Bullseye!

We here in Warsaw, IN certainly dodged a bullet with the ice storms that have plagued so much of the country. We only had one day when it was really slippery, and we never lost power at all. However, we weren't quite so lucky with this last winter storm. It was snow instead of ice - thank goodness! - but little ole Warsaw saw some of the heaviest snowfall of the entire region - some 14 inches, and that's not counting the fact that there was a lot of blowing and drifting...

Even though it wasn't bitter cold, the wind continued to howl the next day, and even Indy seemed a bit intimidated by it all. Later in the day however, I saw him venture out to the gate even though he didn't go outside the paddock. They both seemed content do stay up by the barn and munch hay.

I knew Indy couldn't contain his curiosity for long though. Sure enough, today he was venturing all the way to the cross fence - and there was Ami right behind him. Some of the drifts were knee deep even for him, and he seemed to take pleasure in galloping through them. The more practical Ami just walked.



Actually, the most difficult part was just getting to the barn the first morning. The drifts were impossible to walk through, even for Mike. He couldn't even dent them with a shovel. Finally, he had to pick his way, clearing a path around the drifts. It wasn't the most direct route to the barn, but under the circumstances we weren't complaining!

The barn cats however were complaining. There was a snow drift blocking their regular "kitty entrance" in the front door of the barn. There they were - all 28 of them - sitting right behind the door when we opened it! What a cat-tastrophe!

Even when the kitties got out of the barn, the drifts were too deep for them to maneuver - they just sank! It didn't take them long to discover our path though, and they've been frolicking up and down, to and from the barn ever since.

By now of course, Indy and Ami have their weaving trails all over the pasture. Viewed from upstairs it looks like a bunch of drunks have been wandering around out there. Horses are constitutionally incapable of walking in a straight line. It must be a prey animal thing. They have been enjoying themselves, and that's the important thing. Indy - who was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - says this is the first decent winter he's seen since he moved here to the southland.

Snow Day

Overnight we had our first real snowfall in this crazy winter - some three inches or so. Enough that snow lover Indy was galloping up and down the paddock, flagging and snorting. In other words, having a Total Blast. Even Ami was doing a bit of steam blowing herself.

I'd been planning to start introducing them back into the full pasture soon, and today seemed like the perfect time to start. It's been cold and cloudy for days, and they can't get nearly as much grass under a few inches of snow as they could otherwise.

After we had cleaned the stalls and given them their breakfast Mike went out and opened the gate. Since this gate hadn't been opened since we started keeping them in last spring, it took him a few moments to unfasten it through the snow and ice. Meanwhile, Mr. Indy had lost interest and besides, his hay was calling him. Then Mike got the gate to swing free.

Indy knows to follow my finger when I want to direct his attention. When I pointed he looked back over his shoulder. His ears popped forward, his eyes widened and off he went in a high stepping trot. Ami, who had stayed over nearby had already shot out into the pasture. Whoopee!

And whoopee it was. Almost every time I looked out the kitchen window, there was Indy, galloping up and down, round and round. The whole pasture was covered with their swirling trails in the snow. What utter joy it is to watch them romp and play - just acting like healthy, happy horses.

When they came up for their dinner, we closed the gate for the night. I let them stay out for most of the day, and will do the same tomorrow. If all is well after about a week, they will be completely free for the winter.

They'll have to come back to the paddock in the spring, but for now just watch 'em go!

The Stray

A stray wandered onto our property in the wee hours of Saturday morning. But who hasn't had a stray dog or cat wander onto their yard once in a while? This stray however was a horse - a very small horse.

When we examined him in the daylight, I was sure he was young, but not knowing whether he was a horse or pony made it harder to estimate his age, and I don't claim to be an expert in baby teeth. He was bigger than a mini, but not by a lot. He was a very pretty bay with four white stockings, and he was very friendly. I was worried we might have trouble catching him, but he came right up to us, obviously glad to see us.

At first, we just put him into the field, since Indy and Ami were in the paddocks. They all seemed quite chummy, but I still didn't want to turn a totally strange horse into the paddocks with them - for all kinds of reasons. He ran around a bit at first, but very soon came back close to his new found buds, and they all grazed along together with only a few pesky strands of ElectroBraid separating them.

Later however, I got worried about the amount of grass he was getting. He was already quite chubby, and I know all too well what too much grass can do to certain horses. By now, I had decided he must be some kind of pony, and they are notorious for foundering on grass.

We put Indy and Ami in the large paddock, and brought the little guy into the small one and gave him some hay.





My hubbie, Mike, was trying to put hay in the feeder, but the little guy just couldn't wait. As you can see the little fellow - he's a gelding - was so cute!

We had called the sheriff's department and all our horsy friends, hoping they would know something. No one had reported a missing horse, and none of our friends knew anything off hand, but they all said they would try to find out something. That's one of the many things I love about being a member of the "horse community." Everyone sticks together like glue, and we will do just about anything to help one another and our horses.

Naturally, it was a weekend, and we were afraid the Kid's owner might be out of town or something. We thought surely he hadn't wandered far from home, but it's very rural out here, and he could have wandered accross the fields without being seen from the roads.

I figured he was probably an "only" horse, because horses with pasture buddies almost never wander away from them. He seemed to have formed a bond with Indy and Ami, and he appeared to be perfectly happy just staying here. Unfortunately.

Don't get me wrong - I would have loved to keep the little cutie. But he belonged so someone else, someone who might be as frantic as I would be if it were Indy or Ami that were missing. Besides that, we don't have good shelter for more than two horses, and, global warming or no global warming, it gets cold and nasty here in the winter. Not to mention hot and buggy in the summer. And, last but far from least, I would not able to care for three horses the way I feel they should be cared for - the grooming, the personal attention, and for this baby, the training. Heck, I'm still training Indy under saddle, and that's about all I can manage these days.

Speaking of Indy and Ami... I was so proud of the way they handled this situation! They both befriended the Kid and neither one ever showed a trace of aggression or jealousy. They were a bit excited of course, but not nuts, and even that settled down quickly after the Kid moved into the small paddock.



Indy is only 15.0 hands, but next to this kid he looks like a giant.



Ami is only 13.2 hands, but even she looks big beside the baby.

On Sunday afternoon, Mike decided to take a drive around the "block" - out here that's about an eight mile trip - to see if there were any "lost horse" signs up. I'll bet he hadn't been gone five minutes when the phone rang. It was a guy who asked me if I were "Suzy." When I said I was, he mentioned the name of a mutual friend of ours who thought we might have his pony. He said, "Does he have four white stockings?" and I said, "He sure does!"

He and his brother were there in minutes with a trailer - in fact, they beat Mike back by a few minutes. They had been out of town, and had returned to find the pony missing. They were certainly glad to see him alive and well!

So, that's the saga of our little weekend guest. Since he doesn't live far away, I will probably have the opportunity to see him again. I hope so anyway. As for Indy and Ami, things quickly returned to normal - as you can see.



Oh yeah, Baby is three years old.

Is Horse Slaughter A Necessary Evil?

If you have been swayed by the argument put forth by the pro-slaughter groups that abuse and neglect of horses will increase, and that shipping horses to Mexico to be slaughtered - a much worse fate than slaughter in the US - will also greatly increase, please follow the link below to read this entire article.

Horses must be protected from slaughter - welfare group | Horsetalk - International horse news

October 4, 2007

An animal welfare group says claims that horses are
facing worse fates in Mexico and Canada since US slaughter ended are a
"red herring" argument.

The Animal Welfare Institute says that now horse slaughter has
effectively ended in the United States, "the pro-horse slaughter camp
is claiming it was right about the need to keep slaughter an option in
the US." The AWI is actively working to pass the American Horse
Slaughter Prevention Act into law.

"They say that our horses are facing a far worse fate in Mexico and
Canada than they were when they could be slaughtered in America. This
is yet another 'red-herring' argument advanced by the pro-horse
slaughter side to distract humane Americans from the ultimate goal of
protecting all American horses from slaughter via passage of the
American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S. 311/HR. 503). This
legislation will end the slaughter of American horses here and their
export for slaughter abroad," a spokesman said.

read more

If you care about horses in the slightest degree, please

1. Contact your own Congressman and ask him/her to support H.R.297.
   • Locate your Congressman here

2. Contact your Senators and ask them to cosponsor S.576.
   • Locate your Senator here
     

Horse Slaughter In The News

Horse slaughter in the news - Horsetalk - equestrian event news, equine news - Horsetalk

Horse slaughter in the news - October 4, 2007

Transportation to Hungary (Picture: ILPH) New Zealand's wild kaimanawa horses face slaughter Miracle foal

4.10.07:

• Horses must be protected from slaughter - welfare group

22.9.07:

• Court's killer blow ends US horse slaughter

12.8.07:

• Premarin: Hormone therapy hurts women and horses

10.8.07:

• 'Brazen coup' by horse slaughter company

25.7.07:

• Live aid event for horses

25.7.07:

• Dog fighting allegations highlight dog and horse abuse

20.7.07:

• Cavel allowed to continue slaughtering horses

15.7.07:

• Horse slaughter injunction denied in district court

7.7.07:

• Judge upholds ban on horse slaughter

30.6.07:

• Illinois slaughter plant shut down again

29.6.07:

• ILPH highlights slaughter transport laws

27.6.07:

• Humane Society praises sentate over slaughter ban

16.6.07:

• 10-day reprieve for Illinois horse slaughter plant

10.6.07:

• Rescue operation buys 32 horses from Cavel

2.6.07:

• Illinois horse slaughter allowed to resume during legal challenge

30.5.07:

• End of the line for Texas horse slaughter

30.5.07:

• Kaimanawa wild horses - latest

26.5.07:

• Illinois horse slaughter trade at an end

25.5.07:

• The relationship between horse slaughter and reported cases of abuse and neglect - a study

24.5.07:

• Texas horse slaughterhouses remain closed

19.5.07:

• More strength for unwanted horse group

17.5.07:

• Illinois Senate votes to end slaughter

17.5.07:

• Gordon Ramsay's horse meat show condemned

17.5.07:

• Racecourse denies involvement in Ramsay's horse meat show

17.5.07:

• Gordon Ramsay in the manure over horse meat

15.5.07:

• Top race winning owners want horse slaughter ban

15.5.07:

• Horse slaughter debate on rollercoaster ride

12.5.07:

• Kaimanawa wild horses face slaughter

10.5.07:

• Horse charity slates Gordon Ramsay's show

9.5.07:

• Chef Ramsay looks at horse meat

7.5.07:

• Miracle foal is named

5.5.07:

• Horse slaughter gets go-ahead to resume

30.4.07:

• Life after so much death: a miracle foal

28.4.07:

• Wild horses win again in US House of Representatives

27.4.07:

• Horse slaughter bill advances in US Senate

21.4.07:

• Illinois takes lead against horse slaughter

20.4.07:

• Another victory for anti horse-slaughter lobbyists

16.4.07:

• Horses in need get second chance at new centre

5.4.07:

• Packs of horses attack defenseless trees in Kentucky

30.3.07:

• Horse slaughter line at a standstill

30.3.07:

• New voice for unwanted horses

29.3.07:

• US horse slaughter industry on the ropes

23.3.07:

• Horse slaughter story 'wildly inacccurate'

21.3.07:

• Public outcry at "horse waste" from slaughter plant

21.3.07:

• Horse slaughterhouse under fire for environmental issues

20.3.07:

• Queensland wild horse muster in limbo

18.3.07:

• Humane society dismisses horse dumping claims

16.3.07:

• US vet group joins horse slaughter debate

11.3.07:

• Pro horse-slaughter bill condemned

9.3.07:

• Bill to stop wild horse slaughter voted on

7.3.07:

• Texas rules against horse slaughter houses

29.2.07:

• Illinois bill could end horse slaughter

14.2.07:

• Horse slaughter plant continues killing

30.1.07:

• House leaders fight ban on horse slaughter

21.1.07:

• Two of three US horse slaughter plants face closure

10.1.07:

• Unwanted horses get new advocates

8.1.07:

• Kentucky takes steps to ban horse slaughter

It's Final: Last U.S. Horse Slaughter Plant Must Close

HSUS >> Horses and Other Equines

It's Final: Last U.S. Horse Slaughter Plant Must Close September 21, 2007 Today, The Humane Society of the United States hailed a decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upholding the State of Illinois' decision to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. Illinois is home to the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the country, and the ruling effectively ends all slaughter of horses for food in the United States. "Today's court decision marks the end of the line for the foreign-owned horse slaughter industry in the United States," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "Now it's up to Congress to finish the job and protect American horses from being exported to foreign abattoirs in Canada and Mexico for human consumption overseas." In a unanimous ruling, the Court rejected each and every one of Cavel's legal claims and reiterated that "States have a legitimate interest in prolonging the lives of animals" and promoting the "humane treatment of our fellow animals." "This ruling should make the people of Illinois proud to stop the last remaining horse slaughterhouse in the country," said Illinois State Representative Bob Molaro, one of the key sponsors of the bill. "This was a hard won fight for the legislature, but the fight is not over. I applaud U.S. Rep. Janice Schakowsky for her federal leadership on this issue, and hope that this decision will spur the passage of federal legislation to prevent American horses from being shipped to Mexico or Canada for butchering." Governor Rod Blagojevich signed the law, which took effect immediately, on May 24. Shortly thereafter, Cavel International, the nation's only remaining horse slaughter facility, filed suit seeking to block enforcement of the law. Earlier this year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a similar effort by the horse slaughter industry to overturn Texas' law banning the possession of horse meat for human consumption. In July, the federal district court in Rockford, Illinois upheld the Illinois state law, for substantially the same reasons provided by the Fifth Circuit in the Texas case, and Cavel appealed that decision to the Seventh Circuit. "This was the final chapter in our successful efforts to close down the last remaining horse slaughterhouse in the United States," said Illinois State Senator John Cullerton, another key sponsor of the law. "We have finally stopped the slaughter of these majestic creatures." The HSUS filed briefing as a friend of the court in the case, and was represented by Schiff Hardin LLP, Belgrade & O'Donnell, P.C. and lawyers with The HSUS' animal protection litigation section. The state law was defended before the court of appeals by Illinois Solicitor Gary Feinerman, Attorney General Lisa Madigan, and Assistant Attorney General Mary Welsh. The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization—backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty—On the web at humanesociety.org American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act Cavel International, Inc. v. Madigan (Illinois horse slaughter) End Horse Slaughter Permanently Illinois Bans Horse Slaughter, Shutters Last U.S. Slaughter Plant