Showing posts with label BLM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BLM. Show all posts
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Circle of Life
If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops. ~Kelvin Throop
Usually, I do not get this fired up about a subject that is not directly affecting me, but I guess, in several ways this issue does directly affect me. Below is an excerpt from an article that was recently published in the Reno Gazette Journal. Don’t get me wrong, I love my horses and I love Argo, but I questioned the need for him to be captured from the very beginning.
Plan to round up wild horses in Nevada angers some
“The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has started removing 1,480 horses south of Battle Mountain and plans to begin removing 450 more in January south of Gerlach, agency spokesman JoLynn Worley said.”
“Without the actions, she said, the animals could starve this winter because of extremely limited forage. The horses will be sent to a BLM coral just north of Reno to be readied for adoption or long-term holding.”
“We shouldn’t be rounding up any more horses until we resolve the issue of tens of thousands of horses that already have been rounded up and are in holding pens,” said Matt Rossell, outreach coordinator for the San Rafael, Calif.-based animal rights group In Defense of Animals.”
Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute based in Washington D.C., disputed the agency’s conclusion that an emergency exists. “They’re not starving, and they’re using it as an excuse to remove more horses,” Heyde said. “They can survive if we can keep our little fingers off them.” Worley said leaving the herds alone could cause large die-offs and damage rangelands.
BLM officials have said the agency faces a crisis because of the skyrocketing costs of caring for the horses in long-term facilities where the animals live out their days — some for as long as 20 years.
You can read the entire article here.
When is the public going to scream at their lawmakers and ask them to be more responsible with our money? Starving Wild Horses! They are not domestic. We already have an unwanted horse crisis as it is within the domestic horse population, why does the government feel the need to capture more to throw them into long term holding to live out their days.
I know this will upset some people, but unless you want to put all these Mustangs in your backyard, take a dose of reality. Wild Mustangs are a natural part of the eco-system. When they die they become food for another part of the eco-system, whether it is a predator bird, the Mountain lion feeding her cubs, or a coyote scavenging for remains, all the way down the chain to the horse decomposing into the Earth and replacing what was used. This is part of the natural balance of the Earth. The BLM has screwed up this ecosystem to a point where now they are going to start begging our law makers to give them more money to feed the mustangs in long term holding. The BLM is going to ask for a bailout during a time when none of us can afford to bail ourselves out.
Has anyone thought of what the impact to the other predatory animals in the 10 Western States is going to be with the calculated removal of the Wild Mustangs? I have done a quick bit of research on this. The Mountain Lion Foundation has been doing a study involving the lions in regards to their eating habits and Wild Mustangs. It has been found that the mountain lions are taking down mustangs for food. Furthermore, the Nevada Department of Wildlife is scratching their heads as to why they are losing Big Horn Sheep to the big cats. An excerpt from their predator management plan: “Wildlife Services will attempt to control resident lions if they are in conflict with bighorn sheep.” Hummm, do you think it could be because you are surgically removing a possible alternative food source? Also, what did you think would happen to the Sheep, they are also a food source for the mountain lions?
This same report talks about protecting Mule Deer from Coyotes. Another excerpt from their management plan: “A total of 148 coyotes were removed by various methods from the entire Wilson Creek project.” Want to know my thoughts on why the coyotes are being removed? Money that is received from hunters wanting to hunt trophy mule deer is the biggest motivator. Do you know how much an out of state tag costs for someone wanting to buy a license to hunt? $142.00. A state resident is charged $33.00. Factor in that a lot of out of state hunters use a professional outfitter to help them find a trophy buck which can cost at a minimum $4,000 to the hunter to use the outfitter. Hunting is big business; just ask the NRA or my husband on that matter.
To protect the bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk and some grouse in this report, their submitted budget for fiscal year 2006 was $367,549. That’s not their total budget; this was for just eliminating/removing mountain lions, coyotes and ravens!
I’m not even going to get into the grazing cattle on this post. Suffice it to say, lobbyists are directing what our lawmakers are doing in Washington. For my thoughts on how the cattlemen are also pushing for the extermination of the Mustangs you can read my post on it here.
Follow the money and you will see the Wild mustangs are being exterminated because of greed and money. The government is not worried about the starving wild mustangs; they are worried about the money that they can line their pockets with, and the Wild Mustangs are in the way of that.
We all need to take action on this, even if you have no stake in what happens to the wild mustangs, mountain lions, coyotes or for God’s sake ravens, because the fact remains that the government mismanages our hard earned money every day and unless we start telling them how, when and where our money is to be spent, they will spend us straight into oblivion.
You can contact your representatives and congressmen by going to the following website http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.
Usually, I do not get this fired up about a subject that is not directly affecting me, but I guess, in several ways this issue does directly affect me. Below is an excerpt from an article that was recently published in the Reno Gazette Journal. Don’t get me wrong, I love my horses and I love Argo, but I questioned the need for him to be captured from the very beginning.
Plan to round up wild horses in Nevada angers some
“The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has started removing 1,480 horses south of Battle Mountain and plans to begin removing 450 more in January south of Gerlach, agency spokesman JoLynn Worley said.”
“Without the actions, she said, the animals could starve this winter because of extremely limited forage. The horses will be sent to a BLM coral just north of Reno to be readied for adoption or long-term holding.”
“We shouldn’t be rounding up any more horses until we resolve the issue of tens of thousands of horses that already have been rounded up and are in holding pens,” said Matt Rossell, outreach coordinator for the San Rafael, Calif.-based animal rights group In Defense of Animals.”
Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the Animal Welfare Institute based in Washington D.C., disputed the agency’s conclusion that an emergency exists. “They’re not starving, and they’re using it as an excuse to remove more horses,” Heyde said. “They can survive if we can keep our little fingers off them.” Worley said leaving the herds alone could cause large die-offs and damage rangelands.
BLM officials have said the agency faces a crisis because of the skyrocketing costs of caring for the horses in long-term facilities where the animals live out their days — some for as long as 20 years.
You can read the entire article here.
When is the public going to scream at their lawmakers and ask them to be more responsible with our money? Starving Wild Horses! They are not domestic. We already have an unwanted horse crisis as it is within the domestic horse population, why does the government feel the need to capture more to throw them into long term holding to live out their days.
I know this will upset some people, but unless you want to put all these Mustangs in your backyard, take a dose of reality. Wild Mustangs are a natural part of the eco-system. When they die they become food for another part of the eco-system, whether it is a predator bird, the Mountain lion feeding her cubs, or a coyote scavenging for remains, all the way down the chain to the horse decomposing into the Earth and replacing what was used. This is part of the natural balance of the Earth. The BLM has screwed up this ecosystem to a point where now they are going to start begging our law makers to give them more money to feed the mustangs in long term holding. The BLM is going to ask for a bailout during a time when none of us can afford to bail ourselves out.
Has anyone thought of what the impact to the other predatory animals in the 10 Western States is going to be with the calculated removal of the Wild Mustangs? I have done a quick bit of research on this. The Mountain Lion Foundation has been doing a study involving the lions in regards to their eating habits and Wild Mustangs. It has been found that the mountain lions are taking down mustangs for food. Furthermore, the Nevada Department of Wildlife is scratching their heads as to why they are losing Big Horn Sheep to the big cats. An excerpt from their predator management plan: “Wildlife Services will attempt to control resident lions if they are in conflict with bighorn sheep.” Hummm, do you think it could be because you are surgically removing a possible alternative food source? Also, what did you think would happen to the Sheep, they are also a food source for the mountain lions?
This same report talks about protecting Mule Deer from Coyotes. Another excerpt from their management plan: “A total of 148 coyotes were removed by various methods from the entire Wilson Creek project.” Want to know my thoughts on why the coyotes are being removed? Money that is received from hunters wanting to hunt trophy mule deer is the biggest motivator. Do you know how much an out of state tag costs for someone wanting to buy a license to hunt? $142.00. A state resident is charged $33.00. Factor in that a lot of out of state hunters use a professional outfitter to help them find a trophy buck which can cost at a minimum $4,000 to the hunter to use the outfitter. Hunting is big business; just ask the NRA or my husband on that matter.
To protect the bighorn sheep, mule deer, elk and some grouse in this report, their submitted budget for fiscal year 2006 was $367,549. That’s not their total budget; this was for just eliminating/removing mountain lions, coyotes and ravens!
I’m not even going to get into the grazing cattle on this post. Suffice it to say, lobbyists are directing what our lawmakers are doing in Washington. For my thoughts on how the cattlemen are also pushing for the extermination of the Mustangs you can read my post on it here.
Follow the money and you will see the Wild mustangs are being exterminated because of greed and money. The government is not worried about the starving wild mustangs; they are worried about the money that they can line their pockets with, and the Wild Mustangs are in the way of that.
We all need to take action on this, even if you have no stake in what happens to the wild mustangs, mountain lions, coyotes or for God’s sake ravens, because the fact remains that the government mismanages our hard earned money every day and unless we start telling them how, when and where our money is to be spent, they will spend us straight into oblivion.
You can contact your representatives and congressmen by going to the following website http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.
Friday, November 21, 2008
The Mustang Problem
It might be more worthwhile if we stopped wringing our hands and started ringing our congressmen. ~Author Unknown
Just a note: Scroll down to the bottom and turn the radio off, prior to watching the videos.
I had planned on a totally different post, but I cannot get the plight of the Wild Mustangs out of my thoughts. Argo could have so easily been one of the doomed mustangs. Through him, I have become very defensive of these “Living Legends”. The more I read the more questions I have.
I am posting a few videos that were not made by me. Some of them are graphic. Please, I advise you, do not let young children watch them before you have seen them.
For some history on their plight:
Wild horses were thought to be scourges of the land in the late 1800’s, they interfered with grazing areas for cattle in the western states, and Cattlemen basically had open season on the Mustangs. They shot them, tortured them and drove them over cliffs to their death. The cattlemen basically felt that they were eliminating pests and animals that were grazing on precious land that their cattle herds needed. Mind you most of this land was not owned by the cattlemen. A few horsemen saw the value in taming some of these wild horses and using them as ranch horses. Some even battled the cattlemen to protect the wild horses. Through those people who fought to protect the horses in the wild, the federal Government heard their heartfelt pleas and in 1971 the mustangs came under federal protection.
That law has been called: Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, Public Law 92-195, as amended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, Public Law 94-579, and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978, Public Law 95-514.
Their objective was “The goal of the Wild Horses and Burro Resource Management program is to achieve and maintain healthy, viable wild horse and burro populations on the public lands.” * This law was meant to protect the wild horses and burros from harm and gave the BLM the authority to govern how the herds are managed.
Enter in a whole new set of problems though. I am a firm believer that whenever the government gets involved, even when they have the best of intentions, plans can go awry and the greed of men takes hold. There are several large lobby groups that have an interest in eradicating the wild horses and burros. In 2005, the law meant to protect the horses, basically started the wheels in motion for their demise.
The following video is one view. I don’t necessarily believe all that this group states, but it does provoke me to think about the different groups involved and do my own research. I implore you before you make any decision, do your research, and don’t just rely on what I have to say, or videos or what others might say. Do your own research.
I was unable to find exact numbers, but it is thought that anywhere from 4 to 8 million cattle are currently grazing on public lands, compared to 23 to 27 thousand wild horses and burros grazing on those same lands. The lobbyists for the cattlemen will tell you that the horses are destroying the lands and are competing with the cattle for food and water. I don’t believe this for a second. Cattle do graze differently than horses in how they pull forage, but you have wildlife out there as well eating off those same lands and drinking from the same water sources.
Statements have been made that the horses are starving in the wild. I have not found proof of that yet. I have seen pictures of mustangs in extreme stress after capture. That is totally different. The gather process can be very hard on a horse. Imagine being chased for several hours or days by a helicopter. The video below shows you the gather process. Take note of how sweated the horses are.
As of this point there are approximately 33,000 wild horses in holding pens, compared to 23,000 – 25,000 in the wild and nowhere for them to go except long term holding. Last year alone the BLM captured over 7,000 wild horses and burros. Why? They already have holding pens that are way over capacity. The cost to the BLM to feed and care for the horses in holding pens is approximately 27 million dollars a year. Folks this is your tax dollars at work. The BLM’s solution to this overpopulation was to euthanize them. I do not have a problem with euthanizing per se. The BLM has gotten themselves into a bind though and before they send 2,000 horses to their death, I want to know how they plan to prevent this from happening again. Obviously there are not enough homes to adopt them into, especially given the current economy, so why has the BLM continued to gather and capture wild horses?
Enter Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens,* she has offered to adopt and give sanctuary to 30,000 of the wild horses currently in the holding pens. Madeleine is a horse woman, a long time breeder of thoroughbreds. I appreciate her offer, I don’t know where she is going to put them all, but I think her biggest concern should be sitting the BLM officials down and asking, better yet, demanding, how they are going to prevent this from happening again.
The average life expectancy of a wild horse is 12-14 years. (There are exceptions to this obviously.) A yearling filly can become pregnant and produce a foal during her two year old year. Gestation is approximately 11 months. With that in mind one mare can produce approximately 13 foals during her lifetime, based on a 12-14 year life. There is a solution to this and it has already been put to use in some herds, mare contraceptives. “PZP has been successfully applied to control fertility and limit the size of several small populations of wild horses on eastern barrier islands since the early 1990s. Population-level field trials of an injectable, time-release, pellet form of PZP that will allow almost 2 years of fertility control with a single treatment are currently underway in many western herds. The Assateague team also developed noninvasive methods to assess the pregnancy rates of, and detect ovulation in, free-ranging treated and nontreated, individually recognizable mares by analyzing reproductive steroid metabolites in their feces and urine.”*
This contraception can keep a mare from producing a foal for 2-3 years. There are arguments for and against this idea though. Some say, not having a foal, can cause mares to become aggressive and damage the herd dynamics, others talk of the cost. I feel if the BLM is already throwing away 27 million dollars a year to feed wild horses in holding pens, the cost would be minimal. Remember as well, last November at the Kiger adoption, the BLM brought in approximately 95,000 dollars. What is that money being used for? Where is the accounting of how the funds were dispersed? Why can’t 1/3rd of that go to contraception use for the herds they claim to protect?
I don’t claim to have the answers, but I do have lots of questions and a lot of concern about government waste. I implore you to make your government answerable to you before they allow this tragedy to happen all over again. You can contact your representatives and congressmen by going to the following website. http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
The wild horses have no voice, please be their voice. Demand that the United States government change how they manage the wild horses and burros.
The above video was done by a young woman who visits the corrals often. To see more of her videos and link to her blog, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/sheepgirl66
*Cited works
Federal Grants Wire
Washington Post
Fort Collins Research Center
Links for further reading
The Horse
Voluntary Instinct
American Herds
BLM Quick Facts
Just a note: Scroll down to the bottom and turn the radio off, prior to watching the videos.
I had planned on a totally different post, but I cannot get the plight of the Wild Mustangs out of my thoughts. Argo could have so easily been one of the doomed mustangs. Through him, I have become very defensive of these “Living Legends”. The more I read the more questions I have.
I am posting a few videos that were not made by me. Some of them are graphic. Please, I advise you, do not let young children watch them before you have seen them.
For some history on their plight:
Wild horses were thought to be scourges of the land in the late 1800’s, they interfered with grazing areas for cattle in the western states, and Cattlemen basically had open season on the Mustangs. They shot them, tortured them and drove them over cliffs to their death. The cattlemen basically felt that they were eliminating pests and animals that were grazing on precious land that their cattle herds needed. Mind you most of this land was not owned by the cattlemen. A few horsemen saw the value in taming some of these wild horses and using them as ranch horses. Some even battled the cattlemen to protect the wild horses. Through those people who fought to protect the horses in the wild, the federal Government heard their heartfelt pleas and in 1971 the mustangs came under federal protection.
That law has been called: Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, Public Law 92-195, as amended by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, Public Law 94-579, and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978, Public Law 95-514.
Their objective was “The goal of the Wild Horses and Burro Resource Management program is to achieve and maintain healthy, viable wild horse and burro populations on the public lands.” * This law was meant to protect the wild horses and burros from harm and gave the BLM the authority to govern how the herds are managed.
Enter in a whole new set of problems though. I am a firm believer that whenever the government gets involved, even when they have the best of intentions, plans can go awry and the greed of men takes hold. There are several large lobby groups that have an interest in eradicating the wild horses and burros. In 2005, the law meant to protect the horses, basically started the wheels in motion for their demise.
The following video is one view. I don’t necessarily believe all that this group states, but it does provoke me to think about the different groups involved and do my own research. I implore you before you make any decision, do your research, and don’t just rely on what I have to say, or videos or what others might say. Do your own research.
I was unable to find exact numbers, but it is thought that anywhere from 4 to 8 million cattle are currently grazing on public lands, compared to 23 to 27 thousand wild horses and burros grazing on those same lands. The lobbyists for the cattlemen will tell you that the horses are destroying the lands and are competing with the cattle for food and water. I don’t believe this for a second. Cattle do graze differently than horses in how they pull forage, but you have wildlife out there as well eating off those same lands and drinking from the same water sources.
Statements have been made that the horses are starving in the wild. I have not found proof of that yet. I have seen pictures of mustangs in extreme stress after capture. That is totally different. The gather process can be very hard on a horse. Imagine being chased for several hours or days by a helicopter. The video below shows you the gather process. Take note of how sweated the horses are.
As of this point there are approximately 33,000 wild horses in holding pens, compared to 23,000 – 25,000 in the wild and nowhere for them to go except long term holding. Last year alone the BLM captured over 7,000 wild horses and burros. Why? They already have holding pens that are way over capacity. The cost to the BLM to feed and care for the horses in holding pens is approximately 27 million dollars a year. Folks this is your tax dollars at work. The BLM’s solution to this overpopulation was to euthanize them. I do not have a problem with euthanizing per se. The BLM has gotten themselves into a bind though and before they send 2,000 horses to their death, I want to know how they plan to prevent this from happening again. Obviously there are not enough homes to adopt them into, especially given the current economy, so why has the BLM continued to gather and capture wild horses?
Enter Madeleine Pickens, wife of billionaire T. Boone Pickens,* she has offered to adopt and give sanctuary to 30,000 of the wild horses currently in the holding pens. Madeleine is a horse woman, a long time breeder of thoroughbreds. I appreciate her offer, I don’t know where she is going to put them all, but I think her biggest concern should be sitting the BLM officials down and asking, better yet, demanding, how they are going to prevent this from happening again.
The average life expectancy of a wild horse is 12-14 years. (There are exceptions to this obviously.) A yearling filly can become pregnant and produce a foal during her two year old year. Gestation is approximately 11 months. With that in mind one mare can produce approximately 13 foals during her lifetime, based on a 12-14 year life. There is a solution to this and it has already been put to use in some herds, mare contraceptives. “PZP has been successfully applied to control fertility and limit the size of several small populations of wild horses on eastern barrier islands since the early 1990s. Population-level field trials of an injectable, time-release, pellet form of PZP that will allow almost 2 years of fertility control with a single treatment are currently underway in many western herds. The Assateague team also developed noninvasive methods to assess the pregnancy rates of, and detect ovulation in, free-ranging treated and nontreated, individually recognizable mares by analyzing reproductive steroid metabolites in their feces and urine.”*
This contraception can keep a mare from producing a foal for 2-3 years. There are arguments for and against this idea though. Some say, not having a foal, can cause mares to become aggressive and damage the herd dynamics, others talk of the cost. I feel if the BLM is already throwing away 27 million dollars a year to feed wild horses in holding pens, the cost would be minimal. Remember as well, last November at the Kiger adoption, the BLM brought in approximately 95,000 dollars. What is that money being used for? Where is the accounting of how the funds were dispersed? Why can’t 1/3rd of that go to contraception use for the herds they claim to protect?
I don’t claim to have the answers, but I do have lots of questions and a lot of concern about government waste. I implore you to make your government answerable to you before they allow this tragedy to happen all over again. You can contact your representatives and congressmen by going to the following website. http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
The wild horses have no voice, please be their voice. Demand that the United States government change how they manage the wild horses and burros.
The above video was done by a young woman who visits the corrals often. To see more of her videos and link to her blog, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/sheepgirl66
*Cited works
Federal Grants Wire
Washington Post
Fort Collins Research Center
Links for further reading
The Horse
Voluntary Instinct
American Herds
BLM Quick Facts
Thursday, July 31, 2008
The Human Factor
“Use your gifts faithfully and they shall be enlarged; practice what you know, and you shall attain to higher knowledge.” ~ Matthew Arnold
This quote felt so appropriate to how Argo and I are learning together. I have found I do not need to be perfect with Argo, not to say I still don’t try, but he seems to trust me more when he sees me make my little mistakes. Mistakes such as not respecting his space soon enough, or moving my body at just the right time. My timing with my horses’ has never been one of my strong points. I constantly struggle with it and I strive to improve it daily whether in my riding or my ground handling with a horse, it has gotten worlds better, but it is always one of those things that need improvement.
Our time together has been pretty much spent under his favorite tree during feeding time. He taking his hay from my hand and getting more comfortable with it each time I offered it. Very, very rewarding to me, here is this animal that for 17 years knew no human, he was independent, the patriarch of his herd and absolutely had no need for a human being. His life was known in the wild, he would live or die by decisions he made in a split second. Repetition was not the normal way of life for him. The only thing he wanted in the wild was water, food and his herd. Why would he want the companionship of a human? Humans captured him, branded him and took his freedom away. Well here we are two months later and he is seeking companionship with a human. Eating out of her hand so to speak and he allowed the first stroke of a human hand across his cheek last week. Oh my, did the tears flow from my eyes and form a pool in my lap, as I touched a part of the wild. I was breathless as I watched Argo’s eyes through my own tear filled ones. Such understanding and wisdom is in those large windows to his soul. I watched him look at me, he wanted to be there, wanted the companionship of this human. I was deeply honored and humbled.
I think of how the BLM is now faced with the decision of euthanizing wild horses that have been captured and are in long term holding. They have come to this decision, due to the large cost increase in hay and availability of land to keep them on. I said several posts ago that the BLM is a double edged sword. I understand the position they are in. I don’t like it, I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand why they feel this is their only option. I strongly feel that Argo, had he not been adopted, would have been one of the first ones to see a needle. The thought of it makes me shudder. God’s hand steered Argo and I together way back in November when I saw the first pictures of him and his eyes spoke volumes to me. I had my reasons or as some will say my temporary insanity, and someone else had a reason for Argo. For that I am truly thankful.
Several years ago and several times since, I said to a friend who owns two Kiger Mustangs, how I would never own one. I most certainly admire them, and their abilities, movement and beauty is breathtaking, but I told her I did not think I could work on a day to day basis with one. Their brain works different I told her, than that of the horses I have worked with. I felt I would never have the patience to work with one, nor would I want to. I was perfectly happy being on the sidelines watching her work with hers’, helping when needed and being “Show Mom”, watching her realize goals she had set for herself and her Kiger mare. They have done fabulous by the way and she has every reason to be extremely proud of her accomplishments. It has been a long road with several bumps along the way, but the partnership between horse and human has been one of patience, devotion, trust and hard work. Some people who own Kigers will never realize that and it is shame to think how they willingly are missing out on one of the most important parts of having these magnificent animals in our lives. The Kiger Mustangs truly are a horse like no other. They are a gift to us and I am beyond thrilled to be learning with Argo and letting him teach me how that special mind and heart work.
Our time together has been pretty much spent under his favorite tree during feeding time. He taking his hay from my hand and getting more comfortable with it each time I offered it. Very, very rewarding to me, here is this animal that for 17 years knew no human, he was independent, the patriarch of his herd and absolutely had no need for a human being. His life was known in the wild, he would live or die by decisions he made in a split second. Repetition was not the normal way of life for him. The only thing he wanted in the wild was water, food and his herd. Why would he want the companionship of a human? Humans captured him, branded him and took his freedom away. Well here we are two months later and he is seeking companionship with a human. Eating out of her hand so to speak and he allowed the first stroke of a human hand across his cheek last week. Oh my, did the tears flow from my eyes and form a pool in my lap, as I touched a part of the wild. I was breathless as I watched Argo’s eyes through my own tear filled ones. Such understanding and wisdom is in those large windows to his soul. I watched him look at me, he wanted to be there, wanted the companionship of this human. I was deeply honored and humbled.
I think of how the BLM is now faced with the decision of euthanizing wild horses that have been captured and are in long term holding. They have come to this decision, due to the large cost increase in hay and availability of land to keep them on. I said several posts ago that the BLM is a double edged sword. I understand the position they are in. I don’t like it, I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I understand why they feel this is their only option. I strongly feel that Argo, had he not been adopted, would have been one of the first ones to see a needle. The thought of it makes me shudder. God’s hand steered Argo and I together way back in November when I saw the first pictures of him and his eyes spoke volumes to me. I had my reasons or as some will say my temporary insanity, and someone else had a reason for Argo. For that I am truly thankful.
Several years ago and several times since, I said to a friend who owns two Kiger Mustangs, how I would never own one. I most certainly admire them, and their abilities, movement and beauty is breathtaking, but I told her I did not think I could work on a day to day basis with one. Their brain works different I told her, than that of the horses I have worked with. I felt I would never have the patience to work with one, nor would I want to. I was perfectly happy being on the sidelines watching her work with hers’, helping when needed and being “Show Mom”, watching her realize goals she had set for herself and her Kiger mare. They have done fabulous by the way and she has every reason to be extremely proud of her accomplishments. It has been a long road with several bumps along the way, but the partnership between horse and human has been one of patience, devotion, trust and hard work. Some people who own Kigers will never realize that and it is shame to think how they willingly are missing out on one of the most important parts of having these magnificent animals in our lives. The Kiger Mustangs truly are a horse like no other. They are a gift to us and I am beyond thrilled to be learning with Argo and letting him teach me how that special mind and heart work.
Argo last week. His ears tell the story.
He is listening and thinking.
What are we learning next?
Thursday, July 3, 2008
The 15 Foot Rope
First, I apologize for the huge delay in posting. Between horse shows, barn work, home improvements etc... I have had no time to sit and just write. My thoughts have been scattered and I have been unable to put words to paper.
Argo is doing great and we are making wonderful progress. I will post details of it in the days to come.
Some people have asked why he has the 15 ft. lead rope attached to his halter. I thought I would try my best to give reasons to this and my observations of the absolute necessity of it. If anyone has more to add to the benefits please feel free to post in the comments.
When I was first told I would need a rope on him, I assumed a mere catch rope like I put on for my weanlings. Four to six feet usually suffices and this helps to teach them to give to poll pressure without getting them in trouble and getting themselves hurt. Have you ever tried to hold back a yearling that is adamant that he or she is going to go where they want and you can either come along for the ride or just sit in the dust? I did years ago, and I learned then the value of a catch rope. By stepping on it while doing their own thing, they learn to not have hissy fits and panic attacks when faced with the pressure of a halter. The catch rope is a very useful tool.
When the BLM told me the rope needed to be 12-15 ft long, I did question their wisdom as to the length. My first thought was what if he wraps it around two legs and falls? What if he somehow gets it caught around the panel in the pen? What if it wraps around a tree? And the questions went on through my mind. The BLM did insist that it must be a cotton lead and not a poly type lead and because they have done this much longer than anyone, I went with it. Hence the 15 ft cotton lead Argo now finds attached to his halter.
Why is it still on? This has been asked a few times now. I cannot tell you how invaluable this rope will be in years to come with Argo. I will list the accomplishments Argo has made with his rope.
1. Learned poll pressure from stepping on the rope several hundred times now. At first he jumped at the pressure, and now it is “old hat” to him. He just sighs and takes his foot off the lead and tosses his head to get the rope out from under him.
2. Dragging something heavy behind him. Have you ever felt what a 15 ft. cotton rope feels like when it is soaked through from rain and mud? Argo has and I am sure he would tell you it is like dragging around four concrete blocks.
3. Desensitized on all four legs. Argo has managed to wrap that rope around them one at a time and all at the same time. Again, he calmly sighs now and extracts himself from it. I am sure if he ever were to get caught in a fence he would not panic and make his legs look like they have gone through a meat grinder.
4. Cinch and saddle tightening. This one had me in stitches actually. Argo had rolled and when he got up he found the rope wrapped around his barrel almost where a cinch would be. Of course this resulted in a bucking fit for about a minute. What amazed me with him was how quickly he assessed the situation and corrected it. He stood there looking at his barrel and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He actually thought back to how the dang rope had gotten there in the first place and he got down and rolled until he was satisfied it was off of him. This rope has also been across his rump as well and his reaction has been a calm swish of his tail to remove it. He amazes me as to how quickly he can assess a situation and make a decision that 99% of the time has been the correct one.
5. A play toy. Argo has become quite enamored with his rope. There have been a few times I have caught him carrying his rope around in his mouth. When he realizes I am watching him he quickly drops it out of his mouth as if to say “That is beneath me! You didn’t just see that. It was only a figment of your imagination.”
Argo’s long lead rope has been quite the educational tool. He would never have been able to learn so much with just a four foot rope. I must also make it clear; his rope is not meant to “catch” him. I’m not sure when it will come off, but we get closer to its removal each day.
Argo is doing great and we are making wonderful progress. I will post details of it in the days to come.
Some people have asked why he has the 15 ft. lead rope attached to his halter. I thought I would try my best to give reasons to this and my observations of the absolute necessity of it. If anyone has more to add to the benefits please feel free to post in the comments.
When I was first told I would need a rope on him, I assumed a mere catch rope like I put on for my weanlings. Four to six feet usually suffices and this helps to teach them to give to poll pressure without getting them in trouble and getting themselves hurt. Have you ever tried to hold back a yearling that is adamant that he or she is going to go where they want and you can either come along for the ride or just sit in the dust? I did years ago, and I learned then the value of a catch rope. By stepping on it while doing their own thing, they learn to not have hissy fits and panic attacks when faced with the pressure of a halter. The catch rope is a very useful tool.
When the BLM told me the rope needed to be 12-15 ft long, I did question their wisdom as to the length. My first thought was what if he wraps it around two legs and falls? What if he somehow gets it caught around the panel in the pen? What if it wraps around a tree? And the questions went on through my mind. The BLM did insist that it must be a cotton lead and not a poly type lead and because they have done this much longer than anyone, I went with it. Hence the 15 ft cotton lead Argo now finds attached to his halter.
Why is it still on? This has been asked a few times now. I cannot tell you how invaluable this rope will be in years to come with Argo. I will list the accomplishments Argo has made with his rope.
1. Learned poll pressure from stepping on the rope several hundred times now. At first he jumped at the pressure, and now it is “old hat” to him. He just sighs and takes his foot off the lead and tosses his head to get the rope out from under him.
2. Dragging something heavy behind him. Have you ever felt what a 15 ft. cotton rope feels like when it is soaked through from rain and mud? Argo has and I am sure he would tell you it is like dragging around four concrete blocks.
3. Desensitized on all four legs. Argo has managed to wrap that rope around them one at a time and all at the same time. Again, he calmly sighs now and extracts himself from it. I am sure if he ever were to get caught in a fence he would not panic and make his legs look like they have gone through a meat grinder.
4. Cinch and saddle tightening. This one had me in stitches actually. Argo had rolled and when he got up he found the rope wrapped around his barrel almost where a cinch would be. Of course this resulted in a bucking fit for about a minute. What amazed me with him was how quickly he assessed the situation and corrected it. He stood there looking at his barrel and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He actually thought back to how the dang rope had gotten there in the first place and he got down and rolled until he was satisfied it was off of him. This rope has also been across his rump as well and his reaction has been a calm swish of his tail to remove it. He amazes me as to how quickly he can assess a situation and make a decision that 99% of the time has been the correct one.
5. A play toy. Argo has become quite enamored with his rope. There have been a few times I have caught him carrying his rope around in his mouth. When he realizes I am watching him he quickly drops it out of his mouth as if to say “That is beneath me! You didn’t just see that. It was only a figment of your imagination.”
Argo’s long lead rope has been quite the educational tool. He would never have been able to learn so much with just a four foot rope. I must also make it clear; his rope is not meant to “catch” him. I’m not sure when it will come off, but we get closer to its removal each day.
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