Dusty Trails Horse Rescue

   Dusty Trails horse rescue center is located on a farm in Alabama. They take on severe cases as requested by law enforcements. Not only do they provide a safe environment for their horses, but they have the smarts to became an established organization. As I was scrolling through their website I noticed that under Available they had four options listed: Donkeys/Mules, Mares, Geldings, and Stallions. WHAT?! OK, respect lost right? Wrong. In all of my fury I clicked the link, and just what did I see?

"All stallions coming to DTHR will be gelded (castrated) before adoption."

   Do I hear singing angels? Hallelujah! Whoopee! Hurrah! Thank you so much DTHR for your wonderful knowledge into equine society. As I was exploring I also saw that they had an Arabian stallion in rehab. Another smart thing that they did was place him into an experienced foster home and are waiting until he is healthier and calmer to geld him. Three cheers for DTHR!

      However on the other end of the spectrum lies the little known rescues, good and bad. I have come across many nice, small facilities that were positively remarkable. I have ALSO found some people whose stabling/living conditions were unacceptable, no matter how good intentions were. I found some pictures from a user in HGS forum. Turns out they "rescue" these horses. It seems as thought he user has some knowledge about horses (food, water, some handling)  but they seem to miss the obvious things like fencing, halter fit, grooming (I have yet to find one picture where these horses aren't caked in mud and manure), and the fact that their feet should be rotten with thrush with all that muck they are standing in! There is hardly a dry place for them to stand, at the back of the paddock (which is too small) is a "grassy" area that is teeny-weeny.

 First Picture Posted (at this point I am giving the benefit of the doubt)

Note the horse's tail draaaaaging on the ground with burrs in it

Horse looks better but that fencing! Call me a snob but EWWWW! Plus all that debris is dangerous!

Wireeeee!

   Truly the horses really did get better overtime, but the conditions of the farm never did. But, I can't complain too much because I know that they are all in a better place and much healthy/happier at the moment.

    From good rescues to rescues that need rescuing, hard work pays off in the end. Later on this week: a post/rant about non-horsey morons people.

The HGS rescue is located just south of... Ignorantopia!

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         I have spent so long on this! With exams coming up I have only had five minutes here or there to work on it. So... enjoy!

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       Unfortunately, I am in the market for a new horse. I have been searching all over the Internet looking at ads an various websites (none of which are craigslist). I realize that not everybody is a professional horse person nor can they afford one. But why, might I ask, do people (even some "professionals) seem to use the most unflattering pictures of their horses? There are many problem areas that absolutely make no sense to me. None of them relate to how much money a person has, just laziness and/or incompetence. I have compiled a list of common problems that I have found from photo ads.
1. Wrong Information
     These types of ads are usually posted by the craigslist horse people. The kind that name their horses Midnight, Lightning, and Spot. It doesn't matter how long they have been around horses, they will never learn. Just not born a horsey person even though their intentions are sometimes the best (of course sometimes not, too). These ads typically send a grammar-Nazi in to seizures. Here is an example:

     I could talk forever about the presentation but that is not what this example is about. The ad says a few things that just don't quite match up with the picture.

-Black- Nope he is most defiantly dark bay. Even a horse that at times appears back but fades is not truly a black horse. So.... FALSE!

-15.5hh- Um... what? In what world would a horse be 15.5hh? 15.0hh, 15.1hh, 15.2hh, 15.3hh....ready for the next one? 16HH! What is this? You mean to tell me that there are only four inches in a hand? 

-1000.0lbs- I can't figure out if he is 15.2hh or 16.1hh, but either way he does NOT weigh 1000lbs! My 15.1 petite TB mare weighs at least 1100+. He doesn't look that skinny but what ever you say! I know that isn't right!

-GENTEL- What is this speak? Oh, it is all coming together now! 15.5hh and GENTEL! You are from outer space on the island I like to call Ignorantopia. Here is a map:

       But not to worry! Who ever buys that horse is probably from Ignorantopia, too.

2. Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire! 

    Of course another good way to make me foam at the mouth is to lie to me. I will not post an example of this kind of ad from the Internet because it is impossible to find (or just hard and I am lazy?). Either way this is bad! People do this all the time drugging the horse, wearing it out before the rider gets there, not telling about diseases and vices when asked, etc. This is why, when I invest in an animal I always get a pre-purchase exam. Not exactly the full-body x-rays, but I have a thorough medical exam done by my favorite vet. Trust me always worth the extra cash because if, for whatever reason, you decide to sell the horse and you discovered a disease such a navicular is present then, it is going to be extremely difficult to try and sell the horse (at least for me, I would never lie to a buyer). Even if you don't find the disease the next owner might! POOF! There goes your reputation! The Bad-Luck-Fairy strikes again!

3. Background

    Not to say that  the fanciest farm needs to be behind your horse when you take an ad picture but, at least make it simple, safe, and not distracting. I mean, I could barely see the horse around all that stuff laying around! Of course I once more got distracted by the horse (more on that later).

4. Proper Set-Up

      I don't mean that the horse needs to be braided, square and in a silver plated halter conformation shot; but I shouldn't have to squint to make the horse look good. I also shouldn't need glasses to find which end is his head. Candid shots are cute but really not the best if you ACTUALLY want to sell your horse. I always do a double-take when I come across an ad like the one above, and not just because of the background.

     Why would you choose to post a picture of your horse like this. It is impossible to tell anything about this horse (except for the malnourished part). I costs no more money to take a picture like this:

5. Bad Riders

     Not to nit-pick and be one of those people that gives advice when not asked, but this is another interesting topic that I feel I should bring up. I will not show it but I recently just watched a video of a rider and a horse competing in showjumping for the sale video. Now, in this video I found it impossible to tell whether it was the horse pulling the rider or vise verse.

     Another instance I found was a rider that sat down FAR too early over the jump. This was causing the horse to jump hollow and incorrectly. I could NOT see what this horse had to offer. What a shame, he was out of my price range by about $50,000. (Yeesh)

6. And of course, the ever common bad color coordination, dangerous situation, taking jump pictures at the wrong time, etc. These are things that can easily be fixed!

      

     Sometimes it is possible to look past these things and use a well trained eye to spot a diamond in the rough. This is not always easy or possible. Spending just five extra minutes on preparation, safety, and not to mention color coordination, can make the difference between a trip out to look at the horse or hitting the back button on the search bar.

Ignorantopia

Dear fellow equine enthusiasts,
   

                                                     I. Am. Speechless.

       I have just recently made friends with a girl in my study group who, as I happily discovered, owns horses. I was so happy to finally have a horsey friend that I can see on an everyday basis. She boards her horses at a self care barn just across the street from my favorite tack shop. Every time I drive by I think "What a lovely place." It is one of those quaint farms that are just so.... artistic. Upon meeting this girl she proceeds to tell me that she is retraining her two western paint horses to do eventing. So of course I am thinking "YES! Finally somebody I can have REAL horsey conversations with! Wa-hooo!"
    But no. She then proceeds to tell me that one of the horses wouldn't stay on the rail when she pulled on the outside rein and she couldn't figure out how to fix this. Here is our conversation (thoughts in red) I would like to point out that at first I gave her the benefit of the doubt:

Me: WTF! And you are training this horse? You madame, need the help of a professional coach. So, do you have a trainer or a coach that can help? 

Her: No, I do everything on my own. I started to ride a year ago and quit lessons about eight months ago. I don't need a trainer I watch Clinton Anderson videos and do Parreli.

Me: What... why... how... when... um... Do you need any help um... exercising your horses. I hate to be a know-it-all but maybe I can squeeze in a few helpful tips on the side. She has no business training horses. Either her, her horses, or somebody else is going to get hurt.


Her: No, it is OK they only get ridden 1-3 times a week anyway.

Me: Oh, they must be young and you don't want to stress them out, riiiight, okay I get it now. So, how old are they?

Her: 2 and 1 and 1/2.

Me: It probably isn't the best idea to be riding them that young.

Her: It is OK. They already have plenty of training in them.

Me: Just walk away before somebody gets hurt. Oh well if you ever need any help you have my number.


Her: Actually, since I want to go to Rolex as soon as possible would you mind teaching me cross country?

Me: Um.... maybe that's not the best idea. You would need a professional coach. And maybe a psychologist! 






      On another particular occasion when doodling occurred and she drew a horse with cloven hooves (she is an AMAZING ARTIST!):

Me: Oh, that's cool is it some sort of unicorn type horse?

Her: No, just a normal one.

Me: Dafuq! Horses hooves are one piece...

Her: No, stupid! Some can have cloven hooves it just depends on the farrier's specifications.

Me: What kind of farrier are you dealing with? *insert questioning look here*




      A very good (and attractive ;D) guy rider that I am friends with said the most... well dumb thing I have heard this weekend, I don't know how he survived pony club. We went to a XC schooling and my horse was sweating and breathing hard. Here is how the conversation went:

Me: Oh, she needs to be cooled down I will be right back.

Him: Give her a big bucket of cold water right now, that will help her out.

(please tell me somebody gets this)

      No joke. These were things that were actually said to me. Why people. WHYYYYY! Please explain to me why, in a world in which Google exists, do we not have any knowledge of the horse what so ever! Ugh. Please. I don't want to sound snooty, but really guys (especially the first girl I told you about) how can we not know basic horse management! This is a reason why certain people should NOT be around horses. Or they should at the very least do some research.

   
     As far as the "trainer" girl goes I really have no words to describe her. We are no longer friends because of an argument over why a picture I saw over her riding in shorts, flip-flops, and a baseball cap was dangerous. She. Was. Jumping.

     People with thick skulls (myself included) really puzzle me. The ones that have no knowledge of horses really get to me (cloven hooves?). They have the nerve to give right minded horse-people advice, but no sense to take advice from people that know what they are doing.

     Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention. That girl? The "trainer"? Yes, I asked her how she found the time between work and school to take care of her horses and do you know what she told me? "Oh, I only clean their stalls out every three days. It is basically the same concept as a hamster cage."

JUST. NO.

     I feel that this is a perfect time (given the_____ of these two people I have discussed) to present to all of my thepostingtrot.blogspot.com readers a brand new land that I have discovered. Ignorantopia! Here lives the utterly and hopelessly clueless:

Whenever I feel as though this is the birth place of the subject I am discussing, this lovely new map will be presented. Enjoy!

Yours Truly,

The Posting Trot