Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Eye of the Storm Equine Rescue
Eye of the Storm is a Massachusetts equine rescue center dedicated to saving the lives of horses who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. More... Please scroll down to read the latest news about the center.
Monday, March 1, 2010
More on Communicating with Your Non-Human Friends
My brother has a new girlfriend. We don't light candles at our house (I live with my brother - pretty sad, I know) for fear that my cat, Pip, could catch on fire. The girlfriend likes candles. Sure enough, Pip's tail caught on fire (he didn't even know it). So now he is banned from my brother's apartment. Being he is "just a cat" and unaware of how close he was to getting hurt, let alone burning the house down, he now pounds on my brother's door, howling his despair, "I thought you were my best bud! What did I do wrong? I love you!! Please let me in!", until I go down (I live upstairs) to tell Pip to knock it off and that he just has to put up with my company instead.
He purrs very hard, looks at me with his huge, wistful, sad eyes and allows me to carry his limp 19 pound body upstairs. I explain to him that his best bud doesn't need him anymore. He is so sad, but seems to understand. I am trying to spend more quality time with Pip at the end of the day but I am a poor substitute.
P.S. After writing this, Pip is now allowed back into my brother's place, as he misses the cat, too. There are no more candles.
He purrs very hard, looks at me with his huge, wistful, sad eyes and allows me to carry his limp 19 pound body upstairs. I explain to him that his best bud doesn't need him anymore. He is so sad, but seems to understand. I am trying to spend more quality time with Pip at the end of the day but I am a poor substitute.
P.S. After writing this, Pip is now allowed back into my brother's place, as he misses the cat, too. There are no more candles.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
How to Communicate with your Non-Human Friends
Pay Attention!! Animals only have bodily functions to work with. They can't cuss you out, give you the finger, or slash your tires. They can only holler at you or poop on your bed to let you know that all is not right in their world. Now figure it out!
The negative energy radiating out of Gabriel, our stallion, can mean: "feed me"; "my water bucket has poop in it"; "I'm cold"; "I'm hot"; "the bugs are biting me"; there's a clod of crud in my sheath"; "I have freaking ticks on my thigh next to my junk and it's bugging me"'; etc. After hours of my shouting "Shut up! What is wrong with you?" I do indeed figure it out. Gabriel says "What..are you stupid? I've been telling you this for hours."
I am so used to my animals communicating with me every single day that I don't even think about it anymore. My horses really do love me, I know that, I know that I am their leader and they would follow me through fire. But they also know that I feed them, and sometimes their communication is just too loud! Thirteen horses screaming at me every time they think it's time to eat is just too much.
Visitors will say, "Oh, look how much they love you! They were so quiet until you walked in!" Trust me, it's not love. They know I'm the food mama and because of that they greet me with a thunderous joyful noise! I not so joyfully thunder back, "Shut up, you selfish bunch of babies!" And they do. So most of the time, if I pay attention, I can figure out what they want, but there are many times that I am just plain stupid.
The negative energy radiating out of Gabriel, our stallion, can mean: "feed me"; "my water bucket has poop in it"; "I'm cold"; "I'm hot"; "the bugs are biting me"; there's a clod of crud in my sheath"; "I have freaking ticks on my thigh next to my junk and it's bugging me"'; etc. After hours of my shouting "Shut up! What is wrong with you?" I do indeed figure it out. Gabriel says "What..are you stupid? I've been telling you this for hours."
I am so used to my animals communicating with me every single day that I don't even think about it anymore. My horses really do love me, I know that, I know that I am their leader and they would follow me through fire. But they also know that I feed them, and sometimes their communication is just too loud! Thirteen horses screaming at me every time they think it's time to eat is just too much.
Visitors will say, "Oh, look how much they love you! They were so quiet until you walked in!" Trust me, it's not love. They know I'm the food mama and because of that they greet me with a thunderous joyful noise! I not so joyfully thunder back, "Shut up, you selfish bunch of babies!" And they do. So most of the time, if I pay attention, I can figure out what they want, but there are many times that I am just plain stupid.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Instead, let's try to understand
It greatly saddens me that the days of little girls and their horse partners are gone. The woods and trails we rode are now housing projects and strip malls. It all has been replaced by high powered horses and structured "training" of both horse and human.
I thought for awhile that the training methods had improved to the benefit of the horse, but sadly, I was wrong, I can't even watch these well known "trainers." The appalling cruelty just blows my mind. I can't believe these trainers even have a following. The fact that the horses learn anything at all is a tribute to their intelligence and adaptability. Much of it is no better than the old "tie 'em down and buck them to a standstill" method from years ago.
They are not all bad, these trainers, but let your heart decide whether you want your horse to be exposed to these methods. Horses are extremely smart. They don't need painful repetition, they don't need to be terrorized into a "safe place." Once a horse understands a point, he never forgets. Make all your interactions with your horse as positive as you can, give him the benefit of the doubt. Horses are never wrong. Try to become his partner. If something negative happens, try again.
Horses are very forgiving. Reinforce positive - and avoid negative - situations, if you can. If a horse doesn't stand without ripping out cross ties, groom and tack up in his stall Find the easiest, safest ways for the both of you in all dealings. Don't set the horse up for failure. Treat him/her like a beloved child. Show him what you want. Sometimes they need time to figure things out. You see that "aha" moment when they get it.
I was watching one well known western trainer as he forced a young horse to do a "departure into a lope, from a standstill, onto the correct lead, at the correct speed, with its head flexed behind the vertical, while giving to the bit to the left." Huh? I couldn't figure out what was going on, let alone this good horse, who was never rewarded by a release of pressure! This beautiful horse had no spirit left, he just gave in because there was no escape. He took the punishment and abuse because he was given no choices at all, until he accidentally landed on the right combination the trainer wanted. He was dull and broken. I had to change the channel. I could not watch anymore.
I'm not saying a horse doesn't need to be given a swat every now and then for an act of disrespect or foolishness (that is how they discipline each other, after all). Just stay within their rules. It's so much easier that way.
Horse and human partnerships must always be at least 51% for the human, 49% for the horse. That 1% for you makes you the respected head of the team. Use it to your advantage and have fun with your potential life mate and best friend. Your horse is capable of loving you all of its life.
I thought for awhile that the training methods had improved to the benefit of the horse, but sadly, I was wrong, I can't even watch these well known "trainers." The appalling cruelty just blows my mind. I can't believe these trainers even have a following. The fact that the horses learn anything at all is a tribute to their intelligence and adaptability. Much of it is no better than the old "tie 'em down and buck them to a standstill" method from years ago.
They are not all bad, these trainers, but let your heart decide whether you want your horse to be exposed to these methods. Horses are extremely smart. They don't need painful repetition, they don't need to be terrorized into a "safe place." Once a horse understands a point, he never forgets. Make all your interactions with your horse as positive as you can, give him the benefit of the doubt. Horses are never wrong. Try to become his partner. If something negative happens, try again.
Horses are very forgiving. Reinforce positive - and avoid negative - situations, if you can. If a horse doesn't stand without ripping out cross ties, groom and tack up in his stall Find the easiest, safest ways for the both of you in all dealings. Don't set the horse up for failure. Treat him/her like a beloved child. Show him what you want. Sometimes they need time to figure things out. You see that "aha" moment when they get it.
I was watching one well known western trainer as he forced a young horse to do a "departure into a lope, from a standstill, onto the correct lead, at the correct speed, with its head flexed behind the vertical, while giving to the bit to the left." Huh? I couldn't figure out what was going on, let alone this good horse, who was never rewarded by a release of pressure! This beautiful horse had no spirit left, he just gave in because there was no escape. He took the punishment and abuse because he was given no choices at all, until he accidentally landed on the right combination the trainer wanted. He was dull and broken. I had to change the channel. I could not watch anymore.
I'm not saying a horse doesn't need to be given a swat every now and then for an act of disrespect or foolishness (that is how they discipline each other, after all). Just stay within their rules. It's so much easier that way.
Horse and human partnerships must always be at least 51% for the human, 49% for the horse. That 1% for you makes you the respected head of the team. Use it to your advantage and have fun with your potential life mate and best friend. Your horse is capable of loving you all of its life.
To the ponies
One night while our teeny pony Bess was sick our vet said, "Why is this pony here? She should be with her family right now." Bess was 25+ years old at the time. She was a tough little alpha mare about 9 hands tall. She came to us when her owner died. We became her family. She lived with us another three years. We assumed she was untrained as the only really small adult we ever had try to ride her was repeatedly slammed to the ground (all of my worst falls have been off ponies - one second they're under you, the next they're not).
One day we tried her with a little girl. I swear, this pony changed before my eyes. Not only did she care for this child with every step, but wiped out the competition in the walk/trot class at the Bolton Fair! In that huge ring she trotted into every corner in perfect form!
Two little girls rode her that day and won champion of the day! In a picture she looked like a fluffy kitten with the two little girls beside her. I was as proud as if I had created her myself. Who knows how many children she taught to ride in her 28 years!
Two months later Bess died. In honor of Bess and all the unsung pony heroes that started all the famous/excellent riders on the way, we salute you and remember you always.
One day we tried her with a little girl. I swear, this pony changed before my eyes. Not only did she care for this child with every step, but wiped out the competition in the walk/trot class at the Bolton Fair! In that huge ring she trotted into every corner in perfect form!
Two little girls rode her that day and won champion of the day! In a picture she looked like a fluffy kitten with the two little girls beside her. I was as proud as if I had created her myself. Who knows how many children she taught to ride in her 28 years!
Two months later Bess died. In honor of Bess and all the unsung pony heroes that started all the famous/excellent riders on the way, we salute you and remember you always.
Willie
My beautiful little horse Willie has faded away before my eyes. It is time also for him to join his angel. He agrees, it is time to go. He has never been any trouble at all, he was just always there. Always a good influence on any upset horse. His sweet calm spirit made all others around him feel safe. But he is very old and time has caught up with him. "Time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all." Ec.9:11 And so in honor of this dear one's life, we let him go with dignity. His pain is over. With all of his friends holding and loving him he fell asleep for the last time. Willie taught so many about just how good and kind horses can be.
We need money still
Thank you all for your loving support throughout the years. Please remember us at this time of giving. All donations go directly to the care of our horses. We are a 100% volunteer staff. -Nina
Updates
Recently we were able to place two horses, Baladi, an Arab Saddlebred mare with an incurable lameness, and a teeny-tiny mini mare, Snowflake, into loving permanent homes. We are currently housing 14 rescued horses, most will have sanctuary with us for life. Please help us with their care.
The education work goes on, as well. We are encouraging people to find ways to keep their horses, to be responsible for their care for life.
We are also helping to support other rescues by sending them our excess of donated items such as halters, lead ropes, and stable blankets. We are trying to unite in our cause.
We have a new piggy, though we are not technically a piggy rescue, we could not say no to this one. His owner, not wanting him anymore, put him in a heavy duty construction bag to suffocate him. He was rescued and brought to us very dehydrated and underweight. He now resides next to our other piggy and his cat in what we call the "pig pavilion."
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