Sunday, August 15, 2010

Conformation Station

Ok, folks. We're going to give this a try. I'm going to provide you with pictures of a horse sans breed, discipline, and anything that isn't just a horse. Your job? Critique the horse to your best ability. For some additional details you can add:


Potential discipline
Breeding worth
Strengths
Breed guess
Age guess
Whether or not you'd purchase
Etc.

I will be posting a link back to the source of the pictures since we are using them. I ask you simply do not click it until you're done and have posted a comment. You don't want to spoil it for yourself, would you? Also, if I find out that the source link is being abused in any way, I will simply stop doing these. You know what I mean by abuse, too. Now, on to the pictures!

Click Images to Enlarge

Source Link

131 comments:

  1. Is it an Akhal Teke?? No idea about spelling..looks young and if that is indeed the breed then I certainly don't know enough to give a confo critique:)

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  2. Potential discipline: Dressage
    Breeding worth: Maybe... would have to see if it fills out and outgrows some of the minor faults I see
    Strengths: Good shoulder, nice upright tie, good bone
    Breed guess: Akhal Teke or Fresian cross
    Age guess: yearling
    Whether or not you'd purchase: Without seeing movement I dont know. I would consider depending on breed lines, temperament and whether or not it fit my intended use

    Overall its a nice horse, backs a little long and looks to have a weak loin. Its pasterns are a little up right for my liking. And it has a slightly upside down neck. The pasterns and the weak loin and things like that it could outgrow as it muscles and ive seen some pretty funny looking young horses turn into wonderful breeding and competing animals.

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  3. Potential discipline:

    I hate to talk about disciplines until I know the horses talents, dispositions and likes. Just because a horse is bred for or conformationally suited to, a discipline, doesn't mean the horse is going to do well in that discipline.
    With that said, I wouldn't put this horse out as a cow pony or any of the western disciplines. I see endurance in the build, field hunting? endurance riding? Combined training?

    Breeding worth:
    I couldn't say. How close is the horse to his breed standard? How close is he to what the breeder was envisioning?

    Strengths
    Nice bone, good shoulder, I'd like to see more of his pasterns and hooves. Neck is a little up right for anyone but Saddlebred people. Like his forearms, I'm on the fence about his butt and gaskin. His back seems a bit long and his loin a bit weak. I suspect he will grow out of this or can be made to put on muscle and improve it.

    For me the head is a bit plain. But he has a nice eye.

    Breed guess: Akhal Teke

    Age guess: yearling.

    Whether or not you'd purchase: I wouldn't purchase, but then I ride Saddleseat.

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  4. Potential discipline: Jumping or fox hunter.

    Breeding worth: Hm. Right now, I would say no.

    Strengths: Love the shoulder, the croup. I like that high neck set. Too long in the barrel, though, not happy with how low his heels are and his pasterns are "off".

    Breed guess: The thing that keeps popping into my head is Irish Hunter. I would say Akhal Teke, but those horses are supposed to be butt ugly, and he's not. He does have the slight resemblance to a Walking Horses head.

    Age guess: Mid to long yearling

    Whether or not you'd purchase: No.

    ~Dk

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  5. I'd be happy to supply a picture of my mare for critique. I don't mind any of the negatives people might say.

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  6. I think its a Saddlebred. OR TB cross? Looks young under 3 and Im not into breeding so no. I like the way it is built

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  7. Teehee. I hope you guys click the link when all is said and done. Fun times to find out ages, breed, and what his sire does. He's actually a nice representative of his breed while still having basic characteristics associated with it.

    Anon 9:12, I would be happy to do that if you'd like. Just make sure that the photos are clear and good and the set up is decent enough for people to tell what is good, etc. I'll work a way for you to contact me in the meantime if you are still up for it.

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  8. Ah well , why not?
    Age: I agree looks under 3

    Breed: Irish Sporthorse or TB?
    I personally don't like the way his neck is cranked up, looks ewe necked but I think it's the picture. Nice coat, seems to be buildt for english.
    Buy or Breed? Definitely too tall by far so no I wouldn't be breeding him...but then I wouldn't own him either so I'm guessing maybe in someone else's pasture he or she'd do okay.

    My 2 cents fwiw

    windingwinds

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  9. CS I have hundreds of pictures of the Feedlot Horses, all different ages and breeds. Almost all of them have either been Placed or Shipped so I don't think I could be accused of trying to Advertise them :)...If you'd like to take a look, just drop me a note...

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  10. I would say Tb cross , yearling or 2 yr old . Decent for a baby , few things that niggle , looks a little straight in the pic , but not standing brilliantly . I would like to see him moving too

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  11. Just checked the link ... huh, not so familiar with that one

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  12. Anyone wanting to leave links to contact can do so here http://taleoffantasyline.blogspot.com/2010/08/spare-info.html

    I don't want to post my e-mail due to it being synonymous with accounts on a horse board that I'd care not to out myself from. So add your links or whatever you need to give me there. I have to work on a solution in the meantime, especially with school coming up soon.

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  13. That's such a shame that Americans feel the need to "Pretty things up". I was shocked to find out that that is an Akhal Teke.

    Ah well. Fun game! More more more!

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  14. I'm proud of myself, I took a look and said.. hmmm...Akhal Teke??? if she'd posted a front on pic, I'd know for sure.. Saw some at equifest one year.. the greyhounds of the horse world, for sure!

    But in all honestly, I'm begining to think the whole conformation thing is totally backwards.

    I'd like to do a study where we look at horses in their 20's that are still sound.. then get out their 3 and 4 yr old pictures and see how they are put together.

    Once I figured out the ideal '45 degree' angle set up on shoulders and hooves was anything but idea.. I realized we need to go the other direction.. what has been PROVEN to be sound.. and what does that look like!

    Do a study on every catagory.. pleasure, barrel racing, roping, etc... Bet the results would be interesting, and really challenge the notion of 'correct' conformation!

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  15. Potential discipline - I leave that for the horse to tell me.. looks like a great endurance prospect

    Breeding worth - no clue, I'm not up on Akhal Teke's and what a quality breeding animal look like.

    Strengths - I'd guess legs

    Breed guess - Akhal Teke

    Age guess - 2yr old? but he looks tall or that guy is a midget.. may be 4 or 5.. not use to the breed! Thought they were 15-16handers

    Whether or not you'd purchase - nope, not for me, I'm into the stock breeds.

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  16. My first instinct is that this is a young sporthorse. Maybe a 2 or 3y/o. I bet he would grow into a nice dressage, jumping or cross-country prospect.

    At first glance, I didn't care for his head, but when I enlarged the pic, the components are very nice. Large, intelligent, well-set eye, cleanly set ears, fine lips and large nostrils.

    His neck set is more upright than is the preferred trend in stock horse types, but I still like it. It is long, elegant looking and ties in cleanly at the shoulder, ear and thoatlatch.

    I like his shoulder. I wished it tied in cleaner at the wither, but again, since I think this is a young horse that could easily change.

    From a stock horse perspective, I wonder where his forearm and gaskin muscles are-LOL. But if he is an Akhal Teke as others have said, I think his musculature is appropriate and desireable as are his long cannon bones and longer pasterns.

    He is as long in the back as he is in the barrel, but appears to tie in strongly at the croup and point of his hip. I do not know what is especially appropriate for his breed.

    As for his hindquarter, I'm a little at a loss. Desireable hindquarter development is very breed specific. From a stock horse perspective, I don't like this horse's. But it could be very appropriate for his breed. If he is Akhal Teke-I thought they were made a little more angular in the hip vs. this colt's rather 'apple-butted' look? I don't know, so I'll reserve judgement.

    Overall, I think this horse shows quality breeding and a lot of 'type'. Breeding worthy? I have no idea, but I suspect he is a good representative of his breed. I could sure see him jumping or floating around a dressage ring in a few years.

    Now to go look...

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  17. Hmmm. I'm not liking the dished hoof wall and lumpy fetlocks, but that also leads me to think that it's not a young horse. It's not a breed that I recognize right off the bat, but I'd guess Akel Teke? Love the strong stifle, horse looks built for distance to me. Upside down neck muscle makes me think it's heavy on the bit. Horse looks like an athlete. Long in the back, but that's balanced pretty well by length of leg, so bet it's a smooth ride. Harness horse build. Off to check out my guesses!!!!!

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  18. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  19. Aww Crud, How do I delete the last comment?!

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  20. Interesting site you all might enjoy.
    http://nezpercehorseinfo.com/Nez_Perce_Horse_Web.html

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  21. I vote Akhal Teke.
    Endurance prospect.
    Jumper, too.

    word verif: traner

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  22. how about posting a Marwari horse from India? Now there's an unusual breed. Similar to the AT in confo, but with the most amazing lyre-shaped ears!

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  23. I love me some Marwari's, actually. My only worry is that a few years ago there were only 12 or so in the U.S. and most were owned by one farm. So who knows the good picture count. That's not to say you couldn't tell in the picture if it was one or not! I'll have to think about that one for another time. Two similar horses in a row and I think I'll bore everyone to death.

    Tekes are notorious for being endurance horses, and will put Arabians to shame in many cases. I see a lot being used in the jumping/dressage ring in terms of more modern disciplines. I don't think they'll hit the western world too soon, though. I especially love it when they get that sheen in their coat.

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  24. Posted a comment at lunch, didn't show up though.

    I did guess his age but I thought he was a cross of some kind.

    I think he would make a nice Jumper but probably not make a good show hunter due to the set of his neck. I bet that being a fox hunter would be right up his alley though.

    Him is a pretty boy and I wouldn't kick him out of my pasture.

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  25. hmmm slim build, long in the back with a slender neck, I'm thinking maybe akel-teke, or maybe even a lusitano? (Don't know how to spell it!), and that head looks like it belongs to a spanish/latin type breed.
    Looks like he/she's got a nice shoulder, so maybe dressage or jumping, but by the size of the muscles on the underside of it's neck I'm guessing it's not trained in dressage already.

    It looks quite young to me, I wouldn't breed from it personally as I don't like its back, too long for my liking, but looks like it'd make a fun competition horse :)

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  26. Potential discipline: Polo
    Breeding material?: No, I would not breed him, for reasons listed below
    Breed guess: Akhal-Teke, no doubt.
    Age guess: Under three
    Would I purchase?: Nope.

    Conformational analysis:
    Pros: Pretty, alert expression. Well laid-back shoulder. Nice tail attachment. Sturdy hooves.

    Cons: Upright pasterns. Thick throatlatch. Weak coupling. Ewe-necked. Mutton-withered. Long back. Pigeon-breasted.

    Overall: I rank him as a decent-looking polo pony. His upright neck is desired by the polo players I know. His long back could make tight turns difficult, but his laid-back shoulder gives him plenty of extension ability, so I know that he'd be able to get down and RUN. I usually see a long-backed horse as being a bit more comfortable to ride, and sometimes a bit easier to stop on a dime (some reiners I know have long backs and can slide for thirty feet). I would not breed him, because all of the negative points of his conformation are hereditary. If he had only one negative point, I would consider it, but at this point the cons outweigh the pros.

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  27. Potential discipline...
    Some sort of English Type
    Breeding worth...
    No clue I don't know anything about breding that type of horse.
    Strengths...
    Good Bone, good shoulder, nice big feet
    Weaknesses.... Poor topline, long through loin
    Breed guess....
    Irish Draft, Some sort of warmblood...
    Age guess
    Whether or not you'd purchase...
    No, That style of horse is not my cup of tea

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  28. Like Fen said above...looks like a polo pony! My "retired" one has that almost exact same head set. Can you say "giraffe????" Only she's a TB (or at least, I'm pretty sure that's what she is as I can't seem to get any papers on her...).
    I've been reading at Akhal Tekes are being used more for polo ponies lately. Kinda cool.

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  29. DISCIPLINE: dressage, jumping, eventing, or endurance (I am basing it on what I know his breed to be therefore what he is likely bred for. I would have to see him move out etc to really determine potential discipline correctly).
    BREEDING: fairly valuable I would figure; he is a fairly quality example of his breed from what I have seen of them, albeit with some minor flaws (though he is still a young horse!). Not a common breed so that increases value.
    STRENGTHS: His neck ties in high to get that front end up, however the underline is a little over-developed at this time. Fairly balanced, decent shoulder (would like to see it longer and a little more laid back)and powerful hind end, correct legs (would love to see the muscling carry down into his gaskin further though and would love to see lower-set hocks). A little long in his mid-section however that's his breed speaking; could be deeper but that would have come with a more laid back shoulder. He is not really stood up square and correct. Most of his 'flaws' are pretty characteristic of his (very athletic) breed, so I am not overly worried about any of them since it is such a successful breed, particularly on such a young horse.
    BREED: Classic classic Akhal Teke.
    AGE: Judging by tail and build, I would guess yearling or two-year-old. I want to say 2yo due to the build, but that tail looks like a yearling's...but I think it is likely just his breed and that he is indeed a 2yo.
    PURCHASE: Yes. Almost purchased an Akhal Teke mare last fall!! Tons of potential and a pretty sound investment.

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  30. Equus-I what you said, "Most of his flaws are pretty characteristic..."

    You know, I don't think enough people stop to really think about that sometimes. Certain breeds and 'types' of horses are known to have certain 'flaws' and yet have have been very successful using, show and performance horses generation after generation.

    Sometimes I wonder if the horses are successful in spite of their 'flaws' or because of them?

    Don't get me wrong, I love looking at horses and judging their conformation. Hearing other's opinions on this horse is enlightening. It is always interesting to hear what other people deem noteworthy. At least here, it is all in good fun.

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  31. I just love this horse. I guess I don't know much based on everyone's comments.

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  32. There is an Akhal Teke farm on San Juan Island here in WA state and they periodically have stock for sale. An aquaintance has a TB, but has ridden one of their geldings for endurance rides. Since they're a desert breed of Turkmenistan in central asia, they've adapted well to the steppes/high desert of eastern WA and perform well on these harsh rides.

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  33. There are some people here that compete in endurance with ATs and AT crosses, and they have the same conformation 'flaws' yet do extremely well. ATs do seem to have a distinctive mind set that you'll either adore or loath, no in between it seems!

    If training this specific horse I would watch out for misbehavior that he's built for, like bulling through the bridle because of neck structure, and never let him learn he could rear, with those strong shoulders they can really go up.

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  34. BEC I agree. You see examples of horses with conformational flaws performing at the highest levels - successfully, consistently, and for their entire careers, all the time. I think it depends on the type of flaws however. Ie. Of three of my OTTB's, I feel the one with slight sickle hocks and a longer back than I like has WAY WAY more potential as an upper-level jumper than the two other potential prospects who have near-perfect conformation. Some 'flaws' I feel can enhance certain performance, some will detract.

    For example, I am careful about my AT's - I love foreign-bred AT's because they are obviously successful and their 'flaws' are minor and play a part in their success. They are not so much flaws as characteristics of a very successful breed. Somehow despite those flaws (and my eye HATES conformational flaws, I can't help it, lol), well-bred AT's still look amazingly attractive to me. I find though some NA-bred AT's are over-the-top though with their flaws - their flaws are in the wrong places or are excessive, so I am more cautious about them. Foreign-bred AT's come with CENTURIES of documented breeding behind them - their breeders know what works and what doesn't and the info is passed on down through the generations. It is a little different here; I feel breeders at times are not breeding with the same knowledge-base and educated eye of what 'flaws' (or, characteristics, rather) can and cannot work in these specific breeds. Same reasons I prefer foreign-bred Arabians to those bred here, unless the breeders were as educated and careful as their 'foreign' counterparts!

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  35. Conformation.
    Just sayin'.
    2-3 year old AT is my first guess, his angles and longish back give him some real scope, I think. I like a high head.
    Love to see him move..
    He wouldn't be an easy ride, but he'd be fun all the same. Lots of movement there, looks like to me. His longish back would smoothen him out some.
    Well-fed and blooming too.
    sigh.

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  37. Oh sheesh, I didn't even catch it. My bad, my bad! Thanks, GL.

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  38. I was an editor in another life.
    Hey, this one, too!

    I'll quit complaining now;)
    Okay, maybe tomorrow.
    Great post, and nice beastie, CS!

    I knew a perfectly conformed (surprise) conformation hunter. He was "perfect."
    Couldn't move his way out of a wet paper bag.

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  39. And from Fubby post Surprise!!!

    "And now for a happy update: The Dinsdale mare that I got, Highfalutin Fox, continues to Hoover food and gain weight. Her eye has healed up perfectly and is not weeping anymore now that we had the tumor removed. She has mild DSLD so no more babies for her."


    So she is rehoming her because she is useless to Fubbs breeding program. What a hypocrite! After raking these people over the coals for the very same thing!

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  40. I had something typed up, but Blogger ate it saying cookies were disabled (umm, no.)

    Why why why why why would you leave a mare that has 'mild' DSLD alive? Why would you say she could be ridden lightly, let alone at all? DSLD is painful, and can only get worse. Why on earth wouldn't you put a mare like that down?

    She was planning on breeding her? The DSLD couldn't have popped up overnight. Maybe she was too focused on the attention she was getting to notice.

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  41. The last few comments lead me to wonder when is a conformational fault not a fault? One of the things I dislike most about some modern quarter horses is they look like Thoroughbreds or Oldenburgs. Both of which I like, but shouldn't a Quarter horse look like a Quarter horse? A Saddlebred is suppose to have a very up right neck and a long back. The long back is suppose to make it more comfy to ride at an elevated trot.

    I remember one discussion about Saddlebreds not being WP horses. Well, of course. The Saddlebred WP horses only compete against other Saddlebred WP horses. I can't think of a single QH HUS that would hold a candle to any TB HUS, that very low headset would get a show QH dinged.

    Least any one think I'm down on QH, my first field hunter was a foundation bred QH, I think back in the fifties all they had were foundation bred QH's. Boy she looked it too. Offended every "proper" Master in Northern Virginia. My big butted mare could turn on a dime, had a good turn of speed, and was unflappable. In short, what made her a good child's hunter was her QH characteristics. Anyhow the ideally conformed hunter characteristics are from a horse that was suppose to be able to run at a medium speed for a long time, not to jump. Hunters were before the age of enclosure, there was nothing to jump besides creeks. Good jumpers are usually slightly sickle hocked.

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  42. We must be reading a different Fugly blog because nowhere have I read her desire to breed Highfalutin'Fox to ANY horse, including her stud.

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  43. Yeah, me neither, you're really reaching there, JSF.

    Cathy doesn't have a breeding program. Honestly. She uses the royal "we" a lot.

    The important thing about conformation is that the horse can do what he wants, comfortably and safely. Hopefully it's what you want to do, too.
    A pigeon toe isn't necessarily cause for a bullet.
    And perfect confo doesn't really exist.

    A long back can give scope, and a horse that wings can run pretty fast. If they stay sound, who cares what they look like!

    It's fun to "pick them apart", but the bottom line is, sound, or not?
    Able to do the job, or not. The horse's own desire to do his job factors in there, too.

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  44. Another thought, the fubb mare that has 'mild' DSLD would stay sounder if kept in lean condition. (assuming one is not doing the right thing and euthing her) Allowing her to 'hoover up food' may be a bad idea, as some vets think DSLD and founder type disease may be slightly connected. Since the mare is tumor prone, she obviously has some severe systematic problems.

    Looking at some gaited horses, a hind 'coon foot' and paddling in the front gives a smooth ride even though it looks funky!

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  45. Posted a horse that I worked with (and wish to buy) on the link you posted, CinnamonSwirl. Can't wait to hear what you guys think about her!!!

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  46. Anybody happen to remember a jumper called "Big Ben"?

    He was UGly, with a capital UG, according to conformation perfection standards..

    just sayin'.

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  47. Latest fubb post is a perfect example of the hysterically overwrought drama associated with her crowd.

    'Surviving horses from wreck of truck bound for slaughter looking better with HSUS and MY help!'


    From the comment section...um, no, they were not bound for slaughter...um, the skinny horse on page one actually broke it's jaw in the wreck so can't eat so good...um, well, we really don't know where the cover pic of the skinny horse with the halter was taken...or when...or...well dang. Why are ya'all asking QUESTIONS???

    Credibility FAIL. Just another scam. If the rescue squad can't keep small facts straight maybe you shouldn't trust them with your money. After all, it's just the internet.

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  48. horses bound for slaughter are not skinny! Their meat would be low quality, at least in Belgium.
    they are brought to a feedlot to fatten up. Fugs tooted a little too high an octave on her alarmist horn.

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  49. The rescue she's promoting has a yearling filly named Triscuit that has (get this!) a hernia that needs repaired, an old hip injury, and a fractured or dislocated pelvis...and the blurb says 'she'll make someone a good horse.' They haven't posted anything that I could find about getting the hernia repaired, yet they acquired her June 13, 2010. Where is the 'outing' and outrage!?

    Now don't get me wrong here, I'm sure the folks at Blaze's are really nice even though their inspiration for starting a rescue was apparently one of their own horses falling through the floor of their horse trailer (head/desk head/desk head/desk) but they state they've taken in 598 horses and adopted out 138, and 23 have 'crossed the rainbow bridge.' That leaves an astonishing 115 horses, plus their own personal horses. With the economy headed downhill, this rescue could really be in trouble in a hurry, as they state that they depend entirely on donations.

    This is just ONE rescue. Where are all the permanent good homes that activists assure us are just waiting to take in all those crippled, crazy, pasture puffs? Heck, good broke horses are going begging. I've heard both sides of the slaughter debate already. I'd like to hear some workable solutions...

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  50. Oh, c'mon now, kestrel, don't be muddying the rescue waters with pesky, annoying facts.

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  51. The Fubbly posting about the rescued horses from the trailer accident reminds me of why I discarded PETA as a credible source long ago. Several years ago they had a pamphlet showing a beagle dog lying in a basket type bed with a bandage around its midsection with ridiculously fake blood on the bandage. The Beagle was happy shiny and very relaxed in its bed. If you knew anything at all about animals you would know that no one bandages a dog in that manner, that blood is not bright red when it hits the air, and the dog would not be so obviously happy and relaxed if it was so gravely injured.
    This type of obvious attempt to elicit outrage and ultimately donations by fakery is so rampant in rescue circles I think even the rescuers cannot tell the difference any more. Fubbly seems to have jumped on the same bandwagon by claiming that Soot, Ivey Abbey whatever was nutty because of sexual abuse yet there was a veterinarian examination to the contrary, she claims that "Oh Hallelujah" these horses were saved from slaughter yet they never were on their way to slaughter and some look worse than when they were in the accident. I've seen her call a fat, shiny, trained horse a rescue simply because it needed its feet trimmed. Sorry, not horse ever died or was in grave peril requiring "rescue" that needed only a hoof trim...

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  52. I stopped by my local Tractor Supply yesterday and looked at latest edition (September) of Horse Illustrated. Fugly's column was nowhere to be seen. Has she been dropped from the magazine a mere eight months after securing the gig?

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  53. Stable Thinking is not listed as a column in the September 2010 HI.

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  54. Oh, now that is funny!

    Guess we will have to wait until October to see if it is a permenant upgrade for HI or if someone just missed her deadline. ;-)

    Wonder what ever happened to those features she claimed her stallion was supposed to be a part of?

    It's so sad, nice enough horse and he got stuck with an owner like that.

    Thanks to the Anon who posted the info about fugs bragging about his 'Top 5' Trail horse title and come to find out there were only 6 scored rides. That still makes me chuckle.

    Oh well, I do agree with her about Anky. I think Anky is a POS too.

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  55. Is anybody else just steaming mad about the post about the girl with the Fjord who died? Is that just me? I just keep getting more and more angry about it and it seems pointless to try and point counter arguments on the Fugly site.

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  56. Yup, whiel I found the video a little theatrical, and the horse was clearly loosing condition. T vitriolic attacks that Fugly is so willing to launch on children is horrifying.

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  58. Intelligent thoughts.

    DING, I win the Dumb Spelling Star:)

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  59. GL - You are right, I know, I know! Normally, I don't care so much. But it just really kills me when mean, narrow-minded "high on the horse" bitches (yes, I swore, I'm real p-oed about this one) are unleashed on a teenage girl who, yeah, screwed up, but she sure as heck didn't deserve the treatment she got online.
    Ugh. Okay. Maybe that got it out of my system. Carry on...

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  60. paddy said...
    the young Dutch girl with the Fjord didn't deserve to be shredded by Fugly and her sycophants. No one knows the real story behind the decline of the horse's health, and it's all presumptions from this opinionated woman and her carefully censored, hand-chosen posters.

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  61. Hmmm, I went and looked at the youtube site and watched several of the videos, once again there is more to the story than the slanted attack fubb posted. Did anyone else notice the lush grass, for instance? (But fubb said she starved the pony!) Babba part 2 clearly states that Babba had a laminitis attack and did not regain weight. Babba was elderly. Clearly states in the film that the action scenes were 'fotoshoots' and the vet was called in multiple times.

    I think fubb is jealous of the beautiful girls and their riding ability, and will go to great lengths to try to destroy them. Stalker behavior, dododododoo... And notice, she's stopped attacking American kids and has taken to picking on kids from different countries. My personal opinion is that fubb is mentally disturbed.

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  62. I'm the `nutter' that had some questions for Cathy about that post on the Fjord pony. My comments were posted as `lolasl'. Sadly, when I turned up the heat on Cathy, she took to heavy moderation and only let some go through, so my side of the questioning is more than a little disjointed.

    My questions and points for her were:

    Since she constantly rags on people for being crazy color breeders and breeding fugly stallions that have no accomplishments besides their color and distant ancestors, why did she not do anything about her roommates `Colored Sport Horse' breeding program.

    Exhibit A: Horrendously ugly Dun Overo fugly stallion http://www.offourrockerranch.com/Stallions.html

    He was previously featured on her other blog as the CSS(cute spotted stallion) and she went on about what a great western pleasure horse he will make. Not sure where she is showing, but stump necked, straight shouldered nags like that don't usually win, even in 4H. He was also being bred at the ripe old age of 2yrs old. This horse belonged to her roommate as well as most of the others on this site.

    Exhibit B: Fugly rescue mare `Sly'

    This one gets more complex. She was previously featured on her other blog as a project horse that Cathy was working on as a rescue. http://verylargecolt.wordpress.com/2008/12/

    Cathy admitted on the FHOTD blog yesterday that she still owns her. Was that before or after she failed to sell for $2200 (really? for a horse trained by Cathy????) or trade for a truck, trailer or car. Of course this all came with a free breeding to the above mentioned POS stud.She was available as soon as they weaned the other `oops' foal on her side.
    http://www.offourrockerranch.com/ForSale.html

    Exhibit C: Further dig around on the farm site I linked and you will see old and presumably rescued TB mares that are being used as color incubators. ALL of these horses were owned by her roommates and/or Cathy.

    She wouldn't let me provide those links on her blog. She also wouldn't answer why it was ok for her to live there and not out them for breeding future double decker passengers right, left and center. She just whined that she was `helping' by training them. I've seen videos of Cathy riding and believe me, any training job by her is of no boost to a horse's value.

    She also rudely stated that of the three stallions on that farm at the time, they are all geldings now and maybe she had something to do with that. Ummm, last time she wrote about him the VLC is still very much a stallion and still very much average at best. She also fails to mention the entire farm they were renting accomodation at was Broad Acres Farm. Home to 80+ Spanish horses that they were breeding. I know nothing about those horses so I won't comment on quality or value. So, more lies from Cathy....

    Finally, if you look her VLC up on pedigree query you will see the very reason this horse shouldnt' have his nuts. Besides his color and a cute face, he has no qualities worth passing on. He's downhill and just average. He is not much of a HUS type or WP type. Also, the trainer needs some riding lessons of her own (she looks like she is having a bowel movement and her coat is NOT tailored or fitted correctly). No wonder they are ducking the AQHA and dinking around on the bucksin circuit where there is only a few average horse per class.

    I've had red flags about the fugly blog for some time, but when she decided to sick a bunch of her accolytes on that young girl and they were calling her a `whore' and `bitch' and threatening to punch her in the face, I figured it was time for Cathy to fess up to her hypocrisy. Sadly, she only danced, swore and deleted my posts.

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  63. Hmm, anyone else wonder if this weeks vitriol is BECAUSE she is no longer writing a column for HI?

    Great, she doesn't love Anky, but why that column now? Is it because HI told her not to write about Anky? HI is not built on controversy. Same question about attacking kids. I only remember one (entitled "An open letter to M's mother") that featured a kid. About the time they would have pulled her column if it were to be pulled by HI.

    Unless Congress makes a law about Cathy's freedom of speech, she still has it. But there is no right to be employed in spite of what you have said. Any comments about people abridging her freedom of speech by disagreeing with her, or telling her that she shouldn't attack people are nonsense. I do believe she knows it too.

    About the video: Issues need to be separated: 1) did the kid know (malicious intent) what was happening to her horse? 2) Did she have any means to prevent what was happening to the horse?
    If either answer is "yes", does this in anyway justify what Cathy has done to the child?

    I was also horrified to see how many posters Cathy has who are in their tweens early teens. Kids that age are suppose to drive, vote, drink, have sex or get married for a reason. They have a tendency to make REALLY BAD DECISIONS. The Groupthink on that blog is way high. How is Cathy selecting who to post?

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  64. Good for you anon. Of course, a few pesky facts never slowed fubb down, snork!!!

    The problem is that there really is a huge number of neglected and abused horses that need appropriate action taken by authorities. When the self righteous mob of ill informed whack cases attack someone unfairly based on (very likely) erroneous conclusions they drew from an internet picture or video, it affects the credibility of anyone who tries to report a real case of abuse.

    Sadly, before she swan dived into lalaland, fubb had a chance to really have an impact and improve things for horses. Now she's seen as just another shrill, unbalanced, middle aged blogger, shilling for her advertisers by stirring up the masses for the fun of it, by most of the horsemen I know.

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  65. Uh, proof reading fail: "kids that age AREN'T supposed to" etc.

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  66. That really bothered me about how vile and horrific cathy and her sheep treated that child, the names they called her and the pure ugly hatred that came out of them. I wonder how many would step back and take a good long look at themselves for what they said? She's a bully, she's vile and disgusting. I long for when she crosses the wrong person and they sue her for all she's worth.

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  67. Her reasoning is that she didn't tell anybody to go over there. That's a load of BS because she knows that's what is going to happen when she posts links.

    I'm in no way saying it was ok for that kid to ride the horse in rough shape, but I also don't know what her vet told her or what was really going on with him. Clearly that little girl loved that pony. There appeared to be ample pasture and it was a beautiful facility he seemed to live at. She filmed the horse after he died and while that was weird, is it really a sin? Maybe that was her closure. I'm glad she did because it showed he had a healthy, shiny coat and no sign of trauma or struggle. Obviously there was something wrong nobody, not even the vet that was there 3 times, caught.

    Cathy says that since she posted it on the web and opened herself up for comments, that the kid is fair game. Before the fugly posse caught wind of it, it looked like her little videos were mostly for her and her pals to post back and forth. I found most of them very sweet and it made me a bit nostalgic for my childhood when me and my friends spent all day, every day in the summer doing nearly the same things with our horses. Best time of my life.....

    Because I was pissed off, one swift google of a horse's name brought up all that other BS on her roommates etc. She's a hypocrite if there ever was one.

    Now I read she's in LA? So basically that means she has no horses of her own anywhere near. We know the VLC is with a trainer, she euthanized at least 3 or 4 of her old rescue mares, the yellow colt is never spoken of, and she has another at Paradigm retirement (how does she afford that???). Where are her horses adn does HI really pay so much that she can afford to board a bunch of them in LA?

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  68. cathy is an over opinionated, powerless hypocrite who finds strength in attacking children. I sure hope she was fired by HI, because if she hasn't been, I'm going to encourage all of us to send that link to them and ask for her resignation.

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  69. Just watched the video. Pony doesn't seem THAT skinny. From the attacks I was reading I thought the pony would be in a Henneke 1 body score. Without a great photo of the pony, I would guess that he was a 3 to a 3.5. A hard winter with lean rations. I would guess that some of the "silly" photos were of her dressing up for a gymkhana. Doting parents taking photos. For pity's sake, no one photographs me in my day to day riding togs. (old, frayed, ky jods, dirty and scuffed paddock shoes topped off with a t-shirt saying things like "Scam: Society to Conserve Angular Momentum") Geez, I don't regularly dress up like a 1880's dandy to ride my horse. But that is the standard Saddleseat suit. Most of the women I know who drive don't wear big hats and white suits with veils and the men don't dress in racing silks.

    After watching that video, it felt like to me Cathy was trying to drum up viewers to get indignant. Chum the waters so to speak. If Cathy hadn't started with the attacks, but just posted the video without comment (though being featured in the Fugly blog is now a green light for attacking) what would the commenters have said?

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  70. Faster way to get Cathy fired is to hit them in the pocket book. Tell HI you refuse to buy any item advertised in the magazine and get all your friends to write them too. Cathy has enough followers to sell mags, but she doesn't have enough followers to withstand a boycott of HI advertisers.

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  71. Kaede, I don't think the commenters would have said anything if she just posted the video alone without the attack. They expect her to tell them how mad to get, then, when given the silent cue, they go on the attack. Badly trained pitbulls if you ask me.

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  72. Cathy is delusional if she thinks every horse can die fat, shiny and happy at the age of 35. Old age does change a body on horse or human. I'm not condoning a malnourished or skinny animal, but maybe something else was at play here. Maybe that pony stayed on earth much longer than he normally would have because that kid loved him so much. Maybe Cathy should get her facts straight before she raises the alarm...

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  73. I agree, that pony seemed to love the girl as much as she loved him. When he was scared to go into the water, she gently urged him and he went and seemed relaxed when they were in the deep end. (One of the Babba vids, can't remember which one).

    I wanted to post something encouraging to her but she wisely shut several of the videos down for comments.

    I'm jealous, I would LOVE to be able to ride daily and just enjoy my horse and nature.

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  74. The video of her hugging the dead pony showed a pony with a good coat and an in good flesh neck and head. Who knows when the "thin" video shot was taken.

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  75. I guess in Cathy's world they can all die in good flesh and have nothing else wrong with them. Of course they can when you euthanize your rescues so you can move your happy ass to LA and stalk Perez Hilton. She actually compares herself to other `entertainers' on her comments today.

    I also looked up her `trainer' on youtube. The trainer may be a very nice person, but she is never going to get the ROM on BYC that Cathy dreams of. (actually an ROM is not that hard to get and won't make him worthy of his nuts). She is clearly more of an arab trainer than anything and that is a very different thing than showing in the AQHA. She could have Lyn Palm herself training BYC and he still doesn't have the right stuff. If you take away his color, he is mostly a conformation `don't'. I just can't envision him moving round and flat kneed like they need to in order to be competitive. He's far too straight hocked and downhill.

    As for this kid she picked on, I think Cathy is jealous of her. She mentions that any video on youtube is likely to draw nasty comments. I know her own riding videos sure did. She is a horrible rider and looks like she is terrified the way she `perches' with her piano hands on every horse. She sees this young girl how is a lovely rider and the green eyed monster shows up. What better way than to make a blog post and sick your followers on her?

    I really need to register an account here one day....I'm so done with Cathy's hypocricy and heavy handed moderation...

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  76. These are just excellent posts, and you all have Cathy figured out. Yellow colt is in Eastern Washington living with one of VLC's accidents. Must be hard remembering where she has stashed them all!

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  77. A woman in her forties picking on a kid in her early to mid teens. A child that had every right in the world to mourn how she felt she should. I thought the video was a very lovely tribute to a partnership, yes, they were partners. I agree with everyone who said those two loved each other equally, and also with the person who said he probably hung on as long as he did because he was loved.

    There was nothing flaunting or selfish in that video. The child was expressing her emotions in her God given right.

    Love is action, but love is also an emotion. cathy doesn't understand that. Anyone with the hatred and blackness in her heart would never understand it. I've prayed for her. It's all I can do. Hate is action, and it, like love, is spurred by emotion. cathy idles on hate and what is sad, I honestly feel she knows that. She knows she hates. You can't suffer through a blog like hers and not see it coming from every direction. Not even her feel good fluff posts can take away the sting of hate.

    How many of her commenters would attack someone with so much foul language and cruel scathing remarks if they were face to face with their victim, rather than hiding behind the anonymity of a computer screen? Me? I can be a decent human being face to face with someone. I don't think I have the constitution, or the guts, to be heartless.

    ~DK Disgusted with the whole bullying mess.

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  78. I wish I had never gotten so pissed off at Cathy and gone digging. The more I dig, the more hoodwinked I feel to have ever read her blog or thought she did any good. Bad checks, repo'ed car, sleeping with friend's husbands, texting pics of her vag to said husbands, taking credit for rescues she dumped on others, etc. etc. etc. ????!!!???? She is guilty of 90% of the things she goes after people for on her own blog, including keeping a stallion with shitty conformation that has never accomplished anything beyond a ribbon in a schooling show (top 5 in the world doesn't count when there were only 6 in the class) and spends most of his time crippled at the ripe old age of 5. WTF??????

    The timelines for some of her euthanizations is more than suspicious as well. For example, Champagne Til Dawn's euthanization coincides with her getting busted for sleeping with the BO's hubby and being asked to stay off the property. At the end of the month when the donated board ran out, all of a sudden he had to be euthanized right now. Her old buckskin mare she referred to as the Crabby Old Bat was euthanized right around the time the owner of the horse (the one whose hubby she slept with) asked for the horse to be returned. I seem to recall a few of her other mares getting the final needle around the time she fled back to LA. She posted about putting them down on her blog after the fact but neglected to mention she was homeless and had moved to California. I always found it odd she would post about moving horses around or not having all her horses right where she lived when she often mentioned living on an acreage. I guess she was just couch surfing all those times. Talk about irresponsible horse rescue!

    I'm sure ya'all have discussed this stuff lots before and I don't mean to beat a fugly horse, but I'm a bit astounded how many skeletons she has rattling around the internet. I guess internet bullying a child over her dead pony isn't such a stretch for a POS like Cathy......I feel like writing HI and letting them know that their columnist likes to pick on kids (one of the major demographics for those types of magazines) and get people to harrass them online.

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  79. There's a fine line between snark and bullying, as several comics have found out when they've crossed the line and lost their audience. The line, seems to me, is a complete lack of empathy for the victim, a pattern of dehumanization, and irrational attacks that are disproportionate to the victim's perceived transgression.
    Bullies frequently project their own failings onto their victims. A common justification that a bully uses is 'the victim DESERVES punishment because...(insert any reason, sane or not).' The victim frequently internalizes the judgment and can bear scars from being bullied for life. Bullying can cause the victims to harm themselves out of a sense of hopelessness and lack of self worth.

    A grown woman who directs a ravening mob at a child, for any reason, is over the line. The fugly horde went past judgmental ridicule into physical threats and their leader not only started it, she justifies it and then denies culpability.

    I hate to be a broken record on this, but I think it's really important to tell the victims that not everyone shares the bully's judgment.

    PF, and all the other people who posted on the fugly blog trying to make people understand that attacking children is wrong, you rock! CA will probably not ever get it, but some of her readers might.

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  80. Notice her newest victim? He "is apparently a photographer. He looks to be fairly successful." Jelly belly over someone with money?

    At least he's honest that the horse is a bad one. I've been nothing but screwed over by people passing off horses like this as confidence builders. /bitter that I can't find a good one.

    ~DK Glad cathy isn't picking on a child this time.

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  81. Personally, I used to like her blog when it was a conformation blog mostly and the personal attacks weren't a daily occurence. I just don't have that much energy to summon sufficient outrage every single day. There isn't a single horseperson alive that I will agree absolutely 100% with on every issue, but that doesn't make them bad people or worse than me. I'm sure I do lots of stuff that other people wouldn't agree with. Its ok.

    Her newest victim I don't even know what to make of. Does outing him for being on a gay dating site really have anything to do with the issue at hand? I'm not even sure if he's serious about giving the horse away or if its a private page. Again, just not enough information to be outraged over. I will say the stud in question looks to be better put together than her own. If you look at the guy's blog site he appears to be restoring a beauatiful old farm in NY and actually breeds or at least trains some pretty nice horses. Hardly a menace to all things equestrian. Blog fail, Cathy. Your jealousy is showing again.....

    You know I sent her something on a very serious issue where horses were actually dying and she never so much as gave it a notice. I think the fugly blog is just her personal agenda with a hoard of followers to prop her up.....

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  82. The guy is one heck of a good artist! Wow, really extraordinary paintings and photographs.

    Fugly's speculations about him are way out of line. (Like fubb has any room to talk...about photos...smirk)

    So he wants to get rid of a horse he doesn't get along with? The horrors...NOT! It would seem that he has some credibility as a horseman. Jealous perhaps?!

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  83. Should someone tell him he was outted?

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  84. I went over to his facebook site (and requested him as a friend because I LOVE his work and it turns out we have mutual TB friends LOL). It would appear he is out and that once again Cathy posted selected comments out of context. He also had these things to say which she did not put in her blog:

    "Leland Neff I have 3 thoroughbred stallions on the farm. They're all puppy dogs. Two paints came as a gift and they've been nut cases since they arrived. They're a different breed of horse. I've never worked so hard to get a horse rideable and he isn't. He's very dangerous and I actually couldn't even pass him on to someone else in good faith. I'll be upfront but yes I want him out of my life."

    And:

    "Leland Neff Frank, I actually went out and worked with him for four hours today. Despite everyone's thoughts I still have hopes that he will be rideable and then be able to move to a new home."

    Hardly somebody worth demonizing....I got my present `forever' horse over just such a situation. I literally pulled him away from loading onto a trailer for slaughter because he had bucked off hsi previous owner once too often. She didn't feel he was `safe' to sell onto anybody else, but given that I am technically not an amateur and was aware of what I was getting, she consented to selling him to me, papers and all, for meat price. We have had our ups and downs for the last three years, but this horse is my soulmate and one I never thought I could afford the likes of in my life. He is also very bonded to me and I've had some big dollar offers for him I've turned away. The day I bought him the last thing I had on my mind was owning a third horse. I was only at the barn to teach a lesson. So sometimes these outlaws can go on to finding their `person'.

    I notice on the comments that some of the fuglites have been busy sending nasty messages via facebook to Leland's friends that made comments about the horse. I hope they all get their accounts suspended.....

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  85. Kestrel said -
    "PF, and all the other people who posted on the fugly blog trying to make people understand that attacking children is wrong, you rock! CA will probably not ever get it, but some of her readers might."
    First of all, thanks Kestrel. And actually, that is the why I posted, and continued a dialogue, with Cathy on that particular blog. I haven't posted on her site for ages...but that particular blog really just disturbed me. Not only for the girl, and for the hate that Cathy obviously has, but also for the many, many impressionable young folks that were commenting on there. I figured, even though I knew I my chance of changing Cathy's mind were slim to none, if I could make even one of her followers minds open, even just a bit, than it would be worth it. So far she's let all my postings go through, so I figure I've made my best effort at the most I could do. I think she even finally said something to the effect that I was never going to change her mind, so I was wasting my typing. With her, it appears to be. Perhaps there is still help for at least some of her "minions." Especially the young ones.
    At this point, so be it. It still makes me sick when I think about it.

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  86. At least she posted your comments. I got the heavy edit adn delete on most of mine. There was no profanity and nothing out of order. She just refused to let them through because I asked uncomfortable questions about her double standards. Then she told me to eff off.....

    I even suggested to her she address me on her own blog where she had support as I was doing her the courtesy of asking questions where she could respond. I really hope she reads here.......

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  87. Okay, I'll take a stab...
    I actually like his neck set. Seems the shoulder and neck would make for a nice dressage prospect. I believe he's quite young, under 3. He appears to be a bit straight in the stifle but then again it could be the way he's been set up. Back is a bit long otherwise I would guess him to be of Iberian cross but regardless, I'm sticking with Iberian....possibly Andalusian or Luso cross with TB?
    Breeding? Can't say, too many other mitigating unknown factors but my first response would be probably not because he's likely young and unproven in a discipline.

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  88. I'm feeling incredibly sensitive to the issue of bullying right now because a person I respect(ed) a lot has shot and killed himself due, at least partially it seems, to a longterm bullying boss situation. I know there were a lot of factors in the situation, but the thought of this person killing himself because he felt he had no other choice fills me with so much sadness. Bullying has become a disease of epidemic proportions in this country, and I can't figure out why. What is it in our national psyche that drives us to hurt other people? Why do people applaud bullies like Cathy Atkinson? Why do people gang up on others in an online situation?

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  89. I think fubs is totally off her rocker. The woman is absolutely mentally unstable.

    Sometimes you have to wonder if she even really likes horses? She seems to find no joy in ANYTHING horse related.

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  90. Well, I've got to agree on the bullying thing. If there is ANYTHING I work on teaching my girls is that they are nice to everybody, no questions asked. When my oldest (6) has had some issues with kids being mean and "cliquish" to her, I just remind her that all she needs to do is be the nice, sweet girl she always is and if the other people are mean, well they are just unhappy and she should be extra nice to them.
    Bullying is one of the saddest parts of the "human" psychology. What is it in our brain that wants to divide everybody into groups - based on sex, race, political leanings, educational level, whatever...And then whoever isn't "your group" is obviously then subject to scorn and derision. Why can't we rise above that?

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  91. Notice how she used her stallion and trainer as a good example to Leland Neff when he actually went over there and responded to her BS? I nearly choked on my coffee that VLC is now the poster child for how a stallion should be and how one should be trained.

    I applaud that man for going and calling her on her shit with some class. He did call her childish and uniformed and he hit the nail right on the head. He also told her that digging into his personal preferences was not cool (I'm paraphrasing obviously).I sent him an email via facebook and told him I loved his work and that Fugly was full of crap and he needed to consider the source and not dignify her with his response. Of course some of her minions decided to email his friends and tell them off. Now his page is private.

    I wonder what Horse Illustrated thinks of their little columnist now outing people for their sexuality and facebook stalking them? She had no business `eavesdropping' on his private coversation and posting that stuff way out of context. He explains clearly on his page how he came to own that horse and the history of it. Going by his pictures, the man can ride (or somebody on his horses sure can) and probably knows what he's doing.

    Sort of off topic, but since when did using a roundpen to train a horse = NH and therefore bad?????? I think, used properly, that the roundpen is one of the best `tools' there is.

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  92. Well, it's just like Fugly's recent Anky post. Half the people responding to her post said something along the lines of "I don't know anything about dressage but that Anky is a whore and an animal abuser." Now, believe me, I'm not a fan of rolkur, but you can't comment knowledgeably about something you don't know anything about. Everyone is a freaking expert on the Interwebz. Ugh. The expert meme is worn out, people...

    Word verf: panucky. As in: "Reading the drivel on Fugly's site can sometimes make me feel panucky."

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  93. LMAO! She's on her site bragging that BYC went top five in the world in trail....she neglects to mention that there were 6 in the class.

    I looked at Leland Neff's website and I have to say, I'm a huge fan of his work. His paintings are just amazing....I wish I could afford one.

    www.lelandneff.com

    Maybe Cathy is jealous that when he donates some of his work to horse rescue, it actually raises funds and I would guess significant funds. What has she ever done other than charge them for advertising?

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  94. She is a bitter middle aged spinster with nothing and will never have anything but a top 5 out of six nothing horse.

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  95. Leland spoke well in his defense on the blog. It's a shame that when those people get one answer, they switch to something else in their unmitigated outrage. They grasp for straws in a less than valiant attempt to be rightfully outrage. That mare with the foal by her side? Sure she looks thin, perhaps she's old (And ladies and gentlemen, old horses can and DO get thin with age) and most mares do get pulled down when they've got a new baby.

    Not all of them, but I've seen my fair share of thin mares who's just foaled.

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  96. http://www.americanbuckskin.org/2010WS/Results_2010_WS.pdf

    Its official, his `Top Five in the world' meant he only beat one horse. Look at open junior trail *snicker*

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  97. I came across an interesting article from the Seattle Times last week:

    "Online ranters increasingly pay a price"

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012704841_netsuits24.html

    Paddy

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  98. This is the comment I'm leaving on Fubby's blog (just in case she heavily edits this one)

    "Cathy, you keep flaunting this "Top 5" placing that Big Yellow Caddi scored. When I looked up the show results from the ABRA World Show, it says that there were only 6 entries in the class... and that your horse placed fifth. Yes, he placed top five in Worlds. Technically.

    Not a big selling point for me. When I see something that is "stallion quality" I have to say that I'm looking for something with more credentials than that.

    And Leland, I do love your work. It is absolutely beautiful. I am a bit worried about the picture of the ribby broodmare, though. How old is the foal by her side? I have seen one broodmare that became that ribby before weaning. She was later diagnosed with very advanced intestinal cancer, and was euthanized later that year. Not saying that that's what is going on with your mare, just that you may want to get her vet checked."

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  99. I love that link you posted, Paddy!

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  100. fen-Make sure you correct that to 8 horses in the class. Two horses DQed, so only 6 horses were placed.

    But that's funny. I think more people need to keep pointing out the truth to fugly's readers.

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  101. I also looked up the points on her horse, that Cathy was bragging about. He has a grand total of 7 points according to the ABRA site. He does not have one AQHA point, so he is not going to make it as anything other than a color breeder. Isn't that something she blogs about or used to? No accomplishments or redeeming features other than his color.....hmmm

    Fen, Leland stated on Fugly's blog that that foal was actually only a couple of hours old and a large foal. Its really not all that unusual to see a mare draw up right after foaling. She has a glowing coat and the foal is strapping for only being a couple of hours old. Again, Cathy takes something out of context and tries to make something out of nothing....

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  102. I used to follow her blog for the commentary on poorly conformed horses. I never commented on anything. Lately all I ever see is people bashing.Really? I stumbled up on this blog when her blog was shut down for a few days. It really opened my eyes. Now, sadly, it's like watching a train wreck. I NEED to read that one entry that gets her busted later down the road. Kind of evil I suppose. P.S. That blog she did about the carriage horses in SC? My friend was down there and those horses were FINE. Way to make yet another small company go bankrupt.

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  103. Well a mass email was sent out by Fubbs friend Shawna at SOS Equines saying she was putting the horses down because she doesnt want to give them her hay Of course the first to go was Captain Dream (jazzy) the Seawind TB that she wouldnt return to Seawind.This makes me sick Can someone ask Fubb about this?

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  104. What's the back story on SOS and the horses? It must have been before my time.

    She may not get right back to you. She's busy justifying her `Top 5 in the world' placing and counting how many friends she has. I think those comments really hit a nerve. Meanwhile the Fugly Followers are tripping over themselves to agree with and defend her no matter how stupid they end up looking...Business as usual at FHOTD

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  105. It's like a psychology study on the mindset of bullies and their followers over there.. they will not see anything but their right to tear some person they don't even know to shreds. Absolutely vile and creepy. Facts that negate their views just seem to make them madder and more unfair.

    To leap to conclusions and attack, based on one comment or an internet picture, is insane. We all know that the camera frequently lies, and angles and lighting can vary the appearance of horses or people.

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  106. SOS Equines is one Cathy supports even though there is hard evidence they are crooked as hell

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  107. Dear gods, I need eye bleach...one of her horse whisperers pokes her horse with a freakin' screwdriver...and that's okay. I know I'm upping the site hits, but it's like that auto wreck that you just can't help looking at as you drive by!

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  108. Interesting....she's been busy with her edit button. Looks like all of Leland's posts are gone as well as the ones questioning her stallion and his `Top 5 in the world placing'. I asked why her column wasn't in HI this month and `poof', all the posts mentioning her job there are gone.....I had sent HI a link to them savaging that kid and what they did to Leland. Maybe, just maybe she picked on the wrong people???

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  109. Oh nevermind, she was just busy editting all comments. They're back. She is insufferable...

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  110. Haahahahahaha-Anon are you lolsal(?) or fasthorsesrule?

    Two people called her out on her BS bragging and she comes off like a 12y/o petulant little girl..."Oh your just stupid" and "You have had your say and now your done".

    Is it true that it takes 4 months for a magazine to go to press? That seems like a long time. Just asking because apparently I'm stupid...or lack common sense...or maybe just don't have any knowledge of how magazines work.

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  111. Oh, and I just love her new post how she 'fixes' everything with a growl.

    Oh yea...cause that's 'traditional'.

    OMG...I have to stop reading that drivel.

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  112. Yeah, a 4 month ahead deadline for a magazine isn't unreasonable.

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  113. I caved and went and looked at Fugly's latest drivel. I was actually surprised ! There was a short moment of intelegent clarity ,when she speaks of boundaries , and respect . That is infact true.However the rest of the post glosses over how to achieve consistent boundaries ,with her "growl at them" theory. Growling or speaking firmly does and can work, but it better not be your entire arsenal!Sometimes you do in fact need to haul out the "big guns" so to speak

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  114. She's said she fixed everything with growls for 100 posts now. I make an annoying buzzer sound with mine, but I guess because it's not a growl I won't be the next crony whisperer. Guess what, though, I don't buzzer all horses. Some get a finger snap, others simply need a lead line pop. Honestly, if I growled at my horse he'd probably just wonder why you are so crazy.

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  115. I am certainly glad that I don't read the fugly blog anymore.

    I will not waste my time reading the words of someone who I have lost ALL respect for and someone who has become a joke and an embarassement.


    I have a question for everyone, why would points in trail make a stallion worthy? Does that have anything to do with conformation and ability? Seems to me that even if a horse was ABRA WORLD CHAMPION in trail, that isn't exactly saying much other than the horse had a good mind. Darn horse could be a conformational nightmare, but just a great guy on trails. Doesn't make it breeding quality?

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  116. No fifth out of sixth is not breeding worthy in anybody's book but the fugly followers. Its actually pitiful given that the ABRA is a joke. You can take any horse there as long as they are dun or buckskin. No qualifying required. I had a friend that had a nice QH mare but couldnt' get a sniff at the AQHA world beyond making a few finals. The following year they loaded up and went to the Buckskin world show and won absolutely everythign they went in. She even laughed at how easy it was. Big Yellow Caddi has no AQHA points and probably never will.

    She goes on to say how proud she is of not starting him until he was a 3 yr old and not have a cripple that needs its hocks injected. According to her, she only bought him as an unbroken 3 yr old and stupidly gave 5K for him. He also spent large portions of last year on the shelf because he was lame behind (stifles) and didn't even show all the days at the world because he came up dead lame behind. The horse is straight in the hock and weak stifled just from looking at him. She seems to think he'll be a working hunter or barrel racer too. He wont' stay together to do a flying lead change likely, so an athlete he is not. He does have a cute face. I will give him that. The one foal of his I have seen pics of is a trainwreck conformationally so he clearly passes on his bad traits. If she didn't own this horse, she would rip a person to shreds for being a BYB color breeder.

    I have ridden with several world champion trainers in my youth and worked professionally in horses most of my adult life. I have yet to see `growling' endorsed by any of them. If she wants to try that on my 17.2HH warmblood, I would love to film that. He'd stomp her.

    I was going to continue the dialogue with her, but there really is no point. She suffers from a complete lack of self awareness and nothing I can say will ever change that. She probably loves her horse dearly and that's all good. I just don't think a 5 yr old, green broke cripple has any business ever being in the breeding shed. Her `trainer' may be a great lesson coach (but not going by Cathy's own equitation), but from the pics I have seen, she is not exactly a polished show ring person either. If she was, she may have her coat tailored properly and not look like she's about to poop when she rides.

    lolasl

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  117. Don't blame the coach for the way she rides. Adult riders are hard to train. I'm over fifty and spent my youth field hunting. I trained with Jane Marshall Dillon. I switched to saddleseat in my mid forties and old habits are hard to break. I get tired, distracted, scared and "boom" hands drop, butt drives, I'm doing everything I can to make the Saddlebred move like a hunter. Does not work. If Cathy didn't have decent lessons as a kid she has an uphill battle to face.

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  118. Anon 7:43
    BEC desribed Fugs riding best when she coint the "Monkey humping a football " phrase . Unforgettabe!

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  119. I noticed Fugly didn't post the good video of the Grey pony actually behaving nicely on her site..........seems to me if you were going to be fair then you would also post the good video, not just the horrendous one. Guess she had fun tearing that family to shreds. I really shouldn't have bothered to go over there, such negative posts with little to no justification makes me ill. What you see on the net is a very small portion of what is truely going on.
    windingwinds

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  120. Growling only works if you've *trained* them that growling means something. I will cough / "HEY" at animals when they're doing wrong, and there's always that moment of surprise on my part when a new critter doesn't respond. If the animal doesn't understand that a growl means "stop it. Now." they won't.

    We all have our own "growls" with animals, but it isn't universal and it's not something inherent in the growl, it's that the critter has been handled consistently and knows that a growl means something bad is going to happen.

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  121. lolasl-fugs seems to think she can turn anything into a barrel horse.

    Sure...any horse can be trained to do the barrel pattern. It's not a difficult pattern to learn. Most horses actually seem to pick it up pretty quickly. Fugly referenced that once saying that she worked the horse on the barrels one time and the next time he was diving at the barrels.

    I hate to be the one to tell fugly, but a horse diving at the barrels does not a barrel horse make.

    The truth is, her stallion could very well do the barrels, but he would struggle to do them correctly and would most likely never stay sound, for the very reasons you listed...he is straight behind and weak in the stifles.

    LOL-I have a buckskin gelding, I should plan on taking him to the Buckskin World next year. I could make him a World Champion Barrel Horse-heeheehee.

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  122. I don't know how. I don't know when. But I WILL incorporate the phrase "Monkey humping a football." the next time I'm in the company of family I haven't seen in a long time.

    ~DK Falling over laughing.

    ~DK STILL Laughing because my captcha was Blech

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  123. I had a lovely post, complete with scholarly quotes and blogger ate it. Here is the gist of my post.
    Why did Cathy miss her deadline. That seems to be the height of unprofessionalism. Cathy is no longer an amateur writer. If she is getting paid to write, she is a professional and needs to be held to professional standards.

    Cathy, whether she knows it or not, behaving like some of the top propagandist in the world:

    “The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over” and “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” both from Goebbels.

    Cathy has one point: Horse slaughter is evil. Horse abuse is evil. Their corollary "Things that lead to horse abuse or slaughter are evil." Big lie "Cathy is the arbiter of what is horse abuse or will lead to horse slaughter."

    On the Leland post, that whole scene reminds me of the movie "Mean Girls" and the burn book. Take half truths and spread them as full truths. Take private information out of context and tell the world. I sure as heck have said about some of my horses they would make better dog chow then show horses, I've also told my daughter she could walk the 1,200 miles to Amherst and I'd rather find a hit man than a divorce attorney. None of these things have happened. A few posts ago, lots of posters intimated that they would beat the heck out of Ed the naughty pony. When called on it, they got mad and asked the writer could understand sarcasm. Was is sarcasm or cruelty? Depends on whose ox is being gored.

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  124. I remember them ripping that little kid on the naughty pony to shreds. Yes, that was a bad pony, but that little guy could sure ride. They were picking apart his seat and he was all of 5 yrs old? I realize Fugly's riding isn't her trainer's fault, but what scares me is she claims to have taught others to ride adn she makes claims of training horses. That really scares me.

    I've never really ran barrels beyond fooling around on my show horse for an all around as a kid, so I would never profess to be able to teach a horse anything about that. I do have some friends that are serious barrel racers and chase a lot of money. I have a lot of respect for the training and work they put in. Its not something just any old horse can excel at or any rider can just pick up for kicks. I've ridden x-country courses and show jumped in my younger days and I still wouldn't have the guts to get on a made barrel horse and go flat out around the can. I'd be a complete nervous novice LOL. If you have a decent buckskin barrel horse, you absolutely should go to the worlds. Its not a tough show and they even have `dun factor' classes where they are judged soley on their color and markings from what I understand. Big Yellow Caddi either was too lame to show in that class or he didn't make the cut there either LOL.

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  125. Umm, how is BYC going to earn his ROM if he only shows in ABRA? Dillon taught me that EVERY time we ride we are training our horses. So by that definition Cathy is indeed a trainer. But then so am I, and every one who works with a horse. Which was Dillon's point.

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  126. Kaede, I've offered up my QH for 89 cents a pound when I was pissed at him. The truth is, he's now nearly 30 and I've had him since he was 2 and I was a kid and I still wouldn't take a million dollars for him. I"m the last person that would ever send a horse to slaughter and the people that know me, realize that and laugh when I say stuff like that. Out of context, I'm a demon for threatening him with that for something that's likely my fault. Your points on propaganda are dead on.

    What she did to that man, Leland, was horrible. Invade his privacy, post his comments out of context and then throw him to her hyenas to rip him and his friends to shreds. Anybody looking as his professional website and pictures could see how far off base she likely was. He handled himself with far more class than she will ever have. How could HI support a columnist that does things like that unless they are choosing to become the National Enquirer of the horse world. Either way, I'll never buy that magazine again.

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  127. Anon 9:41 pm VLC is not a dun and has no dun factor. He would not be a candidate for Dun Factor class.

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  128. this is my pony he is lovly

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  129. he is actualy a bay he is not as tall as he seems on the picture

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  130. he is a british riding pony if anyone wants to know

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  131. he actually looks like he could jump. or any kind of speed event type thing. maybeeee

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