WordPlay

By Patty Wilber

Ponying: ride one, lead the other. Penny is the lead horse and Risa is being ponied. This was two years ago when they were both three.

This is Tabooli, when he was four, leading Beaner.

This year, my back country plan is to ride Penny and pony Tabooli.  Since they are similar in size, the pack saddle and riding saddle fit both.  So, I could also ride Tabooli and pony Penny.  Mix and match!

Many horses can be good lead horses, and most of the horses here have done it.

Usually, it is easiset if the lead horse is a steady personality, but sometimes a flighty bugger can be calmed by having a pony horse companion. When we took the cattle in last spring, T was so herd-bound to Alameda he about blew apart if she got too far away.  However, if I ponied Cinco, T was mollified and behaved much better.

The lead horse should be unfazed by ropes on their butt, under their tail, around the legs. Stuff happens when you put a horse….um anywhere…but it can be more “entertaining” if the lead horse can’t handle it.

Take the rope under the tail for example.  If the lead horse does not fancy this, the pony horse misbehaves AND the rope goes there, the lead horse will often panic and clamp their tail down on the rope.  Tightly!

This is bad!  Tail tight, rope trapped, pony horse having a “moment”, rope pulls…

Next time you get a chance, run a finger along the skin on the under side of the tail. It is very soft.

Rope trapped + pony horse having a moment = rope burn under the tail. This is often accompanied by…

bucking…

Penny has never really been too concerned about the rope under her tail.  Cometa either.  T, on the other hand, is more of a goosey butt, so that just means the rider has to be more alert, and that he could use more desensitization in that area.  I rode him with a crupper for a while.  (A crupper goes under the tail and attaches to the saddle.  It keeps the saddle from slipping forward.) It helped.

**********************

It’s nice to pony the little ones, too.  Good for exposing them to new situations while having a mentor as a buffer.

Lacey and Longshot. Those two are great buddies!  Longshot is super personable and trots over to see me and follows me where ever I go.  If a horse (um, that would be Penny)  runs him off his feed, he sneaks back around to another side.  Persistent.

Lacey, on the other hand  hardly ever gets run off her feed because she stands apart until everyone settles down. With people, she will come over to visit, but more on her own schedule.

The other day I went to catch Lacey.  I tracked her around the pasture (i.e. dirt lot) with Longshot on my shoulder, nosing the halter “pick me!  pick me!”  I’d planned to pony Lacey first and didn’t want her avoidance to be rewarded, so  had to ignore Longshot! After a few minutes of follow follow follow, Lacey gave up, and I haltered her.

I ponied her off Tabooli, and she was the picture of cooperation.  “not getting into any arguments,” says she.

Switched up and got Penny and Longshot.  Mr. Friendly has no qualms about asserting His Own Opinion.

“that ditch is too deep.  we have trotted far enough.  i don’t want to walk behind Penny. i’ll bite her butt,” (Penny loves that one–NOT!) etc.

Oh brother!

Then there is JD.  He is a great uncle to Longshot, so I figured, Longshot would come along nicely and JD would enjoy having some company.

Wrong and wrong.

Longshot, not cooperating, planted his feet and waited to see if JD could budge him. (He’s pretty good at passive resistance, although I have my little tricks).  JD wanted NO part of any it.   That’s the first time I’ve had a horse that really seemed to hate being the lead horse.

Next time, I will pick someone easier for him.

Ponying is a nice skill on both ends of the line–lead horse and pony horse.  I am looking forward to having the switchable tandem of Penny and Tabooli clearing trail this summer…if we don’t end up being too busy… with… COWS!.

(Here’s hoping…)

By Patty Wilber

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Longshot, Cometa and JD had mildly runny eyes. Cometa has had this issue for a long time, but JD and Longshot both got a barely noticeable cold back in November that seemed to precipitate the onset.  JD got over it with a little help from some Terramycin (an eye antibiotic), the other two did not.

Longshot is the worst. And it is not that bad.  No pus, no redness, just leaky-ness in one eye.

Longshot's runny eye.

 We could try to blame it on the blaze.  The white on his face extends over near his eye, and the result is a white sclera. (If the blaze dipped over further, it might have even caused the eye to be blue.) The sclera in  a human eye in normally white, but in horses it is often brown, to varying degrees.

Longshot’s other eye, which lacks the white sclera is fine.

Longshot's other eye: The sclera is brown because the blaze does not extend over as far, thus the pigment was not affected.

Sometimes white-rimmed eyes are more prone to sun (UV light)  irritation.  In New Mexico, with our 300 days of sunshine (yeah!) and our high altitude, this can be a greater problem than other locations. This is also why people often don’t like to run bald-faced cattle in NM–they are prone to eye problems.

But back to Longshot.  He has been outdoors all his life and this runny eye thing did not start until after the barely-there cold event, so I think evidence suggests it is not the sclera, but it tied to the cold.

I don’t know why Cometa’s eyes are prone to runny-ness. But I decided I was tired of it. In this picture, mid treatment, there is a little bit of goop, but not bad considering the wind is blowing a gazillion miles per hour today.  Anyone might have some.

Cometa, right side.

Cometa has unusual eyes, too.

Cometa, left side

His other eye is blue.  He has a white marking on his face, but it does not dip over near his eye, and his sclera is brown. So his blue eye was apparently caused by a different genetic mechanism than Longshot’s  white sclera.  Blue eyes are common in Cometa’s family and sometimes in his more loudly colored cousins, the brown eye is on the white side and the blue eye is on the dark side!   Both his eyes are equally functional and equally prone to this mild discharge.

So, Longshot’s dad and I conferred and decided to split the trip charge to call Dr. Dralle.  He’s the guy who saved Lacey from the joint infection and cured Longshot’s contracted tendon’s. We like him.

Dr. Dralle decided to flush the tear ducts.

1. Drug the patient, who without pharmaceutical aid is unlikely to accede to the procedure.

2. The procedure: Get a syringe with a thin flexible tube on the end, fill the syringe with water, stick the tube into a little hole in the wall of the nasal passage and insert the water.

3.  The hole is a duct that normally allows the tears to drain into the mouth and be swallowed.  If the duct is blocked, the tears leak out the eye instead.  So in went the water and pretty soon it was coming out the eye! Party Trick:  make milk ooze out your eyes!

4.  But bad news, sort of.  The ducts in neither horse were blocked.

Side note:  Cometa had two of those duct openings in his nose on one side and only one on the other.  Two is not uncommon.

So, what to do now?  Antibiotic drops of two different types for three days.  Four times a day would be nice, but two was all I could reasonably manage.  Then three to four days of an ointment.

Good thing both Longshot and Cometa are fairly small and easy-going.  Here is my eye drop technique:

Rest the victim's head on my shoulder, roll back the eye lid, add the drops. Longshot is demonstrating. They were both surprisingly cooperative. Cometa is super easy to bribe, so I gave him treats afterwards, and although he is not exactly ecstatic about the whole deal, he does anticipate the reward.

So, far, Cometa’s eyes seem to be responding but Longshot’s does not.  I wonder if I should also treat his “good” side? I will start on the ointment next.

White sclera is one of the four Appaloosa characteristics. (Striped hooves, mottled skin, and a coat pattern–often spots–are the other three.) To get full registration, a horse must have three of the four.

Here are some more eyes:

Penny.

Penny, registered Appaloosa with two fully registered Appaloosa parents. No white sclera (no hoof stripes, no mottled skin, no spots!!) Oh well! In order to get a registered appy baby out of Penny, I would need to breed her to a stallion with full registration.

Tabooli.

Tabooli, registered Quarter Horse. He has a blaze that edges over, which produced white sclera (and he is a 1/2 bro to Longshot). He has mottled skin. He has striped hooves ( no spots), but that's three out of four. I wonder if I could sneak him into the Appy ranks? Every so often a horse with a full on Appaloosa blanket and spots is born to two Quarter Horse parents...genetics!

Buckshot.

Buckshot is a registered Appaloosa and is four for four in the Appy characteristic contest. You can just see the white sclera in this picture.

 Lacey.

Lacey is a registered QH. Her sclera is very brown. Can't see the white of this girl's eye! Cowboy lore suggests that horses with a lot of white are edgier than those without. Doesn't hold true with this bunch. All are pretty good!

Longshot and Lacey.

Lacey and Longshot say: "hey! what r u doing with that little box-thing u keep pointing around? pick us!"

JD

JD-registered paint--but he has no paint markings! Brown sclera.

Curly Moe. Last but not least.  Big soft brown Fjord eyes.  Awww.

Fjord's are remarkably homogenous in appearance, but I think Curly Moe has especially lovely eyes! The black skin around the eye must be an advantage if working in snow on a sunny day in Norway!

And last segue.  Fjords were bred to pull a cart, pull a plow, be ridden, and be DINNER if need be (or of inferior quality).  (We are not planning to eat Curly Moe, however.)  In National Geographic this month is an article about Kazakhstan.  The Kazakh’s are (were?) famed for their horsemanship.  They eat horsemeat (sausage was ordered in the article) and their national drink is koumiss–fermented mare’s milk.

The Fjords in Norway and the Kazakh horses were an integral part of cultures that were once subsistence in nature, thus fully utilizing everything was important. I don’t know for sure, but it seems like in both, because the living working animal was crucial to survival, as was the meat of a dead equine, horses may have been both prized companions AND dinner.

Eye wonder? Is it only because our society is so affluent that we have the luxury of separating the two?

The wind has died down.  So much for the lecture eye was going to write.  Eye am going out to the barn!

By Patty Wilber

(Pictures thanks to Kathleen Jesse)

Curly Moe--Fjord!

Just to make sure I had the right Nordic Aura, I continued to wear the “outfit” over the next few days (plus it is comfortable and warm!)

Disengagement of the hip. Soft (loose rope, head toward me, moving the hip away nicely)! The helmet on top of the Swedish hat is such a good look, too.

This is lunging. Working the horse in a circle around me. He got lots better, fast! The rope is not taut, which is nice because that means he is not pulling away. A pulling Fjord can be a sand-skiing lesson if one is not careful!

Got on, after making sure he was not scared of the stirrups or my weight or the saddle shifting.  Then I asked him to bend his head.  A soft give is so much nicer than a stiff refusal!  He was soft.

i might look short and stout, but a) i am not a teapot (short and stout); b) i am flexible!

Part of the reason I took all this time to ease him up to riding is because on his last ride with a prospective adopter, he got worried and dumped her.   I hadn’t met him yet, but I am thinking it was a fear reaction rather than an evil buck fest, because, guess what?  He had never been trained for riding (which was discovered out later)!  Still, it is never good if a horse learns he can lose his passenger with a well timed  flick. I don’t think he has.

We walked around the arena, practiced stopping –right this minute, not a dribble down–,  and backing.  He is not a reiner.  He is not built to slide.  But he does use his hind end well, so his only excuse for sloppy stops is lack of knowledge, not conformation! He needs work on his knowledge base.

He even felt confident enough to attempt (successfully) the bridge!

So we are crossing the short way...better than no way.

I’m thinking 30 days is going to go by too fast!

 

By Patty Wilber

Western Pleasure is one of the classes that I show.  It turns out to be, for me, a fairly difficult class.  It was originally an entry-level class, but the pace of the gaits (walk, trot and lope) has become very slow, which is not the norm for many horses, so it’s not that easy!

Some horses are naturally slow and low headed.  Of the group that is here, T fits that bill the best. Penny has a prettier way of going, but she moves out more (i.e. she goes faster) than T, so it has required more work to get her to a pace that is acceptable for Western Pleasure.

Tabooli--low headed--that's just the way he is..

It is kind of a fun challenge to get a horse going in the slow, correct and rhythmic manner required for this class.  However, that lack of speed is not super useful for most other classes, and definitely not out on a a trail, where the idea is to get somewhere!

In this video, watch for the very loose rein, the slowness of the gaits, and the steadiness of the horse’s head.  Also, you might see that the lope seems just a little choppy–it is actually quite an athletic feat to go that slow and move smoothly!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DybOE-3yqwU&feature=related

Top level show horses are usually  specialized nowadays. This  is a change from the time when a good horse was the all around type, and was EXPECTED to be in a variety of classes.

I prefer a horse that is under 16 hands (not the best for western pleasure — often taller looks more elegant) and can do a little of everything, in the ring and out on a trail (even in the dark!).  Although I do ride English, I put more emphasis on Western. Penny is a great fit!   T is too, although Penny is more interested in cows (cowier!)

Riding English

For a different kind of fun and challenge, there are a number of events that involve trail obstacles and good manners.  One that has stuck me is Extreme Trail.  Check this out.  Note how this horse is not so low headed as the WP horse, but looks soft, responsive and holds himself very nicely, seems brave,  and a pleasure to ride. Hmmm.

Love the suspension bridge.  LOOKS LIKE A BLAST!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmQeNy25iTI

So many things to do!  So little time!

I need to quit my job as a bio. prof. and devote all my time to horse training so I can learn to do ALL this horse stuff!

Stock Horse (walk, trot lope at ranch speed–a let’s actually get somewhere pace; trail obstacles; reining; cow work) and straight reining are this year’s program because Buckshot is so talented, and Penny can give stock horse a go.

T is currently cut from the stock horse program due to his lack of interest in cows…but he is going to show Western Pleasure and he is still going into the back country every chance I get–with Penny!

Penny

By Patty Wilber

That’s because, La Nina, not living up to her promise of dry (thank goodness), was circumvented by FIVE storms in four weeks that forgot to read the long-term forecast, and dumped on us.

And it has been cold, so the snow is slow to go.

The 21st or the 2oth of Dec., I forget, was the shortest day of the year. Not as short here in the southwest as in the north, but abbreviated enough to leave me without enough daylight.  And since no one I know has won the lottery, I am still without that indoor (lighted) arena!

So, I sometimes ride in the dark.  On the trail.  In the snow.

After a fresh layering, the snow is still up in the trees, boughs bent under the weight, blocking the trail.  When we push through, it dumps over T, me and my saddle.

My hands and feet and nose usually end up pretty cold, but there’s just something about being out there alone in the night with a horse.

Back in the day of the cavalry, riding in the dark was not uncommon.  If a soldier had somewhere to go, the horse took him there.

Most horses apparently see well in the dark (they have many rods in their eyes, and rods are the cells that perceive light, as opposed to the cones that detect color).  In addition, a good trail horse has a sense of where its feet are, regardless of the sun’s position.

It might be the rider that has the night-time problem! Ride blindfolded?

It is possible to have a flashlight illuminating the way, but that is like riding in a mobile room.  The boundaries of the room keep moving forward, but the walls still press in.

If there is a moon, or starlight on the snow, or the long glimmer of the  setting summer sun that seems to hang in the sky for hours, it is possible to actually see in the gloom, at least somewhat.

Being out in the naked night is something many of us have given up in our mechanized, technologically advanced world.  We don’t really know what it’s like out there.  Our brains shape the shadows of the landscape into weirdnesses that morph and shift.

About two years ago, I suddenly realized that I wasn’t getting any younger.  In fact, I realized, I was actually getting older.  For the first time I started feeling as though my life was narrowing down to a point.  The point of death.  I don’t mean that like death was imminent and looming, but just the light bulb moment that my life is, most likely, more than half over.

That’s when I decided that I better get busy so that I did “not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Well, I might be 50, but I’m not dead yet.  I’m done marking time.  I’m riding into the night.

By Patty Wilber

Two thousand eleven has almost gone now.

I think I will call it The Year of the Cow.

Twas March when I went out and got my first bunch.

About the time and the work, I hadn’t a hunch.

I checked ‘em each week by horseback or car.

I bought ‘em some feed, which didn’t go far.

They sure didn’t drop when they were supposed to,

But four out of five popped calves that did moo.

I had ‘em at Pozzi’s and then on to The Farm,

And when I went out there, it never was warm.

The wind was a howlin’ like some ol’ torture test,

But my ponies, they handled it, cuz they are the best.

There wasn’t much rain, so North we did go.

Twas June, but we scouted through mud and deep snow.

The drifts were chest high and the bogs were hock deep.

Three horses lost shoes on their left front feet.

We were first up country, twas like the old west.

We saw elk, deer and pronghorn, and I do not jest.

They were there in the hundreds, just like on TV.

But it weren’t no film, it was re-al-i-tee!

The cabin was cozy and the wood did burn warm,

Which was kinda nice, since there was sorta a storm.

We checked out the fence lines and put up some wire.

We looked out around us, and it did inspire.

We branded and castrated and gave ‘em their shots.

Some people, they like this, and some, they do not.

But to me it’s just grand, always wanted to do it.

I got my chance and there’s sure somethin’ to it.

We trucked beeves to Llaves and some to the Pens,

And we moved ‘em by horseback, like they did back then.

We ‘most lost an ol’ boy when his mare came unglued,

And from his groin to his knee, it was midnight blued.

We rode up the mountain with the wind in our face.

We moved the whole herd, but it was a slow pace.

We went through a river and escaped the peat bogs.

It mighta gone faster if we’d had some good dogs.

We had steady horses, ‘cept T was a butt,

He loves Alameda– makes him think he’s in rut.

But other than that, it went really slick.

If I never came back, it would be too quick.

Summer went fast and the cows did grow fat

We lost several calves to sickness or cats.

Our trips sometimes were in 24 hours

Cuz at the home place some things were quite dour.

At the end of September we moved ‘em back south.

The aspens were turning.  I was down in the mouth.

The land was so dry and scarce was the hay.

So we brewed us some coffee and pondered all day.

There just was no forage, down in the low.

There was only one choice, and it was a blow.

We called up the trucker and loaded them all.

They went East to Roswell; the auctioneer called.

So that is my tale as a cattle baroness.

Twas the best  ever, as I think you have guessed.

I loved every minute and I’m glad I was there

If I could do it again, you betcha, I’m goin’ for bear!

By Patty Wilber

We are going to have a white Christmas here!

Happy Holidays from the current gang!

Merry Christmas from me! This is the most recent picture (last week) I have of myself. I am taking Donati from Kathleen's to 4 Winds Equestrian Center (about 3 miles) because Kathleen's road was too horrible for towing a trailer! Cold, but fun!

"excuse me," says Buckshot, "show season is approaching. where is my show blanket? oh yes, Happy Holidays!"

"are you taking a scenery shot? i need my picture taken. the boss needs a good picture for the folks for the Holidays. see my blue eye?" Yes Cometa, you are very handsome.

"Happy Hanuka!" JD is four, and hasn't been around much, so not sure how he knows about Hanuka!

Penny says"Merry Christmas! and at least this year i don't have to wear that ridiculous hat!" Hmm--think I will dig up the picture just for grins!

sigh. that one.

Longshot says "whatcha doin? i'm pretty cute. take my picture. oh! Merry Christmas! do we get treats?" Sorry no treats.

Lacey says: "so if i get really close i can see my reflection in that thing sticking out of the box in your hand. i could lick it! Merry Christmas! and what about those treats?" Breakfast will be served shortly!

Breakfast in the snow. Lacey (far) and Longshot (near) are buddies.

T says, "Merry Christmas! i am NOT eating the lead rope. i am just standing here minding my own business." Penny says, "i wanted a nice red ribbon! hmpff!"

So, this has nothing to do with Christmas, except I want to say Merry Christmas to Old Otis, whom I have never met. This 570 gallon tank collects water off the barn roof via a gutter, and it stays pretty much unfrozen because a) it is on the SW side of the barn and gets a fair amount of sun, and b) Old Otis suggested using a fish tank bubbler to keep the water moving to reduce freezing. This works in all but the very coldest weather and is WAY cheaper than tank heaters, which jack up our electric bill about 40 bucks/ month, each. So, Merry Christmas, Old Otis!

Next week: 2011:  My Year of the Cow.  Cowboy Poetry (which I have to say I am kind of excited about!)  Then: The Lost Art of Riding in the Dark.

Have a lovely Holiday!

By Patty Wilber

…a covered arena!  This one would be nice….

In order to put an arena of this size on my property, the cost of creating that big of a flat space might be more than the cost of the building! But if you're gonna dream, go BIG!

And I know this guy, Mike, that sells these metal buildings, and I know these other two guys that can do anything, so just as soon as I win the lottery…

********************************

It snowed a foot last week.  Dry snow, but still, a foot is fair amount. And it has been pretty cold–teens and single digits at night and 25-45 during the day (but usually sunny).  The snow melted only in the areas where there was help.

Help in the form of horses walking through it.  Of course some of those spots just packed down and turned to ice. Which at this rate, might last until May, at least on the North side of the barn.

(Penny had a blast tearing around in the new snow.  “woo wee!  i can terrorize lacey!  she’s a runt!”

“am not!” says Lacey.  “i”m barely 1.5 years old! i’m a reiner! ”

Penny concedes “she does nice roll backs to avoid me!  i can slide on my new sliders! woo wee!  watch me do it again!  again!  oops, misjudged, have to slide sideways like a race car…hit the gate anyway.”  (shakes her head, runs off) “watch this!”)

Now if I can only get all  that slide when I am riding!

Help in the form of dragging the arena-thanks to the Spousal Unit and the F1 generation, 0ther-wise known as Progeny #2. (Could not resist, Heather!) The drag, pulled by the Jeep –maybe we will get a tractor next year!– kicked up a little of the sand.  Dark sand + sun = melting.

Where the drag went, melting followed. Not dragged = still covered in snow.

The arena turned into a lake during the day.  With good footing, as the base is deep.

Really, the footing IS good, under all that water.

(“yeah,” say Buckshot, Penny, and JD.  “we have to ride in the lake and we don’t complain –much– because we know better, but our feet get wet!  our legs get wet!  our bellies get wet. AND at dusk we can churn it up while she is riding us.  it delays the ice crystals and makes slush!”

Buckshot adds, “i’ve been to the indoor arena at the Santa Fe Equestrian Center. it is really nice. they have a guy that drags it for me.”

Um that is not just for you, Buckshot.

“but, i’m sexy and i know it.”

Of course it's for me!

Penny and JD roll their eyes.

*******************************************

All we want for Christmas is…a 4 wheel drive truck!  Used is fine! I had to phone a friend (and neighbor) to come over with his truck and pull my trailer up from the barn. It is supposed to snow a whole lot more tonight (Monday). Which might mean nothing, or it might be two feet. (Note: It rained a whole ton instead Monday night. Snowed  3″ Tuesday night.)

Well, it's a stock photo, but at least there is hay in the back...

Normally I pull my trailer out BEFORE a snow, but last week I forgot.  That foot of snow (truthfully even an inch of snow would stymie my truck) combined with the slope, results in fishtailing and buried tires and a big big mess on the gravel road from the barn to the house.  Yeah, I have all weather tires.  But not studs–because around here, it snows, and melts, in most years.

So, I don’t need 4 wheel drive very often.  But the next truck will have it. For the occasional snow, and so I can haul cows and horses where ever I need to go, in good and not so great conditions, highway or gravelled road.

I don’t want dry weather for Christmas.  I can haul to town and use the public arena.  I can go to Santa Fe.  I can plow my arena–well pay some one to plow it for me–to remove the snow.  I can ride on the road.

The wet, if it says wet long enough and sinks in deep enough = GRASS.  Grass = forage for cows.  If the cows have forage, we can buy some and won’t have to feed them. If we can afford to buy them…Old Otis says the price will be sky high if we have any moisture because all the guys from Texas will be here, snapping up our cows.  It could just stay dry in Texas, maybe.

Of course, when we get the cows back,  I am going to have to figure out how to show reining, American Stock Horse, Buckskin, ride the horses I have in training and live with the cows…

(“i got to drive the cows” says Penny. “i was the only one.“ 

Penny, wishing for warmer days and maybe a cow or two to harass.

“i went more than u,” says T from over in Moriarty.

“yeah but u are not here right now so u don’t count” says Penny.

“u haven’t seen the last of me,” says T. “and i stop better than u.”

“hrmpph,” says Penny, and stomps off through the snow.)

Um, all we want for Christmas is…a 30,000 acre ranch? (and an expense account to cover the ranch necessities: cabin, fencing, indoor arena, 4 wheel drive truck, cows…)

Not 30,000 acres, but not a bad location to call home!

Patty Wilber

There have been some changes in federal law affecting horse slaughter and here is a bit of information.  Click the title to see the whole thing. I then restate my views.

“The AAEP (American Association of Equine Practicioners) has prepared a summary of the status of horse processing in the U.S.

Congress Passes USDA Appropriations Bill – USDA Inspection of Horse Processing Allowed to Resume

A provision that had prohibited USDA funds being used for personnel inspecting the slaughter process at horse processing facilities was not included in the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture, Commerce/Justice/Science, and Transportation/Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bills signed into law by President Obama on Nov. 18. The appropriations bill passed the House on a vote of 298-121, while the Senate voted 70-30 in favor of the bill. The bill funds a variety of federal programs and agencies and is not solely a bill addressing horse processing.

What does the passing of this bill mean for horse processing?

It means that USDA can now pay inspectors to inspect horses and meat that may be processed for human consumption at U.S. plants.

This bill does not, however, appropriate any new money to pay for these inspections. The USDA would have to find the money in the funds appropriated in the FY’ 12 bill.

Is there a federal law that has been reversed?

No. There has been no law passed or changed dealing with processing itself. There is no current prohibition on the processing of horses in the U.S. The federal bills introduced in Congress to prohibit this are still before Congress. The only change is that for the past five years the USDA was not allowed to fund the inspection of horses at the plants – even though no plants were open – and now they are should a plant begin operating.

Will horse processing plants open?

While a plant could open and start processing horses, it should be understood that this appropriations bill is only good until September 30, 2012. In addition, as mentioned above, there are two bills currently in Congress proposing to ban horse processing in the U.S.: H.R. 2966 and S. 1176.

Due to state laws passed in Texas and Illinois, the home of the last plants to process horses in the U.S. in 2007, the processing of horses for human consumption in those states, even with USDA inspections allowed, will not be possible. Horse processing also is banned in California.”

The following is a recap (without the sarcasm) of my views on horse slaughter.

1.  Opposition to horse slaughter seems illogical.  Opponents argue that horses are pets and symbols of the west.

Symbols:  Hunting of all sorts of beautiful and iconic animals for food and for trophy is legal.

Pets: Being “saddled” with the ownership for the life of the horse regardless of the usefulness or need of the animal is unrealistic, as it is for dogs or cats. There are free options for euthanasia of dogs and cats.  I know of no such option for equines.

Animal slaughter in general: I think it is clear that I love horses. However, they are still legally classified as livestock, and to my mind that category does fit equines.  We slaughter livestock such as cows and pigs, ducks, sheep, goats and chickens in regulated facilities.  To me, it feels very reasonable to do the same with horses.

2. What happens to unwanted/ unusuable horses these days?  Many rescue facilities are full.  Humane euthanasia  is an option.  But it is expensive.   A vet has to come do the job and then someone has to come haul the carcass away.  In the past, you could actually make a little bit on a horse that was unwanted and the body was used for a purpose. Now if you can’t afford to keep a horse and it won’t sell (economy and all), you might not be able to afford to euthanize it either. The price of hay in NM and Texas has doubled since last year.  It is legal to shoot your own horse, however, in Bernalillo County, where I live, burying a horse is not legal, without building a crypt of sorts.  There needs to be a humane and economically friendly way to dispose of unwanted horses.

3. Unwanted and unusuable horses are being abandoned.  Is starving more humane than slaughter?  “In Colorado, for example, data showed that investigations for horse neglect and abuse increased more than 60 percent — from 975 in 2005 to almost 1,600 in 2009.”

4.  If I own the horse, I make the (humane, of course) decisions. I know there are plenty of horse lovers that oppose horse slaughter, but neither the American Association of Equine Practitioners or the American Quarter Horse Association oppose it. Also, horses are big and it seems kind of wasteful to let all that meat go unused if the horse is going to be put down anyway.

5.   Closing the  U.S. plants did not prevent horse slaughter, it moved it.  Export of horses increased over 600% to Mexico  and over 120% to Canada.  Did this change in slaughter location increase the welfare of the horse? About the same number of horses (138,000) were still killed, but the conditions in the Mexican plants is far less regulated than what we had here.

This issue is very emotional for many people, and to them the idea of slaughtering horses, especially for human consumption is repugnant.  I don’t have that issue.  To me allowing horse slaughter in the U.S. for glue or dog food or even human consumption is reasonable, practical, economical, and with proper oversight and funding, humane.

By Patty Wilber

The 2011 show season ended in September and after we retrieved the cattle from the ranch (on the second try), Penny got a six week vacation.  She is only four years old and she worked hard in the show ring as well as with the cows at the farm and the ranch January to September.

The show season was a success (go to the bottom of the blog is you want to see The Brag List), and having a horse that will show in multiple events, trail ride, pony, push cows (in a herd–we are still struggling with the 1v1) and pack supplies, is really, really nice!

Penny the pack horse.

Penny under English tack.

Penny doing trail, Western tack.

I have had at least three outside horses + Penny and T here all fall so this in between the seasons time has not been very productive for Penny–I’ve been earning $ to pay for hay!–and shoes and shots, and well, a bunch of new horse stuff I wanted (and needed?).

But the first Shaggy shows begin in January, so the time has come to start planning for the year!

It is all about a focused vision. And while I cannot say I am psychic (but I have a this friend…), I can vouch for the power of seeing where you want to go, and keeping your eyes on the prize.

I won National and World titles, my first trip to that level of competition, on a horse (All Round Sundown) I trained for Whispering Spirit Ranch. On vision.

Ali got 3rd in Hackamore Reining and won Jr. Western Riding in 2008.

Not to say I didn’t prepare. I put hundreds of training hours on Ali in the arena and in the back country (yep she could hobble, highline and lead a pack horse).

Success is when all that hard work meets opportunity.  The opportunity YOU focused on despite roadblocks or detours.  The opportunity YOU created through vision and choice.

And don’t collapse at the last minute!  If you are lead to the water you’ve been craving, you damn well oughta drink!

I saw the Jr. western riding (a pattern class with lots of lead changes) finals online in 2007 and I KNEW Ali could do that.  I had a year to prepare.

At the Nationals in 2008, Ali was four years old.  She is cow bred and is only 14.2 hands high.  I showed western riding against 16 hand, super fancy, western pleasure horses.  My go was midway through the pack, so I watched a few of the early rides, and I started to panic.

We are too small, wrong type, ahhhh!

And then I put that voice on mute and heard this instead: This horse can change leads better than any horse I have ever seen.  Shut up and ride.

So I did. It was the best go she’d ever had.  And we won.

On Vision!

So! What do I see for Penny for 2012?  I dunno yet!

But I watched the Jr. Working Cow Finals for the National Appaloosa show and I KNEW.  Buckshot can do that! So, we are going to the Nationals and the Worlds (we have already qualified, too) in reining and working cow in 2012. There are 7 months left to prepare!

Buckshot says, "really? u picked THIS picture of me? hmpff"

Buckshot says: "much better, but u've used this pic before. u need more pictures of me, cuz i'm sexy and i know it."

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Penny’s 2012 Brag List:

New Mexico Buckskin Horse Association: Six time Jr high point horse (all the shows this year). Year End Champion: Jr. Hunter Under Saddle, Jr. Western Pleasure, Open Hunter Hack, Open Trail, All Breed Hunter Hack. Plus Reserve Buckskin Open Reining AND the big ones: High Point Jr. Horse, Reserve Super Horse.

New Mexico Appaloosa Horse Association: Year end High Point Performance Horse–for the New Mexico horse with the most points (and she got points in English, Western, Jumping, Reining, Working Cow and Trail.)

Over all winnings: More than $525.00 cash, a brush tote, saddle pad, bridle bag, hay bag, a fan, horse treats, a nice buckle, fancy spur straps, a quilted English saddle carrier and some other stuff I have forgotten!!