Horseback Riding is a Sport

Horseback riding looks easy from the spectators point of view. The rider is just sitting on the horse right? This is a common misconception partly due to it being the goal of every rider to look like you are doing nothing when you are truly controlling every move the horse makes. The connection between horse and rider is something that cannot be explained it can only be experienced. Enjoy this video :)

Wild Horses - and a Government Program that Works

A roundup of wild horses took place about a week ago near Durango, Colo. These roundups, which occur annually all across the western United States, are part of the Bureau of Land Management's strategy as part of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The act charged the BLM with managing the West's wild horses to maintain herd and resource health.

Recently, many people have charged that the BLM is not doing its job, and actually harming the horses by removing them from the wild. Protests and lawsuits are common at wild-horse roundups. These people believe that wild horses are endangered, and that removing and stressing them could cause them to stop breeding, leading to the disappearance of wild herds.

That impression is false.

Horses compete with all other range animals -- deer, elk and domestic grazing stock such as cows and sheep -- for resource use. Any area can support only a limited number of animals, depending on the quality and amount of forage that grows there. In the arid western United States, rangeland forage can be very sparse, meaning that sustainable herd size is fairly small.

The estimated carrying capacity of the western range for wild horses is about 26,000 - but almost 40,000 horses and burros roam the West's public land today. Thus, wild horse populations are too large to be sustainable. Because horse herds can double in size every four years, a significant number of horses must be removed every year.

Wild horses have no natural predators and are not native to North America. The only ways to control herd size are to remove horses from the range and control reproduction. The roundups give the BLM the opportunity to do both.

Federal land managers are starting a program to give mares hormone shots to prevent pregnancy, which eventually will reduce the need for roundups and keep herd levels more sustainable. The horses the BLM removes from the range are either adopted or sent to pastures in the Midwest where they live out their lives. About 41,000 wild horses are kept in these pastures today.

The American mustang is not endangered in any way. The Wild Horse and Burro Act was a directive to preserve the mustang in a sustainable way on public lands.

While I fully support monitoring government agencies and holding them accountable, protests without full information are pointless and degrade the cause.

For more information on the Wild Horse and Burro Program, check out the BLM’s website: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/history_and_facts/quick_facts.html

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/history_and_facts/myths_and_facts.html

10 Ways to Get in Shape to Own a Horse

This is stolen, but the original source is unknown, but its good for a laugh. 

1. Drop a heavy steel object on your foot. Don't pick it up right away. Shout "Get off, stupid! Get off!"

2. Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice "Relaxing into the fall". Roll into a ball, and spring to your feet!

3. Learn to grab your checkbook out of your purse/pocket and write out a $200 check without even looking down.

4. Jog long distances carrying a halter and holding out a carrot. Go ahead and tell the neighbors what you're doing.They might as well know now.

5. Affix a pair of reins to a moving freight train and practice pulling it to a halt. And smile as if you are really having fun.

6. Hone your fibbing skills. "See hon, moving hay bales is fun!" and " I'm glad your lucky performance and multi-million dollar horse won you first place - I'm just thankful that my hard work and actual ability won me second place".

7. Practice dialing your physical therapist's number with both arms paralyzed to the shoulder, and one foot anchoring the lead rope of a frisky horse.

8. Borrow the US Army slogan; "Be all that you can be'...( but add) bitten, thrown, kicked, slimed, trampled."

9. Lie face down in the mud in your most expensive riding clothes and repeat to yourself: "This is a learning experience, this is a learning experience ..."

10. Marry Money!

The True Costs of Horse Ownership

The True Costs of Horse Ownership

When I tell people I have a horse, I get a variety of reactions. One of the most perplexing is when people tell me about how they hope to buy a place with some acreage and put a horse or two on it. From my perspective, they are volunteering themselves for a lot of time, money and effort for something they aren’t truly passionate about.

Horses are expensive. Horse ownership is really only for those who truly love horses and will make them part of their everyday life.

Any prospective buyer has to take in all the expenses -- including time and effort. Besides the outright monetary costs of hay, grain, water and health care, there's the investment of feeding, cleaning and other labor -- as well as the realization that there's no more sleeping in.

Choosing instead to board a horse means a smaller time and labor commitment, but the monetary costs will be similar. Even if you board your horse, you should still go do minimal care for it -- such as grooming -- every day. Board doesn’t always cover all your expenses; you may have to purchase extra hay, grain or other treats for you horse. Board rarely covers veterinarian's expenses or farrier work.

Here is a sample yearly budget:

Boarding

Boarding a horse can cost from $100 to $1,000 per month depending on the barn you choose and your location. This covers hay, grain, and stall cleaning.

Hay: 7 tons per horse per year, if pasture is provided during spring and summer. Hay costs $80 to $250 per ton, for a minimum cost per year of  $560

• Grain: 50 pounds per month minimum. Grain costs $15 to $25 per 50-pound sack, for a minimum cost per year of $180.
• Stall cleaning requires a minimum of 30 minutes per day. If you pay the $7.25-per-hour minimum wage, the minimum cost per year would be $1,325.

Board may not include enough hay or grain for your horse if he is a hard-keeper or if pasture is slim. Board sometimes does not include stall cleaning, which you may be expected to do. The more you pay for board, the more services will be covered.

Health care and maintenance

• Farrier $60 to $200 per visit. A farrier typically visits every 6 to 8 weeks for a minimum cost of $360 per year -- only if your horse can go barefoot, which is almost impossible for horses which live on rocky ground or which get ridden extensively.
• Veterinarian
• Vaccines: $60 per year minimum.
• Teeth floating: $100 per time, 1 to 3 times per year.
• Sheath cleaning: $20 to $50.
• Lameness exams: $100 minimum.
• Health certificates: $30 minimum.
• Coggins test: $30 minimum.
• Farm call $30 minimum.

Veterinary costs can be significantly higher if your horse has health or lameness issues,  which all horses will have during their lifetime.

Total minimum annual costs for veterinary care would be $2,705 -- and that's if you are keeping your horse at your own place, which means you have added labor and time costs.

Remember, this cost is for just one horse. Horses are herd animals and need to have at least one other horse with which to live.

Remember also that these are merely basic costs of care. To really enjoy having a horse around, many other costs should be considered:

• Tack
• Halter and lead rope
• Saddle
• Bridle
• Riding clothes
• Protective gear for both horse and rider
• Treats
• Horse cookies
• Carrots
• Apples
• Toys for the stall or pasture
• Transportation
• At minimum, the costs of gasoline or other hauling fees
• You may have to purchase a truck and trailer if you want to be able to:
• Go trail riding
• Compete at costly horse shows
• Class fees
• Stall fees
• Vet costs
• Show clothes
• Move your horse to a new barn

Horse ownership is a huge step that should not be taken lightly. These are live animals with many needs. Horses should be under the care of someone experienced and knowledgeable who has the time to really care for the animal.

Enjoy the idyllic scenery of a group of horses grazing in other pastures. Leave the care to professionals.

Eventers do it 3 ways in 3 days :)

I volunteered this past weekend at the Windy Wyoming Horse Trials in Laramie, Wyo. -- an amazing annual event which is fun for both competitors and spectators.

Horse trials are known by many names: 3-day eventing, Combined Training, Horse Trials or just Eventing. The sport is not well known, not even in the horse community, but I believe it's the ultimate test of horse and rider.

The format varies depending on the level of competition, but there are 3 basic tests of horse and rider in eventing: Communication, endurance and precision.

Communication

The communication between rider and horse is evaluated during the Dressage test, which always comes first. This test proves that the rider has sufficient control over the horse to attempt the next two phases.

Dressage is the French word for training and emphasizes the relationship between the rider and horse. A well-done dressage test should look like a dance between horse and rider. The cues a rider gives a horse should be imperceptible, and the horse’s response should be willing and fluid.

Great dressage takes years to master for both the rider and horse -- but there are many levels of tests to master before reaching the top level.

Endurance

In the next phase, cross country, the horse and rider are asked to gallop across fields and through trees and water, while jumping over solid obstacles.

Considered the most exciting part of eventing, this phase tests endurance. The courses are up to 4 miles long with up to 40 obstacles for horse and rider to navigate. The list of obstacles is long, but usually includes logs, water, banks and a wide variety of shapes of jumps.

The endurance phase is sometimes supplemented with the “Roads and Tracks” and steeplechase phases. In these timed events, riders are expected to keep to a set pace and are penalized if they go too fast or too slowly. 

Precision

The final phase, show jumping, tests the precision of the horse and rider. The jumps in this phase will fall if the horse hits the fence, and the pair will be penalized for every jump that falls and for extra time around the course. This phase’s difficulty is increased by having completed the cross-country phase and therefore being tired and used to a longer stride at a faster pace.

 

The winner

At the end of the event, the total penalties from all 3 phases are tallied and the rider with the lowest penalty score wins.

This sport is great for competitors and spectators alike. The dressage phase shows the grace of the horse and the expertise of the ride. The cross-country phase is full of excitement and potentially danger to both horse and rider. The show-jumping phase is a fast-paced and exciting end to the event.

If you get a chance, go see a local event. The United States Eventing Association tracks all registered events and can help you find your local eventing association, which can lead you to schooling shows and other related competitions. In the Rocky Mountains, the Mountain State Eventing Association tracks all the local shows in its region and hosts the regional championships.

Trail Riding Etiquette

When going on a ride with a group, follow these basic rules of etiquette for the safety and enjoyment of the other riders.

• Do not leave the group.
• Horses are herd animals and get upset if one horse wanders off .
• Stay on the trail.
• Walking off the trail causes serious damage to the environment.
• Dangers such as snakes can be hiding in grass or rocks.
• If a horse steps in a hole, it can seriously injure itself.
• Leave gates as you found them.
• If a gate was closed when you reached it, close it behind you after the group goes through -- even if you plan to come back through later. The gate may be keeping livestock in or out of an area.
• Do not leave a horse alone at a gate.
• One rider will dismount to open the gate. The lead rider should take the group all the way through the gate, but then stop so that the rider at the gate is not alone. Do not let the group start walking again until the rider has remounted and given permission for the group to proceed.
• Check with all riders before trotting or cantering.
• Horses can have issues with running in a group, and an unsafe situation may result.
• Get to know the horses on your ride.
• Each horse has its own personality. Some will kick or bite if other horses get too close.
• Some horses buck or get upset if they are not in the "right" spot in line.
• Water crossings can be tricky.
• Let horses that are good with water help the others across.
• If a horse is nervous, go slowly and be patient. Let it follow a horse it knows.
• Use common sense.
• Choose trails that are appropriate for all the riders and horses.  
• If you encounter problems on the trail, stay calm and think through your options.
• On some trails, it's better to dismount and lead your horse.
• Respect the land.
• Get permission to ride on private property.
• “Leave only hoof-prints, take only pictures.”
• Follow all posted signage and park rules.
• For more information on trail riding in your area, check for local groups.
• Try Meetup.com
• There may be a local chapter of Backcountry Horsemen.
• Check other social networking sites.
• Talk to other people you see out riding.
• Check out the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) and its new show,  "America's Favorite Trail Horse."

Trail Riding Tips

Trail Riding Tips

Trail riding is a great way to see the countryside, spend time with your horse and get some exercise. Proper preparation -- for yourself and your horse -- can make the day even more enjoyable.

Set your expectation according to the level of experience and ability of both yourself and your horse. Start slowly and close to home for your first few rides. Then, as you gain more experience, you can go for longer rides and find new places to ride.

Before beginning the ride, make sure your horse is accustomed to all the equipment you will be using, such as saddlebags or anything else hanging off your saddle. If you are going to wear a hat or big jacket, make sure you have introduced your horse to that apparel as well. Horses can freak out and take off bucking for all sorts of reasons.

Things to always have with you:

• Water
• Rain jacket
• Knife
• Cell phone
• First-aid kit
• Emergency contact information
• Hoof pick

Season Specific things

• Hunters vest during hunting season

Optional items:

• Extra food
• Hat
• Rubber "Easy Boots" which slip over a horse's hoof to protect it from rocks and wear.
• Rattlesnake kit
• Compass or GPS
• Gun or rifle, in case an injured horse must be dispatched on the trail.

Other good ideas:

• Let someone who is not accompanying you know where you are going.
• Give that person an expected time of return.
• Provide your contact information.
• Make sure he or she knows who to contact in case you do not return.
• Do not ride by yourself.
• Have fun!

These tips apply to day rides. Overnight rides have different packing requirements and are for advanced riders only.

For more tips, check out the free handbook from the American Quarter Horse Association. 

So you want to be a horse-person....

What does a newbie to the culture of horses need to know?

Not everyone in the horse world is honest or trustworthy. However, it's more likely you will meet some of the most amazing and wonderful people -- and some of them will be your best friends for the rest of your life. 

You will not be successful without connections within the horse community. Your goal as a prospective horseperson should be to create a network of knowledgeable people at your barn and in the local horse community with whom you can ride, ask questions, get good advice and trust with yourself and your horse. The network you create will help you find farriers, veterinarians, competitions, trails, horse supplies -- and even your own horse.

At a minimum, you need a trainer who can help you through the ins and outs of riding, competing and ownership.

The best advice: Start slowly.

• Begin by taking riding lessons. Get lots of experience riding different horses in different styles.
• Do some barn work.
• Help clean stalls.
• Ask questions and help with sick and injured horses.
• Hang out at the barn and observe all the work that goes into caring for horses.

Don't be fooled by jargon.

• A trainer who uses “natural horsemanship” is not necessarily a good or bad trainer.
• The same goes for “Parrelli” trainers -- or any other system of training.
• Any trainer who insists that you buy a specific brand of equipment is just trying to get money out of you. Use your own common sense and obtain products which are high quality and safe.

If you are ready to consider buying a horse, there is much more to consider.

• Make sure you can handle the work.
• Start budgeting. The cheapest part of owning a horse is the initial purchase price. Then come the bills for:
• Boarding
• Feed
• Veterinary care
• Your farrier
• Hauling
• Tack and supplies

• Talk to your trainer.

• Ask if he or she thinks you are ready.
• Try a lot of different horses.
• Figure out what you plan to do with your horse.
• If you have been taking riding lessons, you will have to purchase tack and supplies of your own.
• Your trainer will know what horses will work best for you -- and where to find them.

If you find yourself at a barn or working with a trainer who you determine does not have your best interests in mind, you can leave.

• Talk to other people in your horse network.
• Figure out what you like and don’t like about your current barn and trainer.
• Use that criteria and check out other barns.
• Give notice that you are leaving-at least two weeks ahead, and check any contracts you signed so that you don’t end up owing money.

Your success in the horse world may not depend on money. You can ride and even own horses on a tight budget if:

• Your trainer is willing to work with you.
• You have set your expectations accordingly.
• You have found a barn willing to work with a boarder who has a limited budget; you may have to look hard to find one.

Competitions are expensive -- but without experience at competitions, you will not perform as well as those who can afford to compete every weekend. Even so, you can ride and compete on an unlimited budget and still not win.

• Winning requires the right horse, right trainer, and your own skill and talent as a rider.
• The most expensive horse and trainer will not always win.
• You must have a good relationship with your trainer. That person must know what your goals are and what is feasible for you and your horse. He or she must also be honest with you about your ability, experience and skill.

This is just the beginning of all the things you should know and will learn as you venture into the world of horses. It's OK to make mistakes, and you probably will get in over your head. Use your network for support and advice in dealing with the many pitfalls of getting started in the horse world.

Remember, horses are addictive, expensive, and may impair the ability to use common sense.

Outbreak-Alert.com: Protect Your Horse

Just found this site, it has info about disease outbreaks in the horse community. Check this out and share with your friends!

Outbreak-Alert.com: Protect Your Horse:

'via Blog this'

Guided Trail Riding Tips

As summer is winding down, so is vacation and trail-riding season -- but I want to offer  a few suggestions anyway for people who enjoy seeing the world from horseback.

I’ve worked at several trail-riding stables and have led private trail rides for years. I would like to pass on what I’ve learned and point out a few mistakes people make that make the guided ride less fun than it could be.
Most importantly, remember that you will not be doing any real riding at these stables. You are not going to prove your riding ability to anyone doing this kind of riding. The real purpose of guided trail rides is to get a unique tour of the area. Horse trails often go places you can’t reach with other modes of transportation. Horses also move at a unique pace: faster than walking but slower than motorized vehicles. The goal of the ride should be to spend time with horses and enjoy the scenery. With that purpose in mind, here are some tips:

• Never claim to have more riding experience than you have -- and estimate low. You don’t want a horse that tends to be spooky, grazes excessively, or otherwise causes problems; those horses will make it much more difficult for you to enjoy the ride. I suggest claiming "no experience" if your pride will allow it; you will get the best horse and be able to enjoy the scenery.
• Listen to your guide. Even if you are an expert rider, these guides know these horses and these trails better than you do. Remember, you are not out to prove your ability. You want to enjoy the ride.
• Dress appropriately. Wear long pants. Wear closed-toe shoes that do not have thick soles which can get caught in stirrups and thus are unsafe. Bring a jacket only if weather conditions in the area suggest that you may need it; you do not need to be taking clothing on and off while riding the horse. Most stables that have issues with weather provide rain jackets and have procedures to follow if it  rains while on a ride.
• Do not bring extra supplies. You will be gone for two hours at most and will not need water, snacks or other items that might hang off your body or saddle.  
• Stay in line. These horses often do not have experience outside of riding down the trail nose to tail. Do not try to trot, canter, or turn your horse unless absolutely necessary or if your guide tells you it's OK.
• Do not ask your guide to trot, canter or go faster. This prevents you from enjoying the scenery, causes chaos in the line and can cause accidents. Also, the trails are a length that allow you to walk the distance in the time given. The 1-hour ride is a trail that takes approximately an hour for a horse to walk. Guides often do not have other trails to offer if your ride ends up not being a full hour.
• Be careful with your camera. If you bring a camera, make it a small one that is easy to put into and get out of your pocket while you're in the saddle. Make sure it's quiet or turn off any sounds it makes; you do not want to spook your horse.
• Do not force kids to go on a ride. Your ride will be ruined if your child spends the entire ride scared or unhappy. Try a pony ride first to make sure the youngster likes riding. If you still want to go but your child doesn't, find another activity he or she would enjoy while you're gone.
• TIP YOUR GUIDE! If you enjoyed your ride, if you didn’t have accidents or issues, if they tried to entertain you, and if your child’s horse didn’t spend the entire ride with its head in the grass, you guide deserves a tip. Your guide works 12- to 15-hour days. He or she is up before the sun, saddling horses and getting ready for you to come and ride. When your ride is over, your guide has more work to do -- including rides to lead, horses to care for and pens to clean. Guides rely on tips for their income because their salaries are minimal. Because horses are large and unpredictable animals with minds of their own and are easily scared, a good guide who keeps the horses on the trail deserves to be rewarded for getting you back safely.

Remember, your goal is to enjoy your ride and enjoy the scenery. Anything you can do to help make that happen will make your experience much more enjoyable.

So, listen to your guide, tip your guide at the end of the ride -- and happy trails!

Supplements in Horses- Joint Supplement

SUPPLEMENTS FOR HORSES: Joint Supplements

In this ongoing series, I look at supplements for horses and any studies that are done on efficacy.

Go into any tack, feed or other horse-supply store, and you will find a wide variety of supplements that will help your horse do anything from move better, gain weight, grow a healthier coat to just be a better horse.

My question is: Do any of them work?

How do you know if a supplement works? Supplements are expensive and there is little scientific evidence that any of them do what their label claims.

Smartpak posted a blog on joint supplements and responded to a question of whether they are absorbed and if they are effective. This blog had four citations to studies that “prove” the effectiveness of these supplements. The study it cites to show that the joint supplements are absorbed seemed to be a reasonable methodology for testing the claim, but with only 10 horses in the study, this is preliminary evidence at best. Granted, for the horse studies I’ve seen, 10 is an average number. However, for any study to be statistically applied to the entire population, assuming a homogeneous population of horses (which may be a stretch), the sample size ought to be greater than 30.

The article goes on to talk about how effective joint supplements are for horses. I was unable to find information on the first citation about methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), so I cannot comment on the quality of this study.

The next citation is about how Hyaluronan (HA) is absorbed orally. This study was done well. It had a placebo ground (which many studies lack) and a decent-sized group of 27 joints in the treatment group. This study specifically looked at orally administered HA on horses' joints after surgery. It compared how swollen the joints were in the groups of horses and found that HA helped reduce the swelling. The question here: How does this apply to a healthy horse? These were also yearling horses, so can this be applicable to older horses? I’m not saying these studies are not useful. I’m saying we need a lot more research before we put every horse on these supplements.

The final study cited is not much more than a case study. A trainer had 10 horses which were being given hock injections of HA. The horses were studied for two years, then a glucosamine and chondroitin supplement was added to their diets twice daily for eight years. This study found that those horses “needed” fewer injections of HA during those eight years. The person conducting the study was also responsible for giving the injections, so there was no blinding of the study. Also, no placebo group was used. Quite a bit of bias could happen in a study such as this, which is why a placebo group is needed.

Were these really the best studies to prove the points in this article? If so, we as an equine community have a long way to go before we will know if all of these supplements actually are helping our horses.

This study reflects the state of research on joint supplements on horses. We can only draw viable conclusions if we hold our studies to rigorous scientific standards - which I believe we should.

I’m not saying that you should stop supplementing your horses. You should be aware, though, that the supplements may not have any benefit for your horse and you may just be wasting your money. I am advocating more research, held to a high standard, and honesty with buyers of supplements.

How to Choose a Trainer

I recently got a call from a girl who boards her horse at my barn. She needed me to help her move the mare from a different barn back to my barn. This was sort of an emergency situation; the horse was brought to that other barn to be trained, but after two weeks ended up lame.

Since the girl had paid for a month of training, she decided to switch horses. She moved her stallion to the trainer’s place and brought the mare to our barn. After about a week of hearing nothing from the trainer, she got frustrated and asked the barn owners if the trainer had been working with the stallion. The people at the barn had not seen the trainers at the barn at all. This is when she called me to move the horse.

When we got to that barn, I couldn’t believe she had let her horses stay there at all. We pulled up in a strange trailer, but no one came out to see what was going on or question why we were there. The smell was awful; all barns smell a little, but this one obviously had not been cleaned in a long time. The large number of horses, including mares and babies, were crammed into tiny stalls and standing on 5 inches or more of manure. Flies buzzed everywhere, and none of the horses seemed to be in the best condition.

As we pulled her horse out of his stall and loaded him onto the trailer, we noticed that the backs of his feet were severely lacerated - injuries that obviously would take a long while to heal.

What's the point of this story? A trainer for your horse must be chosen carefully.

There are some common-sense things to look for, questions to ask and things to do before you send your horse to a “trainer.” Remember, you're looking for a trainer with "horse sense" who knows more than you do. If trainers can’t meet these minimum standards, they don't know enough about horses for me to trust a horse with them.

First, visit the barn before you send your horse there. Check out the barn, the stalls, the horses and the other facilities.

• The horses should be calm, well fed, have plenty of water and have lots of space.

• The barn should be kept up, clean, and look like people use it on a regular basis.

• The stalls should appear to be cleaned at least once a day. There should be no overwhelming smell of manure or other strong odors.

• The areas where your horse will be ridden, tacked up and bathed should all be clean and look safe to use.

• If the barn does not seem like a safe, clean place, you probably need to pick a different trainer who can choose a proper barn at which to work.

Next, talk to the trainer.

• Ask about his or her training philosophy and what his or her plans are for your horse.

• Make sure the trainer's plans align with what you want, and that their philosophy makes sense and will produce safe and happy horses.

• Watch the trainer work with the horse. This will allow you to see if the relationship is going to work and learn about how you will work with your horse when it comes back from the trainer.

I generally don’t recommend that you send a horse to a trainer and then go get it in a month or several months. If you don’t learn along with your horse, you will have just as many issues when it comes back. I suggest finding a trainer who also wants to give you riding lessons to help you work with your horse.

If you want the horse to be yours to ride, you will need to learn how to ride it.

Don't find yourself in a situation such as that of the girl at the barn, having to pull her horse out of an unsafe situation at the last minute. A little homework will save you time, money, and potential tragedy if your horse should happen to get hurt or killed by a trainer who lacked proper horse sense.

Billboard Creates Debate Over Ethics of Horse Slaughtering - OzarksFirst.com

This is just one of many news stories that have popped up over the past few years about the horse slaughter issue. This covers some of the issues at stake for the horse industry and shows how a rational solution to a problem can be ignored because of emotional reactions.

Billboard Creates Debate Over Ethics of Horse Slaughtering - OzarksFirst.com:

For some background on the issues, the horse slaughter plants in the US were closed in 2006 and 2007. The 3 existing plants were slaughtering between 70,000 and 100,000 horses each year.

Since the closure of the slaughter plants, incidence of abuse, neglect, and abandonment have risen sharply at the same time the value of horses has decreased significantly. This study by the Government Accountability Office shows that this is true for lower end horses. My thesis (which i will link to when its complete) shows that the closure has had a significant impact on higher end horses that are purchased as investments.

In the article, the billboard creator is trying to stop horse slaughter, but she points out the real issue without realizing it (although she exaggerates a bit).

"Big breeders will breed 100 and only want two," she says. "And so they'll put them at auction. Kill buyers go the auction, they buy the horses, and send them to Canada or Mexico."

The issue is not that the horses are getting sent to slaughter. The issue is that people are breeding too many horses and not breeding horses that are useful or wanted by others. If people truly do not want to have slaughter plants in this country, we need to solve the unwanted horse problem first. If we as an industry only breed the number and kind of horses that we need or want, we can eliminate the need for slaughter.

Until we no longer have unwanted horses, we will need slaughter plants in this country. I believe that putting an end to a horses live in a humane way and allowing that horse to be useful even after its dead is a far better end than being alive but abused and starving.

Some other links of good information about this issue are:

http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/541

http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/unwanted_horses_faq.asp

http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/resources/UHC_Survey_07Jul09b.pdf

I recommend that everyone read and think rationally about this issue before spouting emotional rants or creating billboards that only encourage making the lives of horses worse.

Introductions

First, some info about me.  I have been riding and training horses for the past 15 years, i have owned 2 horses with which i have done a wide variety of activities.  I have done gymkhana, trail riding, pleasure and equitation, combined training, hunter/jumper, and taught riding lessons. 

I have a masters in Agriculture Economics. 

My thesis is on the impact of the closure of the slaughter plants on the horse industry.  I plan to make this blog about issues in the Equine Industry from slaughter, abuse, supplements, training and trainers, and anything else horse related.

I hope to post at least several times a week if not daily. 

Never, never, -N E V E R- Give Up - All This Time - YouTube

Going to start this blog with a great story. Its amazing what a horse will do for a rider that loves him.

Never, never, -N E V E R- Give Up - All This Time - YouTube:

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