Why? Why do some people just accept things without questioning why?

My horse is losing weight. Why not ask why? My horse is dropping grain. Why? My horses feet are always sore. Why? My horse is not shedding. My horse is shedding too much. My horse won’t walk in his stall at night. My horse won’t turn to the right. My horse won’t pick up his left lead.

You get the picture, but people just accept that it’s the way their horse is. WHY????!!!!

Oh my farrier is great. Really??? Why does your horse still have sore feet. Maybe because he trimmed him too short, or maybe because he took down his sole too much. Maybe he placed the nail in the wrong place again. Maybe your horse is standing on wet ground and his feet are rotting off. Hello! Is anybody home???

There are numerous answers to all these questions. Some may be simple and some may need some deep investigation to find out the answers, but there are answers.

As time passes we look at our animals and think, well they are just getting older. Maybe they are, but is there something we can do to help them ease the pain. Is there an underlying problem that we could treat but just never looked into it enough. Do we like our vet or our farrier and don’t want to change or hurt their feelings, but let’s get real, our horse is suffering because of it.

People amaze me. I hear things and just shake my head. What I would like to say is “What are you thinking?” They are not new to horses, but somewhere around the block they have lost all of their thought process.

Of course you always have the people who are told what to do, but just don’t listen to the people who are trying to help them.

If any of the above questions hit a nerve, find out why, and then do something about it.

When I was in Middle School (we called it Junior High back then), I worked in the Library. There was a Fiction section and a non-Fiction section. Now that never made sense to me. Why name one section False, and the other Not False? How about True and Make Believe? Whatever.

Paranoia is setting in here in Florida, and for that matter, many of the surrounding states. Horse slaughter has gotten everyone crazy. Oh it’s a fact, but now our imaginations are making us a nervous wreck.

People have always stopped by the wayside to let their little children look at the nice horsey. Now they are being met with a shot gun. People are buying expensive security cameras and other means of protection. We’re worried for our horses and now our dogs. One persons horse came in with a strange rope around it’s neck and her dogs with some holes in their bodies.

I must say that the county Sheriffs are taking more note of what’s going on, and now they are paying more attention to our outcries. They have asked people to take pictures and license plate numbers, and to report any suspicious activity.

In Tennessee someones horses came in all sliced up. Turned out it was a bunch of wild boars who messed with their horses. However, people have found strange ropes and lead lines, even in their barns.

There is a site on Facebook named “Keeping Florida’s Horses Safe.” People post photos and information of vehicles and people that they have caught on their property or surveying their property and horses. We, the horse people, are out there sharing information about what’s going on. It’s just a matter of time before someone is going to get shot.

There was a very informative article in the Tampa Bay Times. Thank you Jack Evans.

We need to be careful. Not only in protecting our horses but keeping ourselves, and others safe. I have Eagle watchers who come and sit on the road, taking pictures of the Eagles. They have been doing this for years, but now I’m uneasy about this too. I spoke to them the other day. It’s been the same woman for years. Now I’ve seen and older man with a beard. They don’t look like the type that would butcher a horse, but in this day and age, you just never know. I told her and her husband what was going on. She had no idea. She told me she would let her group know and warn them. She asked what she should do. I told her to speak with the neighbors and let them know who she was and what they were doing. They keep track of nests, the number of eagles and new babies. She was very appreciative of my suggestions and letting her know the problems we, as horse owners, were facing. She also was horrified at what has been going on.

So how do you separate Fact from Fiction? Who’s the bad guy and who is the person just letting their little children look at the horses? Why do we even have to deal with a situation like this? Originally it was just one or two men who were slaughtering and selling the horse meat in Miami. Now we are having several men and a woman being reported. We have pictures from security cameras, but no one can say who they are. This is not an isolated incident, it’s a ring of people.

How careful do we have to be? If we cry “wolf” too often are the local police still going to come? If we take these people out, will more follow? Our horses are not safe in the field or in the barn. What’s next?

My eight friends and I have been passing this stupid cold around since November. It’s fine for them, but us horse people cannot stop while we’re on a Z-Pak.

*******

So Bob bought a two year old boat. No hours on it, and I think I know why. It’s all computerized. Everything on this boat is inter-connected through a satellite. Now I’m challenged. I have a flip phone, brand new, but I’m not dealing with all these apps. I have a hard enough time just answering his phone.

What ever happened to the old way of boating. Just you, the boat, and nature. The breeze, the waves, the stars, and true north. That was the old way that sailors had been doing it since the beginning of time.

We stood there on Sunday and couldn’t even figure out how to check to see how much gas was in the thing. Oh don’t get me wrong, she’s a beautiful boat. At least this one still has a ships wheel. Some of the new ones have a joy stick. This isn’t Atari! This is serious stuff.

So sitting at the kitchen table this morning I realized that horses will never come with a “Joy Stick.” We will never need an App to enjoy our animals. There are some things that will remain apart of nature. There are some things that will remain one on one. There are some things that technology can’t mess with, and this is a “Good Thing.”

I know it’s winter and we are struggling to get through it into the season of mud, but this too shall pass, it always does.

As horse owners we all know that anything can happen. No matter how careful we are, stuff happens.

Now I’m not a gambling person but, I do believe that somethings are a 6 million to 1 chance. I also believe, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen on my farm.

Actually it would be pretty funny if I wasn’t the one laying on the ground.

So here’s the scene. I’m feeding. Dropping grain in the same buckets, that have been on the same fence, with the same electric fence wire for years. Now I would not let anyone else do this, but I do. (How stupid is that?) So when I put blankets on, or take blankets off, Zoey will sometimes touch the wire with her nose, spin around and come back and let me finish, and then eat. It’s very low voltage when it’s on, and it surprises her more than anything. I touch it all the time. Not very bright, huh?

Well this day I had undone her leg straps, surcingles, and was going to undo her front straps (like I said – put on from the front to the back, take off from the back to the front) when she picked her head up she touched the wire with her nose, spun around, the surcingle flew through the air and guess where it caught? Yup, right on the electric wire. Now tell me, what are the chances of that happening? Seriously! Thinking about it now – the surcingles where on her right side, she spun to the right, how did it end up on the wire which was on her left? Well in my yard, obviously pretty good. So she feels something grabbing her, like the fence and she pulls harder. The wire pops all the insulators (Before the blanket ripped. Rip stop really works folks.) giving the wire a much wider bow. We use the strong wire since they break it regularly, and it rots very quickly here in Florida. As it’s popping the insulators, it smacks me in the back of the head and I get pushed to the ground. Now is this funny or what?

Went for my regular doctors visit yesterday and because you’re old, once a year they ask you questions like, do you have suicidal thoughts? Are you depressed? Have you fallen in the last year? So of course my questions was “what do you consider falling? Do you mean like when two 45 pounds dogs slam into you at 90 miles and hour? Or when you get body slammed by a horse? Or dumped? Or get knocked to the ground by an extended electric fence wire? Of course the nurse just looks at me like I’m the crazy one. (There may be some truth to that.) Or do you mean just catch your foot on a throw rug and hit the deck? She said yes, that one. So my answer – no I haven’t fallen.

So what’s my point? Well it’s kind of like, we as horse people, get ourselves involved in things that most non-horse people would never even consider, but it’s just a part of our lives. We get up, dust ourselves off and carry on. We think, why did I do that, how stupid was that, I’m not going to do that again. After all, how often does a 6 million to 1 experience happen in ones life time? I’m not sure, but I’ll let you all know the next time it happens.

We all get lazy. We take short cuts when we’re in a hurry. I can sit here and preach to the choir, but I still do stupid stuff. I also still hit the ground. What was my thought on this whole thing? Well if I’m going to hit the ground I might as well Fox Hunt, enjoy myself, and make the fall worth while.

Used to make a point of falling off once a year (not on purpose of course). It keeps you from developing a fear of falling, and keeps you humble. Don’t do that much anymore, just haven’t done anything stupid while on a horse. Not yet. Give me time.

Well I lost track of the days and weeks, so I’ll just post one now and get back on track next week.

So I’ve mentioned about the horses being slaughtered here in Florida, and I doubt this is the only place that this is happening. Things like this don’t get much attention by the media.

Why not? We’re tax payers. We spend our hard earned money at various stores, especially caring for our horses. It’s time to make a stand, everyone else does.

I feel so helpless. People keep asking me “what are you going to do to protect your horses?” Well one woman came to me and said she heard a veterinarian on a news channel the other day, who brought up a good point. He commented on the meat these people are harvesting is tainted, poison to humans. The light bulb went off. A lot of the drugs, wormers, and supplements state right on the containers or bottle, “Not meant for horses intended for human consumption.” If we can’t stop them from butchering our horses, maybe we can stop people buying the meat, which in turn will stop them. I do know that they will continue selling it as long as there’s a market (which by the way is a “Black Market). But it certainly won’t hurt to try.

We need to flood the news media with this point. I know these people have no conscience and don’t care if people die, all they want is their money, but what else can we do?

We need to go to anyone who will listen with this information. Police, government officials. It’s a thought and we need to try.

Well since this post was written around Christmas I’ve been hard at work, not successfully, but at work. I contacted three of the local TV stations. At one of the stations I have a personal friend who is a news reporter. His hands were tied because he’s only allowed to report in one county and all this is happening out of that area. I sent emails to two of the other stations and have gotten no response. I did speak to someone at the news desk at my friends station and was told that the incident took place on the outskirts of their viewing area and if it happens closer to Tampa they’ll report it. I told them that there was an unsuccessful attempt closer, but no horses were killed so they couldn’t use it. They had reported on one several months ago, but until something happens in the Tampa area it’s not news worthy. Another happened closer the other day, but they got away before anyone could do anything and the horses were left with rope burns and one of their dogs had holes in it. I don’t know if they were gun shots or what.

More people are watching and disrupting the slaughter, but it will happen again.

The news idea had good points and bad. Yes if we could catch these people and make an example of them it would be good, but it could also bring out the wackos who would be copy cats.

Several people who intervened have seen these people and now the hunt is on. I’ll let you know if anything comes from this.

By now your shopping is done. I hope it’s done. Santa has been and gone. Family and presents are all around you. It’s Christmas.

I know you don’t think about horses being a part of the Christmas Story, and technically they are not, BUT they are everywhere in the Bible. God is very big on horses. Isn’t that wonderful to know.

I’ve mentioned before that verses from the book of Job were mentioned in the beginning of the movie of Secretariet. Well come to the book of Revelations, Jesus himself rides in on a white horse.

We are a special breed who take care of, love, and appreciate God’s best creation, the Horse. I saw a plaque the other day that read – “If God made anything more beautiful than the Horse, He kept it for Himself.” As horse people, we know He didn’t, but He shared it with us.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and will have a Blessed New Year. Stay warm, for those who need it, we have 80 degrees here, we’re okay.

I don’t know if it’s happening in other parts of the country, but it sure is happening here.

It started on the East Coast of South Florida a few years back. Now, last week, it has happened in Ocala and now Bushnell which is three towns away. The horses don’t have to be in a pasture up by the road. They will go through the woods, cut the fence, and cut them up right behind your property, and it’s over.

The beautiful, loving creatures that God has placed in our care, are being taken from pastures, and butchered, yes slaughtered a short distance from our homes, and the pieces are left to be found.

Years ago, when I lived in Staten Island, a whole herd was taken from a pasture up the road from me. The owners did not live on the property, and during the night a trailer pulled up and loaded the horses, probably at that time, taking them across the boarder to Canada or Mexico. Now they are not taking them anywhere other than a few hundred feet from their homes and cutting them up.

Back then I removed my horses halters. To this day I still don’t keep halters on unless it’s going to storm and I want to grab them quickly, but will removing halters stop these sicko’s?

It doesn’t matter if they are chipped. Nothing matters. What do you do to keep them safe? Hot wire doesn’t stop these vicious people. Fences don’t stop them. Maybe some really bad dogs, but they can poison them. You can probably put up security cameras, but can you do it around large acreage?

I don’t have the answer to this one. We can try our best to keep them someplace close to the house at night. We can have watch dogs that will alert us to strangers entering our property. What we can’t do is sit there every night, all night with a shot gun.

Really, all we can do is pray. Even if these wackos get caught, the next group will be just around the corner.

It’s almost getting too late to send Santa our list.

Remember when you were a child, you would spend time dreaming and writing all the things you wanted for Christmas. Most of us, I’m sure, asked for a pony. Most of us didn’t get one.

I started asking my husband over a month ago what he wanted for Christmas, didn’t get very far. We’re at that point in our lives that if we want something we just go out and buy it (We’ve pretty much gotten everything over the years). You just never know if you’re going to make it to Christmas, so enjoy it now! I guess the most important thing we want is health. You see a lot of stuff on TV that promises you it will make you healthy on those infomercials, but really all they do is empty your wallet. Of course that does make you weigh less.

I’ve come to hate Christmas Shopping. I am no longer good at figuring out what to buy someone. It just becomes more stuff they don’t need. I certainly don’t need one more thing in my house or barn either.

When you were a child, it was a wonderland of toys and gifts. Of course with horses, we can always think of something we need, or at least want.

But here’s the question – If our horses could write a letter to Santa, what would they ask for? Of course we get them what we would like, but really, what would they ask for????

Would they want a new saddle? Well maybe if the one they have hurts their back. Would they want new boots? Probably not but I could use some new barn boots for myself. I don’t think horses stand in their stalls or pastures thinking “gee I’d really like a set of those new purple boots that the horse next to me has.” I really don’t think they like stuff strapped to their legs, but sometimes we do know they need them. How about a new winter blanket? Some horses would and some would just as soon run around naked, with winter hair of course. You know how much they like rolling in the mud, sand, and snow. Especially right after you’ve cleaned them.

I think about the horses standing in my pastures and what they would ask for. Lou would love for his owner to come and see him more often. He’d love those scratches and massages he used to get. Copper would love for his family to come and bring cupcakes. The kind with tons of icing. Erin would like a friend, but he’s getting coal in his stocking this year for beating up the one he had. Sky, I really don’t know what he would want. Maybe just some extra hugs and kisses. I try to make sure he gets them twice a day, but he still looks sad. Asked him once if he missed his owner. His reply – “I’ve had so many, what’s one more.” My farm is pretty much like nursing homes for people, parents and grandparents are deposited there and pretty much forgotten. Now when you get to my girls, they make it clear what’s on their list. Friday wants to go for rides. She get’s all excited when you make her pretty and take her out. Zoey, not so much. She loves one on one time, but only in short intervals. Hates being ridden on the farm. Trail riding is not her favorite, but put her out in the hunt country and she shoots into action.

Once my neighbor asked her donkey what she could do for him. He said you don’t bring me any of those red and white treats anymore. So that leads me to believe that they all want their favorite treats at any time of year.

Bells? I think they like to wear bells. I always put bells on the harness and we wore bells in the woods during hunting season.

Music. They love to ride to music. When I was young they told us to pick a song with a beat that the horse could match for a trot and canter, and sing it to them. I look back now and know that one of the reasons was to keep us breathing. You can’t hold your breath and sing at the same time. However, if you picked the right beat for each gait, the horse will pick up on that and hold the rhythm. It’s great for getting around a Hunter Course at a show. It keeps your pace consistent with no speeding up or slowing down.

Other than that I don’t think they would ask Santa for the things we ask them to wear. Do they mind? Most don’t, they like to humor us. They are pretty agreeable to most things. Like purple painted hoofs with glitter. Glitter in their manes, tails, and wherever else it lands. Antlers – don’t do that during deer hunting season and take them out in the woods, especially if you have a buckskin like I did.

We love our horses and love to dress them up in silly costumes. They love us and so they let us do that without a fuss.

So Dear Santa, Please bring our horses treats, good health, and many Happy Trails. Sincerely, the people who love them and have waited for them our whole lives. We finally got our pony.

We train our horses. We send them to trainers. You still deal with “Fight or Flight.” That wonderful instinct that God instills in them for survival. We have the fight or flight instinct too you know. It’s not as prominent in us anymore, but it’s there.

In training we try to explain to our horses that they must trust us, completely. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes we make a wrong choice and our horse stands there and thinks “What is she thinking?!!!!!”

However, sometimes things just happen, and the reaction is left up to the horse. We like to believe that we have trained them well and that their reaction will be sensible, but sometimes, instinct wins. React first, ask questions later.

Horses I’ve trained since they were babies, I feel more comfortable around in bad situations. Horses who have come to me later in their lives, not so much. I try to always be aware of possibilities. Prepare an escape route, watch body language, and be on guard, but sometimes “s**t just happens.”

One such incident happened the other night. We were parallel with the fence, about two feet off near the feed bucket. I was putting on Friday’s sheet for the night, as usual on a chilly night, no big deal, did it the day before. Now there is a electric fence wire on the top board. They eat out of a bucket directly underneath on the ground. Have been doing this for years. They know that wire is there. They know not to touch it. It’s there because some of us like to rub our tail on the board, zap! So not giving it much thought I went ahead and started to secure the sheet, having a conversation as I went. She turned to look at something over her should on the fence side. Didn’t give it a thought, hardly even noticed. All of a sudden she stiffened up. Head up and alert, looking straight ahead, a little snorting. Zoey was standing next to us and she did the same thing. Okay I thought, whats in the next field that I hadn’t noticed. It was dark (hate these short days). Still stiff and snorting I stepped back to take a look, and then Fri bolted, Zoey running with her. They stopped a few feet away and looked at the fence. Friday had hit her nose, when she turned into the electric wire. Wait for it, here is the blessing. Instead of bolting right there and then, she froze. I was too close to her. She didn’t turn into me to get away. She didn’t take off and knock me down. She froze until I moved away. Of course this all happened in a matter of seconds.

I didn’t train this horse. I’ve owned her for five years. She’s 26 years old with a wonderful brain. Zoey had touched it a couple of weeks ago while I was feeding, looked at me and spun around away from me and left. It’s not always on, so I don’t move the buckets away. It’s on for a few weeks when Fri rubs her tail. Now that’s another story. Either one of these horses could have taken me out, but they chose to use their heads and react accordingly. Thank you God. After about 60 seconds, both times, both horses came back to eat their meals. No big deal. The fence bites. They know it. Dinner is served. We’ll think about it later.

So no matter how much you train, no matter how much you pay attention, things happen and you must be ready. You know your horse better than anyone, but when you have one with a brain on top of all your training, it’s “gold.”

Sorry, I’ve been sick.

Did you ever spin a wheel at a county fair or anywhere for that matter? You give it a good send off and wait to see where it is going to land. Sometimes you watch that happen with horses.

The other day that happened with one of the horses here. He was locked in a 12 X 24 pen, he had finished eating and was waiting while his friend finished his breakfast. The dogs next door decided to attack the property line fence (which was way to close for his comfort). They do this just about every day to encourage my dogs to run the fence line proclaiming who is the more vicious dogs. Usually the horse is not in the pen when they do this, and doesn’t care. I yell and everyone just walks away until the next day. Dumb game, but they are all bored. Well this horse panicked and started spinning around in one direction and then another trying to find away out of the enclosure. Luckily running through the boards never crossed his mind, thank God. Kind of reminded me of one of those wheels at the fair. Didn’t know where he was going to stop. The other good thing is that I wasn’t in the pen with him. He’s the one that doesn’t see well, but it was light out, he saw the fence.

Were you ever feeding and something spooked your horse and they just spun out? Most times if they know you are there, they will go in the other direction. I find that most horses will go around you if they have the presence of mind, but I still don’t trust them. Then there are those who really don’t care what is in the way. I’ve known way too many horses that just walked, or ran, right over people.

All this just to say that you must always stay alert and give yourselves a way out. Watch your horse when you are near them. Watch body language. Listen for sounds that may startle your horse. You just never know when that wheel will land on you.

Around and round she goes, where she’ll stop, nobody knows.