Turning conversations into action for our wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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Kyle Davidson
Posts by Kyle Davidson:
Bringing wild horse conservation to the halls of Capitol Hill!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is fighting on all fronts to protect our nation’s wild herds – in the fields, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill!
AWHC team with Rep. Ciscomani
Last month, our very own Amelia Perrin and Fernando Guerra traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress about how to protect these iconic animals. They highlighted the devastating impacts of helicopter roundups on wild horses and burros, the harmful effects of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), and humane conservation solutions that can be implemented right now.
Many lawmakers, like Representative Juan Ciscomani, are committed to addressing the myriad of issues facing our wild herds. But as you know, real change doesn’t happen overnight. We need to keep this momentum going, and we can’t do it without you.
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Thank you!
Team AWHC
This week’s eNews: a recap of our annual Stay Wild event, an update from our nation’s capital, and more!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
What a month it’s been for American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC)! From our unforgettable annual Stay Wild event in sunny Los Angeles to participating in the Homes for Horses Coalition Conference, our team has been hard at work fighting for wild horses. Keep reading to discover the highlights from these inspiring events and learn how you can take action against the cruel and costly practice of helicopter roundups!
An Unforgettable Evening In LA
Photo by Jessica Mangia
Our annual Stay Wild event took place in sunny Los Angeles this year, bringing together wild horse lovers for a truly unforgettable celebration. The event featured music, inspirational speeches, and beautiful art, all in honor of our shared love for wild horses and the community that stands united in their protection. Be sure to check out the photos and learn more about our 2024 Freedom Award recipient, Jenni Kayne.
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AWHC Attends the Homes for Horses Conference
Last month, AWHC team members Amelia Perrin and Fernando Guerra spoke at the Homes for Horses Coalition Conference in Washington, D.C. They also met with members of Congress to discuss humane conservation solutions for wild horses. A highlight was meeting with Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who showed up wearing his Stay Wild hat! A strong advocate, he has pushed for reforms to the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. Click here to watch AWHC’s presentations!
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Speak Up Against the Use of Helicopters
Tomorrow, the United States Forest Service will host a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up against the harmful practice of helicopter roundups. Take action and make your voice heard here!
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Thank you for reading and taking action, Meredith.
Team AWHC
The devastation doesn’t end once the helicopters are grounded
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Across the West, our nation’s iconic wild horses and burros are rounded up at an alarming rate. These helicopter chases cause deep trauma – and the impacts on survivors left behind on the range can be devastating.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims that roundups are necessary to maintain healthy wild horse and burro populations, but the facts don’t support this. Beyond the immediate suffering that mustangs and burros face during helicopter roundups, these operations actually threaten the long-term viability of America’s wild horse and burro herds.
Photo by Tandin Chapman
Family bands – critical social structures for wild horses – are torn apart by roundups as new generations are stripped from the wild, separating them from their families and weakening essential bonds for survival. Older, experienced horses are often removed, and with them, the wisdom needed to thrive in the wild is lost. Additionally, the BLM often sets the Appropriate Management Level (AML) of wild horse and burro herds below the standards recommended by equine geneticists to maintain herd genetic viability in the long term.
The fact of the matter is that roundups are not an effective way to maintain healthy populations of wild horses and burros. Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we’re fighting for more humane and effective alternatives to roundups, such as PZP fertility control, which keeps horses and burros safe and in the wild where they belong.
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Thank you,
American Wild Horse Conservation
USFS virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in roundups
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
On October 10th, 2024, from 3:30-4:30 PM PST, the United States Forest Service (USFS) is holding a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for a more humane way of managing our wild horses and burros.
On October 10th, 2024, from 3:30-4:30 PM PST, the United States Forest Service (USFS) is holding a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for a more humane way of managing our wild horses and burros. If you agree, can you attend this meeting and give public comment?
If you can’t attend, you can still make your voice heard by sending a letter to the USFS urging them to adopt more humane management practices.
Thank you for your advocacy,
Team AWHC
Celebrate world animal day by supporting America’s wild horses and burros
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Happy World Animal Day!
World Animal Day is an annual international day of action to promote animal rights and welfare. While people around the world are standing up for animals of all kinds, we’re calling special attention to the plight of America’s wild horses and burros, who need our help now more than ever.
Wild horses and burros hold an iconic place in American history, but tragically, their future is uncertain. Year after year, federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have removed tens of thousands of mustangs and burros from Western public lands by way of cruel and dangerous helicopter roundups.
Stripped of their freedom, they are then crammed into overcrowded government holding facilities where they often spend years confined away from all they hold dear; their family and their freedom. Worse, many are at risk of ending up in the slaughter pipeline through the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which has funneled thousands of horses and burros into kill pens.
These roundups not only result in severe injuries and even deaths, but they also destroy family bands and disrupt the delicate ecosystems of the Western rangelands that wild horses and burros call home. It’s a crisis that we simply cannot ignore, Meredith.
That’s why, on this important day for animal welfare advocacy, we’re asking for your help to protect these beloved beings. American Wild Horse Conservation is fighting in the field, in the courtroom, and on Capitol Hill to end these inhumane roundups and ensure wild horses and burros can remain free on our public lands where they belong. But we can’t do it without you.
| DONATE |
Thank you!
Team AWHC
CHASITY’S CHALLENGES: Chasity’s Arrival at LTR 3-30-20
With the empty stall and run next to Wrangler, we now had space to consider getting him a new companion. I checked with a friend in Oklahoma and we found Chasity! What a lovely “Lady!” My friend said she was a really FORWARD moving jennet with a lot of independence and enthusiasm. We thought she would be the perfect companion for Wrangler!
Chasity was delivered on 3-30-20 and the introductions began while she was in quarantine in a space where she could see Wrangler, but they could not reach each other.
They played with excitement back and forth along the fence line for a bit!
Then Wrangler had to come to me and tell me and Chad all about what a beautiful girl he had found! He was SO EXCITED!!!
Then Wrangler returned to the fence where they ran back and forth together for quite some time!
They were clearly VERY interested in each other! Love was in bloom!
Chasity does have issues, but will be fed and maintained the same way we do with all of our equines. Many feeds can cause hypertension in Longears (and horses, too!) and an inability to focus for any length of time. Mules and donkeys require a lot less feed than horses because they are half donkey and donkeys are desert animals. Too much feed or the wrong kind of feed and you run the risk of skin irritations, abscesses, colic, or founder. The formula for our oats mix fed once a day with grass hay morning and evening is very simple and produces amazing results. Depending on the individual, we feed the average sized equines (13 hands to 17 hands) 1-1/2 to 2 cups of oats mixed with 1 oz. of Sho Glo by Manna Pro and 1 oz. of Mazola corn oil. Draft animals (over 17 hands) get twice as much and the minis get 1/4 (small minis under 36 inches) to 1/2 (36 to 48 inches) cup. We monitor weight gain and loss by decreasing and increasing the their hay intake and turnout time. A maximum of 2 cups of oats for an average sized animal (usually during the winter) is all they need. We give them oats as rewards from a fanny pack around our waist during their lessons when they actually need the added energy. The oats must be broken open in some way (crimped, steamed, rolled, etc.) as equines cannot digest whole oats. A neglected animal with coarse hair will show a drastic difference in the hair coat within four days. This feed and exercise program together will make a dramatic change in the overall body shape within six months!
If you alter or modify this regimen with other products, you will not get the same results. I make sure the equines have free access to a trace mineral salt blocks (red block) for their mineral needs. We worm with Ivermectin paste wormer in January, March, May, July and September and break the cycle with Strongid in November. When regular worming is done, the Ivermectin will kill tape worm larva, so they cease to be a problem. We vaccinate in the spring and give boosters in the fall. Consult your veterinarian to know the types of vaccines you will need for your specific area. I never feed Longears (donkeys, or mules, or even my horses) any pre-mixed sweet feeds, or excessive alfalfa products. I feed pelleted Sho Glo because it is such a small amount and provides adequate daily nutrition. Feeding larger amounts of dehydrated feeds and supplements can increase the risk of choking. You cannot add enough water to prevent them from sucking fluid from the digestive tract. Equines, and particularly pregnant equines, should not be turned out on Fescue grass. Our pastures are brome and orchard grass which seems best, although Timothy and Coastal hay are okay for Longears if this grass mix is no available. Pregnant equines we feed grass hay only from six weeks before foaling to six weeks after foaling after which their oats mix can be resumed. Chasity will be kept in quarantine with no direct interaction with the other equines for 30 days.
Then, she will be kept in a stall and run right next to Wrangler for evening feedings, overnight and for morning feedings for one week before they can go to turnout together in the same area. Feeding in a smaller, dry lot, or stall and run, and monitoring turnout has several benefits:
1) Each animal can easily be checked daily for any injuries or anomalies. It promotes bonding.
2) Each animal will not have to fight for his food, can sleep uninterrupted and be more calm and refreshed each day.
3) You can do turnout at specific times for grazing during the day, and bring them back easily each night because they will know their oats are waiting for them. When you feed the oats mix in the evenings, it makes it easier to call them back from shortened pasture time in the spring (they have to work into extended pasture time slowly and over several weeks).
4) You can monitor grazing intake so there will not be over-grazing. This minimizes the risk of colic, or founder (Longears should not be on pasture more than five hours a day, and only one hour a day for minis, starting with shorter periods of time in the spring).
4) The smaller area affords you a confined space for beginning training, so there is no need to chase or be interrupted by other animals.
5) Your animal will be more apt to come to you easily to be haltered after their morning feeding of grass hay for their lessons only when they know you have fanny pack full of oats for them. You should only need to call them from the gate and never play chase!
6) Having this definite routine lets your animal know what to expect and discourages adverse behaviors. If you are inconsistent and break the routine, the results will not be the same.
Chasity is a bit suspicious, awkward and unsure of things now, but we have no doubt about her easy adaptation to our program that will increase her confidence, promote good health as her postural core strength evolves and solidify her new habitual way of moving and resting.
MULE CROSSING: In Appreciation of Mules
By Meredith Hodges
We have all heard the numerous negative myths about mules that abound, but have you ever thought of a mule as a hero, as an extraordinary member of our society? The mule’s history can be traced back to Biblical times, and in those days, he was known as the preferred mount of royalty. Given his ancestry, this should not be surprising. After all, is he not the offspring of the chosen mount that Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem? As Jesus was the Son of God, so is the mule the son of the chosen donkey. And he has much to teach us about ourselves and our world—if we could only learn to observe and listen carefully to what he is telling us. The mule can be a catalyst for health, happiness and prosperity, but we must learn to do our part in appreciation of him.
Although he is often confused with his sire, the donkey, the mule is the symbol of neither the Republicans nor the Democrats. During past political campaigns, certain Republicans actually declined to have their picture taken with a mule, because they were either ignorant of the difference between a mule and a donkey, or they were afraid that the mule would be mistaken for the Democratic Party’s symbol—the donkey.
As author Melvin Bradley notes, “Democrats in mule states have always been friendly to mule-loving voters. With a farm population of 25 percent of the total, votes from mule people could make a difference.”1As presidential candidate Harry S. Truman discovered, this was politically beneficial information and he used it wisely. Finally, on May 31, 1995, Governor Mel Carnahan signed a bill designating the Missouri mule as the official state animal.
When people are open and fortunate enough to be able to engage in intimate communication with the mule, they soon discover the redeeming and heroic characteristics of the donkey (that are naturally present in the mule). The donkey is the embodiment of various moral truths, which is why he is used as an appropriate hero in numerous fables. He possesses the ability to serve without judgment of his master. He is affectionate, thoughtful and humorous and carries his burdens without complaint. We are often dismayed by the true reflection of ourselves that we are destined to see while in his presence. The donkey is a creature of wonder and augury, and glimpses of these same characteristics can be seen in the mule. Although the donkey is the symbol of the Democratic Party, his effect on people is subjective and universal, and is not restricted to just one group.
I’d like to share one of my favorite stories, illustrating the mule’s legendary endurance and great heart. According to author Walter Rickell, “When General George Custer made his campaign into the Black Hills in early 1870, Buffalo Bill led him the first day as his guide. Custer and his staff were on their finest horses brought from the east, and they were prancing and ready to go. Suddenly, Buffalo Bill appeared on his little grulla Comanche mule, Mouse. Cody paid no attention to the way the officers ridiculed him and the mule—Cody had ridden Mouse before and found he could run a good lick, but his strongest point was his endless endurance. Custer, noting it was Cody’s intention to ride the mule, called a halt and informed him it was no time for pranks, that they had to travel fast, and Mouse could never stay out of their way. Cody said nothing, touched Mouse with his spurs, and led off, the column following. By the early afternoon, in terrific heat, the horses were lathered, and Cody had to stop several times for the column to catch up. The general was surprised that, at camping time that night, Mouse was still in the lead. Custer tried to trade his fine horse for the mule. Cody rode Mouse back that night over the same trail.”2
Mule stories from the past are numerous in this great country of ours. The number of mules (and horses) in the U.S. peaked in 1919, at 26.5 million. The United States of America was quite literally built on the backs of its mules—they pulled supply wagons in the cities, forged west with the early settlers across the vast prairies, packed hunters’ gear in the mountains, plodded underground with the coal miners and plowed the Southern cotton fields. They have participated in war alongside our brave soldiers, and have found their place in the field of entertainment. They even helped with the excavation of the Pasadena Rose Bowl.
After the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the number of mules in the U.S. declined, and in 1967, there were less than ten thousand. But happily, in recent years, renewed interest and public awareness have sparked a steady increase in the mule population.
Those who work with mules know that interacting with them can keep a person healthy and happy. The typical mule person gets up early in the morning to feed and water his mules, and then goes back to his house for his own breakfast. Then it’s back to the barn to harness or saddle up and make way for the day’s activities with the mules. There is much to learn from a mule in every interaction, and if he isn’t doing what we want, then we probably haven’t asked the right way. When we do, he complies and, in the process, teaches us about real patience, love, respect and good manners. There is no more loyal friend and companion than a mule. As the old mule skinners will tell you, you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. You either get along with them or you don’t—there’s no in between with a mule.
Obviously, I have one of the worst cases of “Mule Fever” ever suffered! But then, here I am—older, wiser and without any broken bones due to my association with mules. In fact, I can say my life was saved by one of my own mules. I was on my mule, Mae Bea C.T., leading a group of four trail riders on horses up a switchback in the Rocky Mountains, when the trail began to get very narrow. It was 100 feet straight up on the right and 100 feet straight down on the left! I could not see very far ahead because the two-foot trail wrapped around a huge boulder and blocked my forward vision. As I rounded the boulder, with the horses right on my rear, I was faced with a trail that disappeared into a wide landslide of small rocks. I couldn’t go forward and, with the horses directly behind on the wider part of the trail, I couldn’t back up. The horses could turn around where they were, but I couldn’t. I waited for the horses to get turned around, and then indicated to Mae Bea C.T. that I wanted a tight turn on the haunches. She sat her rear back on her haunches and swung her front legs over the 100-foot drop in a smooth and effortless 180-degree turn, facing next in exactly the opposite direction. She then stopped and waited for my next cue to lead the horses safely back down the trail. I shudder to think what could have happened had she been a nervous horse.
“Mule Fever” happens when you find yourself hopelessly involved with a mule…or many mules! Suddenly, there is no other equine that will do. Many people liken a mule to a dog, but dogs are unconditionally faithful and submissive, whereas the mule challenges your soul. He innocently challenges you to be the best (or worst) person you can be—more like very young children would do. You might as well be tangling with an elephant if you don’t learn how to correctly ask the mule to do what you want. Most folks end up just dangling at the end of a lead rope or hanging on for dear life during a runaway—if they are lucky enough not to get dumped on the ground and possibly stomped on or kicked! If a person finally learns what a mule has to teach, there cannot be a more reliable, intelligent and loyal friend. At the end of a day spent with mules, one is tired, but it’s a good tired. The activity has increased circulation throughout the body, making the body tired and the mind alert. This makes for a good night’s sleep, and the next day, the cycle begins again—with joy!
Although the therapeutic value of the mule goes back as far as his own history, the idea of intentionally using mules for actual therapy did not come until much later. One of the most successful therapeutic stories involving mules is that of the Vision Quest Wagon Train. Vision Quest founder, Bob Burton, had a dream to use mules and the discipline and hard work of a real wagon train to help troubled kids. So, in 1976, the first Vision Quest Wagon Train was launched. In this life-changing program, 36 at-risk teens were required to spend one year traveling with six mule-powered wagon teams that went south in the winter and north in the summer. During the journey, the kids learned positive social skills and responsibility in caring for themselves and for their animals, with a solid success rate of 60 percent. (Mules really do make the best teachers!) Today, plans are being made on Facebook for a Vision Quest Wagon Train Reunion in 2012. Clips of the Vision Quest Wagon Train journeys can be seen on YouTube.
In 1985, an attempt was made by the Lynchburg Mule Trader’s Association, supported by the leadership of the Jack Daniels Distillery and U.S. Representative Jim Cooper, to designate October 26th as Mule Appreciation Day, in commemoration of George Washington’s receipt of Royal Gift, America’s first mammoth jack, from the King of Spain. Jack Daniels itself sponsored the first Mule Appreciation Day to gain publicity and support for the petition, which was passed by the House of Representatives by a substantial margin, but failed to pass in the Senate. The bill was later sent to a referral committee, where it languishes today. (Leave it to Congress to get our half-ass half-passed!) However, the spirit of mule lovers is undaunted—Mule Appreciation Day rose from the dead and has been celebrated ever since, even without the blessing of Congress. We red-blooded Americans love and appreciate our mules. Gratitude and appreciation are never outdated!
To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com, MEREDITH HODGES PUBLIC FIGURE Facebook page, or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com. Also, find Meredith on Pinterest, Instagram, MeWe, YouTube and Twitter.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
© 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2024 Lucky Three Ranch, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
1The Missouri Mule: His Origin and Times, Volume II, by Melvin Bradley, Curators of the University of Missouri, page 353.
2The Misunderstood Mule, by Walter Rickell, Reproductions West, Burbank, CA, 1976.
MULE TALK! PODCAST: Jasper The Mule
Jasper The Mule –
- How Jasper the mule was created and his purpose.
- Educating children about working with animals.
- Jasper books that are appropriate for children of all ages.
- Learn about Jasper going to Bishop Mule Days.
- Jasper the mule on tour and more!
Learn more on Mule Talk podcast.
Will you help us keep up the momentum?
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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You Can Support Horses-in-Need, Even from Afar!
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Each year during our annual Boots & Bling event, we emphasize a vital need for support at All About Equine through our Fund-A-Need (FAN) effort.
This year, as a result of increased hay costs, general inflation, and the ongoing demand to support more horses-in-need, our FAN is focused again on supporting our general operations.
Last night, hundreds of fellow supporters celebrated All About Equine’s 11th Annual Boots and Bling and 15 years of helping horses-in-need. During the event, we shared a video featuring some of the incredible work made possible by your support over the past year.
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Bid with Your Heart ❤️
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Tomorrow night we will join together for a cause that’s close to all of our hearts – helping horses who need us most. Horses like Clyde.
Clyde is an intake from a nearby law enforcement agency. He and another horse were left on a property to fend for themselves. He had a cancerous eye tumor, and once he was in stable condition, his eye was removed (before coming to AAE). Clyde is a big, gentle soul, most of the time, and we’ve already seen him improve in the short time he’s been with us.
Boots & Bling isn’t just about good food, great company, and lively bidding – it’s about making a difference for horses-in-need. Here’s how you can help change lives:
- Attend Boots & Bling: If you haven’t already, you can still purchase a ticket and join us! There are a limited number of tickets available, so act quickly!
- Silent Auction: The Silent Auction is virtual, so people far and wide can participate, all in the spirit of helping horses-in-need! It’s a HUGE auction with something for everyone. If you haven’t registered for the auction, there are instructions, below, plus some bidding tips. If you don’t win, consider making a donation to AAE!
- Fund-A-Need: Whether you’re with us in person or in spirit, you’ll have a chance to directly support horses. Stay tuned for more information.
Imagine the difference we can make together!
Thank you for your support this weekend and always!
Some important auction information:
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Raising awareness on the plight of America’s wild herds
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
In recent years, the plight of wild horses and burros has become more prominent in the public’s eye. This is, in part, thanks to our recent awareness efforts. American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading organization in the fight to keep wild horses and burros wild, so it’s our job to educate the public and build the grassroots army necessary to rise up and advocate for these iconic animals.
If we’ve learned one thing as an organization, it’s that once people learn about the suffering of wild horses and burros, they are upset, frustrated, and ready to take action to protect them. That’s why over the past several years, we have greatly ramped up our awareness efforts to inform Americans about this important issue.
Our Awareness Fund has been key to our success. Through this Fund, we’ve worked to bring the issue of wild horse and burro protection into the mainstream by deploying billboards, digital ads, TV commercials, and traditional media hits. Can you chip in today to fuel our Awareness Fund and help us keep spreading the word about wild horse conservation?
| FUEL OUR AWARENESS FUND |
This year alone, we’ve placed over a dozen impactful stories in the media highlighting the dangers wild horses and burros face, including government mismanagement, the inhumane use of helicopters for roundups, the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) slaughter pipeline—which is threatening the lives of hundreds of wild horses and burros—and more:
And last winter, we made one of our biggest media moves ever. We launched a billboard in Times Square from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve – New York’s peak tourism season with an average of five million visitors!
This work wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of folks like you. Your contributions enable us to continue shining a light on what’s happening to our wild herds, and with over 11,000 wild horses and burros in danger of roundups next year, it’s critical that we continue to push the issue of wild horse and burro conservation into the forefront. Can you make a contribution to power our Awareness Fund today and help us continue this important work?
| FUEL OUR AWARENESS FUND |
Thank you!
Team AWHC
UPDATE: The BLM just released its 2025 roundup schedule (!!)
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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There is a better way
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
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MULE TALK! PODCAST: Donkey Training, Part 3
Donkey Training, Part 3 –
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When your donkey is doing well with the trot, time to learn to canter.
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Use verbal commands with your donkey.
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Training your donkey to move laterally.
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Using the hourglass pattern in your training to improve posture and overall balance.
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Using your elbow pull as a training aid.
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Training your donkey at Cavalletti.
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Training your donkey for jumping. And more!
Learn more on Mule Talk podcast.
CHASITY’S CHALLENGES: Chasity’s Health Check 3-31-20
Our veterinarian, Greg Farrand, came to do a health check on Chasity the day after she arrived. She obviously needs a lot of core strength work, but it will improve her health and keep her occupied while she is in quarantine. Simple core strength leading lessons will have a dramatic effect on her overall health and welfare both physically and mentally. Wrangler looks on with interest as the vet surveys her condition.
He thought because of her enlarged, fallen crested neck and all the fatty deposits over her body that she may have foundered. But her feet were in pretty good shape…no stress rings from founder.
She did have Borium shoes on the front feet (maybe previously used for parades on asphalt?). They were inordinately grown out and her hooves behind were also a bit long in the heels. She was definitely out of balance.
When we looked at her udder, we noticed that she had possibly been nursing before she came to us. She had what looked like milk dripping from extended teats and dried fluid caked on the insides of her legs.
She has cataracts starting in her eyes which made her a bit head shy…
…but, her teeth had just been floated and they were good.
Her posture is terrible with substantial Lordosis (sway back) even though she is only 13 years old! She exhibits the posture of a jennet after several foals. Her fallen, crested neck will be another challenge. However, she is a very sweet and cooperative girl! She is obviously the victim of some negligence… intentional or not.
When Chasity begins her lessons, we will be employing a reward system of training called “Behavior Modification.” This is a more complex way of training than Clicker Training in that your voice is an important communication element that fully engages the animal’s attention and promotes a more intimate bond between you. She has already been exposed to this training process by asking her to come to be haltered, follow at my shoulder and to stand quietly for the veterinarian. It is the simple beginning to a lifetime of good manners.
When we train, we carry the crimped oats reward in a fanny pack around the waist. When the equine knows you have them, they don’t try to run off and are willing to follow you anywhere. Animals need to be rewarded for the good things they do with more than just a pat on the neck to insure that their good behaviors will be repeated. Food is the animal’s ultimate payment for doing a good job. You just need to learn what food is best to use and how to dispense rewards appropriately for the best results. For equines, the food is crimped (rolled, cracked, or steamed) oats. Contrary to popular belief, the equine that is rewarded with crimped oats is less likely to bite than one that does not get the practice of taking them gently from your hand. Your equine will always continue to work for a reward of crimped oats and the oats will give your equine the extra energy he needs during training. Carrots and other “treats” do not work the same way and will not yield the same results.
The most important thing when training your equine is to learn to dispense the crimped oats reward promptly and generously in the beginning, and only when your equine is complying. This will solidify the connection between you, insure that the positive behaviors will be repeated, and will begin to facilitate a strong, and mutually satisfying relationship. If your equine tries to pull away, just let go of the rope (if he is already haltered), call his name, reach in your fanny pack and offer the oats to coax him to return to you. Do not chase him! Be patient and do not try to progress through lessons too quickly as this is usually what causes disobedience.
It will take some time to strengthen Chasity’s core (the muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue that support the skeletal frame), get her into good equine posture so her joints work properly and obtain her trust, but I see no reason that it cannot be done…and I am pretty sure I can do it!
View the Boots & Bling Auction Now! Ready, Set, Start Bidding Tomorrow!
The following is from All About Equine Animal Rescue:
Yahoooo, we’ve finally got the auction preview ready for you! (We’re sorry we’ve kept your anticipation growing!!). We’ve got some great items to share. Remember, you’re bidding for a really special cause!
We have more items we’re adding, but many of the amazing items are all ready for you to view. You’ll be able to start bidding TOMORROW, Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 9:00a. REGISTER to bid.
Take note, bidding will close for most items at 5:30pm on Saturday, September 28, 2024. Remaining items will close Monday, September 30, 2024 at 7:00pm. Each item will reflect its respective closing date.
Thank you for your patience and support!
The Boots & Bling Virtual Silent Auction has some amazing items like a once-in-a-lifetime African Safari, a really cool Nascar adventure in Sonoma, overnight getaways throughout California, one-of-a-kind artwork, and… well, we don’t need to tell you because you can view the wonderful offerings, including photos and lots of details now!
The Boots & Bling Virtual Silent Auction is now open for viewing!
Chilly Pepper – MATCHING FUNDS for saving these precious souls – We need YOU to Help Save Them!
The following is from Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang:
| It’s GO Time! We need more funds to keep them safe. I have to commit For Sure by Monday at 9 A.M. Our beautiful Angel offered to match up to $1500. Matching that would cover the costs to KEEP THEM SAFE. It doesn’t cover the costs to get them home, but we need to get them SAFE, before anything else |
| I cannot even imagine how horrible it would be to be butchered in someone’s back yard. I have seen some pretty horrific situations, and these horses don’t deserve that. |
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