There was a pretty neat article in The Columbian about horse neglect in our economy. I mean, neat is relative I guess. Truthfully horse neglect is a sad fact but something we are seeing become more and more of an issue with the current economic situation.
As an aside, I think it's truly amazing what the local rescues are doing to support our equine community. Thank you!
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090322/NEWS02/703229948
If you would like to help, check the Organizations page for a couple of our very active local rescues.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
"I Ride"
Someone forwarded this to me and I found it inspiring and so true. I thought I would post it here. I'm not sure who wrote it ... but would like to give credit where credit is due. If anyone knows who the author is, please let me know and I'll post it here.
I ride
That seems like such a simple statement. However, as many women who ride know, it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability.
I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer by the side of the freeway, or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a cold beer after a long ride.
The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. Both my ex-husbands call it 'the sickness.' It's a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness.' It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.
I ride.
I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog, and I ride.
I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust. Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.
I consider the simple statement; I ride.
I think of all I do because I ride. Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the Manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment.
Still I ride.
No matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt.
I ride.
And I feel better for doing so. The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the Prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.
I think of the people, mostly women, I've met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch.. We haul 40ft rigs. We back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp. Tend the horses. We cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait, and doctor.
Your hands are a little rough and you travel without makeup or hair gel. You do without to afford the 'sickness' and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one.
Now you are there.
I ride.
I ride
That seems like such a simple statement. However, as many women who ride know, it is really a complicated matter. It has to do with power and empowerment. Being able to do things you might have once considered out of reach or ability.
I have considered this as I shovel manure, fill water barrels in the cold rain, wait for the vet/farrier/electrician/hay delivery, change a tire on a horse trailer by the side of the freeway, or cool a gelding out before getting down to the business of drinking a cold beer after a long ride.
The time, the money, the effort it takes to ride calls for dedication. At least I call it dedication. Both my ex-husbands call it 'the sickness.' It's a sickness I've had since I was a small girl bouncing my model horses and dreaming of the day I would ride a real horse. Most of the women I ride with understand the meaning of 'the sickness.' It's not a sport. It's not a hobby. It's what we do and, in some ways, who we are as women and human beings.
I ride.
I hook up my trailer and load my gelding. I haul to some trailhead somewhere, unload, saddle, whistle up my dog, and I ride.
I breathe in the air, watch the sunlight filter through the trees and savor the movement of my horse. My shoulders relax. A smile rides my sunscreen smeared face. I pull my ball cap down and let the real world fade into the tracks my horse leaves in the dust. Time slows. Flying insects buzz loudly, looking like fairies. My gelding flicks his ears and moves down the trail. I can smell his sweat and it is perfume to my senses. Time slows. The rhythm of the walk and the movement of the leaves become my focus. My saddle creaks and the leather rein in my hand softens with the warmth.
I consider the simple statement; I ride.
I think of all I do because I ride. Climb granite slabs, wade into a freezing lake, race a friend through the Manzanita all the while laughing and feeling my heart in my chest. Other days just the act of mounting and dismounting can be a real accomplishment.
Still I ride.
No matter how tired or how much my seat bones or any of the numerous horse related injuries hurt.
I ride.
And I feel better for doing so. The beauty I've seen because I ride amazes me. I've ridden out to find lakes that remain for the most part, unseen. Caves, dark and cold beside rivers full and rolling are the scenes I see in my dreams. The Granite Stairway at Echo Summit, bald eagles on the wing and bobcats on the Prowl add to the empowerment and joy in my heart.
I think of the people, mostly women, I've met. I consider how competent they all are. Not a weenie amongst the bunch.. We haul 40ft rigs. We back into tight spaces without clipping a tree. We set up camp. Tend the horses. We cook and keep safe. We understand and love our companions, the horse. We respect each other and those we encounter on the trail. We know that if you are out there riding, you also shovel, fill, wait, and doctor.
Your hands are a little rough and you travel without makeup or hair gel. You do without to afford the 'sickness' and probably, when you were a small girl, you bounced a model horse while you dreamed of riding a real one.
Now you are there.
I ride.
Monday, March 16, 2009
New Events on the Calendar
Ok, I admit I've been remiss over the last month or so and the calendar has fallen off my to-do list.
But no more!
Today I've updated the calendar with all the events I could possibly find throughout the County (and beyond). So, take a peek, let me know if I missed something important, and hopefully I'll see you all out and about soon!
But no more!
Today I've updated the calendar with all the events I could possibly find throughout the County (and beyond). So, take a peek, let me know if I missed something important, and hopefully I'll see you all out and about soon!
New Trails at Pilchuck Tree Farm
Check out this article that ran in the Arlington Times.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/north_sound/arl/news/41032694.html
Good work Traildusters!
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/north_sound/arl/news/41032694.html
Good work Traildusters!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Message from WA State Vet
Seven Washington mares exposed to contagious equine metritis
Horse owners and breeders in Washington should be aware that seven mares have been exposed to contagious equine metritis (CEM), a potentially devastating disease for our breeding population. While the mares have not yet tested positive for this venereal disease, in accordance with USDA protocols the exposed mares remain under quarantine until confirmed negative.
Last December, a Quarter Horse stallion on a Kentucky farm tested positive for CEM during routine testing for international semen shipment. A total of eight stallions have now been confirmed as positive for CEM by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Four of the infected stallions are located in Kentucky , three are in Indiana , and one is in Wisconsin . The exposures were primarily through co-location at breeding facilities during either the 2008 or 2007 breeding season.
At least 350 exposed horses in 38 states have been identified during the course of this USDA investigation. Other exposed stallions were found in Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kentucky , Louisiana , Ohio , Tennessee , Texas and Wisconsin . An additional 94 exposed horses are still being traced.
An exposed mare is one that was bred to a CEM-positive stallion, either naturally or via artificial insemination, or an exposed stallion is one that has naturally serviced an exposed or infected mare. Other possible avenues of exposure are still under investigation. Testing and treatment protocols are being put into action for all located horses. All CEM exposed horses in Washington are currently under quarantine or hold order. There is no danger to the equine population in Washington and there is no human health risk.
For more information, see the USDA APHIS at www.aphis.usda. gov and search “CEM” under Hot Topics.
Horse Estrays
I am still hearing concerns about the number of abandoned horses and the cost to WSDA’s Brand Inspection program for managing this problem. With the closure of U.S. horse slaughter facilities, many believed that we would see an increase in at-large horses in Washington . So far, the department has not experienced an increase of at-large horse impounds. In fact, WSDA handled only 24 estray horses in 2008, down from 33 handled in 2007. And year after year, the sale of estrays is covering program costs.
We are, however, experiencing some new challenges. Sales of impounded horses are bringing less revenue due to declining market prices. A shrinking number of public livestock markets are willing to stable and sell at-large animals. Impound expenses are increasing. As we move into 2009, WSDA will continue to improve coordination with local authorities, identify additional impound sites and seek to reduce impound costs.
While the vast majority of horse owners love and respect their animals, we also need to remind folks it is against the law to abandon their unwanted animals. Under state law, abandoning a horse, or any other animal, is a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor. The Washington Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act ( RCW 16.52) defines “abandons” as “the knowing or reckless desertion of an animal by its owner or the causing of the animal to be deserted by its owner, in any place, without making provisions for the animal's adequate care.” The law provides that economic distress of the owner can be a defense to some animal cruelty crimes, but not for abandonment.
As with all crimes, the investigation is under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement and cases are prosecuted by the county prosecutor. The maximum punishment for a misdemeanor is 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both. The maximum punishment for a gross misdemeanor is one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000 or both.
Dr Leonard Eldridge, DVM
State Veterinarian
Washington State Department of Agriculture
360-902-1881
Horse owners and breeders in Washington should be aware that seven mares have been exposed to contagious equine metritis (CEM), a potentially devastating disease for our breeding population. While the mares have not yet tested positive for this venereal disease, in accordance with USDA protocols the exposed mares remain under quarantine until confirmed negative.
Last December, a Quarter Horse stallion on a Kentucky farm tested positive for CEM during routine testing for international semen shipment. A total of eight stallions have now been confirmed as positive for CEM by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories. Four of the infected stallions are located in Kentucky , three are in Indiana , and one is in Wisconsin . The exposures were primarily through co-location at breeding facilities during either the 2008 or 2007 breeding season.
At least 350 exposed horses in 38 states have been identified during the course of this USDA investigation. Other exposed stallions were found in Alabama , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kentucky , Louisiana , Ohio , Tennessee , Texas and Wisconsin . An additional 94 exposed horses are still being traced.
An exposed mare is one that was bred to a CEM-positive stallion, either naturally or via artificial insemination, or an exposed stallion is one that has naturally serviced an exposed or infected mare. Other possible avenues of exposure are still under investigation. Testing and treatment protocols are being put into action for all located horses. All CEM exposed horses in Washington are currently under quarantine or hold order. There is no danger to the equine population in Washington and there is no human health risk.
For more information, see the USDA APHIS at www.aphis.usda. gov and search “CEM” under Hot Topics.
Horse Estrays
I am still hearing concerns about the number of abandoned horses and the cost to WSDA’s Brand Inspection program for managing this problem. With the closure of U.S. horse slaughter facilities, many believed that we would see an increase in at-large horses in Washington . So far, the department has not experienced an increase of at-large horse impounds. In fact, WSDA handled only 24 estray horses in 2008, down from 33 handled in 2007. And year after year, the sale of estrays is covering program costs.
We are, however, experiencing some new challenges. Sales of impounded horses are bringing less revenue due to declining market prices. A shrinking number of public livestock markets are willing to stable and sell at-large animals. Impound expenses are increasing. As we move into 2009, WSDA will continue to improve coordination with local authorities, identify additional impound sites and seek to reduce impound costs.
While the vast majority of horse owners love and respect their animals, we also need to remind folks it is against the law to abandon their unwanted animals. Under state law, abandoning a horse, or any other animal, is a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor. The Washington Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act ( RCW 16.52) defines “abandons” as “the knowing or reckless desertion of an animal by its owner or the causing of the animal to be deserted by its owner, in any place, without making provisions for the animal's adequate care.” The law provides that economic distress of the owner can be a defense to some animal cruelty crimes, but not for abandonment.
As with all crimes, the investigation is under the jurisdiction of local law enforcement and cases are prosecuted by the county prosecutor. The maximum punishment for a misdemeanor is 90 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both. The maximum punishment for a gross misdemeanor is one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000 or both.
Dr Leonard Eldridge, DVM
State Veterinarian
Washington State Department of Agriculture
360-902-1881
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