Growl at the Moon

"One Blog to rule them all, One Blog to find them,
One Blog to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"

OK, so not really, but you guys enjoy some of my really bad rushed humor now and again, right? It's true though, you have to admit that. Incredibly true...why has nobody even come up with that cheesy line? I digress...

Let's get to some points that I've observed on that blog and some pointed out by you guys.

1. Growling will make any horse obey person become a horse behavior expert.

Not today will this happen, or tomorrow, or the next day. As somebody put what I should have been able to figure out on my own from what I had written before in the comments, it is what a horse is raised with or used to. Can a horse become accustomed to a new sound or form of punishment? You bet your hay barns they can. You associate it with the right response and most horses should begin to pick it up. We have our exception horses as we all do, but they're a horse of a different kind.

Still, growling at a horse who was taught that a single click (or any other cue) meant get away, and you may have a horse who is about to go people riding instead. Escalation cues can vary as well. A more sensitive horse may not need the same level of cue to back away as another. I think we can all understand that most cues are not universal. A spur-stop is not going to be understood by an eventer, just as an eventer isn't going to understand neck reining on the level a western trained horse would. I know it's not a sound based example, but you get where I'm going.

Still, if you are interested in growls, there's a book there for you. 

http://todayilearnabout.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html About

2. Top 5 doesn't mean a lot is still super awesome when there are 6 competitors. 

http://timelessandtreasured.blogspot.com/2009/08/hore-show-2009.html

Come on, we all do this. Nobody knows your dirty little secret about your 3rd place schooling ribbon that you got in a class of 4. E'erybody down in Lincoln Park knows the truth about your 5th place win. It's all well and great when it's you and for fun, it's another when you are trying to promote a stallion who you have potential plans to breed one day. Everyone starts somewhere, but don't be a rooster with an empty hen house. 2 people got disqualified, and who knows where they would have placed if they hadn't. Nothing bad on ABRA, but don't go bragging about it either when your competition may not have been that hard to compete with to begin with. In fact, if we know that don't even say he got 5th.

3. Don't practice what you preach.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/practice-what-you-preach/

We all know she said she'd geld him if he didn't get his ROM, but let's get something straight. He still has no ROM and he still has bullocks. We all know she goes after color breeders and anything else that even resembles what she is doing now, but we've still yet to even see her follow through on her own words to her readers. My prediction? He'll age to 6, 7, 8, and we'll still be working on that ROM. Meanwhile...

4. I didn't do it, my followers did.

http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2008/04/word-of-day-duncan-face.html

This is the most basic and essential rule that must be followed. You posted a blog with information (biased and unfounded are a must most of the time) and you gave your little rant. Great. But don't play dumb when your followers go on Cujo's warpath and feign innocence. We all know what's going to happen, and you have more control over them than you act like you have. Thought: Try posting something that doesn't have or link to personal info of any kind. We're not looking for serial killers here. These people aren't MIA. They're often already in trouble if not 2 steps away from it. The other side of the U.S. does not need your opinions on how to handle the situation.

Bonus points if the person being harassed is under 10, though it only works on her blog.

5. I write for the #1 horse magazine subscribed by people who don't know better.

http://www.discountmags.com/product/5978/horse-illustrated

I used to have HI once. It was free and they messed up the trial and put me in for a full year with no charge. Might want to invest in a little brain trust. I ended up looking at the breed profiles for the most part myself, but in no way did I really take any of it to heart. I was also *gasp* 16/17 and had gotten my first horse around that time. Oh, the care paranoia...

Still, #1 doesn't mean the best. People like easy reading. I like it now and again, I'll admit. Still, how much more distributed is HI compared to other magazines? I personally see HI and H&R and that's about it. When people think it's the only thing out there, you sort of have some heavy bias. Wal-Mart is the #1 supermarket because they are everywhere. Doesn't mean Food Pyramid isn't just as good or better in some cases.

I also have that issue...and you can get the magazine for $1 a month. I can't even get that good a deal on Discover magazine.

OK, so I got a little ranty in the middle. School has started and you guys needed a new post so badly. Enjoy whatever on earth I was trying to get to up there.

Side Notes:

 WARNING!

The link to this video is highly highly highly graphic in the sense of severe animal cruelty going on. Watch at YOUR OWN RISK. If any of you have information on who this girl is, please contact the appropriate authorities to handle this matter. Do not post any information you may have here or anywhere else. The goal is to I.D. the person(s) involved and have them dealt with by the appropriate people.

Link- Girl Throwing Puppies in a River

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

The Chain of Questions

From http://www.re-picture.info/blog/repictureblog.html

Who are we to say that our way is necessarily the right way when it comes to raising and dealing with animals? Animal lovers alike share many things with others like them, but no two go about raising or handling them the same way. Is barefoot better than the shoed? Nobody can truly say, for each animal varies in its responses to the practices we submit them to, nor does each practice remain just like the rest.

What about going as far as demonizing every person who doesn't do what you do? Does the barefooter begin spreading hatred about the one who shoes, giving out all the potential evils of shoeing? Does the other do the same for the barefooter? Do we go as far as posting numbers, pictures, and e-mails about these people so that only the bad stands out? It certainly raises a chain of questions and a story we are all too familiar with.

Animals deserve as much basic essential care as anyone else, but what happens when that said horse cannot be ridden, cannot eat properly anyone, cannot move freely, or cannot provide in the business they were a part of? We all know basic business principles, and how the goal is to maintain a steady flow of business and income in order to continue on with the said business. 

The name 'horse industry' itself denotes that horses themselves can be a business, and like all things the old mares and stallions must go to make way for the new generation who can still work and continue on. What becomes of those said animals who can no longer provide for their owners? Do we euthanize them, which it turn creates a host of bills from vet calls, proper disposal, backhoe rental, etc. Do we take them to the auction where the prospect they will be taken by a kill buyer and leave with the only money spent being in gas? From a business perspective, the latter looks and can be a lot cheaper than the former. 

Say these horses do end up being taken by  the kill buyer. Are the people who left these horses monsters who deserve to be treated like dirt, or are they acting upon a different perspective such as money, potential use of horse for food, etc.? Is slaughter the great demon many have made it out to be, or have we created it ourselves by banning it here for good? Then do we continue to chastise the people who left their horses to the kill pen when those who took away our chance to make it more regulated took that chance away? Do they truly treat the animals in the way that we are told by these groups, or are we being subjected to look through the wrong end of the telescope so what we see is small and the truth gets farther away? 


These are all questions we must ask ourselves, and actions we carry out personally. What you choose to do is your own right, but to smear others in disagreement is no way to go about the day. Privacy and information has become a sensitive issue today, and to respect it is to respect others a little more.


So what are your views?
Alternatives?
Etc?