win situations you know I love!!!

Here’s her main site: http://betsysews.weebly.com/index.html

Of course she has a Facebook page too!

Betsy Parker
She’s in New York state
718-801-6644

Kitty Bag!

Corny!

This came into my inbox last week. The author of these words is expressing her frustration with the issue of ‘too many mediocre’ horses. She raises some interesting points. I encourage you to offer feedback in the comments below.

Always and still a sensitive issue

Abandoned Mare in Eastern Kentucky

If only EVERYONE who supported the closing of US slaughterhouses was willing to support JUST ONE horse (financially) through the 15-30 years of it’s life, there would NOT be the estimated quarter of a million horses EVERY year that are abandoned, abused, neglected or killed.  It’s a subject that NO ONE wants to hear or think about.

There are new stories (that DO NOT make the news) every day of horses that are being left to starve to death in their barns, fields, woods, or are being turned out onto someone else’s land hoping that they will survive, or abandoned in desolate areas such as “KY”s mine lands”, BLM ranges and other open spaces, etc. With the current economic state of affairs, there is very little hope for an improvement for this dilemma.

I’m sure this won’t be a viewpoint shared by many. Personally, I believe that closing the US slaughterhouses was one of the worst things that ever happened to horses in this country. The ONLY plus I see to closing them is that it put a few people out of business who were breeding horses for quantity rather than quality, knowing that there would always be a market for their leftovers.

Too Many ‘Mediocre’ Horses

However, on the other side of the coin, now there are way too many mediocre to poor quality horses on the market from every Tom, Dick and Harry that has (specifically) a quarter horse or paint stud that they probably just forgot to get gelded, and the neighbor who is equally clueless just happens to have a mare.

Suddenly they have a mediocre foal that they forgot would have to be fed for 4 years before they could DO anything fun with it. So, off to the auction barn it goes. I saw a perfectly lovely medicine hat paint filly, 3 years old, with 30 days training, go for $15 at auction here recently. Why? Because there were SO MANY horses in that sale, that she was just one more paint.

People are turning out horses on the BLM lands here. The result? The horses try to join a herd and get beaten up within an inch of their lives, or they simply starve or die of dehydration because they have absolutely no idea where the water is. Sometimes the mares get accepted to a herd, and they promptly get bred and foal, and add to the mustang population problem.

Reopen the Slaughter Houses

Reopen the slaughter houses and people who cannot afford to feed their horses will want to make a few bucks and the horses will be humanely killed, rather than abandoned, or abused, or dropped off in a neighbors field to become someone elses problem. In a relatively short period of time, the supply of extra horses will drop, horse prices will go back up, and good breeders will be able to get a good price for a good horse.

Yes, some horses get stolen for slaughter. Yes, some mustangs get rounded up secretly and taken to slaughter. Protect your own horses with good fences and microchips, and lay heavy penalties on mustang thieves, but do not destroy the entire horse market because of an emotional attachment to an entire species. I LOVE GOOD horses. I breed a FEW select, excellent horses every year.

Yes, it would bother me to know that one of my foals ended in a slaughterhouse, but when I sell them, I LET THEM GO. I cannot take responsibility for every horse I ever sold. I do let people know that the horse can come back to me should they be unable to care for it, and I will find another placement for it. In all my years of breeding, only one has come back because of a divorce, and she is the dam of our top scoring yearling this year.

I get good prices for my horses. They are worth it and people take better care of something they had to make a sacrifice to obtain. My horses are not just another pasture ornament. Reopen the slaughterhouses, let some of the garbage be removed from the species and let horses, once again, become worthwhile members of the family for people who can afford to care for them.

Ok, I am stepping off my soapbox now. Thank you for your time. Please, if you intend to flame me with accounts of how inhumane equine slaughterhouses are, please don’t. I have been dealing with starving domesticated horses all summer that were tossed out onto public lands and mustang range. Trust me.

These horses would rather have met a bullet BEFORE they could experience this degree of suffering. The ones we ALMOST found in time haunt me. They suffered and suffered and suffered, and finally met relief at the end of a gun where they lay.

About the Author of this post:

I have been training horses since I was given a rotten, mean outlaw 4 year old pony cross when I was 8. She stayed a rotten, mean outlaw, but at least she could be ridden when my folks sold her. I have loved horses my entire life and have never been without at least one since that pony mare. I breed a few exceptional horses every year, but do not believe in indiscriminate, backyard breeding unless the breeders intend to keep every horse they produce for the rest of that horse’s life.

Postscript

I don’t know who this is. I can’t get in direct contact with her. I have her email and have let her know I’ve  made this post. If she checks in she will see your comments.

Secret's New Look

Secret is Saved!

Secret was pulled off the slaughter truck on 1/7/11. She was left at the auction after being used as a broodmare for four years. The only information her previous owner left with her was a note reading “She is a baby MACHINE! Just weaned a gorgeous filly off of her…” At the auction Secret showed almost aggressive behavior on the ground and so was passed up for adoption and landed in the kill pen. When Secret arrived at Natural Horse Savvy she was skinny, with horrible feet, and covered in rain rot with a severe case of scratches. (Here’s a Facebook album of her before and after pix)

“We are so happy to announce Secret found her forever home in July with Michelle A.!”  A perfect match, fate brought Michelle to NHS where she found Secret – who had been returned from a trial only a few days before!

Natural Horse Savv started as a rescue, and quickly learned the problem was education. “But our heart is still in rescue. Each of our lesson horses has a story to tell.” Since opening their doors in 2004 NHS has given over a hundred horses a second chance at life.

Find these awesome horse stewards on their Facebook page too! You’ll love their posts. They’re all about saving horses, retraining them and finding them for-real homes.

Two Very Happy Friends

Contact Them:

Natural Horse Savvy
Monica Meyette
Trainer & Dynamite Distributer
(206) 384-6121
cowgirl77m@yahoo.com

Currently training at:

Eden Farms Stables
9225 72nd St. SE
Snohomish, WA  98290-1627

Their current wish list includes:

- Safe Choice feed
- Grass pellets
- Hay
- Volunteers
- First aid supplies

They do not have our non-profit status.

In honor of today’s Breeders’ Cup races being held in Louisville, KY I just wanted to get a shout out to all the good folks who have stepped up and done right by these gorgeous athletes. There are more retirement organizations than ever, more retraining and rehoming programs than ever and an increasing awareness of what can happen to the ones that retire.

The work isn’t done but it’s an excellent uplifting start. Today as we all enjoy watching some of the swiftest horses in the land compete  mightily for the amusement of we onlookers let’s wish them all safe journeys and job security! If you like this would be an awesome time to send a donation to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation – especially if you win some money or if one of the competitors has won your heart.

Need a face on it? Then send some money to Michael Blowen of Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky. They specialize in retired stallions. Because of how big masculine equines act – these dudes are especially difficult to rehome. Michael gives ‘em each their own paddock to keep them safe from each other’s natural instincts to fight. Tricky business.

Just got this press release. What an awesome idea! Let’s say you don’t have the space to retire your horse on your own property – these folks can! Doesn’t cost a lot and your horse has earned a proper retirement, right?

Roundup, MT, October 2011 — Top50’s Chico Basin Ranch in Colorado, USA, has opened the gates of Ranchlands Horse Sanctuary, offering homes to retired or injured horses.

Ranchlands Horse Sanctuary (RHS) is a new program launched by working guest ranch Chico Basin, in Colorado Springs. Specializing in providing homes for retired or injured horses, RHS offers owners somewhere to place their horse, safe in the knowledge their animal will spend the rest of its days happy and healthy on open range pastures.

Says Chico Basin’s David Leach: “Our goal is to provide horses a home in their natural environment, where they can live free to run, sleep and eat to their fill. We welcome horses that are physically able to live in open range conditions, as their ancestors did, centuries ago. We run over 150 horses that are used on the cattle and bison ranches that we run, so we understand horses and all the details pertaining to their care and welfare.”

For horses coming from small, contained environments, moving to the expanse and freedom of Chico Basin’s open range can be a dramatic change. The RHS program places special attention on monitoring all horses within the herd, and ensuring each animal requiring special attention is cared for appropriately. Where necessary this includes supplemental feed, hoof trimming, medical treatment and care of injuries.

Owners contribute an annual fee to place their horse under the care of RHS, plus costs for special care items not already covered by the program.
Do you have a horse who would love to spend the rest of his days in his natural environment, receiving first class care and medical attention? To discover how you can take part in the program, contact Ranchlands Horse Sanctuary on (719) 683.7960.

For more information, full program Terms and Conditions, and to learn about a special discount for ACTHA members, visit www.chicobasinranch.com.

This came in my inbox this afternoon.

United Horsemen? Ummmm not me that's for sure.

This is my response:

Here's info I can agree with.

(As identified by a page on the United Horsemen’s ConstantContact archive referenced on 10/4/11) http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103685263837-80/Orgs+that+oppose+slaughter+bans.pdf )

Can’t say some of the cattlemen, pork producers and truckers on the list are too surprising – but some others of the organizations are a complete disappointment.

Organizations that oppose any legislation that would make it impossible to humanely process, market, transport, or consume horses:

Arizona Quarter Horse Association
Belgian Draft Horse Corporation of America
Biotechnology Industry Organization
California Cattlemen’s Association
California Farm Bureau
California Horse Council
California Pork Producers Association
California Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Charros de CaliforniaAbandoned Horses.net
Adams County Colorado Commissioners’ Office
Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference
AgRights.com
American Trucking Associations
Alabama Cattlemen’s Association
Alabama Pork Producers Association
Alabama Quarter Horse Association
Alaska State Quarter Horse Association
American Angus Association
American Association of Equine Practitioners
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Horse League
American Meat Institute
American Meat Science Association
American Paint Horse Association
American Quarter Horse Association
American Sheep Industry Association
American Society of Animal Science
A Million Horses.com
Animal Agriculture Alliance
Animal Health Institute
Animal Welfare Council
Arabian Horse Association
Arizona State Horsemens Association
Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association
Arkansas Horse Council
Arkansas Quarter Horse Association
Charros Federation USA
Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
Colorado Horse Council
Colorado Livestock Association
Colorado Outfitters Association
Colorado Department of Agriculture
Connecticut Quarter Horse Association
Crop Life America
Delaware Quarter Horse Association
Empire State Quarter Horse Association (New
York)
Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society
Faces of Agriculture
Farm Animal Welfare Coalition
Federation of Animal Science Societies
Feld Entertainment Inc.
Florida Cattlemen’s Association
Florida Horse Council
Florida Quarter Horse Association
Ft. Worth Zoos
Fur Commission USA
Georgia Cattlemen’s Association
Georgia Quarter Horse Association
Grain & Feed Association of Illinois
Hawaii Quarter Horse Association
Horsemen’s Council of Illinois
Horse Welfare Committee
Idaho Cattle Association
Idaho Horse Board
Idaho Horse Council
Idaho Quarter Horse Association
Illinois Beef Association
Illinois Department of Agriculture
Illinois Farm Bureau
Illinois Farmers Livestock Marketing Association
Illinois Pork Producers Association
Illinois Quarter Horse Association
Illinois Quarter Horse Racing Association
Independent Cattlemen’s Association of TX, Inc.
Indiana Beef Cattle Association
Indiana Grain & Feed AssociationIndiana Quarter Horse Association
Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders
Association
International Embryo Transfer Society
International Livestock Identification Association
Iowa Cattlemen’s Association
Iowa Pork Producers Association
Iowa Quarter Horse Association
Jordan Valley Rodeo Association
Kansas Grain & Feed Association
Kansas Livestock Association
Kansas Pork Association
Kansas Quarter Horse Association
Kansas Quarter Horse Racing Association
Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association
Kentucky Goat Producers Association
Kentucky Quarter Horse Association
Kentucky Sheep and Wool Producers Association
Livestock Marketing Association
Louisiana Quarter Horse Association
Maine Quarter Horse Association
Maryland Cattlemen’s Association
Maryland State Quarter Horse Association
Massachusetts Quarter Horse Association
Masters of Foxhounds Association of North
America
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Michigan Farm Bureau
Michigan Horse Council
Michigan Pork Producers Association
Michigan Quarter Horse Association
Michigan Department of Agriculture
Mid-America Horse Show Association
Midwestern Legislative Conference
Minnesota Pork Producers Association
Minnesota Quarter Horse Association
Minnesota Quarter Horse Racing Association
Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association
Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association
Mississippi Quarter Horse Association
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association
Missouri Equine Council, Inc.
Missouri Pork Producers Association
Missouri Quarter Horse Association
Montana Quarter Horse Association
Montana Stockgrowers Association
Monthly National Legislation Report
National Association of Conservation Districts
National Association of Counties
National Association of State Departments of
Agriculture
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
National Congress of American Indians
National Council of State Legislatures
National Chicken Council
National Cutting Horse Association
National Farmers Union
National Grain & Feed Association
National High School Rodeo Association
National Milk Producers Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Reining Horse Association
National Stock Horse Association
National Tribal Horse Coalition
National Turkey Federation
Nebraska Cattlemen
Nebraska Pork Producers Association
Nebraska State Legislature
Northeast States Association for Agriculture
Stewardship
Nevada Cattlemen’s Association
New Jersey Horse Council, Inc.
New Jersey Quarter Horse Association
New York State Horse Council, Inc.
New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association
New Mexico Federal Lands Council
New Mexico Wool Growers, Inc.
North Carolina Cattlemen’s Association
North Carolina Department of Agriculture
North Carolina Farm Bureau
North Carolina Horse Council
North Carolina Pork Council
North Carolina Quarter Horse Association
North Dakota Quarter Horse Association
North Dakota Quarter Horse Racing Assn.
North Dakota State Legislature
North Dakota Stockmen Association
Ohio Agribusiness Association
Ohio Cattlemen’s Association
Ohio Farm Bureau
Ohio Horsemen’s Council
Ohio Pork Producers Council
Ohio Quarter Horse Association
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association
Oklahoma Grain & Feed Association
Oklahoma Pork Council
Oklahoma Quarter Horse AssociationOklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association
Oregon Quarter Horse Association
Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association
Palomino Breeders of America
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Pennsylvania Quarter Horse Association
Percheron Horse Association of America
Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
Public Lands Council
Quarter Horse Association of Nebraska
Quarter Horse Racing Association of Indiana
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association
South Carolina Quarter Horse Association
Southeastern Livestock Expo
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association
South Dakota Quarter Horse Association
South Dakota Pork Producers Council
South Dakota State Legislature
South Dakota Trucking Association
Sportsmen’s and Animal Owner’s Voting Alliance
State Ag and Rural Leaders
Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association
Tennessee Quarter Horse Association
Tennessee Walking Horse Association
Texas Farm Bureau
Texas Cattle Feeders Association
Texas Grain & Feed Association
Texas Horse Council
Texas Pork Producers Association
Texas Quarter Horse Association
Texas & Southwest Cattle Raisers Assn.
Texas Department of Agriculture
Texas Veterinary Medical Association
United Egg Producers
United Horsemen
United Organizations of the Horse
United Sioux Tribes of South Dakota
U.S. Animal Health Association
U.S. Export Meat Federation
Utah Cattlemen’s Association
Utah Pork Producers Council
Utah State Quarter Horse Association
Vermont Quarter Horse Association
Virginia Cattlemen’s Association
Virginia Farm Bureau
Virginia Department of Agriculture
Virginia State Horse Council
Virginia Pork Producers Council
Virginia Quarter Horse Association
Washington Cattlemen’s Association
Washington State Quarter Horse Association
West Virginia Quarter Horse Association
Willing Servants, Inc.
Wisconsin Horse Council
Wisconsin Pork Association
Wisconsin Quarter Horse Association
Wisconsin State Horse Council, Inc.
WyoAg Coalition
Wyoming Farm Bureau
Wyoming Horse Council
Wyoming State Legislature
Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Wyoming Quarter Horse Association

And from The Animal Welfare Institute – here is a list of organizations who DO support the ban. http://www.awionline.org/ht/d/sp/i/11627/pid/11627

International Equine Conference participant, R.T. Fitch has just posted his recap of the event! R.T. (hey that’s a great name for RT-ing on Twitter, lol) says:

• Attendees learned from U.S. Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) they have their work cut out for them if the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act, S.B. 1176/H.R. 2966, is ever to become law.
• Sonya Meadows, Executive Director of Animals Angels, told the crowd about their investigations that revealed terrible cruelty to horses at every step in the slaughter pipeline, from the auctions to the slaughter house.
• Ann Marini, Ph.D., M.D., an organizer and lead sponsor of the conference, discussed her powerful study which confirmed the danger to public health from consumption of meat from U.S. horses which are given bute and other drugs banned in animals raised for food.
• There was a screening of award winning filmmaker Katia Louise‘ brilliant and powerful film, Saving America’s Horses – A Nation Betrayed
• Ginger Kathrens laid out a 10 point plan for humane management of wild horses and burros with a goal of keeping them on the range.
  

Angel Animals has more links to info here in their online newsletter.

From their newsletter:

Our presentation was very well received and we had a lot of positive feedback for our work. Also appreciated was our new film A Horse’s Nightmare, released for the first time at the conference. To be used to gain support for legislative efforts banning horse slaughter and to raise further awareness about the issue, the film is a short 7 minutes / 7seconds. A Horse’s Nightmare can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvWBtoQ3C8E

The Animal Law Coalition posted a recap here:

(very similar to RT Fitch’s above)
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1713

The International Equine Conference Links:

Keep up to date with developments as they carry forward by Like-ing the International Equine Conference Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/InternationalEquineConference

The IEC is also posting some of the related document presented during the 3 day symposium here: http://www.equinewelfarealliance.org/Int_l_Equine_Conference.html

ACTION ITEM

STOP THE SLAUGHTER OF OUR AMERICAN HORSES AND PASS S.1176

petition here: http://www.petition2congress.com/5049/stop-slaughter-our-american-horses-pass-s1176/only

Maybe you’re wondering “Should I be in the ‘Who’s Who in Equine Compassion‘ book?” Below are some guidelines for you to decide.

Please do not be in This Book

If you don’t care about the quality of life of equines, and you don’t care if they suffer - please do not be in this book.

If you think fighting spent racehorse stallions is an awesome past time - please do not be in this book.

If you breed mares because you think sooner or later you’ll get a money-horse that will transform your life and meanwhile you dump the ‘not-up-to-par’ foals on Craig’s List, auctions or rescues - please do not be in this book.

If you believe the untrained  horse you kept at home is going to have a great chance with a new family out of that low level auction you just dumped him off at - please do not be in this book.

If you do nothing with but breed a mare for 15 years and find she’s not producing results you expected and drop her off at a rescue willing to take her thinking they’ll be able to adopt her - please do not be in this book.

You should be in This Book

If you care what happens to American mustangs and burros you should be in this book.

If you care what happens to thoroughbreds that run off the track onto a truck that takes them to slaughter in Canada or Mexico you should be in this book.

If it matters to you that pregnant mares are kept tied in dank stalls with minimal water offered year in and year out so their urine can be concentrated and collected you should be in this book.

If you love horses because they’re beautiful and deserve to be taken care of you should be in this book.

If you make a living having something to do with horses, horsemanship or tools of the trades and disciplines and it matters to you how horses are treated you should be in this book.

If you think it’s appalling that a herd of miniature horses would be deliberately infected with an untreatable disease and offered via Craig’s List ads to unsuspecting new homes you should be in this book.

If you believe one unwanted horse is one unwanted horse too many you should be in this book.

If you write about the plight of equines in Australia, Europe, Asia, South America, Africa or ANYwhere else, you should be in this book.

If you don’t like that Quarterhorses and Paints outnumber Thoroughbreds on the double-decker semi trucks bound for slaughter you should be in this book.

If you take care of your own horse companions well and are prepared to keep them for their whole lives you should be in this book.

If you keep a horse you know you can never ride or otherwise ‘get use out of’ for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do, you should be in this book.

If you’ve ever had to put a horse down because circumstances were such you couldn’t keep him and he couldn’t be humanely placed you should be in this book.

If you donate to equine welfare you should be in this book.

If you have benefited from your interactions with equines in some way you should be in this book.

If you would find a way to help a suffering horse no matter what the circumstances you should be in this book.