Horsehuggers and Hayburners

The lengths people will go to save an animal they don’t even know…  I feel for this woman who bought a neglected horse with a cash advance on her credit card.  I have paid thousands of dollars over the years for vet bills on “found” animals that I took responsibility for.  I’m so glad rescues like TB Friends exist.  Joe’s contact information is at the bottom of this post.  Please consider a donation to this worthwhile cause.

Friday, September 12th… From Monday through Thursday there were 41 requests for Tbfriends to take horses. One young girl cried so hard I am not able to get her out of my mind. The girl has to give up her quarter horse gelding who she loves so much.

You know how when a long time friend calls and asks can you do this, or can you do that, and because of a long history together your natural response is yes. On Tuesday a long time friend phones and wants me to negotiate for an older black thoroughbred mare living all by herself in San Jose. She is neglected. The long time friend drives by daily and sees the mare watching traffic. The mare is thin and lonely.

And so I get a phone number and call the owner. He wants a thousand dollars for the thin and lonely black mare. I said good luck with all that and have a nice day.

I tell my long time friend the mare is not going to die, and for a thousand dollars I can buy three horses who are certain to die.

Sorry, but I tried.

The long time friend calls yesterday, and wants me to send a trailer to San Jose. The long time friend got a thousand dollars cash advance from her credit card. It was something she just had to do. For the mare. And for her own inner peace.

Yesterday afternoon here comes the black mare. In our driveway she is dewormed and vaccinated. The mare dives into a tub of sweet feed like I dive into a Sara Lee chocolate cake.

Our horses in the south field are mostly aloof. Old stakes winners, old warriors from race tracks who are not fond of change. Many prefer to be left alone. Out to our south field goes the black mare from San Jose. Introductions are hardly a picnic. My horses are grouchy. The black mare goes up to each horse hoping to be friends. She turns out to be a beautiful mover. Squealing, with her tail high in the air. Old race horses pin their ears and kick out at her. She refuses to concede. Somewhere in this group is a buddy.

Raymond is a young goofy gelding who is certain this world was created just for him. Not a mean thought in his head.

Everybody Loves Raymond…

As the sun went down the thin black mare from San Jose and Raymond were side by side, eating supper. Every so often a happy squeal comes from the mare. No longer is she lonely.

And now the sun is up on a cold Friday morning, and the black mare and Raymond are still together. Hot coffee with praline cream is from Peets. A big Thank You to Robin West for delicious cake from Harry & Davids. So good Pony Boy waits at the back door. My two favorite acts, Extreme Dance FX and the young guy who juggles, were both eliminated from that talent

show.

Enjoy your beautiful Friday, and be sure to hug your horses. There is a horse auction in Roseville this Sunday…

Joe

My cell number is 530-383-2120.

Our mailing address is:
Joe & Cathy Shelton
15891 County Road 92C
Woodland, Ca. 95695

You can send your letters to tbfriends@aol.com

Please subscribe to my feed and help me help the horses. Click here for my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

I am so glad Joe is sticking to his guns with the content of his website.  Even small children need to know how to treat animals, and they need to know there are humans that don’t treat them right.  The world is not all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns.  There are some more posts coming that show just how much good a child who cares can do in this world.  Keep on doing what you’re doing, Joe.  You’ve got more fans than you know.

Now, as always, check out Joe’s daily blog on your own, and if you can spare a donation, please send it his way.  All his contact information is at the bottom of this post.

Wednesday, September 10th… So cold two shirts are needed. Barn cats who dislike each other during the summer are now cuddling. Still very dark outside. Delicious coffee with praline cream is from Nob Hill. Microwave waffles with maple syrup are made by Krusteaz. White nectarines from a close by produce stand. Wheat Chex cereal with sliced banana. Fresh blueberry muffins from our new best friend Lindsey. Way too early for Rod Stewart, but there he is on the radio.

I know our readers average a very young age, but I refuse to be swayed by angry parents. If I show you a starving horse, or a race horse with a badly broken knee, this is what we do. I share the world of horses in trouble. Of horses who need help. Yesterday I showed you Bear, a race horse with a fractured knee. There were several phone calls from mothers of young girls asking why must I post these kinds of pictures? Their daughters click on Tbfriends to read about happy adoptions. Not to see horses who are suffering.

There was a mom from Minnesota who said her 8 year old daughter would not stop crying after seeing Bear. In the future mom will screen first before allowing her daughter to read Tbfriends.

Two summers ago we bought a starving to death thoroughbred gelding from a feed lot. He was shipped to us on a Saturday afternoon, and there were several young girls in our yard. The gelding died soon after arrival. I told the girls in advance he is dying. But dying with us, instead of on a stock trailer headed to slaughter, is a much better option. This is the real world. I see those commercials saying in America a car is stolen every 5 seconds. I wonder how often a horse dies of starvation? I am willing to wager at least 10 a day. Probably more…

The dad of one of those girls phoned and did his best Robert DeNiro impression. Very creative with his swearing. How dare I allow his kid to witness the death of a starving horse?

The daughter was here. The horse arrived. Death came quickly. What was I suppose to do, pretend none of this was happening? Maybe serve pizza in the back yard?

There was a phone call yesterday from a mom who wants to know why do I associate with horse racing? It is disgusting the way horses are injured and killed. The mom said she herself cried when she saw Bear.

Tbfriends stands for Thoroughbred Friends. Race horses are thoroughbreds. And there is your connection.

Bear is a dance in the park. We have healed a thousand broken knees. We have greeted race horses off the trailer who were unable to make the long walk up our driveway. Broken legs. Broken shoulders. A broken hip. Bear and his fractured knee will recover just fine.

I like to share the romance of horses. Which is why this website attracts young readers. But we are a horse rescue ranch. There is good and there is not so good.

And in my way of thinking, it is okay to be outraged when you see a horse in trouble. Anger soon becomes concern.

Thousands of horses have been helped because of our concerned readers. Cathy and I bought this ranch in 1997. Still a few more years to go until lights out. Angry parents aside, not a bad gig at all…

Joe

My cell number is 530-383-2120.

Our mailing address is:
Joe & Cathy Shelton
15891 County Road 92C
Woodland, Ca. 95695

You can send your letters to tbfriends@aol.com

Joe at www.tbfriends.com is constantly in contact with feedlot owners and horse slaughter buyers.  He has heard some of the most asinine reasons people condemn their horses to death.  In my opinion, horse slaughter is actually a fate worse than most deaths a horse could experience.  And the most horrible parts are not necessarily at the slaughterhouse.  You can read this article I posted on the road to the slaughterhouse.

Monday, September 1st… All night winds have been strong from the north, and we are a dust bowl. We left the bathroom window open, and a mountain of dirt sits in our sink.

I told you about a ranch foreclosure with 30 thoroughbreds who need new homes, and now only 6 thoroughbreds remain. I told you about a ranch with 50 Arabians, and over the weekend several of those Arabians found a new place to live.

From a feed lot near the town of Pittsburgh we were able to buy a paint gelding who is a looker.

From a feed lot in Wilton we bought a young gray thoroughbred filly who was sold to slaughter because her owner was not able to find a saddle to fit her. Horse killer Manny Phelps says now he has heard it all…

More reasons from owners who sell their horses to slaughter. All of the following comes from horse killer Manny Phelps:

My eyes hurt and I can no longer ride.

This horse is dangerous. (the horse was 25 and would never swat a fly)

My husband lost his job. So we are going to use this free time to explore Europe, and there will be no one to feed the horse.

This horse keeps breaking out of the pasture and I am afraid he will get hit by a car. (the fencing was made of hay twine)

My daughter needs to be punished. So when she finds out her horse is going to be slaughtered, it will teach her a lesson.

My daughter no longer pays attention to him. I would rather he be killed than lonely.

Can you give me 50 cents a pound for my horse? I have a job interview in Los Angeles, and I need gas money.

Another reminder (I will do this often) about a large thoroughbred breeding farm going out of business. Their gates close in October. All of their horses must go. Stallions, preggo mares, weanlings, yearlings and horses of racing age. Tbfriends will be happy to provide transportation, but you must pay for gasoline. If you would like one of these horses give me a call at 530-383-2120.

Several event trainers who adopt from us regularly have already phoned to say they want a youngster. A weanling or yearling they can raise and train.

So it is the older horses we worry about. Especially the older pregnant mares. Most of these mares are due early in 2009. All of the remaining horses from this ranch will be sent to auction in Mira Loma, California.

And now yesterday comes word of yet another ranch closing their doors. They have asked Tbfriends to help with the dispersal of their horses. Crazy times we live in…

A special hello to Hillary in Mountain View, California. Our new hero. On Saturday Hillary saved the life of a race horse. She borrowed money from friends and family, and promised to pay them back. When friends and family discovered the money was for a horse in big trouble, they told Hillary no need to pay us back. On the phone Hillary wants to know how to rehab a bowed tendon. And then Hillary tells me this is the greatest joy in the world. She feels a glow inside. Her new horse knows he was saved. The way he looks at her.

Enjoy your windy holiday Monday, and be sure to hug your horses.

Joe

My cell number is 530-383-2120.

Our mailing address is:
Joe & Cathy Shelton
15891 County Road 92C
Woodland, Ca. 95695

You can send your letters to tbfriends@aol.com

Here is another post from www.tbfriends.com.  I urge you to support this rescue.  I always ad the contact information to these posts to make it easier for you.  This is a horse rescue you can believe in.

Tuesday, September 16th… Yesterday afternoon we brought a sight unseen thoroughbred gelding to a family in Davis, and the young son says to me: Have you seen the news? The stock market is collapsing. Our economic woes are the result of dysfunctional leadership.

The young son is only 11. He talks like a math professor. As I was leaving the young son says: If you calculate the percentages, I would estimate a 90 percent chance you will soon lose your comb.

My comb was hanging from my back pocket, almost ready to fall. Thanks to the son, my comb was rescued.

The sight unseen gelding has his own stall and paddock. There is a large poster of Miley Cyrus taped to his stall door. Faith Hill blaring from the barn cd player. I get to meet the most interesting folks…

Two girls named Kelly greeted their horses yesterday. The amazing Blake left us for Kelly Findlay. The colorful gelding Presto Magic left us for Kelly Bonds, no relation to Barry. A big Thank You to Georgia Hartman and Stephanie Diaz for providing transportation.

We said hello to a small chestnut filly from the feed lot in Wilton, and her name is now Pink. She might be a thoroughbred, but most likely a mixture of this and that. Pink likes carrots, but not peppermints.

Disturbing news from horse killers who confirm Canada is not only giving gasoline vouchers to drivers of doomed horses, but Canada is also providing a free night at a motel. And a coupon for an all you can eat buffet. Many horse killers who were driving their doomed horses to Mexico are instead heading north.

If you would like a thoroughbred from recent ranch foreclosures, or if you would like a horse from several different families who must be rid of their animals, please give me a call at 530-383-2120. We will arrange shipping, but you have to pay for gasoline.

A cold Tuesday morning, with breakfast almost finished to 105 horses, and John Denver on the oldies station. Another filly comes to us from the feed lot in Wilton today. At the ranch where I earn the big bucks a warmblood gelding leaves for his new home in Los Angeles. I have loved this gelding for more than two years. His owner would say sure, take him for a long walk. And so I did. The main attraction at my silly day job was to spend time with this gelding. He is the star of any gathering. A dancer, a jumper. Today we say goodbye. At his new home he will have an ocean view. Much better than the large pile of old straw and poop currently outside his window.

Enjoy your you can feel autumn Tuesday, and be sure to hug your horses.

Joe

My cell number is 530-383-2120.

Our mailing address is:
Joe & Cathy Shelton
15891 County Road 92C
Woodland, Ca. 95695

You can send your letters to tbfriends@aol.com

With the cost of hay, grain, and just about everything else skyrocketing, I bet you’re looking at ways to finance your horse hobby that don’t require a second full-time job.  You can do what I did- start blogging!

Click here to see one of the first e-books I bought about blogging.  You can download it as soon as you buy it, with no waiting at all.  When I buy e-books I print out a copy, and read it with a highlighter or one of the kid’s crayons to emphasise what I think are the best points.  If you’re ever bugged by your marked up copy, you can always print a new one!

This book has a bunch of great ideas about how to actually make money from your blogs.  And blogs can be about anything you have an interest in or are passionate about.  In fact, I think blogs that are written by people with passion are more interesting than those written by people who write like they’re doing a term paper.  Even when I don’t agree with a passionate blogger, I still return to read more of their blog.

So that’s my advice: Get passionate and get blogging!  Don’t wait, click here to buy it now.

Snowflake is a 7 year old Appaloosa mare.  She has only been used as a broodmare and has not been started under saddle.  She was part of an 80+ horse rescue in North Idaho.  She is sweet tempered and a very pretty girl.  You can contact Orphan Acres Rescue by clicking here.

Here is part 2.  Enjoy!

The road to the slaughterhouse troubles horse lovers as well.  Many slaughter bound horses are held on feedlots, often unsorted as to age, sex, and disability.  There is fighting for food, water and dominance.  The only horses not allowed transport are those blind in both eyes, or unable to support their own weight on all four feet.  Legally, these horses can be hauled for up to 28 hours without food, water, or rest.  In most states it is legal for them to be hauled in double decker cattle trailers, which do not have enough head room for horses.  They must travel in an unnatural position, and often injure themselves by repeatedly banging their heads on the roof while fighting for balance.  Horses that fall are often trampled to death enroute.

The agricultural community is afraid of “the slippery slope”, a horse slaughter ban would cause.  The thinking is that once animal rights activists get horse slaughter banned, they will use that momentum to close all slaughterhouses.  The problem with this theory is the growing group of meat eating, rodeo watching horse owners fighting against horse slaughter.  An example of the new breed of horse advocate is Steven Long, the editor of Texas Horse Talk Magazine, “I’ve been riding horses my entire life and I can assure you, I’m no vegan. I’m a barbecue and steak loving Texan who grew up on a farm. I don’t eat chicken, turkey, or horse and don’t much understand the folks who do. None of the nine million American horses are food animals. And in the 21st Century, they really aren’t livestock
either, but a special class of animal all their own. Only a handful are still used for work, while the overwhelming majority are used for recreation.  We darned sure don’t eat them.”

Other horse owners do consider them pets, not food animals, and object to slaughter on those grounds.  Unwanted and overpopulated pets are humanely euthanized in America, not slaughtered on a mass basis and exported to countries that enjoy dog and cat meat.

Rumors of a rise in horse abandonment and neglect have been surfacing since domestic horse slaughter was ended in the US last year.  When these claims are investigated, they are shown to be manufactured, or based on faulty journalism.  One such article written by Jeffrey McMurray and picked up by the associated press claimed horses were being turned loose in rural Kentucky at an alarming rate.  This prompted an official reply by Kentucky Governer Ernie Fletcher, dated May 16, 2007, stating, “The mail I have received on this issue is from out of state.  Kentuckians know that Kentucky horse owners are very responsible people and the situation described in the article is not based in fact.  The story as portrayed by Mr. McMurray is filled with inaccurate statements and information.” Another AP story indicated that the horses McMurray described as abandoned were in fact free grazing and were privately owned by Trish Hayes who operates a Virginia based riding stable.

There is now a group of dedicated horse people fact checking every article referencing a rise in horse abandonment cases.  In every case investigated so far, the horses in question are never produced, nor the associated police reports generated by stray animals.

Horse slaughter is held out as the “safety valve” on the American horse population, without which horses will be starved to death or simply released into the wild.  This assumption does a disservice to horse owners.  Responsible owners would no more let their horses starve than they would their dog or cat.  Right now in Southern California a 70 year old woman is living in her car so she can continue to pay the boarding bill on her 25 year old horse.  Right now in America hundreds of horse lovers are doing all they can to save horses from the slaughterhouse, one horse at a time.  Right now in America there are horse owners picking up additional part time jobs and side work to pay for rising feed costs.  Right now in America another meat eating horse lover is learning the truth about horse slaughter, and making a stand.

This article was rejected by Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly as too long.  Instead of letting it go to waste I decided to break it up into 2 parts and post it here.

Mankind’s relationship with the horse has changed dramatically in the last century. No longer a necessity in agriculture and transportation, horses have become entertainers, exciting crowds at the track, the rodeo arena, and the circus. They have also become companion and recreation animals to the lucky few with the space and the budget to support such pricey pets.

Sadly, one aspect of the man-horse relationship has not changed. The slaughter of American horses for human consumption continues, even though Americans do not eat horse meat. This situation is not merely a danger to American horses, but also to the very people consuming their meat.

Horses are routinely treated with wormers and other medications that are specifically labeled not for use in food animals. The problem is that every American horse can find it’s way in to the food chain, because it is still legal for any American horse to be slaughtered in Canada and Mexico.

According to John Holland, the EU(European Union) has strict guidelines on what drugs are not allowed in imported horse meat, including phenylbutazone, or “bute”. Bute is considered aspirin for horses, and is frequently prescribed for pain control in injured performance animals, as well as family pets. According to the Food Safety and Inspection Service, in the past several years horse carcasses have tested positive for phenylbutazone during random testing.

An FDA order dated May 29,2003 states “ Phenylbutazone is known to induce blood dyscrasias, including aplastic anemia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, thrombocytopenia and deaths. Hypersensitivity reactions of the serum-sickness type have also been reported. In addition, phenylbutazone is a carcinogen, as determined by the National Toxicology Program. For animals, phenylbutazone is currently approved only for oral and injectable use in dogs and horses. Use in horses is limited to horses not intended for food. There are currently no approved uses of phenylbutazone in food-producing animals.”

Problems also extend to the way horses are slaughtered. In Canada, many horses are shot with a captive bolt pistol, which fires a bolt into the horses’ brain, rendering it unconscious and unaware while being hung head down and bled out. The American Veterinary Medical Association states the captive bolt is only humane when the horse’s head is restrained. Slaughterhouses do not restrain the head, sometimes causing a horse pain and terror before being stunned. Video of this practice can be found across the internet, including on the website of Veterinarians for Equine Welfare (www.vetsforequinewelfare.com).

In Mexican slaughterhouses, the horses are forced into a chute and stabbed in the withers until the spinal cord is severed. They lay on the ground until they are hoisted into the air by one rear leg. Their throats are cut while they are still awake and aware, only paralyzed.

Please continue to Pro Horse-Life Article Part 2

I made the innocent comment below, and look what I got in return!  I got stuck on a page with Adolf Hitler.  Who knew Nazi’s loved fluffy bunnies? Just for fun, I’m going to insert some of my own commentary in purple.

05/21/08 04:37:10 GMT

Name: Valorie Stricklin MY URL: Visit Me

My Email: Email Me Location: North Idaho

Comments:
I am a fan of rodeo, and enjoy reading about the history of rodeo. This is a very informative site. Interestingly, I came in through the animal rights page, as I was doing research on horse slaughter. A direct quote from your site was published in the Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly this month. I hope they had your permission. I noted your comment that your horses would never ever go to slaughter. Even if they were stolen? Even if you died unexpectedly? Not picking a fight, I just wanted you to know as long as horse slaughter is a legal options, all of America’s horses are candidates.

Not picking a fight - sure you are. (ok, you got me)You are a fan of rodeo and rodeo history (true, I love the PBR, and I watch the NFR every December)but you came
to the site through the animals rights page as you were doing research on
horse slaughter. Right. You don’t understand anything about horses even though
you state yourself a fan of Rodeo (ooh, capitals). Read up on branding horses which will enlighten you about stolen horses (I’m sure there are breathless brand inspectors at every podunk auction in the country). Might also want to read up on living trusts and wills
- that will enlightened you on the dying part(because no one ever violates the wishes of the dead, right?). As long as horses cannot be slaughtered, then they are candidates for being dumped in fields and left to starved to death (not one of my horse owning friends would ever do this in a million years) and becoming huge burdens on taxpayers (euthanize them like we do dogs and cats.  Don’t torture them with the slaughter house)as well as being stabbed in the back 35 times in some slaughterhouse in Mexico (all you pro slaughter types are against Mexican slaughter.  Why don’t you join us with closing the southern border to horsemeat trafficking?  Oh, right, you want to use it as leverage to open domestic slaughter facilities again, not really end the suffering.)(thanks to Steve Hindi). But I am sure that you Valorie along with your AR Moonbat friends are out right now adopting unwanted horses, feeding and caring from them and protecting them from slaughter (You bet your ass I’m feeding and caring for throwaway horses). What you and your AR Moonbat buddies are really doing is inflicting pain and suffering on horses (bullshit.  The minimum wage assholes at the slaughter plants are doing that). You are the problem. By the way, there was not a direct quote from my site published in the Idaho Farm Bureau Quarterly this month. A direct quote is word for word means word for word. (OK, here’s the quote from Idaho Farm Bureau: “I am sure that the members of the horse species are just thrilled with their new-found fate.  I am sure that they are indebted to all of you forever.” -Angry blogger/horse owner.  I read the exact same thing on your website.  That’s why I’m not worried about copying this response to my comment in your guestbook.  I’ll just attribute it to -Angry blogger/horse owner.)

I don’t know of another horse blog that makes me as weepy as Joe’s blog at www.tbfriends.com.  I’m copying and pasting his message, because I can’t figure out how to access his archives, or if I even can get to them.  So I’m pasting the really good, really heartwrenching stuff here.  Please, send Joe and his TB’s a few bucks if you can spare it.  A little money really can go a long way for someone who knows how to stretch a penny.

Please visit Joe at www.tbfriends.com.

Friday, June 20th… Yesterday kids who live at a youth shelter came to visit, and a girl maybe 15 had this witty remark: Hey mister, you know those Got Milk commercials? You could make a Got Flies commercial.

These kids know little about horses. Some have been in trouble with the law. Some ran away from an abusive home. We schedule their visits on quiet days. Horse killer Manny Phelps had phoned earlier, saying he had a thoroughbred with a racing tattoo. Talk about an abusive home. The poor horse was starved on purpose, and often beaten. Neighbors threatened to call police, so the lady phoned an auction yard, who referred her to horse killer Manny Phelps.

Here is the stunner: The gelding is only 6 years old. The first letter of his tattoo is F, which means he was born in 2002. How did this horse go from a race track to the back yard of a lady who purposely starved him? She would daily beat him because he had the nerve to sniff around for food.

Horse killer Manny Phelps was going to drop off the abused gelding later in the day, long after youth shelter kids had left.

But here comes horse killer Manny Phelps in his ugly cream colored stock trailer. He said he was in a hurry, as there are more doomed horses to pick up in Marysville. Horse killer Manny Phelps says give him $400.00 in cash, which includes delivery. I only had 4 cents in cash, so I told him to take my check. Horse killers like cash. Checks leave a trail, and if you are illegal in our country, and not paying taxes, checks can cramp your lifestyle. Because there were teenage kids standing around us, horse killer Manny Phelps did not argue. He accepted my check, but I know next time we talk there will be a lecture.

On this ranch we have certainly seen horses in much worse shape. Some starving horses have come off the trailer actually dying. But these kids from the shelter were horrified. I told them he is not in too bad of condition. A few months from now he will be a brand new horse. Several of the young girls were crying. One girl asked is it okay to touch him? I said he would probably like that. The girl has never been with horses before. She came at him much too fast, and he shyed away. I told her go easy, talk softly. He is afraid of being hit. The girl stroked his face, and told him sorry. The girl said you will never be beaten again. In front of us all the girl told the horse how she too was hit daily. The reason she left home.

And you are going to think I am a crazy old man who looks for meaning in every Hallmark moment. But when the girl was through talking the gelding sighed. A real sigh. And he put his face against her chest.

I told the girl to give him a name. She never hesitated. She said his name is Champ.

As the kids loaded into their van to leave, the girl asks for my cell number. She wants to know, would it be okay to call and see how Champ is doing?

I said sure.

The girl says she will never forget him.

Champ dove into his tub of bran like I dive into a tub of Rocky Road. Last night during final barn check, Champ was roaming free in our mare motel area. Already he is best friends with Eclipse, a mare who also came from horse killer Manny Phelps.

Enjoy your hot Friday, and be sure to hug your horses. I am behind on e-mails and phone messages, sorry, but today I shall catch up. Thank You all for your support.

Joe