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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Returning to dust

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: "T'mi Fi" <tfinkle@erols.com>
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Returning to dust
  • Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:31:24 -0400

I agree that this is not an MSAR topic. Personally, what folks do or don't do with their horses and their life is their business (not mine) and is the reason we have laws and judges.  I do what is best for my horses by using solid science, sound research and a few generations of passed on animal care practices as my personal business plan towards maintaining healthily and happy horses.  Running a retirement home for my non-workable livestock simply is not a sound business practice for me.

I know of a few folk who have put their horse down because they become fed up with "concerned citizen" complaints about their thin older horses.   I look at an MSAR mount as working animal (not a pet) and except the fact that all animals get old and lose their usefulness.  I am also a firm believer that unity between the horse and rider is very important and is a must to get the best performance out of your mount, however, it is rare to get more than 20 years of riding time together before the mount needs to be replaced.  Since my family does not eat cheval, up until a couple of years ago I would have simply taken an non-workable mount  to a USDA sale and let nature take its course there. Now we are forced us to use the B&B method of dispatch.  I find it sad that those same type of concerned citizens who closed the processing plants down here in the USA, knew little about the processing plants south of the US border that have historically not operated with the term "human treatment" as part of their business plan.

Life moves on,

T'mi



Karen Nesbitt wrote:
As an owner of several old horses and as retired breeder, we still get asked how are our horses by many friends and that is very nice. We know they genuinely care.  We equally get asked by some just passing by that go through other not so polite and caring channels.  I recently got such a call from the humane society.  Actually it came via a complaint.  The gal from the humane society  however was very polite.
 
Our oldest is getting close to thirty.  I  have had to put up with this type of call before and nieve comments from people complaining that there is a skinny horse out in my pasture by people thinking there is something wrong or there is a case of negelct.  Yes, there is something wrong, and that is we cannot turn the hands of time back on an aging companion.  Eventually they do hit a point where they are not their once beautifulselves.  Such is the case with our now approaching 30 year old and its very difficult to watch her as she declines, and she is still a pasture mate to her equine friends that share her pasture.  One of our mares stays vigil by her side  religiously to protect her and I know she is going to be shattered as am I when her buddy is gone as the two are inseperateable. 
 
Someone is here nearly 24/7 and if not, someone is surely on their way in case of an emergency, but not everyone knows that or even cares.  And I have had to help that old mare on an occassion to get up when she has been too weak to do it on her own.  Her and I have been through a lot of years as I obtained her as a youngster.  I have been fortuneate with her in that she has in that time been rarely sick, mostly pregnant and a mother and superb do it all.  She is a west nile survivor, contracting that at age 25 and well, as I explained to the humane gal, you want to tell me what we are doing wrong?  They just dont live that long if they are not getting  good care. She had no comment and in fact said she too had several that had seen their better days.
 
As you find yourself with an old friend, a complaint call from people not knowing can be very insulting when you hear that they think you are not giving an animal care.  Its part of the cycle of ownership.  And there are people too out their that actually like to cause  trouble.
 
It will never cease to amaze me how so many people are more apt to call on a skinny animal, yet there are countless overweight animals that are on the other end of the scale to the point of abuse also not getting good care.  Funny too, how some people will bitch and moan about someone elses horses and forget to take care of their own.  So many do not know the difference between fit, fat or unthrifty and you cannot always make a judgement call from half a mile away not seeing the animal front up or not being a horseman.  I will not say horse owner, because there are a lot of people who are owners, yet are not horsemen.
 
What are you doing with your horses in this high heat and humidity???  Are you walking by a broken fence rail and a board or peice of trash on the ground that your equine friend will step on later or maybe try to eat later as you opt instead to go for a ride?   Is the heat making you too lazy to take care of a simple matter as such fillign a water bucket or pick up the board and trash as you allow it to lay there for for days??  Or are you out there managing your stock pinching skin for hydration or checking buckets to make sure there is water and all is in well repair before you take your friend for a ride?  Conditioning to ride in this heat is big a matter.  Each horse and human take the heat different.    I ask these questions to all of you because this is all part of ownership.  Through my years  I have seen lazy owners actually try to feed twice as much and skip a meal, or not feed in the rain.  I have seen owners of too many feeding them assembly line and not taking the time to do individual care. I have seen owners never check their stock while they are on open range and while that care might work for some... does it work good individually?
 
What are you doing for yourself?  Are you sucking down a cold brewsky when you should be downing water?    Just thoughts here because it is summer time and we all do things to beat the heat, but we all have an obligation to our animals as well as ourselves to take care.  Taking care of animals in this weather can be very frustrating,  The heat can make everyone very irritable and the simple doing of chores can be a big issue if you are over your limits to start.  You have to know your limitations, you have to have a plan.
 
If you a first time owner and/and have found yourself at this website,  did you really think yourself clear when you made your purchase or have you not even given this a thought?
Did you overlook the idea when you bought a 2-1 mare in foal that things were not gonna get easier as the economy was bottoming out?   DId you get a bargain at a sale barn and come home unknowing with a mare that was pregnant?  Do you have more animals on a peice of land that it cannot support?
 
These are things the humane society hears a thousand and one stupid excuses of why such owners cannot take care of their stock and why too, they are overcrouded with horses they cannot get anyone to adopt.  It is reasons too of why people cannot sell.
 
Here is a very interesting article I think everyone should read.
It puts a new thought into owning a horse and what our world has actually done to itself polluting itself as we return to dust and ashes to ashes as our days are numbered and faithfully marked.
 
What does it have to do with MSAR, maybe nothing, but to some in the vigil of careing, maybe everything.
 
May you all take good care, before you take a ride.  And may your shelter and ride be safe.
        Karen
 
 


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