The healing power of horses

After running across FHotD talking about yet another subject she has no clue about I decided to post a little more about handicapped/therapuetic riding. I'll only post a few sentences from FHotD that caught my eye.

Somehow you actually believe these horses will be well broke enough to pack handicapped children around safely with no training other than free help you can scrounge off of Craigslist?

This is one of the crazier schemes I've read, even on Craigslist. If I were qualified to open a handicapped riding program (by the way, we have names for those people...like "physical therapist"...I'll be surprised if the poster has those credentials),

A) You are not required to be a physical therapist in order to run a legal handicapped riding academy that is certified through NARHA(North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.) NARHA has a trainer/instructor program called CAT you are required to pass in order to give one on one lessons and group lessons. There are several levels from volunteer, advanced, and master. None require a physical therapy background. and B) many NARHA approved horses that are not broke or sound for riding are often used as petting therapy for younger children that are unable to ride or not yet comfortable riding.

Like almost every job you must work your way up the ladder. You can not become a master instructor until you have 4 or more years working at a certified NARHA facility, are a current advanced instructor, have documentation for at least 2 years of your NARHA work, and have taught over 400 hours of equine assisted activities which can range from ground work, to vaulting, english or western riding.

Many of the NARHA horses are donated by owners or other organizations. They are evaluated under saddle to see if they would be suitable and have the proper temperaments. The horses that do not pass into the program are often donated back to riding clubs or a show barn where they might be suitable as a lesson horse for a young adult or advanced rider. A certified NARHA facility can not have any stallions on the property for safety purposes and most facilities go through very rigorous inspections that include vet checks, book keeping, and surveying the property. These horses are treated very well and most of the time live out their remaining years ponying around children that are in need. Some facilities are donated accomplished show horses and vary in all breeds, size, and disciplines.

There are many opportunities that NARHA provides. Many facilities hold horse shows and offer a wide variety of disciplines. The riders range in a wide variety of disabilities from autism to cerebral palsy. Most of the horse back riding activities are formed to offer brain stimulation and human interaction. It also teaches balance and strengthens leg and core muscles, often speeding up development in children that otherwise would be far behind their age bracket. All NARHA facilities are equipped with wheel chair ramps that allow for easy mounting. All riders are required to wear helmets and other protective gear.

A NARHA facility is a great place to volunteer as it is not required to pass any certain accreditation, but it is encouraged to purchase NARHA volunteer lessons and hand outs from the NARHA website. If you can't give volunteer hours they always accept tack, horses, feed, and other horse supplies.

All in all I would not recommend sending a developmentally challenged child to a therapeutic program that is not NARHA approved or at least carry the EAAT standards. NARHA facilities are required to carry insurance and MOST accept medicaid, Blue Cross, Aetna, or other insurance as form of payment or partial payment.

Here is NARHAs home page so you can read more on what NARHA is and the great work they do.

http://narha.org/

And here is the direct link to find a NARHA center near you.

http://www.narha.org/Centers/FindCenter2.asp

Here are a few great centers that hold NARHA premier accreditation.

http://www.hottrc.org/

http://www.goodhopeequestriancenter.com/

http://www.braveheartsriding.org/

http://www.nbtr-bg.org/

Blackmarket Horse Slaughter

Here is what happens when slaughter houses are banned in the US but there is still a demand for horse products and meat. It creates a black market where I'm sure even the anti slaughter folks would be screaming that slaughter plants are even more humane than what is being done down in Florida. Here is the news cast. Be careful as a couple of the videos are graphic.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/weird/From-Race-Horse-To-Main-Course.html

For those in the Florida and surrounding areas, I would be locking those barn doors, stall doors, and paddock gates because these black market poachers DO NOT care if Fluffy is your backyard pasture ornament. If there is a chance they can make money off his meat, he will be killed, stripped of his meat and left on the side of the road for dead. These poachers will hit anything from fancy barns to the run down sheds- if it has 4 hooves and says "neigh" there is a chance for these poachers to spot your prize pony and see dollar signs.

As with anything illegal, the higher the risk, the higher the price. Horse meat is bringing $20/ per lb which is nearly if not MORE than double what cattle is bringing per pound in many parts of the country.

I'm not surprised in the least to see this going on, I half expected it. When you have a market for it then you will have people taking the risk to fill that demand. Do not expect to see this ONLY in Florida. This will happen in other states. If you board your horse go over safety procedures with your barn owner/manager. Talk about installing video cameras around the barn and also motion detectors that have an alarm that can be set after hours. These things might be a bit pricey but it's much better to be safe than sorry. If you have your horses on your land, it might be a good idea to talk with your neighbors and establish a neighborhood watch. Check your fences each day and padlock your gates that surround your property. But do not think for one second that these poachers won't cut wire to gain entry to your pasture. Make sure your property has adequate light source. These poachers are more comfortable at night and a well lighted barn or pasture might make them think twice.
To make it harder for these poachers to catch and get away with your horses remove all halters from sight. Leave them locked in your tack room or put away in your vehicle. Never leave a halter on your horses and if you are able, bring your horses into a smaller paddock for the night. Make sure your neighbors/barn owner know who you are and what your horses look like. Make sure your neighbors/Barn owner have your phone numbers, vehicle and trailer description. Tell them that under no circumstance is another trailer to be on your property and to call if they ever spot a trailer entering the property that should not be there or is not yours. Just like you would do for your kids, fill out emergency contacts and give them to your barn owner/neighbor. Always remember to keep open communication with neighbors/barn owners/other boarders.

Expect to see more and more of these black market poachers. Keep your animals safe and don't be afraid to call police if you see someone suspicious hanging around your barn or neighborhood. Your horses safety is your responsibility and these poachers just don't care if they are young, old, mare, stallion, accomplished performers, or trail horses.



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For those interested in helping those animals saved or just want to read more into their story, here is the SPCA website that talks further about the horses stolen, recovered, and sadly those that did not get such a happy ending. I have also included the link to the youtube video that speaks further into this story.

http://www.spca-sofla.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pLApxH5le4

OMG, how did horses survive all those generations without FHotD?

So I am a little late but my computer is no longer acting like a giant turd with a power cord. Which means I can now comment on the whole Genesis Award/HSUS that has Cathy singing,"We aren't worthy!" Obviously she would fit right in with the PETA crowd with her anti carriage and vegan ways.(Not that I have anything against vegans, but don't care to have their views pushed on me). Hell, I'm an old gal that still enjoys that big juicy steak!

Where to start. Oh yes, the glorious comment section where Cathy is insulting and putting up a fight with anyone who doesn't agree with her. I have to say though, I've never seen Cathy comment so much. Here we go.

My personal belief - just mine - is that if you can't kill it and butcher it, if that would make you uncomfortable, then it's time you reassessed why you are eating it.

There are several people, including myself that raise our own meat and do not butcher it ourselves. My family has raised our own meat for several generations. My mum would take our cows to butcher when I was younger, would come home with the rolls of meat and tell us all that she "exchanged" the cow at the butcher just to make us feel more comfortable about not eating Fluffy, or whatever name we chose to give the cow. Just because you're not comfortable watching the actual butchering does not mean eating meat is wrong or raising your own animals for butcher is wrong.

Why can't the carriage rides go on at a beautiful farm somewhere more appropriate, like the Hamptons? You could do a beautiful driving trail with appropriate non-asphalt footing.

Cathy, are you also a person that complains about horses being in parades? "But the poor, poor horses could freak out when the fire engine turns on it's siren!"**crosses arms and pouts**,"It's just so unjust to imagine that people back in the 1800s and early 1900s traveled this way all the time. Their poor wittle feet. Lets cuddle him, put him in a dress and call him Dave!" Cathy, bet you just cringed when you read Black Beauty and learned that they pulled buggies on brick?

I don't think that is true. It may be a belief of certain HSUS employees but it is not the opinion of HSUS employees, donors, and volunteers as a whole. I have worked with them for a long time now and spent plenty of time talking to these people.

Birds of a feather flock together. That is one crazy @$$ feather though.

Michaleen - Well, given that you are supporting horses in NYC, not exactly a cheap place to live, I would assume that business could be conducted elsewhere. In fact, if you'd stop being so defensive and try to work with the people who want these horses to have a better life, you might find that someone is willing to donate a place for them to live or partner with you in your business to move it to a more appropriate place.

Cathy, believe it or not, but most horses that are willing, sound, and sane enjoy to work. I have a pasture full of them that would gladly saddle themselves if they could. Instead they choose to greet me at the gate and wait for me to come get them and tack them up. NYC carriage horses are well taken care of. Much like the Anhauser-Busch Clyde's. They are groomed daily, put up in warm stalls, blanketed when cold, given some of the best grain and hay, and shod on time. Can people ever win with you Cathy? You complain when people don't feed, groom, or trim their horses and then you complain when they do.

Where do you draw the line, if you allow Madeleine Pickens to have 30,000 horses with no hoof care?

Madeleine Pickens is planning on letting these horses live as naturally as possible with little human interference as they were born and most have lived doing so. This isn't a question of taking some prissy jumper/dressage horse out of a show barn and throwing him out on a million acres. She is taking wild(feral) horses and placing them on land where they can live protected without much government interference. In the wild, these horses naturally wear down their own hooves. Where do you think the term Mustang Roll came from? This is a lady that has a plan, seems to have the money, and wants these horses to remain in their natural environment with plans only to throw hay and feed when times call for it and to doctor the horses that need to be vetted. Once again, no one can win with Cathy. She's against the slaughter of these animals and against the stalling of these animals, yet when someone comes along and wants to bring aid to the situation, she's against that too. Makes you wonder, if ole Cathy is just jealous that she's not able to do this much?

Bloody Computer

I'm having issues with my computer right now so will try and keep this as short as possible before my computer turns off again. I promise I will get more into Fugly tomorrow.

Since we all talked about what makes a rescue in previous comment section and from FHotD post today- I would like to know what everyone thinks is the appropriate profit a rescue should be making and when does a rescue go over the line on how and when they spend their donations? When do you think/feel that a rescue should be outed? Have you ever had to report a local rescue? Do you donate money to rescues or do pay for hay/feed at the feed store you know supplies the rescue? What procedures do you take to make sure donations are being used appropriately at the rescue you donate to? Also, if you'd like please post a link to a rescue that you admire and think are doing it right.

Computer is slowing down again so it's only a matter of time before it turns off.

Oh yes, because THATS so much better!?!

Been a busy few weeks. I've gotten a break today and my fingers go wandering over to FHotD where Cathy had no issue picking apart a little 12 year old riding the 4 year old stallion. And might I add, riding the stallion very well. But I guess when you're a scared 40 something woman who is to terrified to jump on your own "gentle" stallion the only thing left to do is pick on a 12 year old that could most likely ride circles around you. Here is the video for anyone that does not link to FHotD.
http://www.viddyou.com/lilfella951

And here is what Cathy had to say about it-

She's not that solid and I'm way too distracted worrying about her riding a 4 year old, 16.3 stallion in an open area to look at the horse. Again, just more silly theatrics to sell a cute but unaccomplished horse.

And why are we zooming in on the kid's face in the video? It's a sale video for the horse, right? Try to remember what you are marketing here.

She looks like a pretty solid rider to me, the horse looks gentle as can be and well trained. She's wearing all the appropriate riding equipment. Looks to be an adult nearby doing the filming able to aid at any given moment. And most likely zooming in on the little girl not only for their own video collection but to prove that she is in fact riding the horse and there is not a grown up stunt double. And should Cathy really be talking about unaccomplished horses? What's that fabulous stallion of hers doing right now other than burning through hay? Oh, we'll just have to wait to see what this super secret trainer is going to make of him. Hopefully he's not pushing down anymore fences or panels breeding for more crooked legged babies. I don't know what threatens Cathy more, the fact that the stallion in that video is a ready to show nicely bred 4 year old and her stallion isn't even trained or the fact that this little 12 year old can ride the hell out of a 4 year old stallion when Cathy can barely get a W/T/C out of hers? But since most of us have seen Cathy's riding I guess we understand why she is so jealous.

Then remember the over dramatic rescue story of Jazzercise, the rescue TB that magically ended up in a kill pen within 5 minutes, needing to be roped by 5 grown men because he was a Son of a B*tch? Oh, yes there is more about him, and he's a local star having been on the news! When you click on the link you read about some of those silly theatrics Cathy was talking about in the above topic.

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/Safe-Haven-for-Horses/vm-ngptAoEqjxIecWdmiBw.cspx

Oh joy, because I would call throwing a sleeping bag out and laying down in a rescue horse's stall only after weeks of having rescued him and not knowing his full history so gosh darn cute and safe. Cause we've never heard of a horse freaking out in a stall because the wind blows or a bee is pestering them and charging around. Yes, but I wouldn't call that silly theatrics, eh Cathy?

Calling all horse people in Texas!!!!!

If you live in Texas I'm sure you have already heard about the horses seized in Hill County, Texas. Over 160 head of horses need to be placed after being seized from their owner last Thursday and Friday. Some of these horses are in good condition, many others are suffering from various disease and starvation. Humane Society is needing people to open up their hearts and homes to these horses as they are already over run. Here are many of the news articles with more information about what is going on.

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/40874252.html#

http://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/15321/TX/US/

http://www.kcendt.com/?p=5666

Please if you have room and are in the DFW or surrounding area, be a hero for some of these horses. I am still trying to hunt down the rescue/SPCA website to post up here.

ETA- More information. Wild Horse Foundation is currently housing all these animals and assuming the care that is needed for the time being. So far, over $20,000 has been spent on this seizure alone. Here are their links-

http://www.wildhorsefoundation.org/

http://www.wildhorsefoundation.org/hill_county_cruelty_case.htm

Head meet Desk

Here is another sweet Jesus moment since Cathy obviously doesn't understand that many of her followers are NOT going to follow her "profanity free" emails to judges, attorneys, D.As, congressmen, etc. Because we all know that these D.A.s and judges have so much time to filter through thousands of emails, let alone their desk jockeys being able to file through the thousands of emails I'm sure they have already received as result of todays post where Cathy posted-

E-mail for the D.A. Remember, short, sweet and profanity-free is what makes the point. Spewing invective like you're on the Internet makes people hit the delete key and ignore what you have to say.

Cathy, I can't seem to understand why you keep posting emails and links to attorneys and judges. As a para-legal you of all people should know that it's NOT the attorneys or judges filtering through these emails and most likely the para legals and desk jockeys are just going to do mass deletions. Even at that, should the A.C. officer have a trial he will file appeals up the who-ha screaming foul because attorney and judges minds were swayed by the thousands of emails they received. It may be one wobbly leg to stand on, but I've seen cases thrown out on less.

Then she posted this gem.

Where's the hay money going, Kenny? Beer? Drugs? Does Aleshia have an addiction to the Home Shopping Network? What exactly is the problem here, and did you think your property was invisible and no one was ever going to see this?

I'm now guessing that Cathy only holds the belief that drug dealers/users and alcoholics are the ones abusing animals. I'm also guessing that she thinks only Catholic priests are the ones molesting small children. Cathy despite your belief that he MUST be a drug user or alcoholic, stuff happens. A.C. officers aren't rolling in the money sitting around wondering,"Now what can I go blow this money on!" They get crap pay, for probably one of the most emotional tolling jobs. They have bills that a blog isn't paying for, Cathy.

How are you going to feel when it does turn out that these horses ARE rescues? Cathy constantly complains about people just letting their horses starve or sending them to slaughter, now she's complaining about death by a bullet. Cathy, make up your mind! It sounds like they put the horses out of their misery instead of begging for the funds to keep a lame/sick horse alive. There are a lot of horse owners that would prefer death by a bullet instead of making a horse suffer until a vet can make it to their property. And there are a lot of ranches that will leave the body in the back pasture, some will bury the horse, some won't. There is a rescue near me that drag their horses to a un-used pasture and have named it their own "Rainbow Bridge". A lot of people don't want to pay $150 or more for their horse to be picked up and dumped in a large pile. You think that the animal removal gives a horse or any other livestock a burial?

Yes, I know! How unethical of me to be standing up for an animal abuser! I just choose to wait for ALL the facts and not jumping to conclusions until all the facts are presented. How fast could those on FHotD ruin this mans name when he could and may very well be innocent? And just how many rescuers do you think are going to bow out of this business when they think could very well be the next FHotD post?

You put your right arm in, put your right arm out!

Yes, that's the little dance number that Cathy is tap dancing too. Just a couple weeks after publicly slamming her readers and blog commentators on The Manure Pile she is singing a different tune- and quite off key if I might add. Here is what Cathy had to say in one of her latest comments.

P.S. Anybody can post as much as they want. I have not assigned anybody to be the comments police and tell others they are posting too much. If you have an opinion, feel free to post it.

I guess there should be a really small print terms of service agreement along with that statement that goes something like this-

Post whatever you want as long as it has nothing to do with my VLC, riding ability, hypocrisy, inability to stay at a job for more than a year, or my inability to love anyone other than myself.

__________________________________

On another note about her earliest post. I'm not trying to take the blame off of Trina Kenney because she is to blame for this. But how on earth can so many people be scammed by the most obvious things? And who purchases a horse sight unseen with out a vet check. Obviously, they paid good money for the horses and the shipping, otherwise they wouldn't bother with a law suit. I can understand if a horse is buted and missing a minor ailment. But missing major things like navicular, parrot mouth, hernia, unbroke/untrained horse, cuts/scars, and other lameness issues. I'm having a hard time grasping why and how so many people were scammed over things that could not have been covered up. Also, why did these people turn over money for a FULL payment of the horse before the horse was shipped. I mean that smells more of a scam than those emails everyone gets saying, I'll send you a cashiers check for XXX amount, ship the horse to this location(or I will have a shipper pick up the horse), and just hand back the extra amount the cashiers check was made for.

I'm sure I'll get bashed for saying this, I am in no way trying to take accountability away from Trina, and I'm not saying that I don't feel sorry for the people that were scammed. But when you hand over A LOT of money for a horse you've never seen or had a vet check on- you are kind of asking for a scammer to target you.

This isn't the first time I've heard of things like this. I've heard of a lot of disgusting ranches that take payments on horses. They'll have you sign a contract saying that you agree to the amount but you'll miss the fine print that says if a payment is not received the contract is void, there is no money refund, and they keep the horse. What happens is they have you pay a down payment of so much and then monthly payments for quite some time. Then 2-3 payments before you receive full ownership of the horse they'll claim they haven't received latest payment(when really they tossed the check). What happens is they make faux "Payment not received" documents giving 2-3 warnings, BUT they never send them. Instead they take the letters and contract to the attorney along with current bank documents showing that no money was received. The attorney then gives notary that the sale contract is in default. Soon after that happens you receive those "Payment Not Received" letters along with a letter saying you defaulted. BAM! The horse is still theirs to sell to another person and you don't get your money back. I know, not very savory, but it does happen.

Breeding Chatter

Sorry that the post is a bit late. I'm battling a mean sinus infection at the moment. So I finally got caught up on FHotD latest post and read through the comments. So it sparked a question that came to my mind. I saw a few people talking about it and wondered what the rest here would think.

Do you think that the government should step in and regulate breeding? Should government require a standard that each stallion or mare has to meet in order to breed? Do you think that breeders should have to obtain a license for each of their stallions through the government? If government did step in and tried regulation do you think BYB would stop? What kind of fines do you think would stem from 'breeding laws'?

AND... for the heck of it. If you had to pick one famous/popular stallion to keep intact which stallion would it be and why?

If it smells like BS, then it probably is

Call me skeptical, but something smells fishy about the FHotD post today. I'm sure you all know the saying about the duck? This wouldn't be the first time someone on a forum told a wild rescue/sale story just for attention. In fact, my daughter sent me a forum post from the free speech board where a lady spun a story about how she retired her show horse because of lameness to a retirement horse barn only to be told later that her horse had passed away, stating that the retirement barn even went as far as sending her photos of the grave site. Shortly after that she said she went onto the internet to find that her retired show horse wasn't dead, but in fact was being shown even though the horse was suppose to be "lame and dangerous to ride." She spun her story for a while trying to get a reaction until she was confronted by a couple of forum members that called her BS. Turns out this person that was spinning that story had done this years and even months earlier on different boards. She fled Free Speech as soon as she was caught and called out.
So it wouldn't surprise me if Cheree embellished her story so she could be featured on FHotD. Here is why-

"The auction didn't even start yet?!" Rita new where he had gone...he was in the kill pen... purchased privately by a meat buyer before the start of the auction.... We found the broker who brought him to the sale and proceeded to find out which dealer bought him and if he was in fact in the "pen."

Sorry, but I have to agree with BEC on this one. I've said it before- kill buyers do not discriminate. They don't care if the horse is sound, safe, and sane no more than they care if the horse is skinny, lame, or crazy. But in all my years I have yet to see purchases made before start of auction when the horse is already tagged and registered in the auction- especially purchased by a kill buyer. I've seen purchases made while the horse is being unloaded to be tagged and I've seen purchases made after a owner POs a horse. Kill buyers aren't going to purchase a horse before the auction because they are in it to save a buck and make a buck. They would rather spend $500 on ten horses rather than spending $500 on one horse. Simple as that. They aren't going to give you a $100 offer on a horse before auction because your horse could very well sell for $50 when run through.

I had five good ol' boys at once telling me "You don't want that crazy son of a bitch, that horse will hurt you, he is CRAZY!" "I'm not gonna sell you that horse, he deserves to be slaughtered, that crazy son a bitch got loose in here, and it took five of us to catch him, we had to rope that crazy a$% horse, you do not want that horse!" I politely asked and stated "what makes him so crazy?" "If I got loose at a scary auction like this, I would run too and you could bet no one would catch me!" I then asked "is this crazy horse broke to ride?" They said "yes, he's a real nice riding horse, BUT he's crazy as sin, real head shy won't let you touch his face, if the wind blows he'll rip our arms off, again lady, YOU DO NOT WANT THIS HORSE!"

*eyeroll* Like I stated, kill buyers don't care what's wrong with the horse, they are in it to make a buck just like most everyone in the horse industry. If they think they can sell you a horse, they for sure aren't going to tell you how crazy the horse is or if the horse was lame in one leg. Whats even stranger is that she said she was only gone for 5 minutes and then came back. So all that "crazy" horse business went down in those 5 minutes without her seeing the ruckus or at least hearing about it?

Over all, there are just to many holes in this ladies story that make the post sound over dramatic and embellished. It reeks of someone just dying to be featured on FHotD. Supposedly, this rescue horse had been sold to a dressage/show barn for $5,000 and now that owner that paid $5,000 is saying she gave away the horse to a show jumping home even though he was lame and wasn't working in her program. Sorry, but people just don't give a $5,000 horse away, not even to a kill buyer.

To me her whole story sounds like she wanted to be seen as the great and nobel hero of this "crazy" horse that nobody wanted to take a chance on. And wanted to add in the dramatics of almost everything Cathy bashes on FHotD, kill buyer- CHECK. mistreated/misunderstood horse- CHECK. Auction drama- CHECK. Sale/buy back policy gone wrong- CHECK CHECK.

For now, until I check up more on this story, I choose to see the holes for what they are. And like most things, if there are holes, then something is probably not right.

Riding ability?

So, I just got done watching most of Cathy's youtube videos or at least the painfully funny ones of her riding. What was even more humorous were the comments left on one of her youtube videos. Here are a couple-

"OMG! haha! You suck at riding then say other people suck at riding!!Thats horrrible!"

"are you riding? It's not nice to judge other riders, when you can't ride well.You're not a very good rider, therefore you shouldn't critique other people. Simple as that. "

Poor choice in critiquing other riders on their weight, clothes, and saddle color when you can't ride worth a darn. On top of the video those comments were posted on was another video where Cathy was working a bigger filly and appeared timid and terrified to get the horse to move up into a solid trot, at one point prompting whomever was video taping to ask if Cathy needed her to chase the filly. Funny how someone who claims to be training horses for a drill team can barely ride, let alone train a horse. I really hope that Cathy didn't start VLC. Horses, especially stallions, need to be started right and not by a timid person afraid to get a horse to trot. And another humorous video I found was one of a palomino filly accidentally jumping out of the round pen and a bunch of commentators saying,"The horse should be put in jumpers!"

So my question is. How many of you have had your riding critiqued by a person FAR less qualified? Funny stories always appreciated.

When ignorant people comment on rodeo

Not all that surprised when I clicked over to FHotD and went to the links to the youtube videos Cathy was blogging about. Yep, sending her loyal flock to bash videos on youtube again! I don't expect much from Cathy now-a-days, especially don't expect her to understand rodeo events such as roping or barrels. What I am surprised about is seeing the comments saying that kids are overhorsed and should all be on ponies. I am getting tired of the PETA and SHARK people on FHotD saying, "roping steers is cruel and mean!" *eye roll*. How do these people think these calves were vaccinated, branded, and vetted decades ago, by walking up to them with feed in your hand and hoping they stand still? Nope, they were headed and then heeled so they could be layed on their side for vaccinations, branding, and tagging. I'm prepared for the day I click to FHotD and see someone say,"The sport of Cutting is sooooo mean, it's cruel to separate a steer from it's herd mates!"
I'm also so tired of the "kiddies all need helmets!" comments. Yes, they can save the head from concussion. But do people not understand that helmets only prevent outer damage. They do nothing to protect the brain from rattling inside the skull if you're being drug behind a horse. A helmet is not an automatic,"You're safe on what ever mount". And do these people honestly think that by going onto youtube, calling people names and telling them they are abusing their children is going to make these parents automatically think their kid needs a helmet? Heck no. And if that is child abuse, then I guess my parents are the demon of child abusers seeing as all 6(including me) of my brothers and sisters never wore a helmet. And for those youtube videos of the little boy on his play day horse many people were calling the horse a saint. What you call a saint, I call a good broke horse. His horse obviously was well trained, knew her job, and was very mindful of where the little boy was on him at all times. If THAT honestly shocked you, come down to a play day here in Texas and see how a properly trained kid horse is suppose to act. Sometimes I wonder if Cathy or some of her followers have in fact ever been around a well broke or a kid safe horse. Some times I wonder if they have even been around horses at all since most of them seem so shocked about these videos. Here are two of the videos that she featured for those who no longer link to FHotD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH1hw6ieDdI&feature=channel and this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-mTgrY2LU&feature=channel
Here is a little of what Cathy had to say-

Check out the rest of the vids - plenty of bareheaded babies on horseback, babies running around with loose foals, the world's fugliest foal being born, children galloping that don't have the riding skills to trot safely without assistance - yes, the stupid's all there, preserved on video for your entertainment.

Sorry Cathy, but I've seen videos on youtube of YOU riding and I'd just about say that even you aren't fit enough for that 'saint' of a mare. Cathy I suggest you start off with a horse like this- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdsdehdg3Io. Stick to topics you know, such as ceramic kitties or the basics of grooming a horse. I'm not even going to touch on her comments on the fugly foal or the breeding as I'm sure everyone here knows exactly what I think of that crooked legged VLC baby, Bullwinkle. Those that actually are educated about rodeo, whether it is Junior or Pros, know what it takes. Next time you're at the NFR ask those barrel racers and bull riders when they started riding and then ask those barrel racers if they were out fitted in helmets. And then I want you to head over to a NRHA show and watch the young bucks show you how to rein. Those that do participate in Western Events such as cutting, reining, and WP know just how good some of these kids are for their age. Speaking of which, my 6 year old grand baby placed 2nd at a junior/youth cutting this past weekend. I couldn't be prouder.

Rodeo and Cowboy-ing isn't something that you just learn, it's in your blood.

When good people lose it due to a FHotD post

Today's FHotD post had to do with what happens when you have a horse online for sale and get stupid ad inquiries. Then went on to post an email from one of her readers that was a reply to one of those stupid ad emails. The email was frankly condescending and more or less over dramatized to make the person that had inquired about the horse she had for sale feel stupid or less human. Here is a snip-it from the email-

I was weeding my way through tons of the same old ignorant, teeny-bopper ad inquiries that are loaded with poor grammar and mis-spellings, when I came across your inquiry. I am doing the footwork in selling a race horse for my father and even though I know from your inquiry that you are not even a prospect home for (Horse), I'm wasting my time to respond anyway.

However, I would like to point out that you have made numerous statements in your inquiry that are for the most part untrue or make you look like a complete jerk. I have never been so irritated, yet amused by such a naive ad inquiry and I'd like to save other sellers from the mess of an inquiry you sent me. Please read an ad thoroughly, think before you send, remove the BS, correct your grammar and mis-spellings, don't talk down to the seller, don't refer to the seller's horse as dog food, and don't make yourself sound ignorant.

First as a business woman who has sold many horses over the years, you NEVER send emails like this one out to people that are responding to your ad, NEVER! Do you know how fast emails can be forwarded in the horse community? Do you know how many people are going to read your email reply and think "What a total @$$!" even if the person you sent the email to did ask some crazy questions? Someone could ask me for all I care if my horse wears a pretty pink tu-tu and dances in the rain, and I would still give them a respectful but honest answer, "No my horse doesn't wear a tu-tu, she's afraid of rain- but she does love trying on my jewelry!" As a seller you are never to condescend to a potential customer, even if they are full of BS or not likely to purchase. If you feel that a person is unqualified to purchase your horse, politely state that the horse is being leased with potential of purchase or that the horse has already found a home. Never send a 600 word or more berating email to that person telling them how unqualified they are and insult their intelligence.

I've gotten my share of those crazy emails, every professional or horseman that is selling has gotten them. But it takes a true saddle Hag to weed through those emails and write each and everyone that you feel is to dumb or ignorant how they shouldn't own your horse, or any ones horse for that matter. With todays technology, word of mouth spreads quick. There are message boards on almost every horse sale site where people with complaints or alerts can notify the general public about how you do business. And yes, an insulting email is going to cause most potential buyers to look else where and not even want to deal with those issues. I'll say this again, snark and berating is not going to change peoples actions. The human brain tends to shut down at the first sign of attack leaving most people too angry to want to learn or to even hear/read what you are saying. Just because someone is not the right person for your horse, this doesn't mean they aren't the right person for another horse. Emails like the one above are likely to cause people to not want to deal with even searching. On top of that it makes the world see horsemen/women as snobby- better than you types. True some are like that, but most aren't. It also will detain most beginners from wanting to put their toes in the water and actually ask questions to learn. Who wants to be ridiculed for trying to learn?

Geeze Louise!

So FHotD topic was yet again slaughter!*head desk*. Right now I don't care which side of the fence you are on, whether you are pro slaughter or against slaughter. I've heard both sides. Cathy posted a video of old photos taken in 2005 of abuse from double deckers on the way to slaughter and current links to write and pester your states representatives.
I did venture into the comment section and one comment poster that I usually find insulting absolutely cracked me up. Thank you Go Lightly for the humorous AND educational comment.

Hay, Fugs, bought meself a new stallyun.he's reel purty.Can I pleeez be called something less than painfully stupid now?

Those terrible pictures have been around for some time. Like a long time.nothing like flaming those fires, or fanning the flames, or whutever.Making kind people feel as sad as possible, and feeling as helpless as possible, seems to be the normal. Outrage is good. It passes, as people realize they don't have the power to change powerful people into kind people.Too bad the memories will always fade, but the sad times will remain the same.The slaughter issues will not be changed by hand-wringing here.Send this to the Canadian Government, instead of upsetting kind people with no power to actually change it. I did, back when it was in the news.Found this on the ABR forum first, actually. Ages ago.The good old boys rule, or don't you get that yet?

anyway go to www.golightlyfiction.blogspot.com

to see my new horse. Might help stop the tears falling from some of your poor kind faces. You can't cry all day.Nothing gets done.Those pictures have been public knowledge for ages.Talk about instant re-runs of the terrible pain and suffering that still goes on in Canada. and the USA. And Mexico. Closing borders?sure ya can, fugs, sure ya can. Like you stopped the slaughter in the USA. That sure helped stop horses suffering.Try closing down the AQHA first, if you want to get useful. Stop breeding horses designed for the slaughter line. The nuchal ligament is shortening in some lucky QH's, makes them real easy to run through the cattle-designed slaughter lines. Oh, right but then you can't SHOW your VLC!!silly me.sorry, painfully stupid me.Oh, to all you new readers? welcome!I'm crazy, anyway.carry on...

Even I couldn't help but laugh and snort at THAT! Come to find out Go Lightly sent money into Cathy for Champs rescue and recovery. But was basically ignored when she requested information on how the money was spent and if documentation was made. Instead she got a scan of the vet bill, which some how I refuse to believe that a lot of peoples money just went towards the vet bill. I'm sure Cathy got in a lot of donations for Champ. And what gets me is if Champ wasn't Cathy's rescue horse like she claimed, then why not have people send donations straight into the rescuer of Champ? Instead, money went through two hands and as money grubbing as Cathy is, I doubt she told the "rescuer" the exact amount of donations received. If 200 people(which I'm sure even MORE sent in money) sent in $5 a person that would come out to $1,000. I'm going to make an estimate that there was nearly twice that amount donated. I doubt she paid for board and Cathy has only offered up a vet bill as representative of the donations spent. I'm surprised the rest of FHotD readers that donated aren't outraged. Sure they kind of asked for it because they donated to a person that did not have a 501(c) status. But still, the economy is tight and I would like to know if Cathy went on a little shopping spree with money donated. Don't be surprised if she pulls this again.

A lot of her readers feel they know Cathy, feel that Cathy is speaking for all the abused and neglected horses, and feel that Cathy is a far superior person to the likes of any scammer like lets say- Dean or Sam! So people are going to be willing to pay money towards another one of Cathy's rescues thinking they are doing good.

All I can say is, as hypocritical as Cathy is for preaching day after day about the only way to stop horse over population is castration- but turn around and she has her own stallion, what makes you think that she won't pull a scam. After all she's already stated the more people that come to her blog are supporting her VLC show fund. I could care less for those that want to give the argument,"Well, Cathy is only going to breed him if he does well in the show ring." Just because he does(saying IF) well in a show ring does NOT make his GET any more safe than a unshown backyard stallion. There is no status when it comes to horse over population- there is no blue collar or white collar. Cathy's reader's have already seen her post stories of High Dollar geldings, stallions, and mares that some how ended up on a trip to slaughter.

Cathy, Cathy, Cathy!

Even I had to laugh at checking the not one, but TWO new posts. *chuckles* This is what Cathy had to say about her trolls.

Finally, to all of our visiting trolls who don't seem to be feeling the love, I just want to thank you. In the past month, my traffic has shot skyward! The columns represent (from left to right) people, visits and page views.) We haven't seen a jump like this in a while! I'm so excited and I know that I have all of you to thank. Keep up the great work. Be sure to add this URL as often as possible to your rants, and please rant on as many different boards as possible in as many different countries as possible!

Oh Cathy, if you're going to give information at least don't lie. Anyone can go to the Horse Traffic site that you have represented on your page and see that your numbers have actually FALLEN! Yes that's right kiddies. Her readership has fallen! Anyone is welcome to go check the stats on Horse Traffic just by clicking onto the link to your right of my page. FHotD is number two. Three days ago her average readership was represented as a 4.8. Today it is represented as a 3.1. If you click on the word Stats next to where it says FHotD you will see that she is actually getting almost 2,000 LESS hits a day.

Now for anyone confused. Unique PVs is how many different computers have logged onto your site. Total PVs is the number of times your site has been logged onto. So today you might notice that she's had so far 4,o35 Unique PVs that have visited repeatively giving her a total page hit of 10,500. That means that all those computers had to have logged onto her site at least 2 times each, some probably linked to her site 3 or 4 times. Now since the whole Cathy bashing her readers on this site>>http://themanurepile39728.yuku.com/topic/7350?page=1 (Her name is Snarkosaurus) her numbers have dropped down 2,000-3,000 readers with several of her readers coming back multiple times.

The moral of the story is Cathy, you can lie to yourself all you want about your loyal following. You can bash your loyal following all you want. But please don't post fake numbers to make yourself feel better. And if you have to post fake numbers- at least disable the Horse Traffic site so no one can track your long line of BS!

And when they won't go away?

So what happens when you're called out on your BS by a whole flock of your loyal readers? You post, post, and post some more! Of course Cathy, bravo for your tactical diversions. With those song and dance numbers you, Cathy, my dear- could easily be a PR for when your towns Mayor gets caught with a prostitute in a seedy hotel room.
What I'm wondering, is why the sudden heighten of posts? It's rare to see this many posts for FHotD on a weekend. I so admire those that chose to walk away after noticing her hypocrisy and disdain for her loyal following. I'm sure she'll be up there on The Manure Pile with a "Woe is Me!" post about how all her readers took what she said out of context and how she never meant to hurt her loyal readers, how she only said those things to those who continue to troll her blog.
I'll be honest, this really doesn't surprise me after I saw one statement made by her early this month about how she wished everyone would quit bugging her about trying to out certain rescues and how those rescue drama was nothing new. I mean, because the constant Dean and Sam topics aren't old news? Because Cathy seems to relish bringing up Dean's photo shopped @$$. Seems to me that the only rescues that matter in Cathy's books are the ones in her area that she can get her gleaming recognition from her admiring public.

Oy Vey!

Sure am glad Cathy is mentioning places to get help for funding castrations in todays post. I'm guessing she won't be taking her own advice even after she says this-

"remember, the way to stop equine slaughter is at the root of the problem "

But on a lighter note thought I would post a funny site full of horse advice and humor.

http://www.whinny.org/humor.htm

Sweet Jesus!

Today's post may not be directly related to FHotD or the VLC blog, but none the less- it has to do with one Cathy wanna-be. Her blog is as vulgar and ill- inspired if not more so than FHotD. This person makes Cathy look like a genius. In fact I've found that most of the people making Cathy-like "lets bash everything in the horse industry" blogs make Cathy look like the Pope. Do they aspire to be as popular as Cathy? Or do they want to feel like they are a higher power making a huge difference in the horse world?

http://shameinthehorseshowring.blogspot.com/

Not only can I not stand her detracting statements but her ill informed comments. At the bottom of her blog she wants to feel so powerful by making this statement- cause god KNOWS that her dang blog was causing such a huge upset in the ApHC horse community. This is what she had to say upon asking, "How upset are people about this blog?"

~"The answer would be *very*. Some ApHC members actually paid for an online search to find out where I live. How screwed up is that? And why did they think their little secret yahoo bitchfest group would remain secret? There are always moles amongst the rats.

This blog has already opened some eyes and will help make some changes in the horse industry. I doubt bitchers and moaners will accomplish as much."

Wow- she just gives herself too much credit. Does she really think a tiny public blog is even going to make a dent in horse world ethics? I think she likes to think that much. I just love that last line about b**chers and moaners- wouldn't her blog fit in that category? I think it's pretty funny on how people think that ragging and bashing is going to make a change in show policies. When was the last time you saw a spokes person for Missing and Exploited Children using the F-word and b**ching and moaning about the plight of Americans children being kidnapped, abused, and murdered? NEVER. When was the last time you saw Amber Haggermans mother on TV yelling and using profanity trying to make a change with kidnapped children? NEVER. And guess what, she's had several laws passed to help aid in protecting future generations. Do you know why? Because well informed and educated people that want to make changes go to heads of congress, state boards, and top organizations with EDUCATED, LITERATE, and WELL SPOKEN speeches that show what's wrong, how it's wrong, and what can be done to change it. They don't go start "lets bash everything involving _____(fill in the blank). They don't use profanities, name calling, or come with an attack mentality.

You want to make a difference? Start with forming petitions, gather well informed and educated people. Compile evidence and head to a AQHA or other horse organization congress meeting. They are open for that purpose. Choose a spokes person that will provide an educated, well thought out, and provide ways to improve the organization.

Took long enough!

Well, Champ was PTS. Long over due to say the least as most thought he should be put down A MONTH ago. On FHotD Cathy talks about how he was kept in a million dollar facility and cared for and given tons of cookies every day. PFFT! I don't think Champ would be able to tell if he was in "million dollar facility" with as much pain as he was obviously in. But no! That didn't stop Cathy from taking in donations for him just shortly after bashing several other rescues and people for taking in donations for obviously lame and in pain horses. Preaching how the money could be used to rescue sound and sane horses. Guess all those donations could have been better spent on a sound horse, eh Cathy?

Cathy, Exhibit A!

A while back someone asked where Cathy had pointed in the way of harassment by giving to much information- and today's post is the perfect example. How on earth does Cathy think that by giving out a Judges telephone number over an abuse case, how does she expect it to be a civil telephone call? Has she not read anything half the folks that post comments in her own blog?

Time served, my you-know-what! Please call Judge Uhrig at 360-676-6747. It should go without saying that polite, succinct and profanity-free is the way to make your point. To me, the most important point is that someone who will slash the throat of a puppy is awfully close to the line of doing just that to a human being. That shows a level of depravity far beyond hoarding and starving animals (which is bad enough!)

Sorry Cathy, I know I wouldn't mind seeing these animal abusers locked up. But with as many heartless murderers, rapists, and child abusers there are in the US- you can not expect jails and prisons to be able to hold them all. So it's either let out the rapist/serial killer or let out the animal abuser. Take your pick Cathy! Mine is to keep the rapist/serial killer locked up.
And honestly, do you think that those that actually have no brain and do call are going to refrain from profanity? And speaking from experience of my ex husband being a small claims judge- judges don't like when they are told how to do their job, when to do their job, and how to prosecute criminals. If that were the case I'd be calling up every judge in the state of Florida and telling them to put Casey Anthony on death row.