I want to preface today's entry with a disclaimer: I am not one of those people who thinks that every horse should be barefoot all the time. My own horses are barefoot, and on the occasion we go on a long overnight ride in the mountains, I will use boots. I know of many performance horses that are barefoot all the time. However, I've also known horses that need corrective shoes for one reason or another, in order to stay comfortable and sound. To me, it has never been an "all or nothing" view.
When I have a problem is when I see people shoeing their two year olds for no reason other than "a horse is supposed to have shoes." Here's why: when you shoe a horse that is not done growing (let's just say a horse that is 4 or younger), you limit the hoof's ultimate size and shape to that of the shoe you are putting on the foot. Compare a weanling to a yearling to a 2 year old to a 5 year old. The hoof grows with the leg and body of the animal. It will widen and thicken, the sole will become more concave, and, in most cases, the hoof will grow to accommodate the body it is attached to. Heredity plays a role as well (halter horses, for example, are notorious for having small feet compared to the size of their bodies). I know farriers that just will not shoe a young horse unless it has some underlying issue that might be corrected with shoes. Navicular problems can come from small feet. Ringbone, sidebone, chronic sole bruising ... No ethical farrier should agree to shoe a young horse without first explaining the implications to the owner. Some people just don't know better. They think, as soon as I'm going to ride him, I better put shoes on him. And what they are potentially doing is limiting the long-term soundness of the horse.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Thursday, April 5, 2012
All this talk about spring and pasture...
The articles started popping up last week. The "proper way" to introduce your horse to spring pasture. "How to" make pasture safe for your horse. It seems that in all walks of life, we've forgotten the basics.
Horses have lived for centuries on "pasture". "Pasture" is not the problem or the enemy. Humans making "pasture" an option ... or those who feel that "pasture" means perfectly mantiured grass ... are the problem. (See previous blog on overly fat horses).
My horses - and many I know - live outdoors on pasture 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. None - not one - of these horses has had a hoof problem or digestive issue from spring grass. Not one, in over 70 horses I can count by name.
So, what's the difference?
Number one: Humans feel the need to make their pastures "pretty". Fertilizing twice per year, getting rid of every "weed" in sight, and overseeding with grasses that were probably never designed for grazing but meant for one's personal, home lawn. If you've ever watched a horse graze, you've noticed they will eat a great many plants in addition to grass.
I've got a little less than 100 acres of what I refer to as "unimproved" pasture. In other words, everything grows on it - grass, clover, weeds, trees. This winter, I put out a white salt lick, a red salt lick, and one of those 30-something-dollar horse mineral blocks. Guess which one I had to replace first? The white block. The other two have still barely been touched. That tells me that my horses are able to get all the nutrients they need through grazing alone. They aren't interested in the fancy trace minerals because they don't need them.
Now, if you only have 5 acres to work with, I understand where you might not have the variety and might want to control weeds versus grass a little bit more. But I still think there is a happy medium to allow your horse a safer and more natural existence.
Number Two: People, for their own convenience, tend to stall their horses in the wintertime. Keep the poor horsie in from the cold, keep a blanket on him, don't let him out to pick what grass their may be along with his hay (and grain) at his leisure. So when springtime comes along, and the nice longer days begin, and Horsie has been off grass for the past 4 months, we suddenly have to be super careful about how much he eats, because he hasn't seen a blade of grass since October.
Number Three: The constant cycle of human interference. Overseeding or reseeding pastures with grasses not designed for grazing - or those designed for cattle - increase the protein and sugar content of what your horse receives. Think about it - grasses designed for beef cattle are designed to quickly bulk up steers so that the farmer can make a greater profit more quickly. Fertilizing grazing areas with chemical fertilizers - your horses produce a natural fertilizer that serves the same purpose.
So, what's the right answer?
Less micro-management and better overall management. Reseeding or overseeding with a horse-friendly grass mix; rotating small pasture areas properly (including allowing the grass to fully recover in one area before re-introducing animals to it); good manure removal and re-use; and letting your horse be a horse.
One final common sense nugget: If your horse has adequate pasture and you only ride a couple of days a week, he probably doesn't need ten pounds of sweet feed a day. Most "pleasure use" horses maintain a good healthy weight (5 on the body condition scorecard), on good pasture alone. There are always exceptions; but as we tend to overfeed ourselves on fast food, so do we tend to overfeed our horses on commercial grain mixes.
Horses have lived for centuries on "pasture". "Pasture" is not the problem or the enemy. Humans making "pasture" an option ... or those who feel that "pasture" means perfectly mantiured grass ... are the problem. (See previous blog on overly fat horses).
My horses - and many I know - live outdoors on pasture 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. None - not one - of these horses has had a hoof problem or digestive issue from spring grass. Not one, in over 70 horses I can count by name.
So, what's the difference?
Number one: Humans feel the need to make their pastures "pretty". Fertilizing twice per year, getting rid of every "weed" in sight, and overseeding with grasses that were probably never designed for grazing but meant for one's personal, home lawn. If you've ever watched a horse graze, you've noticed they will eat a great many plants in addition to grass.
I've got a little less than 100 acres of what I refer to as "unimproved" pasture. In other words, everything grows on it - grass, clover, weeds, trees. This winter, I put out a white salt lick, a red salt lick, and one of those 30-something-dollar horse mineral blocks. Guess which one I had to replace first? The white block. The other two have still barely been touched. That tells me that my horses are able to get all the nutrients they need through grazing alone. They aren't interested in the fancy trace minerals because they don't need them.
Now, if you only have 5 acres to work with, I understand where you might not have the variety and might want to control weeds versus grass a little bit more. But I still think there is a happy medium to allow your horse a safer and more natural existence.
Number Two: People, for their own convenience, tend to stall their horses in the wintertime. Keep the poor horsie in from the cold, keep a blanket on him, don't let him out to pick what grass their may be along with his hay (and grain) at his leisure. So when springtime comes along, and the nice longer days begin, and Horsie has been off grass for the past 4 months, we suddenly have to be super careful about how much he eats, because he hasn't seen a blade of grass since October.
Number Three: The constant cycle of human interference. Overseeding or reseeding pastures with grasses not designed for grazing - or those designed for cattle - increase the protein and sugar content of what your horse receives. Think about it - grasses designed for beef cattle are designed to quickly bulk up steers so that the farmer can make a greater profit more quickly. Fertilizing grazing areas with chemical fertilizers - your horses produce a natural fertilizer that serves the same purpose.
So, what's the right answer?
Less micro-management and better overall management. Reseeding or overseeding with a horse-friendly grass mix; rotating small pasture areas properly (including allowing the grass to fully recover in one area before re-introducing animals to it); good manure removal and re-use; and letting your horse be a horse.
One final common sense nugget: If your horse has adequate pasture and you only ride a couple of days a week, he probably doesn't need ten pounds of sweet feed a day. Most "pleasure use" horses maintain a good healthy weight (5 on the body condition scorecard), on good pasture alone. There are always exceptions; but as we tend to overfeed ourselves on fast food, so do we tend to overfeed our horses on commercial grain mixes.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Right or wrong...
When I started writing this blog, I wanted it to be different than other "this person is an idiot horse owner" blogs that are already out there. A number of "those" blogs have become so vindictive and spiteful that they've lost any educational value they might once have had.
I'm all for learning through someone else's mistakes or a good visual of why something is definitley the wrong way - for the human's safety, for the horse's safety, and for the horse's long-term soundness and 'useful life'. And I will continue to pick out this type of situation as I find them online - remember, if you post it for the world to see, you open yourself up to the good and bad of what everyone else has to say.
However, I've been thinking a lot lately about "right" versus "wrong". For example, pick out most any 'commercialized' horse trainer's technique - Parelli, Cameron, Cox, Anderson, etc. These guys make big money off folks who follow their specific method - and nothing else. If you, as a horse person, close your mind to everything but that single method - you are shutting out potentially thousands of useful tips, techniques and ideas that might help you. At the same time, if you simply say, "Oh, that Big Name Trainer is a moron" - you might miss out on one small exercise that will help you with a problem down the road.
Horses are like people - all learn at a different pace, all grow at a different rate - Suppose you are training 5 three year olds. You've got three that are basically alike in temperament and conformation, then you've got one that is a full hand taller than the rest, and one that's half a hand shorter than the rest and never been touched. Obviously, the smallest, least-handled horse is going to take the longest (in theory), since you'll have to start at halter-breaking and work your way up, and the size of the horse indicates she's probably not ready for serious saddle training, anyway. The tallest, lankiest horse will probably take the second-longest, since in the process of teaching her to walk, stop, turn, she's also going to be learning where her legs are. It would not be fair to lump all these horses into one box and say, today I am going to do THIS with all five of them. Tomorrow I am going to do THAT with all 5 of them.
So with that in mind, I'm certainly hoping that I can rise above the "hey, look at this bad horse owner; he did something stupid so he doesn't deserve to own horses" -- and instead, offer a somewhat more redeeming viewpoint that maybe others can learn from.
(And nope, sorry to those who continue to do underhanded trading and the like...you are not exempt from inclusion on this blog. People deserve to know who you are so that they can make an informed choice as to where their horses end up.)
I'm all for learning through someone else's mistakes or a good visual of why something is definitley the wrong way - for the human's safety, for the horse's safety, and for the horse's long-term soundness and 'useful life'. And I will continue to pick out this type of situation as I find them online - remember, if you post it for the world to see, you open yourself up to the good and bad of what everyone else has to say.
However, I've been thinking a lot lately about "right" versus "wrong". For example, pick out most any 'commercialized' horse trainer's technique - Parelli, Cameron, Cox, Anderson, etc. These guys make big money off folks who follow their specific method - and nothing else. If you, as a horse person, close your mind to everything but that single method - you are shutting out potentially thousands of useful tips, techniques and ideas that might help you. At the same time, if you simply say, "Oh, that Big Name Trainer is a moron" - you might miss out on one small exercise that will help you with a problem down the road.
Horses are like people - all learn at a different pace, all grow at a different rate - Suppose you are training 5 three year olds. You've got three that are basically alike in temperament and conformation, then you've got one that is a full hand taller than the rest, and one that's half a hand shorter than the rest and never been touched. Obviously, the smallest, least-handled horse is going to take the longest (in theory), since you'll have to start at halter-breaking and work your way up, and the size of the horse indicates she's probably not ready for serious saddle training, anyway. The tallest, lankiest horse will probably take the second-longest, since in the process of teaching her to walk, stop, turn, she's also going to be learning where her legs are. It would not be fair to lump all these horses into one box and say, today I am going to do THIS with all five of them. Tomorrow I am going to do THAT with all 5 of them.
So with that in mind, I'm certainly hoping that I can rise above the "hey, look at this bad horse owner; he did something stupid so he doesn't deserve to own horses" -- and instead, offer a somewhat more redeeming viewpoint that maybe others can learn from.
(And nope, sorry to those who continue to do underhanded trading and the like...you are not exempt from inclusion on this blog. People deserve to know who you are so that they can make an informed choice as to where their horses end up.)
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Considering a differing perspective
In the black and white world in which many people live, we tend to believe it has to be "our way" or it is wrong. We go through life justifying our actions because that is the way we were taught, that's the way we were raised, that's the way it has always been done -- and we miss out on a whole lot because we aren't willing to stop and listen to a different perspective or learn from someone with a different background.
Many, many horse owners are "animal lovers" in general. They tend to be women, and they tend to be outspoken advocates for animal welfare. They see "save the poor horsie" without considering the animal's long-term comfort or chances for a normal life (i.e. prosthetic legs, severely laminitic, chronic pain). This then translates into a strict "horse slaughter is badbadevilevil" no matter the circumstances, not looking at a case-by-case.
Many, many horse owners are "animal lovers" in general. They tend to be women, and they tend to be outspoken advocates for animal welfare. They see "save the poor horsie" without considering the animal's long-term comfort or chances for a normal life (i.e. prosthetic legs, severely laminitic, chronic pain). This then translates into a strict "horse slaughter is badbadevilevil" no matter the circumstances, not looking at a case-by-case.
Quarter Horse (trade) - $250 (Westmoreland)
Date: 2012-03-10, 12:26AM CST
Reply to: gbscn-2894278715@sale.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
Reply to: gbscn-2894278715@sale.craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I have a 5 year old Quarter Horse gelding I would like to sell or trade. Sorrel, 15 hands, green broke. Will trade for anything that doesn't eat. Kill buyers welcome as I need to get rid of this horse and I'm not against horse slaughter. Please respond to this ad. Thank you!
___________________________________________
This morning, I came across this ad on Craisglist. This man has been trying to sell this gelding for months. As in, I recall seeing the same photo of this horse, priced a little higher, back before Christmastime, and several times since then. The price has kept dropping. Horse is green broke, he probably likes to buck a bit, and owner obviously has no interest in keeping, training, or making the horse appear valuable in any way. You are never going to change this mentality. Given the choice between a bullet and a kill buyer, this type of person will choice the kill buyer every time because he's going to make a buck. If people want to send their half-broke, half-handled horses to kill, why bother stopping them? Let the kill buyers have these horses which have already been handled, and possibly ruined for life, by handlers who don't care where they end up. Turn your attentions to the horses who will never have a chance - those whose owners give them away for free WITHOUT knowing better, WITHOUT knowing where they'll probably end up. Take on a broodmare for retraining - take on an off-the-track horse and give them a second chance at life away from the track. In a world where there are not enough responsible give-a-damn homes, why waste your time, money, energy and effort on animals whose owners know full well that the best place for their animals is the kill truck?
No, my opinion is not the popular one. But I would rather spend my efforts educating the well-meaning people who feel like they'd rather sell their horse for $150 or give her away to find her a good home -- without realizing that the kill buyers will get her -- than to try to tell a person like the one in the ad that he's wrong and slaughter is evil. I might as well save my breath, and I sure don't want his half-broke horse he hasn't been able to sell in the past 5 months.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Early spring in the south...vaccinate!
The warmer temperatures and lack of much cold this year mean that mosquitoes, ticks, and flies will be out early - in fact, I've seen ticks and flies on the horses and dogs already.
This year more than ever, considering the "bug situation" - there is the potential for bad outbreaks of mosquito-borne illness. In other words, make sure your horse's vaccines are up-to-date!
Most people will have the vet out to give the routine "5-way" and pull their Coggins before the show season starts this spring.
If you haven't thought West Nile is worth vaccinating for - this would be the year to re-consider.
There have already been 2 horses in middle Tennessee confirmed to have died of rabies since January 1 - again, if you've never considered spending $18 on the rabies vaccine for your horse - get it done!
And don't forget, spring is the perfect time to deworm for tapeworms - Zimectrin Gold, Equimax or Quest Plus are all deworming products that will kill tapes, in addition to other worms.
This year more than ever, considering the "bug situation" - there is the potential for bad outbreaks of mosquito-borne illness. In other words, make sure your horse's vaccines are up-to-date!
Most people will have the vet out to give the routine "5-way" and pull their Coggins before the show season starts this spring.
If you haven't thought West Nile is worth vaccinating for - this would be the year to re-consider.
There have already been 2 horses in middle Tennessee confirmed to have died of rabies since January 1 - again, if you've never considered spending $18 on the rabies vaccine for your horse - get it done!
And don't forget, spring is the perfect time to deworm for tapeworms - Zimectrin Gold, Equimax or Quest Plus are all deworming products that will kill tapes, in addition to other worms.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Why people think a 20 year old horse is "too old"...or "Remembering Tess"
A few years ago, one of my neighbors moved several states away to assist her elderly parents. She did not want to sell her lovely mini-farm, so she leased it to some very kind folks who didn't have much experience living in a small town on 46 acres.
Not to say anything bad about this family - they were very polite, very nice, and absolutely loved having a large garden, a barn, a hayfield for the kids to play in where they didn't have to worry about the boys getting into things they shouldn't - and enough pasture to have a couple of horses.
The wife was kind of the stereotypical 'animal rescuer' - two rescue dogs with issues, a 3-legged cat - soon to answer one "free to good home" ad for a 3 year old mare that had never been touched (which soon became, she's been so abused, see how scared she is?!?)......and another "come get her or she goes to the sale barn tomorrow" ad for a 20 year old mare which had once been the owner's prize barrel mare.
Poor Tess was pain on 4 hooves. The saddest part was, you could see how beautiful she had once been - buttermilk buckskin with frosting in her mane and tail, two white socks, gorgeous babydoll quarter horse head, even though it was now flecked with gray from age. I don't think there was a joint in her legs from the stifles down that was not arthritic. She must have been pigeon-toed to start with, but between the neglect to her feet and the windpuffs and other bone spurs on her pasterns and lower legs, her front legs were a nightmare. She literally could not stretch her legs far enough to put them on the hoof stand for the farrier to trim, and she couldn't stand on 3 legs long enough for him to do a thorough job.
Of course, she was also underweight - people who throw away their old horses generally don't care to feed them, either -- and I'm sure the pain she felt contributed to that. Now, you all can probably guess how this story ends - but it is what happened in between that is so important.
The woman who owned Tess for many years - showed her, won ribbons on her, gave lessons on her, let her children ride her - dumped her for $100 on Craigslist. "Too old to compete in barrel races anymore, can't feed what I'm not showing." This woman was going to get the last hundred dollars she could out of this mare, one way or another. She rode the $hit out of her for years (you'd have to see this woman and her daughter ride - no warm up, no cool down, no 'fitting' - just go out there the first Saturday of show season and ride barrels, poles, and all the other open show games like your horse hasn't had 4 months off) - and when the poor mare was as broken-down as a cart horse in "Black Beauty", she decides to dump her as if she didn't contribute to the issue.
Tess's guardian angel was looking out for her the day my new neighbor brought her home. The mare was groomed, loved, petted, fed senior feed with lots of carrots daily...within a few weeks, I'd convinced her to try a joint supplement and call one of the local vets for a consultation to see if bute or another therapy might be an option to help her get around a little better. My neighbor followed through, Tess went on daily bute, and spent the last part of spring and most of summer just enjoying green tall-grass pasture, daily feedings and groomings, and the companionship of one (surprisingly), equally quiet and kindhearted young horse. By that fall, it became obvious that Tess's discomfort was increasing, and my neighbor found her down in the pasture unable to get herself back up more than once. She finally realized it would be a kindness to send Tess across the Rainbow Bridge before the cold, snow, and ice arrived.
My neighbor gave Tess the retirement she had earned doing so much for her previous owner. It's sad that Tess's last days were left up to a stranger, -- but Tess lucked out by finding someone who, in the end, gave the mare more comfort and dignity than she'd had in a long time, and making her last months on earth much more comfortable.
Not to say anything bad about this family - they were very polite, very nice, and absolutely loved having a large garden, a barn, a hayfield for the kids to play in where they didn't have to worry about the boys getting into things they shouldn't - and enough pasture to have a couple of horses.
The wife was kind of the stereotypical 'animal rescuer' - two rescue dogs with issues, a 3-legged cat - soon to answer one "free to good home" ad for a 3 year old mare that had never been touched (which soon became, she's been so abused, see how scared she is?!?)......and another "come get her or she goes to the sale barn tomorrow" ad for a 20 year old mare which had once been the owner's prize barrel mare.
Poor Tess was pain on 4 hooves. The saddest part was, you could see how beautiful she had once been - buttermilk buckskin with frosting in her mane and tail, two white socks, gorgeous babydoll quarter horse head, even though it was now flecked with gray from age. I don't think there was a joint in her legs from the stifles down that was not arthritic. She must have been pigeon-toed to start with, but between the neglect to her feet and the windpuffs and other bone spurs on her pasterns and lower legs, her front legs were a nightmare. She literally could not stretch her legs far enough to put them on the hoof stand for the farrier to trim, and she couldn't stand on 3 legs long enough for him to do a thorough job.
Of course, she was also underweight - people who throw away their old horses generally don't care to feed them, either -- and I'm sure the pain she felt contributed to that. Now, you all can probably guess how this story ends - but it is what happened in between that is so important.
The woman who owned Tess for many years - showed her, won ribbons on her, gave lessons on her, let her children ride her - dumped her for $100 on Craigslist. "Too old to compete in barrel races anymore, can't feed what I'm not showing." This woman was going to get the last hundred dollars she could out of this mare, one way or another. She rode the $hit out of her for years (you'd have to see this woman and her daughter ride - no warm up, no cool down, no 'fitting' - just go out there the first Saturday of show season and ride barrels, poles, and all the other open show games like your horse hasn't had 4 months off) - and when the poor mare was as broken-down as a cart horse in "Black Beauty", she decides to dump her as if she didn't contribute to the issue.
Tess's guardian angel was looking out for her the day my new neighbor brought her home. The mare was groomed, loved, petted, fed senior feed with lots of carrots daily...within a few weeks, I'd convinced her to try a joint supplement and call one of the local vets for a consultation to see if bute or another therapy might be an option to help her get around a little better. My neighbor followed through, Tess went on daily bute, and spent the last part of spring and most of summer just enjoying green tall-grass pasture, daily feedings and groomings, and the companionship of one (surprisingly), equally quiet and kindhearted young horse. By that fall, it became obvious that Tess's discomfort was increasing, and my neighbor found her down in the pasture unable to get herself back up more than once. She finally realized it would be a kindness to send Tess across the Rainbow Bridge before the cold, snow, and ice arrived.
My neighbor gave Tess the retirement she had earned doing so much for her previous owner. It's sad that Tess's last days were left up to a stranger, -- but Tess lucked out by finding someone who, in the end, gave the mare more comfort and dignity than she'd had in a long time, and making her last months on earth much more comfortable.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
I don't call myself a professional...and perhaps you shouldn't, either
Click the image to see the ad at full size.
No attempt is made to conceal the identity of the person posting this free horse. The context of the ad implies "don't know what breed he is nor do I care."
We pull up the website so prominently featured in this ad; the homepage reads: "We are a family-operated, all inclusive professional equestrian facility for sales, training and boarding located in the heart of horse country.....Our main focus is producing top quality horses that are healthy in body and mind, willing, safe and enjoyable....Renee is a John Lyons Certified Trainer..."
There is so much wrong with this, it just makes me see red. This is the heart of everything wrong within the horse industry summed up in one simple advertisement.
Here are these "equine professionals" who train and sell horses for a living on LSN, dumping an "I don't know what he is" untrained horse for free.
Questions, questions. You are a professional facility. If you are getting rid of the horse due to non-payment by an owner, you would be asking a price to recoup your losses (i.e. months of board or months of training or both)...of course, that would be after following all the legal requirements in the state of Tennessee to do so.
You are a John Lyons certified trainer dumping a free horse with no training. Is he beyond your skill level to train? Are you too lazy and selfish to put a month of training into him and sell him for something? Is he so worthless in your eyes that he's not even worth the effort to put 2 weeks into him, get some decent photographs and ask a few hundred dollars to a carefully-screened home?
Now, I don't care if the horse was dumped in your pasture; he is on your property, he has become your responsibility, and you advetise far and wide that you are a professional. You repeatedly state on LSN, Craigslist, and your own website that you broker horses. Yet, here is a free horse (with no handling, no photographs of him, and the I DON'T CARE plain as day...posted by the same hands.)
Now, I don't care if the horse was dumped in your pasture; he is on your property, he has become your responsibility, and you advetise far and wide that you are a professional. You repeatedly state on LSN, Craigslist, and your own website that you broker horses. Yet, here is a free horse (with no handling, no photographs of him, and the I DON'T CARE plain as day...posted by the same hands.)
I may not be a professional selling dozens of horses a year, but I damn sure do my best by each and every one that crosses my path. If they leave my property, they do so with a solid foundation of at least 60-90 days, most of the time over a year of time invested to help insure they will NOT end up where this free horse is certain to...
Renee? Why didn't you just call one of the kill buyers directly?
Monday, February 6, 2012
Horses and Emotions
I think it is fair to say that anyone who has worked around horses for any length of time knows that horses both have emotions and are receptive to human emotions.
Horses are a fight-or-flight animal; they feel fear (for themselves) and they pick up on fear (coming through a rider's seat and legs or coming through a handler's body language). A horse may react differently around a calm, quiet person than a nervous, hyperactive person. I've seen high-strung horses react completely differently to a low-key handler than to an extroverted, outspoken owner.
Horses have good memories: I've seen horses that have been separated for months immediately bond back together when re-joined in the same herd.
All that said, there are certain differences between a horse's emotions and that of a human owner. For example, a woman may feel the need to have children to feel complete. A mare does not share that feeling. Nature gives her a heat cycle; that doesn't automatically mean she wants to make a baby every year for her entire life.
A horse doesn't need 10 pounds of sweet feed a day to feel loved. You wouldn't give your four year old free reign of the candy dish and cookie jar; why load your horse up on sugars and carbs? Fat is fat, whether horse or human, and a horse is happy just to graze on good quality hay, romp in his pasture, and have the dirt brushed from his itchy places on a regular basis.
You may hurt a child's feelings by sending him to his room for a time-out. You're not going to hurt your horse's feelings because you tie him up and expect him to stand still for grooming and saddling. I've actually seen people who halter their horse, attach a 12-foot lead rope, let the horse wander as it will, while they "chase" along with brushes, fly spray, and tack. Now, if you let your horse do as he pleases the entire time you handle him, why should he listen to anything you try to do during a ride?
In the wild, a horse's entire life is based on the structure of a herd. The herd has an alpha mare, the stallion, and then everything else falls into place. In your relationship with your horse, for your safety and your horse's well-being, you basically become the "alpha mare" of your horse's world. You are responsible for his safety, you're responsible for setting the ground rules. If he does something wrong, it is your job to "punish" him, and then "forgive" him - in the wild, the alpha mare may drive others away from a watering hole first, then allow them to drink after she does. In your world, you expect your horse to respect your space in much the same way.
It doesn't make your horse love you any less. And in the end, it makes him respect you more.
Horses are a fight-or-flight animal; they feel fear (for themselves) and they pick up on fear (coming through a rider's seat and legs or coming through a handler's body language). A horse may react differently around a calm, quiet person than a nervous, hyperactive person. I've seen high-strung horses react completely differently to a low-key handler than to an extroverted, outspoken owner.
Horses have good memories: I've seen horses that have been separated for months immediately bond back together when re-joined in the same herd.
All that said, there are certain differences between a horse's emotions and that of a human owner. For example, a woman may feel the need to have children to feel complete. A mare does not share that feeling. Nature gives her a heat cycle; that doesn't automatically mean she wants to make a baby every year for her entire life.
A horse doesn't need 10 pounds of sweet feed a day to feel loved. You wouldn't give your four year old free reign of the candy dish and cookie jar; why load your horse up on sugars and carbs? Fat is fat, whether horse or human, and a horse is happy just to graze on good quality hay, romp in his pasture, and have the dirt brushed from his itchy places on a regular basis.
You may hurt a child's feelings by sending him to his room for a time-out. You're not going to hurt your horse's feelings because you tie him up and expect him to stand still for grooming and saddling. I've actually seen people who halter their horse, attach a 12-foot lead rope, let the horse wander as it will, while they "chase" along with brushes, fly spray, and tack. Now, if you let your horse do as he pleases the entire time you handle him, why should he listen to anything you try to do during a ride?
In the wild, a horse's entire life is based on the structure of a herd. The herd has an alpha mare, the stallion, and then everything else falls into place. In your relationship with your horse, for your safety and your horse's well-being, you basically become the "alpha mare" of your horse's world. You are responsible for his safety, you're responsible for setting the ground rules. If he does something wrong, it is your job to "punish" him, and then "forgive" him - in the wild, the alpha mare may drive others away from a watering hole first, then allow them to drink after she does. In your world, you expect your horse to respect your space in much the same way.
It doesn't make your horse love you any less. And in the end, it makes him respect you more.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
It's Grammar Time
You're writing a horse for sale ad. I understand that spell check is not fail-safe, but it can help. We're going to have a short (but hopefully helpful) grammar lesson today.
You have a horse for sale. Or you are selling a horse. You don't have a horse for sell. And you're not saleing (yes, I've seen it spelled this way) a horse.
Your horse has nice conformation; he is well put-together. You receive a confirmation email from Craigslist to let you know your ad has been posted.
Your horse has been ridden a lot, he is ridden every day. You rode him yesterday, or it's been a week since you rode. He hasn't been trail rode; he's been trail ridden.
Your horse behaves for the farrier. Not the ferrier or the furrier. (He may be furrier this time of year, but that's kind of irrelevant).
A hand is 4 inches. 11 hands, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 12 hands. If your pony is 11.2, you might say he stands 11 and a half hands, or you might just say he's 46 inches. Your pony isn't 11.5 hands tall. Nor is your horse 15.6.
My point is not to deride anyone; I'm not poking fun at someone for a single mis-spelling or typo or autocorrect that their eyes may not have caught. That happens to everyone.
My point is this - as I've said before - you want to make your horse look the best he can in an advertisement. That first impression when a buyer is wading through fifty other ads is incredibly important; and if you come across sounding ignorant of the basics -- and ignorant, in general -- why should the buyer have any faith that you know your stuff when it comes to your horse's level of training and his value?
You have a horse for sale. Or you are selling a horse. You don't have a horse for sell. And you're not saleing (yes, I've seen it spelled this way) a horse.
Your horse has nice conformation; he is well put-together. You receive a confirmation email from Craigslist to let you know your ad has been posted.
Your horse has been ridden a lot, he is ridden every day. You rode him yesterday, or it's been a week since you rode. He hasn't been trail rode; he's been trail ridden.
Your horse behaves for the farrier. Not the ferrier or the furrier. (He may be furrier this time of year, but that's kind of irrelevant).
A hand is 4 inches. 11 hands, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 12 hands. If your pony is 11.2, you might say he stands 11 and a half hands, or you might just say he's 46 inches. Your pony isn't 11.5 hands tall. Nor is your horse 15.6.
My point is not to deride anyone; I'm not poking fun at someone for a single mis-spelling or typo or autocorrect that their eyes may not have caught. That happens to everyone.
My point is this - as I've said before - you want to make your horse look the best he can in an advertisement. That first impression when a buyer is wading through fifty other ads is incredibly important; and if you come across sounding ignorant of the basics -- and ignorant, in general -- why should the buyer have any faith that you know your stuff when it comes to your horse's level of training and his value?
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Random Question Day
Why does Farmers Co-Op put high fructose corn syrup in its private-label horse feeds? What nutritional value does it have for a horse?
Why do people think it's fine and dandy to breed their 2 or 3 year old horses? Do they think teen pregnancy is normal and expected, too?
Why do people advertise selling a horse that "hasn't been ridden in a year" instead of going out and getting on them a few times? (or paying someone else to do it!?)
Why do people continue to think that selling an unbroke but bred 3 or 4 year old mare makes her worth $1500 when they couldn't sell her open (not bred) for $500?
Why do people keep a pet horse until it is 9, 10, or 11, then realize they can't afford their 950 pound lawnmower, so they either give him away or sell him "to good home only" for $200?? -- NewsFLASH -- since you couldn't be bothered to train your pet horse when you bought him as a weanling, you've pretty much, 9.5 times out of 10, guaranteed him a trailer ride to a slaughterhouse, not a "good home only."
Why do people breed random breed, random color mare to random breed, random color stallion, and expect anything other than a random breed, random color foal?
And along those same lines, why do people look at "but he has Man O'War" (8 generations back) or "she has Doc Bar" (6 generations back), and think this justifies breeding another foal?
Why do people think it's fine and dandy to breed their 2 or 3 year old horses? Do they think teen pregnancy is normal and expected, too?
Why do people advertise selling a horse that "hasn't been ridden in a year" instead of going out and getting on them a few times? (or paying someone else to do it!?)
Why do people continue to think that selling an unbroke but bred 3 or 4 year old mare makes her worth $1500 when they couldn't sell her open (not bred) for $500?
Why do people keep a pet horse until it is 9, 10, or 11, then realize they can't afford their 950 pound lawnmower, so they either give him away or sell him "to good home only" for $200?? -- NewsFLASH -- since you couldn't be bothered to train your pet horse when you bought him as a weanling, you've pretty much, 9.5 times out of 10, guaranteed him a trailer ride to a slaughterhouse, not a "good home only."
Why do people breed random breed, random color mare to random breed, random color stallion, and expect anything other than a random breed, random color foal?
And along those same lines, why do people look at "but he has Man O'War" (8 generations back) or "she has Doc Bar" (6 generations back), and think this justifies breeding another foal?
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Local headlines, ambulance chasers, and personal experience
It never ceases to amaze me how a certain "rabid contingent" of pro/anti people come out of the woodwork any time there's a whiff of a story - be it a cruelty case or an accident, such as the one that occurred outside Nashville early this week, where a single-deck semi-trailer hauling 30+ horses overturned on I-40. There are conflicting news reports; Channel 5 has this story, while Channel 4 reports contradict much of the original report.
If nothing else, folks, the video from both stations disprove so much of the argument the anti-slaughter crowd tries to use. Both stations did fly-overs of the farm from which the horses originated. None of the horses on this farm look the least bit thin; in fact, the multiple hay rolls look to be pretty good quality. And of course they aren't (and of course they are fed well) - if you are a dealer who ships to kill, you only want fat, worth more-per-pound horses. They aren't buying the old, sick, skinny horses; they are buying young, healthy stock for next to nothing and making several hundred dollars per head.
I've covered several times, that if you are giving a horse away -- or selling through a sale -- you should not expect a flower-and-butterflies ending. Traders like this guy make a living off people who sell through sales, breed too many, don't train anything they own, dump a horse every time it learns a bad behavior, give horses away every fall to avoid feeding through the winter -- the excuses are endless, but the end result is the same. The traders/kill buyers are making a living off horse owner laziness and apathy.
I'm going to share a story of two geldings. The first was a middle-aged, easy keeper, unregistered appaloosa gelding. He was very lazy under saddle, like to crow-hop if his rider asked him to move faster than a trot, and was visited by the farrier and dewormed exactly once per year, when the vet visited to do his annual vaccinations. His owner divorced and didn't feel like fooling with him (or anything that reminded her of married life, for that matter), so she sold him to the local trader for $200. Where did he end up? Probably a slaughterhouse. Does she care? Not about that; she cares that she doesn't have a board bill every month.
The second gelding was a young prospect with nice papers and a bucking habit that his newest owner hoped was a result of on-again, off-again, inconsistent handling during his first three years of life. New owner finishes gelding's training and works with his quirks, but just before their first show, they have an incident on a ride that leads to a bucking fit that leads to an intermittent hind leg lameness and sore hip. Several hundred dollars of vet and chiropractic treatment later, it is general consensus that gelding will never be completely safe and sound under saddle. His injury is chronic; the result of an injury most likely sustained as a 2 year old or maybe even as a baby playing in the field. This owner makes the decision to put her gelding on complete pasture rest for a year with a hope in the back of her mind that he might come back sound; and if not, he will be a big, pretty pet living on 200 acres for the rest of his life, as long as he is comfortable.
Two different owners - two different outlooks. But also, two different situations, and two different means of being financially and emotionally able to keep their horses. Who's right? Who's wrong? And what would you do in their shoes?
If you are quick to judge -- I challenge you to visit your local sale and "pull" one of the $50, run-through, unhandled 4 or 5 year olds that come through, then train it up through "solid citizen" status and find it a good, safe, forever home.
If nothing else, folks, the video from both stations disprove so much of the argument the anti-slaughter crowd tries to use. Both stations did fly-overs of the farm from which the horses originated. None of the horses on this farm look the least bit thin; in fact, the multiple hay rolls look to be pretty good quality. And of course they aren't (and of course they are fed well) - if you are a dealer who ships to kill, you only want fat, worth more-per-pound horses. They aren't buying the old, sick, skinny horses; they are buying young, healthy stock for next to nothing and making several hundred dollars per head.
I've covered several times, that if you are giving a horse away -- or selling through a sale -- you should not expect a flower-and-butterflies ending. Traders like this guy make a living off people who sell through sales, breed too many, don't train anything they own, dump a horse every time it learns a bad behavior, give horses away every fall to avoid feeding through the winter -- the excuses are endless, but the end result is the same. The traders/kill buyers are making a living off horse owner laziness and apathy.
I'm going to share a story of two geldings. The first was a middle-aged, easy keeper, unregistered appaloosa gelding. He was very lazy under saddle, like to crow-hop if his rider asked him to move faster than a trot, and was visited by the farrier and dewormed exactly once per year, when the vet visited to do his annual vaccinations. His owner divorced and didn't feel like fooling with him (or anything that reminded her of married life, for that matter), so she sold him to the local trader for $200. Where did he end up? Probably a slaughterhouse. Does she care? Not about that; she cares that she doesn't have a board bill every month.
The second gelding was a young prospect with nice papers and a bucking habit that his newest owner hoped was a result of on-again, off-again, inconsistent handling during his first three years of life. New owner finishes gelding's training and works with his quirks, but just before their first show, they have an incident on a ride that leads to a bucking fit that leads to an intermittent hind leg lameness and sore hip. Several hundred dollars of vet and chiropractic treatment later, it is general consensus that gelding will never be completely safe and sound under saddle. His injury is chronic; the result of an injury most likely sustained as a 2 year old or maybe even as a baby playing in the field. This owner makes the decision to put her gelding on complete pasture rest for a year with a hope in the back of her mind that he might come back sound; and if not, he will be a big, pretty pet living on 200 acres for the rest of his life, as long as he is comfortable.
Two different owners - two different outlooks. But also, two different situations, and two different means of being financially and emotionally able to keep their horses. Who's right? Who's wrong? And what would you do in their shoes?
If you are quick to judge -- I challenge you to visit your local sale and "pull" one of the $50, run-through, unhandled 4 or 5 year olds that come through, then train it up through "solid citizen" status and find it a good, safe, forever home.
Friday, January 13, 2012
"Real" Rescue versus "Fake" Rescue
Today's rescue drama on Nashville and area Craigslists. Text in case it gets erased:
We have accounted for a number of equines picked up and 'fostered' by what was known as the Orlinda Horse Rescue but we are still trying to locate and account for those remaining. If you have received an equine, and you are happy with them, we are NOT looking to take them away from you....we simply need to document the whens and wheres and basic info on each animal. This is EXTREMELY important! There have been some SERIOUS problems with this fraud 'rescue' operation.....some may notice the ads have largely disappeared and they have 'gone out of business' so to say....trust me when I say they have had a lot of pressure put on them by the public...specifically those who found they were doing wrong. If you currently have, have had, or gave to the Orlinda Horse Rescue any animals, donations, etc, PLEASE let us know as we are trying to make our files as complete as possible. Any and all help is greatly appreciated...thank you!
Now, on the side of practicality, the inclusion of WHO YOU ARE before I give you my personal information and that of a horse I've rescued, would be courteous and appreciated. If you are the sheriff's department, your name and rank should be noted. If you are the area's organization that always seems to be involved in any horse neglect case, I think the general public deserves to know. A phone number or email address outside of the anonymous Craigslist-land would also be a good thing...
But on the subject of "good rescues" and "bad rescues"...how do you know the difference? In a previous post, I had identified "Orlinda Horse Rescue" as a badly-framed fraud, so I'm going to re-post the entry (sorry for those who have seen it before!)
Things to Look for in a Real Rescue
Today's "Inspired by Craigslist" post: What should you look for in a horse rescue?
We know people are not always honest. There is at least one rescue in the Nashville area who "claims" to be a horse rescue, and if you read through all his posts, you get a pretty bleak picture of the underlying situation - "Orlinda Horse Rescue will take your unwanted horses" - next "Horse rescue seeking pasture" - next "horse rescue needs donations of hay, feed, and pasture." Anyone see a problem here? Then he brags that he's placed 20, 30, or 40 horses in a month. My bet is, he's "placed" them on trailers headed toward Mexico. If you talk to a REAL rescue (CANTER, ReRun, SRF), their numbers are no where near 40 horses a month in a specific location.
So, rule number one: If you are forced to surrender your beloved horse to a rescue, research said rescue first. Know their property, their staff, their adoption policies, their funding, the whole nine yards inside and out.
If you're on the other side of the equation and want to donate time, money or supplies to a rescue, you likewise need to get to know the organization first. Don't take someone's word for it that he or she is a nice person. Many well-meaning folks cross the line from "rescue" to "hoarding", and then a larger organization ends up having to step in and rescue the rescuer -- several starving or dead horses later. And, a few know they can take advantage of desperate people who don't want to sell their horses into danger, so they call themselves a "rescue" but run as many horses through the sale as someone who will tell you to your face that he's a horse trader.
Rule #1: Being a 501(c)3 only proves that organization is tax-exempt. It does not mean they know the first thing about rescuing, rehabilitating, or retraining horses. Dig deeper before writing a check.
Rule #2: A real rescue has a plan. They have a finite number of horses they can responsibly financially handle. They won't overburden themselves and risk neglecting the horses already in their care by taking on every single sad case that's put before them. They have a vet and farrier 'on call'. They have a legal and binding adoption contract that includes provisions for shelter, care, non-breeding, no-resell, etc. They have a facility that welcomes the public during certain hours or days, they welcome volunteer assistance, and they aren't afraid to share financial records with any interested donor.
Rule #3: A real rescue actively rehabilitates and adopts out its rescues. Yes, any rescue will always have some number of "unadoptables". But, they will also have young horses, thin and injured horses in intensive care, where the goal is to get them healthy, discover their training level, further it when possible, and find them good homes. A real rescue puts a dollar value on each adoptable horse and actively seeks out compatible homes. A real rescue finds volunteers to work with (read: train and ride) those horses that are capable of leading lives as riding horses.
Rule #4: A real rescue does a site visit/home check and requires follow-up. After the rescue puts time and money into ensuring its horses a future, they want to keep track of their horses to make sure they don't fall back through the cracks. They want to know where the horse is going, who your vet is, and make sure you're not going to leave it in a junk-filled half-acre lot with a moldy roll of hay and call it "good care."
Rule #5: A real rescue understands the overbreeding of crappy horses is a real problem. If a mare comes through the door and she's breeding quality, papers in order, fine, don't put a restriction on what she can do. But, 9 times out of 10, have a "no breeding" clause in the adoption contract of mares and geld the colts and stallions before they are adopted out - small animal shelters spay and neuter for this very reason; horses are no different.
In the past, there has been very little oversight of horse rescue. Recently, there is a new program for accreditation. If you are a "real rescue", I encourage you to apply for GFAS certification and let the world know what a great rescuer you are!
We have accounted for a number of equines picked up and 'fostered' by what was known as the Orlinda Horse Rescue but we are still trying to locate and account for those remaining. If you have received an equine, and you are happy with them, we are NOT looking to take them away from you....we simply need to document the whens and wheres and basic info on each animal. This is EXTREMELY important! There have been some SERIOUS problems with this fraud 'rescue' operation.....some may notice the ads have largely disappeared and they have 'gone out of business' so to say....trust me when I say they have had a lot of pressure put on them by the public...specifically those who found they were doing wrong. If you currently have, have had, or gave to the Orlinda Horse Rescue any animals, donations, etc, PLEASE let us know as we are trying to make our files as complete as possible. Any and all help is greatly appreciated...thank you!
Now, on the side of practicality, the inclusion of WHO YOU ARE before I give you my personal information and that of a horse I've rescued, would be courteous and appreciated. If you are the sheriff's department, your name and rank should be noted. If you are the area's organization that always seems to be involved in any horse neglect case, I think the general public deserves to know. A phone number or email address outside of the anonymous Craigslist-land would also be a good thing...
But on the subject of "good rescues" and "bad rescues"...how do you know the difference? In a previous post, I had identified "Orlinda Horse Rescue" as a badly-framed fraud, so I'm going to re-post the entry (sorry for those who have seen it before!)
Things to Look for in a Real Rescue
Today's "Inspired by Craigslist" post: What should you look for in a horse rescue?
We know people are not always honest. There is at least one rescue in the Nashville area who "claims" to be a horse rescue, and if you read through all his posts, you get a pretty bleak picture of the underlying situation - "Orlinda Horse Rescue will take your unwanted horses" - next "Horse rescue seeking pasture" - next "horse rescue needs donations of hay, feed, and pasture." Anyone see a problem here? Then he brags that he's placed 20, 30, or 40 horses in a month. My bet is, he's "placed" them on trailers headed toward Mexico. If you talk to a REAL rescue (CANTER, ReRun, SRF), their numbers are no where near 40 horses a month in a specific location.
So, rule number one: If you are forced to surrender your beloved horse to a rescue, research said rescue first. Know their property, their staff, their adoption policies, their funding, the whole nine yards inside and out.
If you're on the other side of the equation and want to donate time, money or supplies to a rescue, you likewise need to get to know the organization first. Don't take someone's word for it that he or she is a nice person. Many well-meaning folks cross the line from "rescue" to "hoarding", and then a larger organization ends up having to step in and rescue the rescuer -- several starving or dead horses later. And, a few know they can take advantage of desperate people who don't want to sell their horses into danger, so they call themselves a "rescue" but run as many horses through the sale as someone who will tell you to your face that he's a horse trader.
Rule #1: Being a 501(c)3 only proves that organization is tax-exempt. It does not mean they know the first thing about rescuing, rehabilitating, or retraining horses. Dig deeper before writing a check.
Rule #2: A real rescue has a plan. They have a finite number of horses they can responsibly financially handle. They won't overburden themselves and risk neglecting the horses already in their care by taking on every single sad case that's put before them. They have a vet and farrier 'on call'. They have a legal and binding adoption contract that includes provisions for shelter, care, non-breeding, no-resell, etc. They have a facility that welcomes the public during certain hours or days, they welcome volunteer assistance, and they aren't afraid to share financial records with any interested donor.
Rule #3: A real rescue actively rehabilitates and adopts out its rescues. Yes, any rescue will always have some number of "unadoptables". But, they will also have young horses, thin and injured horses in intensive care, where the goal is to get them healthy, discover their training level, further it when possible, and find them good homes. A real rescue puts a dollar value on each adoptable horse and actively seeks out compatible homes. A real rescue finds volunteers to work with (read: train and ride) those horses that are capable of leading lives as riding horses.
Rule #4: A real rescue does a site visit/home check and requires follow-up. After the rescue puts time and money into ensuring its horses a future, they want to keep track of their horses to make sure they don't fall back through the cracks. They want to know where the horse is going, who your vet is, and make sure you're not going to leave it in a junk-filled half-acre lot with a moldy roll of hay and call it "good care."
Rule #5: A real rescue understands the overbreeding of crappy horses is a real problem. If a mare comes through the door and she's breeding quality, papers in order, fine, don't put a restriction on what she can do. But, 9 times out of 10, have a "no breeding" clause in the adoption contract of mares and geld the colts and stallions before they are adopted out - small animal shelters spay and neuter for this very reason; horses are no different.
In the past, there has been very little oversight of horse rescue. Recently, there is a new program for accreditation. If you are a "real rescue", I encourage you to apply for GFAS certification and let the world know what a great rescuer you are!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Selling responsibly
So, you've decided to sell your horse and you'd like to avoid the nightmare scenarios you've read about on the internet. Where do you start?
I'm a firm believer in the "right" buyer answering the ad - if someone speaks your language and feels comfortable with what you're selling, they are more likely to pick up the phone and call. If you're selling a 3rd level dressage horse, you're not going to discuss how fun it is to track cows with him - and if you're selling a barrel horse, you're not going to talk about his lovely flat-kneed trot and ease of collection. You're going to talk about your horse's good points in the discipline he's trained for; let people know all the reasons they should come look at YOUR horse as opposed to the fifty other ads they've read today.
Take good, flattering photos of your horse after a good grooming - most cheap digital cameras do a horrible job unless you aim at a point just behind the wither/shoulder area and you're standing square to the horse. That whole "first impression" thing is true - if a photo makes your horse look cow-hocked, hammer-headed, straight-shouldered and dumpy, you're probably not going to get a lot of phone calls.
If the horse has papers, the papers go with him. No exceptions, no extra charge. Papers help ensure your horse an identity, even if he changes hands a dozen times in his life. It drives me absolutely crazy to see: "Price is without papers. Papers will cost you an extra $200." Great, keep the horse from being able to show, keep any offspring if it's a mare from being able to be registered, affect the horse's value for the rest of its life -- might as well ship him to slaughter now.
Don't be offended when potential buyers discuss vet checks and trial periods. This is a great sign that your horse is on the right path to well-prepared new owners who are asking all the right questions -- and who have probably been burned in the past.
If you're giving a horse away for "free"...realize "free" without references and a site (home) check and reference checks can be a death sentence - whether giving your horse to someone who sees "free" without realizing the cost of caring for a horse, or whether one of the local dealers sees the per-pound value of your "free" horse.
A right of first refusal / buy-back contract between seller and buyer is legally binding and can help ensure the horse never ends up in a bad situation; whether the horse is outgrown or the new owner runs into financial difficulties, the seller has the right to buy the horse back. Several simple contracts can be found through Google.
Finally, remember that "gut instinct" -- and listen to it. You have the right to tell someone, I've decided not to sell or I'm sorry, I think he's sold -- if the situation doesn't feel comfortable to you.
I'm a firm believer in the "right" buyer answering the ad - if someone speaks your language and feels comfortable with what you're selling, they are more likely to pick up the phone and call. If you're selling a 3rd level dressage horse, you're not going to discuss how fun it is to track cows with him - and if you're selling a barrel horse, you're not going to talk about his lovely flat-kneed trot and ease of collection. You're going to talk about your horse's good points in the discipline he's trained for; let people know all the reasons they should come look at YOUR horse as opposed to the fifty other ads they've read today.
Take good, flattering photos of your horse after a good grooming - most cheap digital cameras do a horrible job unless you aim at a point just behind the wither/shoulder area and you're standing square to the horse. That whole "first impression" thing is true - if a photo makes your horse look cow-hocked, hammer-headed, straight-shouldered and dumpy, you're probably not going to get a lot of phone calls.
If the horse has papers, the papers go with him. No exceptions, no extra charge. Papers help ensure your horse an identity, even if he changes hands a dozen times in his life. It drives me absolutely crazy to see: "Price is without papers. Papers will cost you an extra $200." Great, keep the horse from being able to show, keep any offspring if it's a mare from being able to be registered, affect the horse's value for the rest of its life -- might as well ship him to slaughter now.
Don't be offended when potential buyers discuss vet checks and trial periods. This is a great sign that your horse is on the right path to well-prepared new owners who are asking all the right questions -- and who have probably been burned in the past.
If you're giving a horse away for "free"...realize "free" without references and a site (home) check and reference checks can be a death sentence - whether giving your horse to someone who sees "free" without realizing the cost of caring for a horse, or whether one of the local dealers sees the per-pound value of your "free" horse.
A right of first refusal / buy-back contract between seller and buyer is legally binding and can help ensure the horse never ends up in a bad situation; whether the horse is outgrown or the new owner runs into financial difficulties, the seller has the right to buy the horse back. Several simple contracts can be found through Google.
Finally, remember that "gut instinct" -- and listen to it. You have the right to tell someone, I've decided not to sell or I'm sorry, I think he's sold -- if the situation doesn't feel comfortable to you.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
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