Monday, July 26, 2010

Um What?


Honestly, this is just a hold post. I'm currently still gone on vacation + I get to go home and play move into the apartment/start school game so I cannot exactly get everything too too together right now. Internet resources are limited, plus it's buggery slow. So yeah, the summer of chaos continues. Why the picture? Because somebody's crazy has to be funny.

In all seriousness, I need to gather together some info because something is going down in the comments that I cannot sort out to save my life. Maybe it's because I get on to check when most of the populous is asleep and I'm about to go to bed, or I just fail at basic comprehension (OK, so it's this) so I'm asking somebody to gather the alphabet soup and start spelling things out for me. From my lack of basic comprehension I'm reading on the Fugly Blog, I'm feeling like I'm getting a big dose of hypocrite in between a "Yeah, we know what they did was wrong." Maybe I should just go read there and get it sorted out before I make a legit post.

I'll try and get something together if I can. In the meantime go do something productive like...stuff. I also promise if I do get something up, it won't be so terrible/casual. Until then, go forth and spread chaos, panic, and disorder...or just let your cat into some catnip. You'll get the same results.

78 comments:

  1. Hmmm, opening bottle of wine...I am first!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hope the critter's okay CCC, scary stuff. Hanging head, nope not mature...hehehe!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have a question for you all;
    In light of FHOTD's popularity slip, I mean she went from around 14,000 hit a day to around 1800, what do you all think was the #1 most damaging thing that caused her popularity to fall so drastically?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think it was just that she got boring. She's a small minded shit disturber who obviously doesn't know much of anything ABOUT anything except creating massive drama. That, and when she began censoring her comments the give and take of various viewpoints disappeared.
    The various "witch hunts" she initiated against those whose crimes were pretty minor (they are overweight, bad spellers, thier websites have rainbows and glittering letters on them, and so on)were just plain ugly--really who wants to participate in that kind of thing? Or even watch it?
    I haven't bothered with her site in weeks, I have better things to do. And honestly, I much prefer the respectful give and take found on this one :-) .

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pfft! don't even get me started :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. C'mon Helen we would love to have your opinion. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anon, how would you know how many hits she's slipped?
    weird.

    I stopped reading.

    That's why:)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Haahahahaa GoLightly! Too funny.

    I had NO idea you were giving fubbles that much business. ;)

    I have no idea if fugly's hits are down or not, but honestly, her comments are usually boring as shit now. La la la...It's the same thing being said over and over and over.

    Well that is until Cathy herself opens her mouth and lets her ignorance fall out, which she often does in the comment section.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think many of her "regulars" were realizing what she is really like and then she proved it with her nastiness on several subjects and especially on the Manure Pile forum.

    I know that turned off some regular posters, myself included.

    When she started moderating the comments so stringently, it became a real bore. It is now mainly a bunch of Fugly "Yes Men."

    Who the hell wants to read that drivel?

    The only time I go there is when someone mentions a particular topic and then I still don't read the comments.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Uh OOOHHHH, can't be #13, don't want GL to implode!

    LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey CCC, how is your critter doing?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Helen, thanks for asking. We think it is West Nile Virus. Will have the results back on Monday or Tuesday, but he fits all of the symptoms.

    He is hanging in there, very weak in his legs, especially his hind end. Can't stand for long or take but a couple of steps, but he is alert, eating, drinking and pooing/peeing. It is just that he is so weak in his legs.

    The vet said that if it was going to kill him, it already would have but we face a long recovery. If I felt he was really hurting from this, I would have him PTS, but we are going to give him a chance to recover. He is only 10 months old and normally a very healthy young boy. When he was born, his IGG was 3005, 1000 is considered good, so he is a strong boy and we will do our best for him.

    ReplyDelete
  13. WNV is a terrifying thing..My only experience with it was with a colt 'down the road a bit'. He was properly vaccinated so it took a long time to get him diagnosed, and the recovery seemed to take forever... two years later, he's driving everyone nutty with his energy and rather odd sense of humor ( but I don't think the 'humor stuff' had anything to do with the virus :))..Fingers crossed and prayers sent to your boy for a speedy recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks Helen!

    Alpaca are not supposed to be very suceptible to WNV and they don't usually get vaccinated for it, so go figure!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Glanced at today's post. Does Fugly know the difference between autopsy and necropsy?

    ~DK

    ETA: I'm amused that my captcha answered that. nonon

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good catch DK...You would think that fugs would know better than to make a mistake like that.

    Well, you know, considering her and her ilk get so bent out of shape when other people make similar, unwitting mistakes.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Um...what is the difference? As far as I can tell, they are the same thing. The only difference I find is that necropsy generally refers to a post-mortem exam of an animal, but autopsy is used to refer a post-mortem exam of a human or an animal.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Autopsy are performed on humans. Necropsy on non humans. From the Greek Auto=self ,it is the study on one self ie humans. Biopsy is tissue you study that came from a living thing, a Necropsy is a tissue study that came from a dead thing.

    Did anyone read the old FUGLY that Cathy put up on the 29th? Some what snarky, some what mean spirited, but good fodder for education and debate. What is an ideally conformed horse? In who's eyes?

    Perhaps Anon at 9:23 7/30 is Cathy. She would know if her readership slipped.
    Cathy got what I call the BHA syndrome. Butt Headed Astronomer = Carl Sagan. Apple Computer named a product in development Sagan in hopes that it would make "billions and billions". Note that this was only an internal code name. Sagan found out and ordered sent Apple a cease and desist letter. Apple complied, but engineers retaliated by changing the internal codename to "BHA" for "Butt-Head Astronomer". Sagan then sued Apple for libel. The courts rejected the suit saying "First you have to prove they are talking about you. Are you saying you are indeed a butt head? How do you know YOU are the butt headed astronomer they are talking about?" This was about the time that Sagan was every where talking about anything. "Mr Sagan what do you think about the 70 tornados in one day in Tornado alley, Jay Leno becoming host of the Tonight show, Monaco being allowed entry to the UN? Did have to be even tangentially related to astronomy, let alone science.

    This is exactly what Cathy has done. You may or may not agree with her position on horses, but back in the day you got interesting topics that could be debated. But she ended up being really mean, with only a few topics. With the discussion/ topic end up: if you don't agree with me, you're stupid and I'm calling out my human flesh search engine to get you.

    I was really repulsed by her topic July 19 and her links videos of beastiality. The links seem to be gone now, I hope she came to her senses and pulled them. I don't believe most of her readers are older than 17. Many seem much younger. I made the mistake of clicking the link and the video show were indeed XXX HOT MAN ON ANIMAL ACTION. I watched maybe 3 seconds before I realized what she had linked to and closed my computer up. The only thing I can figure out is she was trying to boost hits. Like the Love Boat use to do with T and A during sweeps week.
    CAthy is also using her blog to up her magazine column. And seem to be using her magazine column to advertise her stallion. This seems to me wrong headed. The people she would attract would be the same people she hates, BYB who else would want to breed to BYC? I'm in the market for a breeding, in the next two years or so. I'm spending time looking at what the stallions have thrown on mares similar to mine in looks and breeding. What have the stallions done themselves? What has their get done and for how long? I don't start with photos or their championships, I look to see what their get won first, long before I look at the photos. BYC has a ZERO behind his name. Infamous does not equal famous does not equal good.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Well, it's a short distance between snarky and downright mean, righteous and self-righteous. A blog is entertainment as well as educational, and I ceased to be entertained or educated by hers. I drew the line when she started attacking children.

    I have to admit that I haven't bothered to read her blog for a while now because she's outed herself as the epitome of the 'angry spinster attacking everyone else.' Way more pathetic than funny...

    If she knows so much about how a rescue should be run, she should start one herself. Let's face it, any time you start dealing with a group of people you're going to have conflict. Creating more conflict and drama ruins the credibility of rescues altogether, and does nothing to help horses. If she's doing this because she thinks it will increase her blog audience...that's creepy.

    Rebel's Equine has the most sustainable and sensible business plan of the rescue modalities that I have seen. What they are doing works without costing a fortune, yet she's attacking them because of a personal vendetta. Not professional, IMO.

    I really wouldn't care that she's standing a mediocre stallion if she hadn't been so hateful to other well meaning folks who were just trying to add a few good horses to the gene pool. Genetics is not a simple subject. We all know a homely mare or stud that consistently produces athletes, and beautiful horses that throw mediocre foals. AI and the proliferation of certain bloodlines, and exclusion of others, worries me. You never know when you might need that prehistoric r rare gene to prevent disease or add usability, so her ranting about' we shouldn't bother to preserve rare bloodlines' struck me as short sighted and silly.

    It's sad actually, because I used to enjoy her blog before her head blew up.

    Gack, she actually posted links to bestiality?! No, I'm not even tempted to look. Ick.

    ReplyDelete
  20. @Kaede - thanks for clearing up the difference between autopsy and necropsy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The link Cathy posted on Doug Spinks wasn't labled bestiality, it was labled for the full story on Doug Spinks. In my innocence, I didn't not know what the particular website she linked to was infamous for raunchy-ness. All Cathy said was if you are over 18 go have a look. Well you have to be over 18 to see cigarette ads and some news stories about the war in Afghanistan. I do wonder how she knew about this particular web site.

    I worry about the popularity factor in AI too. It blows my mind you can breed to a horse 10 years dead. One reason I'm studying the pedigree, performance and get so closely. In Saddlebreds New Yorker bred horses are very common. NutCracker is very popular, because of AI. I'm afraid of a bottle neck. One reason I'm looking at BAKCHOS. Gonna see more of his get before I decide. Campaigning a stallion is expensive. Lots of ads + press = a rise in interest often equaling a rise in popularity. Popularity doesn't necessarily equal good. Depending on one's definition of good.

    At the beginning, I figured that Cathy was a beginning writer, beginning writers have a tendency to snark because it is easy. Writers want to be entertaining and think that snarking is a way to do that. Then she figured out she had a readership and could use her blog to affect (even if only in her mind) her world and her pet causes. Please note the VCL's blog died. She was trying to not be snarky on that blog and meet her challenges honestly. A much harder writing assignment. Before she writes a navel gazing blog she should read some good writers Henry Mitchell of the Washington Post or Anne Raver of the New York Times. Both are garden writers, they tell a good about a personal interest. I'm not a gardener but I love to read their articles.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm having a really bad day.
    This cheered me up. hey, I'm desperate.
    I saw these guys live at Summerfolk, Owen Sound, Ontario, the summer my mom passed, 1988. They made my smile come out of nowhere.

    because even though old fugs is a mean-spirited snarker person, she isn't for the abuse/neglect of animals. She got my head thinking about it again, I'd tried to ignore it, what with living beside the worst of the worst in neglect, and all. But no. Now that I have to watch a nice old soul be neglected, because it's entirely legal, I have to keep asking this.

    Can we stop fighting amongst our own kind selves, and snarking sneering at others stupidities/errors, and focus the attention on what fugs and I agree on? Animal Welfare Laws?

    They suck?
    Hello?

    NevEr Mind, keep it up.

    I'm not aiming this at you guys that know I'm not aiming at it you. There are those that would far rather bitch about nothing, than something..

    wish me luck..
    For the Horse.
    ALL animals!
    gahhhhhhhhhh.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, and I never read her anymore. I have enough to do. The commenters is why I read, to be honest. I loved learning on the comments. I usually kinda skimmed her posts.

    No-one's answering, as to how it's known her hits are down?
    Quantcast says otherwise, but what do I know?
    Not much.

    Oh, but I do know that horses need water more often then every 48+++... hours..

    ReplyDelete
  24. Well GL, that's the rub with laws, as you know. It all boils down to enforcement.

    The laws that are already in place should have been used by the authorities to stop the neglect of HIG. It can not be legal to keep a horse in a garage, and the landlord is negligent for allowing the abuse to continue.

    A 'layperson,' asked on the street, will answer..."no, it would not be okay to keep a horse in a garage 24/7." It just sucks that the authorities seem to be giving the abuser a pass.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anyone following VLC on Facebook? Word on the street is that he is at ABRA World in Tulsa OK and took WS top 5 in trail class and then injured himself in his stall. He is supposedly out of the competition until next year and will miss his WP and HUS classes.
    In my opinion it could not have happened to a nicer person! To go all that way and spend all that money only to have the horse cast himself in his stall....I feel bad for the horse but I am so happy Cathy Atkinson's dreams were dashed.

    ReplyDelete
  26. sigh.

    There's my point, right there, anon 10:38. Yippee for an injured horse? Please.

    kestrel, by law, there's nothing illegal going on.

    Old bitchy broad out.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Well I was attracted to the fugly blog because it appeared that she was doing something...lots of shiny objects and yelling going on....and when I realized she wasn't I stopped going. period. I don't hate her, I don't hate her horse. I don't know why it has balls but O well.
    I've done websearches but in the end I don't see any real ideas or progress in the no slaughter horse front. (which I am against slaughter but I would like to be more proactive)
    To me personally horses have become the next kitten and puppy problem which we can't control that either.
    I guess it comes down to freedom and what makes money is more important than what happens to the excess produced. It's a rock and a hard place because I don't want government control, I want people to control themselves. lol I know, not gonna happen.

    ReplyDelete
  28. GL,

    It is kind of a conundrum (you know that is one of my fav words), on the one hand, hearing about Cecil being out of action kinda makes me feel like "serves her right," but on the other hand, I know Cecil can't help who his owner is and I don't like to think of any animal sick or injured. So, I am going to hope that his injuries are minor and he will be back to 100% shortly, just as I would hope that Fugly would wish the same speedy recovery to Tip.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'd rather the VLC had placed or failed on his own merits, since that is the standard his owner thinks he can live up to. It's sad that he injured himself. I wouldn't wish that on any horse owner.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I've been trying to find a simple synopsis of the History of Dave Cattoor, just the facts without the usual comments - People should be able to read factual reports and make up their own minds- In my Web Travels, I ran across the 'Animal Legal Defense Fund', and immediately thought of GL and my own frustrations with the laws ( Gotta admit I agree with Shakespeare when it comes to lawyers). But these guys really seem to have their 'stuff' together. I checked them out with the BBB and the reports are glowing. Has anyone , here, heard anything about them?

    ReplyDelete
  31. I looked at the ALDF, and boy did my red flag sensors go off off off! All I see they do is sue, sue, sue, sue. Heck, their video on youtube starts off with going, "Millions of animals are slaughtered each year." There are millions of different ways of going about things, and I don't care what BBB says. They scream PETA-lite to me. It's all well and great to have people be punished for their actions, but these people...WACKY. The only nutjobs I would ever give my money to is Sea Shepherds, and even then I'm wary. IMO, the only people who I would willingly donate to without question is the ASPCA. One of the cases states downright lies about the confinement in terms of gestation crates with swine animals. Lawsuits do not win friends, and it does not win the people who have brains.

    I haven't heard anything about them, but something isn't sitting right with me.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Thanks CinammonSwirl. The Law suits are only to be expected from a group of Attorneys and Law Students, and I was thinking of them more as a resource than a charity. The Laws seem, to me, to be completely confusing with the effectiveness of each dependent upon the person in charge of seeing them carried out. I was thinking it would be nice to have a group of experts (In Animal Rights) to explain some of these things to me. But, if you spotted even one lie in their arguments,they can't be trusted to tell the truth about anything. I'm such a newbie at all this, I wouldn't have seen it in a million years :)Thank You for taking the time to 'check it out'...I love this group. It seems to be one of the 'Last Bastions' of Common Sense and Reason on the Web.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Well, it was the only lie I could spot. I just don't sit well with the statement of the millions of animals being slaughtered each year. I wish somebody would get some recent footage and stop using the old rehashed business. I also don't like people mettling with farm animals where they have no knowledge in it. Domestic is easy because everyone has experience. If you were to donate, I'd apply some specifics to it. Like have it go to a cause you understand and care for, and make sure it only goes to that source only or something.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Can someone please tell me when VLC HASN'T been injured? It seems he's always getting cast in his stall or something or another.
    You would think that as much as she boasts about her stallion being so well mannered and not studdish, that he would know how to behave himself in a stall.
    My money is on stall kicking and misbehavior due to him trying to get to mares in heat. He shouldn't be a stallion.

    ReplyDelete
  35. I think I'm gonna puke. One of the comments on the "Outing the Good Guys" post, from a complete sycophant:

    "Who is awesome in the horse world? Well Cathy the first one that came to mind was YOU!! I have only recently starting posting but have been following your blog all along. You, my dear, do more for the horses than anyone else I can think of and a big thank you from me to you for all you do!!"

    Puke. Puke. Puke.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Ugh. I can not stand sycophant drivel. I knew a girl in another horse forum who posts on fugs now and again. To see her trying so hard to get fugs attention is just sickening. She came off as so much more intelligent than that. Such a shame to know the 'intelligence' just a facade.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Did anyone catch fugly whining about someone asking for help? Heaven forbid anyone asking for help. I think she just trolls around on myspace, looking for people to attack. Sounds like she's back to attacking kids again. And that's my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  38. myspace = facebook. Social networking sites fail on my part. Which is still my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Holly cow, (thanks BH) i can't believe how bad my typing is getting..
    "I'm not aiming this at you guys that know I'm not aiming at it you."
    WHAT??

    Let's try that again..
    I'm not aiming this at you guys that know I'm not aiming it at you.

    Don't mind me, youze guys. I'm just so tired of the back-biting, sneering/snarking/finger-pointing. And that's just the Humane Orgs..

    I wouldn't call Cathy awesome. Nope, that's NOT the first word that comes to mind.
    Too tired to type more.
    Nightmare Horse is not good.

    CS, have you heard from BHM?
    Kinda worried about her..

    Helplessly out.

    ReplyDelete
  40. I have not, and I'm starting to worry I have to take this blog over when I am by no means qualified to necessarily do so.

    I'm of course worried about her, too, but the pressure...

    ReplyDelete
  41. RE: Fugly today

    "P.S. Speaking of rescues biting the proverbial dust, yes, I have received Celeita Kramer’s “help me or I start shooting horses” e-mail from many of you. Honestly I am sick of giving that crazy-ass nut job any further publicity. If you don’t know who I am talking about, read this"

    Seem that your buddy Shawna from SOS sent out the same kind of email Fubbs. Might want to do some visiting since you advertise for them.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Just in case she edits this, Ill post it here so when SOS Equines falls apart and shoots horses (I mean) Puts them down (yeah right)We can all remember when she let them advertise.

    fhotd says:
    August 6, 2010 at 5:33 pm

    I think they’re great or they wouldn’t be advertising here. I wouldn’t take ads from anyone that I had qualms about.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I think that the very worst thing that could be said about fugs is that she makes me look sane. Witty and rational too on my better days.
    The best thing I can say about that stallyun of hers is that he has the worst set of wheels this side of the killpen for a future champion of what? Do the color shows qualify for ROMs?
    HA!

    ReplyDelete
  44. ----- Forwarded Message ----
    From: SOS Equines
    To: >
    Sent: Fri, July 30, 2010 1:09:24 PM
    Subject: SOS Equines - needs help

    Below is the thread that was posted so we can raise some funds for our sponsor horses. If you can help even in the slightest bit, it would be greatly appreciated. Please paypal any donations to sosequines@gmail.com it will be applied to the sponsor horses.

    We also have both Lucy Lou & Tapatia that appear to be very pregnant, so help is needed with there care also.


    I never realized how much money it takes to care for the sponsored horses until Shawna broke it down for me. This is just for normal care and doesn't include money that would be needed for any illnesses or injuries. It also doesn't include water bills, poo removal, halters, blankets, etc. I can't imagine how much time it takes just to feed all of them too. So please, reach into your pockets and help out, even if it's only $5. Just give up one trip to McDonald's, Starbucks, or something similar, and send a little in and help out.

    Pasture Rent $370.00
    Healthy Edge $168.00
    Alfalfa Pellets $320.00
    Big Bales $ 450.00
    Farrier $490.00 (14 horses @ $35)
    Cool calories $90.00

    Total for this month is $1888.00

    Pasture rent it self explanitory

    Healthy Edge, the price includes the coupons For $168 we should be able to get 15 bags (buy 4 get one free) we go thru a bag of this every other day right now.

    Alfalfa Pellets, Kringle & Rocko both are on pellets only at this time, Kringe alone goes thru a fifty pound bag each day, Rocko not quite as much but I would say one every 3 feedings.

    Big bales: I bought them last month & I can't do it this month. We are completely out & need them asap. I am having to feed them my small bales of grass hay mixed with alfalfa. Our alfalfa test just came back from our last cutting & its dairy quality meaning I can't feed it to horses without ALOT of grass hay mixed in with it, they will lose weight instead of gain because its too rich. The grass hay I currently have is all I get for the entire year off our fields & is for our personal horses, so I feeding 4 bales each day I will be out of my years supply in less than 45 days at this rate.

    Farrier, Ruby, Mitzie, Kringle, Split Pants, Angel, Cricket, Cookie, Jazzy, Junior, Lucy Lou, Chip, Glowing War, Ruby & Daisy are all due for trims this month.

    Cool calories, I go thru 2 big tubs in a month...Kringle, Rocko & Bella are getting the majority of it.

    Right now today SOS has 22 horses in our care & on our bill each month. We are asking for less than $100 per horses for its monthly needs, I dont' know anywhere somebody can do what were doing for less than $100 per month.


    So Fubby is this a good rescue? Begging for hay vet care and farrier services? Gonna do that site check soon?

    ReplyDelete
  45. But it's ok for them to beg! They're not some defenseless kid on facebook! (And they pay HER for adspace, right?)

    ReplyDelete
  46. So where in writing did Shawna say she was going to start putting down horses (the sponsored ones?) if she didn't get the money to feed/care for them? All I see in that posted email is a plea for funds.

    Has she still been trying to sell Dave's horses or has she stopped with the begathons?

    It's the same old, same old. People who call themselves rescue take in more horses than they can afford to care for, the begathons begin and the horses' lives are threatened with being shot.

    It's only going to get worse as more and more idiots don the "rescue" crown and those already wearing it start their spiral descent into that black hole where the only thing that awaits is death for the horses.

    Oh yeah, aren't they all such wonderful "rescuers"?

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anon 7:07 speaking:

    Somebody needs to buy one of these for Shawna at SOS. She would wear it well.

    http://www.zazzle.com/custom_urban_dictionary_trucker_hat-148044169903074104

    ReplyDelete
  48. Well shoot...it's showing some other hat. The one I chose says "ass-hat" on it.

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous said...

    So where in writing did Shawna say she was going to start putting down horses (the sponsored ones?) if she didn't get the money to feed/care for them? All I see in that posted email is a plea for funds.

    On the forum

    ReplyDelete
  50. On which forum? Fugs' forum? Does Shawna have a forum herself where she said this?

    This irritates the bajeebus out of me. Boy the rescued horses now have to worry about whether or not their own rescuer is going to have them euthed. Damn, rescued horses don't appear to be safe anywhere.

    Is she using this as a tool only to get people to send money, with no intention of having any of them euthed?

    Seems she wants to "save" them all (selling Dave's stock) as long as everyone else pays for them, then pays for their monthly care.

    What happened to "But I love horses so much, I want to give them a chance"? Apparently there's a time limit on giving the poor things a chance, huh! Once that time goes by, it's "their too expensive to keep so let's just stick em with a needle or shoot them".

    I am getting to the point where I hate so called rescuers' attitudes. They don't get money for the horse, they threaten to kill them.

    ReplyDelete
  51. I think a standardized definition of what a rescue is and does, and what constitutes a rescue horse is needed.

    I read about people "rescuing" horses that are being sold because their owners are going to college, out grown them or need a horse that matches their skill level. I don't think these are horses needing "rescuing" as much as they are "for sale" horses. Just because you buy one of these horses doesn't make you a rescuer.

    I did not "rescue" my gelding when I bought him this spring. Was he a show ring wash out? Yes. Do I have hopes of correcting this? Yes. Is he in "rehab" right now? yes. But he was bought, not rescued. He didn't fit his first owners needs and he does fit mine.

    As for the "truck is coming" cry, well why not euth the horses if that is the only alternative? Something is wrong with the for sale tactic here. In real estate if your house isn't selling, you need to look at the price and the marketing strategy. Make sure you are trying to sell your house at the right price to the people who will be likely to buy it. Same with horses. A 15 year old grade gelding who only know how to go on trails, isn't going to be of any interest to a person wanting a combined driving horse. Yes, the new owner could retrain the horse, but why bother, unless there is an incentive, usually a financial incentive.

    Maybe it's time to euth the old, lame and mean. Don't euth the ones you love, but the ones no one wants. The ones that are in the slaughter pens. For every old, lame, mean horse that is pulled out of the pens, is a young, sound, good minded horse going in it's stead? That 1,000.00, 5 year old Zips Chocolate Chips mare still haunts me. I've never ridden a western horse, I've never sat in stock saddle. I wish I had a spare $8,000.00 so I could have bought her and kept her a while. But that's what it comes down to, who has a spare $6,500.00 per year for a horse they can't ride and don't love?

    ReplyDelete
  52. I don't believe in euthing any horse unless there are serious lameness or health issues. Just because they are old, in my mind it doesn't mean they should be given the death sentence. As rare as it is, there are people who won't/can't ride anymore but love horses who would opt to get an older horse just to give her a place to call home until it's time to go.

    What I have a problem with is "rescues" begging people to purchase these horses from dealers/kbs so the rescue can "save" them, then are stuck with them because their "he/she has to have a home offer before we can bail him/her" didn't work. Then they beg for bucks to take care of the monthly costs and, when little to no money is forthcoming, they opt to end the horses' lives by whatever means necessary. It's euthing in bulk after a "rescuer" has "saved" them (probably the horses are in good health/soundness) simply because they don't have the funds to care for them. There's a difference.

    I have purchased horses that had been "rescued". I didn't rescue them. Someone else did. I've also purchased horses that I would not ever put a "rescue" label on because they were well taken care of at the time of my purchasing them. I agree; just because you bought a horse doesn't mean you "rescued" him/her. Now, purchasing a horse from auction where the probability of them being purchased by a kb to send to slaughter is considered "rescuing" that horse. Purchasing a horse that the owner threatens (whether they would actually do it is beside the point) to sell to a kb is also considered "rescuing" that horse in my book. I guess it just depends on each individual view of what constitutes calling a horse a "rescue". I know of many cases where people who are not in the "rescuing" business have actually rescued their horses from abhorrant surroundings, absense of care, etc, who consider their horse a rescue. Whatever the details, the horse was taken from an abysmal, life threatening environment and placed in a loving, caring, financially sound home.

    What Shawna does is up for debate.

    ReplyDelete
  53. "As rare as it is, there are people who won't/can't ride anymore but love horses who would opt to get an older horse just to give her a place to call home until it's time to go."

    What do we do with the rest of them? Granted, everyone gets to choose their priority, but at nearly $6,000.00 a year for basic care,

    [$500.00 a month includes full board, vet,
    farrier care and emergency fund. Ymmv, I live in an urban East Coast setting. Things will be more expensive here than in say East Jesus, Utah. Basic board near by (around a 30 minute drive) runs around $400.00 a month, pasture board is around $300.00. These figures do not include any car expenses such as gas, tires and oil)

    can we reasonably expect to find homes for most, let alone all, older pasture puffs? Older horses get more, not less, expensive as they age.

    Which horses go and which horses stay? Who decides? Individuals? Then no one has the right to point fingers at anyone. I did with my money what I wanted, and you do with yours what you want.

    I don't know Shawna or what she is doing, but her tactics as described seem to be the same that Cathy use to rant about back in the day.

    ReplyDelete
  54. the post on fhotd today could be about her own stallion i laughed

    ReplyDelete
  55. A stallion's job is to throw good babies. Period. It doesn't matter what he's done or what he's won, if he puts good foals on the ground... he's a good stallion. If he can't, he's not.

    The elitist "keep the price up there" people are ignoring the fact that they are not in the majority of horse owners. The show and race people are responsible for far more throw away horses than any BYB could produce, and have concentrated bloodlines to a frightening extent. Why are so many TBs showing up at the auction? That's it...think about it...

    Many of the great contenders in the horse world have came from small breeders who kept plugging away, producing sound family and using horses.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Well put Kestrel, tha horses that are often winning at least in halter classes are NOT the type or quality I would breed my mares to. Following the "current fad" has helped to a greater extent to cripple the horse industry at large. Leaving us with chronicly unsound nasty minded "poster horses"

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hahahaha-Fugs got her ass handed to her..A.G.A.I.N! over that gray stallion she posted a picture of.

    A mature SON of Chick's Beduino(SI 104) out of a daughter of Dash For Cash (SI 87). The dam did not have an extremely high speed index, but that is relatively common in the Dash For Cash's(SI 114). It is a proven fact that even his daughters that did not run were quite capable of passing on the speed, particularly when bred to horses as great as Chick's Beduino.

    Once again fugs has shown her complete lack of knowledge of bloodlines and performance records.

    And since the horse (you can view him and his get by googling Odyssey Ranch-the horse's name is Preferred Platinum) has already produced winning foals, his purpose as a stallion has been fulfilled and he has proven he SHOULD keep his testicles and make more. Show record or no show record.

    I do love it when her 'audience' calls her out. Not that the stupid cow would ever admit she was wrong. After all...it's h.e.r. opinion-LMAO.

    ReplyDelete
  58. BEC it was a hoot!! And the part "no she doesn't have any confirmation shots" LOL Right Fubb We believe that and when you get some they will be up in a jiffy LMAO! Is it Franki or Bullwinkle Opps that is....

    "Finally, his son is going into training in early 2011 (remember, I don’t believe in breaking 2′s and neither do the owners of his foals) and is being promoted alongside him.

    Oh either one will be a fine post legged example to promote! LOLOLOL


    SOS has their own super sekret forum and they ban regularly

    http://sosequines.proboards.com/index.cgi?

    And I agree to the SOS comment above, on ABR when SOS is raising funds it goes from we can only take pledges w/o homes then it turns into, a magic back up home send money blah blah Then 2 years later the poor decrepit things are still in storage at Shawnas. Come to think of it are they still up on Fugly?

    ReplyDelete
  59. Irony much?
    Fugly's quote on a mediocre stallion from her blog:
    "You know, when your horse gets completely crippled as a baby, does it ever occur to you that this is Nature’s way of saying Not Meant To Be Herd Stallion? I mean, in nature, he would have gotten eaten by a mountain lion when he effed up his knee. He would not have bred on. So why, exactly, do you think this completely unaccomplished (and really freaking common-looking) critter should reproduce himself?"
    Last she commented on VLC, he was pulled from the show for being lame AGAIN. This time the injury was caused by getting his foot hung up inside the stall on the showgrounds.
    Really?
    So how many times does this make for him being out of a job for being lame at what age? 4 or 5 years old? And he has done what?

    ReplyDelete
  60. Anonymous said...
    I have a question for you all;
    In light of FHOTD's popularity slip, I mean she went from around 14,000 hit a day to around 1800, what do you all think was the #1 most damaging thing that caused her popularity to fall so drastically?


    Stupidity.
    Hers.

    ReplyDelete
  61. being flat mean. she doesn't write with any wit at all now.. it is all about the attack, and justifying her own horse still being a stud. that sucks.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Agreed, Anon 6:46 am.

    When people first start to read a snarky blog, it may make them laugh and they think of it as entertainment. However, people can only take so much meanness for a certain length of time before it finally gets "old" and the novelty of the snarkiness wears off. Then when the posts become increasingly mean spirited and vile, the reader starts to have a bad taste in their mouth. The negativity of the posts start to "set the mood" for their day. They then realize it's time to stop reading because the witty turned evil just isn't "fun" anymore.

    That's what I think happened to cause Fugs' readership numbers to drop. It wasn't any one particular posting or event or vile commentary that did it. It was a LOT of them. IMO.

    ReplyDelete
  63. (Tried to post this yesterday but linked to the show results from Tulsa so it seems to have been eaten by the moderation queue).

    Her "top 5" was 5th place out of a class of 8 in junior trail. Two of the competitors zeroed, so she was 5th of 6 that completed the pattern.

    Why again does he deserve his balls?

    ReplyDelete
  64. I think it had a lot to do with some of her victims stepping forward. It's all fun and games until you realize that someone really has been hurt. The internet may be 'just the internet' but the people that are being attacked suffer real consequences.

    Cyber-bullying has been brought to the public's awareness because of suicides that have been precipitated by internet harassment.

    And, for some of us, attacking our horses is the emotional equivalent of attacking our children! And then when she started attacking REAL children...ick.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Wow, about his trail placing. I get a little embarrassed when I'm in a tiny class and earn second. People will tell me "second is great!" then I sheepishly tell them there were only three people in the class. I certainly wouldn't be bragging about it when I'm tearing other people apart. And the heck needs "professional" conformation shots before they'll post them? What does she mean, photoshopped pictures?

    ReplyDelete
  66. Fiona said...

    Her "top 5" was 5th place out of a class of 8 in junior trail. Two of the competitors zeroed, so she was 5th of 6 that completed the pattern.

    OK Now tell me about this, her trainer from her site says...

    Crystal began riding professionally in 1988 and opened her own business (Cedar Hill Training Center) officially in 1994.
    Crystal’s training program has produced numerous titles in multiple breeds including: Regional, National and World Champions.

    So how does she ride is a Junior Trail class? Isnt that the hissy fit Fubby threw at one of BYC's first shows, a better rider on a better horse won? Hello pot... kettle here....

    ReplyDelete
  67. I just checked ABRA website because I was confused too. "Junior" relates to the age of the horse, not the rider.
    Fiona, thanks for looking up the results. 5th out of a class of 6. "Top 5" - Too funny!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Kestrel - You are spot on.
    BEC - thanks for the info on the grey stallion and his bloodlines. I don't know alot about QH so it really helps when someone posts the facts so clearly.

    On Aug. 9, 2010 @ 7:47pm FHOTD posted:

    "I don’t think I’m off base at all. You may not AGREE with this opinion, but it has ALWAYS been my opinion that horses that have not been broke out and competed and accomplished something significant should not stand at stud.

    Not ever. No exceptions.

    I don’t care what they end up producing. That doesn’t make it okay later."

    Wow. What a ridiculous, small minded statement. So even if they produce world champions, or have a profound positive impact on their breed - it doesn't matter, it shouldn't have happened because they didn't follow the RULES. Jeesh, must be Cathy went to Catholic school as a child! LOL
    That statement is just as stupid as saying that if the horse had been injured in the wild it would be natures way of not allowing him to breed. So nature can cause freak accidents to happen to perfectly sound, healthy animals it deems unfit to breed? Must be a failsafe procedure for cases where actual genetic weakness isn't present. It's akin to saying AIDS is God's punishment for homosexuality.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Showing isn't the be all and the end all of perfection anyway. Sure, it's a good idea to have outside opinions from experts in order to counter problems of barn blindness, but winning in the show ring does NOT mean that the animal is a good example of the breed.

    Look at AQHA halter...

    Frankly, I don't care that she wants to keep VLC as a stud. I don't even care whether or not he does well in the show ring and gets his ROM or whatever it is she's aiming for. He's a WP horse and while I don't like 'em very much (they all look downhill as hell and I expect riders to slide off between their ears any moment) there seems to be some value.

    From a genetics point of view, too, I have a lot of problem with the concentration of bloodlines and the heavy use of AI and reliance on a few studs.

    I think anyone who breeds should have a vision. A type of horse (or dog or cat or whatever) that they are striving to reach. It takes a lot of commitment to get there, both in terms of money and in terms of research. I don't see that from Fubs.

    To be totally fair, though, it's possible she will be proven right. Maybe her stud will blossom into the striking performance horse she thinks deserves to breed. Maybe her slow and methodical training will have an affect and she'll be able to single handedly change the AQHA show circuit. I don't think so, but I could (and often am) wrong.

    If she talked a bit more about her goals with VLC. What she saw him contributing, what she thought his offspring would do, and what type of mares she thinks he would cross well on, then I'd have a little more time for her. But she doesn't. She just passes judgement on other people, including those who do have a vision.

    ReplyDelete
  70. I read Cathy's post about breeding, one thing that startled me was she didn't know why the low head set was desirable. As it was explained to me, a working cow horse has a low head set to better work cattle. I suspect it is much like a border collie giving sheep the "eye". Pleasure horse classes were to show the versatility of a working cow horse (Look! Smokey can cut cattle all day and you can throw Aunt Gerty up on him and give her a ride on Sunday") and it was a good place to begin a show career. But much like the TWH things got extreme. If level is good for a working cow horse, then it must be good for all horses. And below level must be even better.

    I grew up riding field hunters, I was told to keep my horses head up (not so high as a saddlebreds) because my hunter was an extra set of eyes to look for the fox. Good field hunters do look for the fox, after all, when the fox is sighted a good run is sure to follow. My first field hunter was a quarter horse, bred back in the mid '50's. She didn't carry her head that low, and she wasn't much over 14 hands. Ideal for a young rider.

    As for breeding, I'm studying studs right now to cross on a New Yorker mare. It's more than seeing if the stud won anything. What did he throw on a mare bred like mine? What did he throw on a mare who looks like mine? Do their faults both conformational and temperamental balance each other out? What do I envision for this baby? How many get does the stud have on the ground? What kind of mares was he bred to? Have they won anything, if so, under which judges? If the stud has lots of get on the ground and not much winning, why? Is that style of horse out of favor right now? If I'm breeding for a show winner I need to think about what style of horse is winning. What is my vision for a Maple Syrup (sort of Kaede in English, though Frog Foot would work too..) Saddlebred? Undulata's Nutcracker was never shown but man his babies win. Though I do think it would be a poor cross on my mare too much New Yorker.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Umm, did anyone else think that VLC's gaskin and croup look a little odd?

    ReplyDelete
  72. Glad you mentioned that Kaede. Like I said before, I don't know much aboutQH's in particular. But my eye was drawn to his hind end. Maybe it is just the picture or angle. Guess we'll have to wait for those professional show confo photos LOL

    ReplyDelete