The Rights Of Spring (And A Couple Of Wrongs)

Ah, SPRING! My favorite time of year! Really now, isn't this picture a lot better



than this one? Come on!



Isn't the sight of Indy and Ami grazing with their dear, deer friends lots more inspiring than all that snow? I realize the horses love cold more than heat, but I'm willing to meet them halfway. Well.... maybe not halfway, but I don't require 80s. 70s maybe. Heck, I can't even groom when my hands are freezing, and Indy especially wants his grooming, scratchaholic that he is.

Spring, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways:

No more electric water buckets. Those buckets are a godsend, no doubt about that. I don't know what we would do without them - too horrible to contemplate. Still, they are bigger and heavier than regular buckets because of the false bottoms enclosing the heaters. And then there are the long cords to gather up or else step on/trip over when you take the buckets down to clean.

We can leave the water on instead of having to turn it off and on under ground every time we need it. We keep a small heated tank to top off the buckets, but the water still has to be turned on/off and the hose connected/disconnected and drained at least once a day, and often twice a day to keep the buckets clean and full. A bit of a pain, to be sure.

I can go outside without having to spend twenty minutes getting dressed. Not only is dragging on all those layers a pain in itself, their weight makes my back hurt, the heavy gloves make my hands hurt and the heavy boots make my legs hurt.

Although it was fairly cool today, it's getting warm enough that even Miss Ami will consent to having her body groomed by her Personal Attendant (that would be me). Since it stayed cold so long, and I got a late start getting them shed out, it's quite a challenge for my hands and wrists to get the job done on both of them at the same time. Not that they are concerned about that mind you.

All the cats are enjoying the weather too. They're all over the place. Every time you look out the window you see another set of kitties lurking, trying to sneak up on birds, butterflies, blades of grass or each other. They are seldom successful in any of these endeavors, but they love life so much they don't care. It's the journey after all.

Of course nothing is perfect, and I'm afraid that goes for Spring too. Sometimes there is scary weather. And the bugs - face flies, gnats, deer flies, horse flies, fly flies. I've already started using the fly masks on their faces, and soon I'll probably be getting the full fly sheets out. And, then there's the spraying before and after riding and before turning out for the night. Fortunately, they both understand what the spray does for them and stand well for it.

Worst of all, there's the fact that they have to stay in the paddock until late fall instead of being out in the full pasture. The paddocks are quite large, but it isn't the same, I know, I know. Still, it's better than obesity and/or founder. Even they have to agree with that.

Even with these minor glitches, Spring is the most glorious, beautiful, wondrous season of all. I mean, how can you beat this?

Warm Days, Spring Vaccinations And More Great Stuff

I can hardly believe it! Every day this week has had highs in the upper 60s/low 70s. What a change! I groomed both horses yesterday and today, and got bales of hair. Horse hair mattresses, anyone?

Also, Dr. Conley came out to give the guys their spring vaccinations and generally look them over. That all went well, and Dr. C was happy that both horses had lost some weight. They need to lose more I know, but at least we have progress.

Dr. C had a bit of very exciting news. He and his associates and planning to build an equine clinic - with full surgical facilities - between Ft. Wayne, where Dr. C is based now, and Columbia City, which is out our way. That would make it something like 30 to 45 minutes away! Right now, the large animal hospital at Purdue, 100 miles away, is the only option. Not that Purdue isn't fantastic, because they are. But 100 miles could be a long way with a very sick horse. Dr. C is an excellent vet, and I'm sure his associates are of equal quality or they wouldn't be his associates.

Not only is this great news in itself, it also relieves our worrying about Dr. C deciding to retire or go teach at Purdue (he's been invited to do so) or something else equally devastating. I guess you've picked up on the idea that we don't want to lose him as "our" vet!

When we moved here in 1992, I had a difficult time finding a vet. In Dallas, I'd always had "equine only" practitioners. I found out quickly - with some very bad experiences - that I wanted the same here. There aren't as many to choose from as there were in the DFW Metroplex, but I found two - Dr. C and Dr. Jensen. I want to keep both of them!

And, to continue my paean to spring's arrival, we actually had to get out the fly masks for the guys this morning! I thought they were being bothered yesterday, and sure enough, they stayed our much more today with their masks on. Will fly sheets be next?

Everybody Talks About; No One Does A Thing About...

The weather. Oh yeah. I hate to keep posting about the darn weather, but it's about the only thing going on. It was 28 degrees this morning. Thank goodness Indy and Ami love this weather and were apparently outside most of the overnight hours since there was nothing to clean up in the stalls. Even the cats must have been out all night.

We did have one fairly warm day last week, with the afternoon temp being almost 70 degrees. Unfortunately, the wind speed was up there too - gusting to almost 40 mph. Just a bit much. In fact, it seems to happen that way quite a bit - reasonably warm day with wind speeds to match the temperature.

That situation does remind me of the comment made by one of the saddlers at Down Under Saddle Supply where I got my Aussie saddle. The first saddle that I ordered was the Wizzard Poley, which has stuffed panels similar to an English saddle. I had done quite a bit of homework on Aussie saddles, and I knew that for very wide backed horses, the ones with a fleece panel, like a western saddle, were recommended. With that in mind I had intended to put the Snowy River Legend - which has the fleece panel - as a second choice. But, of course, I forgot.

A couple of days after I mailed off my order form, I received a phone call from Lance at Down Under. He had called because after seeing Indy's withers tracing he was concerned that the Wizzard Poley wouldn't be comfortable for him. He suggested that I might want to change my order to one of the fleece panel saddles.

Well! I was impressed. I mean, he could have just sent the one I ordered after all. I told him that I had intended to put the Snowy River Legend as my second choice on my original order, and it would be just fine since I really liked both saddles.

Lance said okay then - he's get the saddle made and shipped out that evening. I told him that he didn't really have to rush because the wind had been so strong I couldn't have ridden anyway.

Then he said that he didn't think the horse that went with this withers tracing was in any danger of being blown over! I had to laugh out loud at that one. Of course, it wasn't Indy I was worried about in the first place.

Rodeo Company Drivers Convicted of Violating PA Horse Transport Law

Equine Protection Network
www.EquineProtectio

nNetwork.com
April 11, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rodeo Company Drivers Convicted of Violating PA Horse Transport Law
Banning Doubles has Scheduled Dates in IL – Passage of IL Horse
Transport Law will Ban Doubles

Three Hills Rodeo, whose drivers pled guilty to 36 counts of
violating the PA Horse Transport Law in 2005 and paid $5000.00 in
fines, also have five dates scheduled in Illinois in 2008. The
Illinois House just passed the IL Horse Transport Bill, HB 4162 on
Monday 80-26, and if passed will ban the use of double deck trailers
to transport any horse, no matter what its final destination
effective immediately.

State Representatives from the locations of these rodeos, Freeport,
Jim Saccia, (R), Peoria Rep. Schock,(R) and the Rep. from Rockford,
Winters, (R),all voted against the bill. Representatives Reiss (R)
also spoke out against the bill. Saccia has been the most outspoken
opposing the legislation and has introduced his own bill (HB4489)with
the same language and with language that would repeal the 2007
legislation that closed the horse slaughter plant in DeKalb. Saccia
and others are trying to move the focus of this legislation from a
horse transport issue to a horse slaughter issue. Low- end dealers,
rodeo stock contractors, and "killer buyers" utilize double deck
trailers. Double deck trailers are not designed, safety tested, and
manufactured for horses, nor are they marketed to the horse industry.

Background information on double deck trailers, including photos,
diagrams, video, statutes, violations, and convictions under state
and federal regulations, legislative history of the federal
regulations and more, can all be found at the Equine Protection
Network's website in the Transport Section.

Saccia's argument is the economic hardship for killer buyers
transporting horses long distances to slaughter. What Saccia fails to
understand is that it is against the Commercial Transportation of
Horses to Slaughter Act, Federal Regulations, Volume 66, No, 236,
published Dec. 7, 2001 to transport horses to slaughter in double
deck trailers. (the doubles ban went into effect 5 years from
effective date) Also according to the USDA,

"As stated previously, commercial shippers typically charge owners a
flat rate to transport their equines, so the possibility of fewer
equines per shipment should not result in less revenue for commercial
shippers."

Regarding Saccia's statements on overcrowding on single decks:

"Overcrowding can also occur in single-deck (also called straight-
deck) trailers, which are used to transport equines to a lesser
extent than double-deck trailers. The requirement concerning adequate
space could translate into fewer equines per conveyance."

Regarding questions on the number of equines carried on a double
versus a single or straight deck trailer: Pg. 63594:

"We acknowledge that double-deck trailers can carry more equines and
other livestock than single-deck trailers. We are allowing the
continued use of double-deck trailers for the next 5 years in order
to minimize economic losses to those dependent on the use of
doubledeck trailers.

Regarding the idea that doubles can be modified or that somehow a
double deck trailer can be constructed in the future that can
transport horses safely and humanely: Pg. 63594:

"We do not believe that equines can be safely and humanely
transported on a conveyance that has an animal cargo space divided
into two or more stacked levels. As stated in the proposal, double-
deck trailers can continue to be used to transport other commodities,
including produce and livestock other than equines. Also, owners can
sell their serviceable trailers at fair market value to transporters
of commodities other than equines."

Questions from those opposing regarding how many doubles are
utilized. From pg 63613:

"In fact, it is estimated that double-deck trailers in general carry
equines no more than about 10 percent of the time they are in use."

As for Representatives Reiss questions as to whether or not the
horses know what deck they are on, and if they do not what does it
matter, the EPN's Christine Berry responds,

"I know that horses realize they are not in a van designed for horses
from the moment they are forced with electric cattle prods, whips, or
biting dogs into a dark trailer by means of a "trap door" in the rear
of the trailer, forced to lower their heads & jump down into the
lower deck. As they slip and fall on the slippery metal floors and
then slam their heads into the top deck as they fight to regain their
balance by raising their heads, I can assure you those horses know
that they are not on a van that is designed, safety tested,
manufactured, or marketed to the horse industry!"

Boland from Moline voted in favor of the bill.

Three Hills also has dates scheduled in Maryland (2006) and New York,
(1980) two states that have also banned the use of double deck
trailers to transport any horse, no matter what its final
destination.

Three Hills has continued to come to PA for the rodeo in Plymouth
Meeting, PA in September. The sky has not fallen on rodeo since they
cannot use doubles to transport horses in PA since 2001 and it will
not fall in IL when IL passes the IL Horse Transport Bill. The EPN
supports this legislation as currently drafted and has the support of
the commercial horse transportation industry, including the National
Horse Carriers Association, Brook Ledge, Drexler Horse Transport, C
and E Horse Transport, along with Stolen Horse International and The
Paper Horse Magazine. Equine Advocates, Arlington Park, and numerous
other organizations support this legislation that is in line with
accepted horse industry practices.

Illinois Dates

Peoria, Rockford, and Moline, IL in January
Galena, IL on July 4-5th
Freeport, IL on August 21st

Christine Berry

Equine Protection Network

www.SaveAmericasHorses.com
www.HoofPAC.com

Acute Spring Fever

Is spring finally here? I cannot remember a winter more miserable than the one (I hope) just past. That's quite a statement from someone who's always hated winter anyway.

It wasn't just the cold - although it was very cold very late in the season - which is always hard to take - it was me, my body and mind. My back, always touchy due to congenital lumbar stenosis, decided to have a fit at the worst possible time. The heavy clothes I had to wear to the barn made my back scream, which made my legs scream, which made it difficult just to walk back and forth to the barn, let alone do anything when I got there.

Twenty-five years of making a living using a keyboard have left me with severe tendinitis in both hands and carpel tunnel syndrome in both wrists - both of which are quite sensitive to the cold. The extra effort of working in heavy gloves greatly exacerbates the tendinitis, making gripping anything very painful.

Definitely not helping matters was the fact that there was so much stall cleaning to do, especially in the morning - my very worst time. No, it wasn't Indy and Ami. They are pretty darn neat in their stalls, even in very bad weather. Rather it was the barn cats. Yes, I said cats - about 20 of them using the stalls as litter boxes. Ewwwwwwww!

Not only did we have to practically sift the stalls to find it all of it, cat poop makes horse poop smell like Channel #5. Not great exactly the greatest on frigid mornings when one already feels like Dead Person Walking - under 15 lbs. of layered clothing. The worst of it was that all this took so long that it was almost time for their lunch by the time we finished.

Several times I was so exhausted when we finally got back in the house that the only thing I could do was crash so I would be able to fix Indy's and Ami's lunch and take it out to them - which of course involved getting all dressed again. I was truly miserable. There were mornings when I honestly questioned whether I would be able to get dressed - no small feat at 10 degrees - stagger to the barn, clean up, mainly after the cats, stagger back to the house, get undressed, rest for maybe an hour before lunch.

So, on those mornings while I was lying in bed wondering if I could make it through another bone chilling morning, did I wish I didn't have to go out in the cold? Certainly. Did the thought that I might be better off without horses ever cross my mind? Certainly not.

Why not? Because my life would be so empty without them. Because, for me, horses are Magic. No matter how bad I feel and for whatever reason, the moment I'm with my horses I'm fine. These glorious creatures are as necessary to me as the air I breath - air preferably wafting the warm, earthy smell of horses my way.

I was born addicted to horses, and I will die addicted to horses. It's no more under my control than the color of my eyes or the fact that I happen to be left handed. It just is. And I am so grateful for it.

Well, then, what about all those cats? What can I do? I mean, I couldn't get along without Princess, or Precious, or Zip, or Cudzy, or Tab, or Ranger, or Scout, or Pepper, or Blue, or Bobby, or Scritch, or Frosty, or Nose, or BK, or Speed, or Mr. Gray, or Bash, or Bunny, or Boots, or ...

Oh well. They hardly ever use the stalls when the weather is decent.

The Gift

My farrier, Matt, was over Friday to trim Indy and Ami. Neither of them wear shoes, but they need their regular trims just the same.

Matt is not only an excellent farrier, he's a great friend, and he only lives about ten minutes away. Over the years that he's taken care of my horses, we've come to know each other very well, and we discuss everything under the sun.

Friday we got talking about the whole slaughter/unwanted horses/owner responsibility thing. We agree that slaughter is not - or at least it shouldn't be - the answer to "unwanted" horses. We've both felt for a long time that owner responsibility - or the lack thereof - is the root cause of all these surplus horses, and that's what needs to be addressed. Owner education is the only real and humane solution.

Then Matt said something that I'll never forget. He said that we - that is, horse owners - seem to have forgotten what wonderful gifts our horses offer - the gift of riding them; the gift of working with them; the gift of just watching them; the gift of smelling their breath.

I think it was that last one that got to me the most, because it is a gift, just to smell their warm, sweet breath. I know many of you horse lovers know exactly what we mean.

What then is our responsibility to these unsurpassed creatures who give us so much? Is it - as Matt and I think - to keep our horses for the rest of their natural lives, or, failing that, make sure they go to a good home? At the end of their lives, is it our responsibility to ensure that they have a peaceful and painless exit from this world?

Or, is it okay to "dispose" of a horse that can't/won't fulfill the purpose we envisioned on purchase in any way available? Should we sell them to anyone who will meet our price without regard to what that person might have in mind for them? Should we send them to slaughter - with all it's attendant frightful possibilities - instead of providing them with euthanasia by a veterinarian? And, if slaughter is the best we feel we can do for our horses at the end of their "useful" lives, should we ever have owned them at all?

I've already stated my own opinions about these questions. I offer this post as food for thought.