JUST RELEASED by the Cloud Foundation in a Newsletter: BLM cancels winter roundup, keep up the pressure!
Dear Supporters,
The spotlight you are shining on the inhumane, unnecessary and costly roundups along with your calls and letters are making a difference. BLM abruptly put on hold the planned Eagle Roundup of 595 more Nevada mustangs (more details here).
This is the second roundup this year that has been delayed because of the growing pressure and oversight on the mismanagement of our wild horses and burros- keep it up! The last roundup this January on the Calico reservation resulted in 39 horses dead so far, not including the 25-30 mares that have aborted late-term foals in the holding pens in Fallon, Nevada. (See Broken horses, broken promises on this blog…)
We need a moratorium on all roundups- unbelievably, nearly 14,000 (yes, fourteen thousand) wild horses are on BLM’s Gather Schedule to be rounded up this year!
HORSE LOVERS, PLEASE take a moment to send a letter or Email to President Obama, your Senators and Congressperson with one easy form and sample letter. YOUR ACTION IS STILL NEEDED.
Thank you to all for your dedication to the protection and preservation of our wild herds– you are making a difference.
Happy Valentines Day? The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to remove another 595 horses from the Eagle area near Las Vegas starting on Valentines Day. BLM claims that this stunning area the size of Rhode Island can only support 100 mustangs… but the 2,700 privately-owned welfare cattle can stay.
These are public lands, public horses, public tax-dollars. 85 horses died in the Eagle roundup two years ago- do not let them die in vain. We owe it our wild horses to stop these roundups!
Call on Congress to conduct hearings & investigations into the BLM’s blatant mismanagement of our American Wild Horses and Burros - Demand a Valentines Day Moratorium for our wild herds.
Wild horses must stay in the wild in the West, not on expensive eastern “preserves” in unnatural, sterile and separated groups.
America: We now have more wild horses in captivity than in the wild- please take a moment to add your comments AT THIS CHANGE.ORG LINK and then follow up with a call!
“Look back at our struggle for freedom, Trace our present day’s strength to its source; And you’ll find man’s pathway to glory Is strewn with the bones of a horse.” –Anonymous.
From friend S.C., on winter training her second Mustang, Chance…
SC works Nevada’s Last Chance, her mustang, on long lines.
S.C. says:
I’ve done the long-lining for years with my horses even the seasoned ones. It’s a lot easier to keep warm in winter and good schooling exercises. I’m always trying to find something new to do - even dragging downed branches to the pile for burning next month. It gives Chancey something different to do, especially new scratchy noises to get used to; and someday I’ll have him do the harder work.
___________________
Chance recently had some professional natural horsemanship training and was well started under saddle. He is enjoying his new life as a pleasure horse!
S.C.’s previous Mustang mare, Sparky, was trained to drive and was a super-energetic carriage horse. Sparky is now retired due to advanced age.
Although we trim our own horses’ hooves, we like to get an evaluation visit by a professional trimmer at least yearly. This assures us we are not getting off track, or that something isn’t happening that we are missing.
Lisa, aka. Hoofwalker, came in mid-January (brrrr!!) and checked all the Herd. We were advised we were right on, their hooves all looked good, and our concerns were addressed. Her advice is always welcome. Lisa follows Pete Ramey’s natural trim techniques. If we ran into problems during the year, we would of course call on her.
Hoofwalker working on Willy, who is so polite with her feet
HorseGal holds her favorite mare
HorseGal was visiting and enjoyed helping out and hearing what Lisa had to say. AND thanks to HG for getting me in some pix!
friendly Glendale
Glen accepts this new person, of course…
Glen’s right front, with a tiny touchup trim… looks excellent I’d say!
Since the boys have never worn shoes, their hooves have wonderful natural shapes, great roundness in front, nice wide frogs, and the horn is in good shape. They have all self-trimmed very well in recent months, even now in the winter on hard frozen ground and snow.
Hoof trimmer schmoozes with Gilford
Mom holds Gilford for his checkup, hoof up on a “Hoof Jack”
Our only issues have been a toe crack in one each of Gilford’s and Willy’s front hooves. That would start from not trimming frequently enough or from not rounding back flares enough. We are getting those resolved, slowly but surely. They have never gotten more than an inch up the hoof wall.
Dear Friends of Cloud,
The Bureau of Land Management has pulled the plug on the massive roundup of wild horses in the Calico Complex. This remote and starkly beautiful area in northwestern Nevada was home to one of the largest wild, free-roaming herds of wild horses in the United States.
39 horses are reported dead as a result of the winter roundup. This does not include the 25-30 mares that have aborted their late term foals in the feedlot style facility outside Fallon, Nevada. The death toll is expected to rise as BLM begins preparing and processing the horses next week (freeze-branding, gelding of stallions, etc.). However, the public may not know what happens from here on out, as BLM has decided not to provide veterinary reports on the cause of death in the new Fallon facility.
Despite a public statement by program chief Don Glenn (December 7 at the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting in Reno) in which he said that the public is welcome to view the roundups at any time (hence no need for a humane observer), the public was allowed only limited access to watch the Calico roundup. Viewing was limited to three days a week by appointment only. Only 10 observers were allowed on any one day. Even on the days the public was allowed to attend, viewers were required to leave between 1 and 2 in the afternoon, even though the Cattoor contract crew and helicopters continued to round up wild horses.
Close access was denied for the last two weeks of the operation and injuries could not be detected or documented. BLM has referred to the visitors as “anti-gather advocates”. The contractors admitted that 30 wild horses captured on January 31 were left overnight in a crowded capture corral without water due to muddy conditions which prevented trucks from accessing the capture sight.
Now BLM sights are set on the wild horses of the Eagle Complex in the mountains of eastern Nevada. The area is larger than the state of Rhode Island, yet the number of mustangs allowable according to BLM is 100. At the same time, the number of privately-owned welfare cattle allowed is over 2,700.
Antoine joined our family just before Christmas for a few months. He is from Liege, Belgium, an exchange student sponsored by the local Rotary Club. Antoine is our fifth student to date, and he really gets along well here.
Walking across Lake Winnipesaukee to Lockes island
Hubby and Antoine
In Liege they do not get nearly the snow we have, their climate is tempered by the winds from the Atlantic. Antoine had never walked on a huge frozen lake before, or on snowshoes.
Bon jour Antoine! Il fait froid!
Antoine with Peaches on Lockes Island
The wind was blowing when this ice formed!
Iced-in dock, Antoine loving it!
Peaches of course joins us on a snowshoe trek!
Antoine and Peaches enjoying nearby woods trails.
Pausing to enjoy the view after a good hour of snowshoeing
Peaches posing for portrait
Life is not all fun and games in this part of the country, so Antoine pitches in to help!
Removing snow load from roof, trying to keep ice dams at bay…
Interesting observations on how serving portions– and even the sizes of plates, bowls, and cups– have increased over the years, contributing to America’s “national bulge.” Wonder how many people think about this?
THE BACKYARD RIDER:
Usually found wearing shorts and a sports bra in the summer; flannel nightgown, muck boots, and down jacket in the winter. Drives a Ford 150 filled with saddle blankets and dog hair. Most have deformed toes from being stepped on while wearing flip-flops.
Has a two-horse bumper-pull trailer, but uses it for hay storage, as her horse hasn’t been off the farm in 6 years. Can install an electric fence, set a gate, and roll a round bale, solo. Rode well and often when she used to board her horse, 5 years ago.
Took horse home to “save money” and has spent about 50 grand on acreage, barn, fence, tractor, etc. Has two topics of conversation - 1) How it’s too hot/cold/wet/ dry to ride. And 2) how she may ride after she fixes the fence/digs drainage ditches/stacks 4 tons of hay.
THE NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP DEVOTEE:
Looks like a throwback from a Texas ranch, despite the fact that he lives in the suburbs of New Jersey. Rope coiled loosely in hand in case he needs to herd any of those kids on roller-blades away from his F-350 dually in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Cowboy hat strategically placed, and just dirty enough to look cool. Levi’s are well worn.
“Lightning” is, of course, this natural horsemanship guy’s horse. Rescued from a bad home where he was never imprinted or broke in the natural horsemanship way, he specialized in running down his owners at feeding time, knocking children off his back on low-hanging branches, and baring his teeth.
The hospitalization tally for his previous handlers was 12, until he was sent to Round Pen Randy; after ten minutes in said pen, he is now a totally broke horse, bowing to the crowd, and can put on his own splint boots (With R.P. Randy’s trademark logo embossed on them) R.P.R. says, of all this, “Well, shucks ma’am, tweren’t nuthin’! It’s simple horsemanship.With this special twirly flickitatin’ rope ($17.95 plus tax), you’ll be round-pennin’ like me in no time!”
THE ENDURANCE RIDER:
Wears Lycra tights in wild neon colors. The shinier the better, so the EMTs can find her body when her horse dumps her down a ravine. Wears hiking shoes of some sort, and T-shirts she got for paying $75 to complete another torturous ride. Her horse, Al Kamar Shazam, used to be called “you bastard” until he found an owner almost as hyper as he is.
Shazam can spook at a blowing leaf, spin a 360, and not lose his big trot rhythm or give an inch to the horse behind him. Has learned to eat, drink, pee, and drop to his resting pulse rate on command. He has compiled 3,450 AERC miles; his rider compiled 3,445 (the missing five miles are the ones when he raced down the trail without his rider after performing his trademark 360.
Overheard frequently: “Anyone have Advil?” “Anyone got some food? I think last year’s Twinkies went bad.” “For this pain I spend money?” “Shazam, you bastard-it’s just a leaf” [thud]!
THE HUNTER RIDER:
Is slightly anorexic and trying her best to achieve the conformation of a 17-year-old male in case she ever has a clinic with George Morris. Field marks include greeny-beige breeches and a baseball cap when schooling or mud-colored coat and hardhat with dangling chinstrap when competing.
Forks over about a grand a month to trainer for the privilege of letting him/her “tune” up the horse, which consists of drilling the beast until its going to put in five strides on a 60 foot line no matter WHAT she does. Sold the Thoroughbred (and a collection of lunging equipment, chambons, side reins) and bought a Warmblood. (Bought a ladder and a LONG set of spurs.) Talks a lot about the horse’s success in Florida without exactly letting on that she herself has never been south of the Pennsylvania line.
THE DRESSAGE QUEEN:
Has her hair in an elegant ponytail and is wearing a visor and gold earrings sporting a breed logo. A $100 dollar custom jumper (also with breed logo) is worn over $300 dollar full-seat white breeches and custom Koenigs. Her horse, “Leistergeidelsprun dheim” (”Fleistergeidel” for short) is a 17.3-hand warmblood who was bred to be a Grand Prix horse.
The Germans are still laughing hysterically, as he was bred to be a Grand Prix JUMPER, but since he couldn’t get out of his own way, they sold him to an American. His rider fell in love with his lofty gaits, proud carriage, and tremendous athleticism. She admires mostly while lunging.
She lunges him a lot, because she is not actually too keen to get up there and try to SIT that trot. When she rides, it’s not for long, because (while he looks FINE to everyone else), she can tell that he is not as “through” and “supple” as he should be, and gets off to call the chiropractor/ massage therapist/psychic, all of which is expensive, but he WILL be shown, and shown right after he perfects _________ (fill in the blank). The blank changes often enough that the rider can avoid the stress of being beaten at Training 1 by a Quarter Horse.
THE EVENTER:
Is bent over from carrying three saddles, three bridles, three bits, and three unrelated sets of clothing (four, if she is going to have to do a trot up at a 3-Day). The hunched defensive posture is reinforced by the anticipation of “a long one” a ditch and a wall, and from living in her back protector. Perpetually broke because she pays THREE coaches (a Dressage Queen, a jumper rider, and her eventing guru, none of whom approve of the other) and pays trailers/stabling/ living expenses to go 600 miles to events that are spread out over 5 days.
She is smugly convinced that Eventers are in fact the only people in the world who CAN ride (since Dressage Queens don’t jump, the H/J crowd is to afraid to go OUT of a ring, and the fox hunters - a related breed - don’t have to deal with dressage judges). Hat cover on cross-country helmet is secured with a giant rubber band, so she can look like her idol, Phillip.
Her horse, who was previously rejected as a race horse, a steeplechase horse — got ruled off for jumping into the infield tailgating crowd — a jumper, a fox hunter, and a polo pony (no bit stops this thing) has two speeds: gallop and “no gallop” (also known as stop ‘n’ dump).
He excels at jumping into water, doing a head first “tuck and roll” maneuver and exiting the complex (catch me if you can!) before his rider slogs out of the pond. Often stops to lick the Crisco off his legs before continuing gaily on to the merciless oxer jump just ahead. Owner often threatens to sell him, but as he has flunked out of every other English-riding discipline, it will have to be to as a barrel racer.
–
Laurel J Owen
From: Lisa Frenette– bearfrenette @yahoo.com
Subject: 2002 AQHA Bay Mare 14.3 hands, free to good home
Date: Friday, January 29, 2010, 4:02 PM
Hi everyone
I’m trying to help place another horse for someone. She’s a 14.3 hand 2002 AQHA Bay Mare. She’s done a little dressage, Reining and trail riding. With the proper training she would be a nice horse. She’s been known to kick at feed time and needs an experienced handler. Please let me know if you know anyone that would be interested in her, she is free to a good horse experienced home.
Adding your name to a petition supporting Dr. Heuschmann’s presentation to the FEI* Roundtable Conference on Feb. 9 could help dressage horses’ welfare… read on, and judge for yourself.
Per Dr. Heuschmann, who will be addressing the FEI*:
“On February 9th in Lausanne / Switzerland with the FEI there will be a Roundtable Conference with more than 20 participants. The final outcome will be a robust result which takes into consideration the various perspectives and factors involved. The mixture of invitees will not give us the hope that there is a satisfactory result for the good of the horse at the end. Only if a big mass of people will really reacts against Hyperflexion with the signature on this list we can help the horses.”
If you object to hyperflexion (see below), YOU CAN HELP!!! Dr. Heuschmann hopes to bring at least 20.000 signatures against Roll-Kur to this conference. With your signature on this list you really say NO to hyperflexion! This is active horse protection!
Thank you for your consideration! Today there are 3,500 plus signatures.
NOTE that the website above is in German. Click at top right on American/British flag symbol to see it in English. You are asked to submit your name and email address. They send you an email, and your clickback on the link in that email registers your signature. This site is by Isabella Sonntag.
WHAT IS ROLLKUR, OR HYPERFLEXION?
Rollkur (”bite the chest”), or hyperflexion, is a drastic training method in which the rider, using extremely tight reins, forces the horse’s chin almost to its chest. The horse is ridden in this posture through higher-level dressage movements.
There is a lot of controversy over this training method, with some saying that its use by skilled riders is not damaging to the horse. I would say that these highest-level, world class riders set the example, and are imitated by thousands of lower-level riders aspiring to win competitions. Judge for yourself.
EXAMPLES AND DISCUSSIONS OF HYPERFLEXION
This is a video of extreme hyperflexion which has caused a big stir on youTube (186,00 views):
