Just Another Sin Against Horses

There is a well hidden part of the horse business that not all horse people know about. I do no know all that much about it myself, but what I do know is ugly. There are places that keep pregnant mares that can be rented to “adopt” foals other than their own. They are called “nurse mares”. Now that sounds sweet doesn't it? They are used if a client's valuable mare rejects her foal, dies or can not produce milk to feed it. Still sweet, huh? Sometimes the client's mare is a show horse and needs to go back to work immediately after foaling and is not allowed to raise her own baby. In this case they rent a nurse mare and somehow get them to foal at the same time as the client's mare. The nurse mare's foal is euthanized. It has no value. It is the law, I'm told, these foals are not allowed to be rescued and bottle raised. They can not be transported into the state of MA. All foals less than 3 ½ months can not be moved without their mothers. The dept. of agriculture is working on the “unwanted horse” issues. This is the beginning. This dirty nurse mare secret is being exposed. Somehow though, I think people with too much money and not enough compassion will find a way around this little glitch. To continue to enable this horrible business ny trying to rescue these foals, is wrong, it is very difficult to bottle raise a new born foal. I'm sure most never get colostrum (first milk, full of antibodies) from their mothers. This means, basically, they have no immune system. They need this milk within the first 12 or so hours of life. After that they can not absorb the anti-bodies.

I have a solution to the “nurse mare” foal sacrifice problem. This is so simple I don't know why no one ever thought of it before. Now don't get me wrong, I do not approave of this business. I think it is just one of the “carbunkles (boils) on the backside” of the horse breeding industry. But if it has to be, I think is a large mare is bred to a very beautiful shetland, welsh pony (or otherwise) stallion, that big girl could not only feed the customer's foal, but her own teeny tiny baby as well.
One of the best kept secrets in the equine industry is that any pony (under 14.2 hands), especially typy pretty ones can be sold to A circuit people for thousands of dollars! I'll bet a weanling of this coupling could easily bring $5000 at the pony auction in (I think) Virginia? Once a year this auction takes place, all they sell is ponies and reps from very fancy stables are there to purchase for their clients children and students.
Combine the personality of some big, gentle warmblood or draft horse mare and the size and spunk of some fancy American Shetland and a really nice baby with looks and gentleness and personality will be the result. I've seen 14h A circuit ponies go for $40,000 or more!
I hate the whole idea of the breeding of too many horses. The foals of nurse mares can not be bought across state lines into MA. Bottle raising foals is very difficult. They need their mommies. According to “the law” these foals must be euthanized. Don't know all the details, don't want to. Just another sin against horses. But, if it's going to happen, this is a seriously great solution. These foals would have the chance to go on living (what kind of “horse person” would allow this to happen anyway?!) The baby would be valuable, could stay with it's mother and grow up with his adopted sibling, seems like a win/win situation to me.
This mare would have plenty of milk to nurse both foals, plenty of colostrum, the foals and mom could be a mini-herd. Socialization would not be a problem. Foals will learn to be horses from each other, no spoiled brats to deal with and beautiful baby to be sold for lots of money plus the adopted foal will probably be more successful as a horse as well.

I guess I said it before, but I really hate the nurse mare business. But this could work so well for all. Poor little babies...
Nina

Man Vs. Animal

When did torture, cruelty, and murdering of animals comes into fashion? Anyone seen “Swamp People”, “American Hoggers”, or “Turtle Man”? Why isn't it against the law in every state in this country to use dogs to hunt down and attack any animal, even feral pigs? For the hunted there is no escape.
What about “Turtle Man” who catches “problem” wild animals with his bare hands, all the while screaming at them as he terrifies them in a small area from which there is no escape. Obviously these “encounters” are staged. These animals, for some reason dont just tear this man to shreads, they only want to get away.
Then there's the “Swamp People”, somehow they trap alligators, haul them over the edge of their boat and shoot them to death before our very eyes. What do they do with them after they execute them? When did alligators stop being protected? Is this legal? Do they eat them? Most of those killed are huge. How can even their thick armor like hides be used for anything?
How can it be alright for horribly mauled and mutilated feral pigs, still alive, be allowed to be stacked on top of each other on their backs (literally “hog tied”) on racks of ATVs, possibly for hours while these people get their load filled? The dogs used are often terribly injured as well. Not just men, but women too are involved in these blood baths. They think of themselves as quite awesome.
I know that this crap has probably been going on for years but for some reason not they are filmed and put on public TV for the world to watch. Even the horrible documentaries of how animals kill each other for food on every nature channel, all life and death struggles in nature for all to watch. What has become of the human race that such “Entertainment” floats their boat?

With the death of beautiful, gentle, Steve Irwin, who treated all creation with reverence, love and respect, these horrible documentaries have become rampant.
Much of the human race has lost their empathy. With the dawning of computerized animation where “anything goes”, and the horrible is excepted because it isn't “real”, the creation is suffering. Are humans no longer able to separate animation from reality? Blood lust has overflowed from video games, “cartoons” and movies making these horrible reality shows and documentaries acceptable because people often can no even see the difference.
Let me tell you now, Jehovah, creators of the universe and all living things, the owner of us all is watching. We will be held accountable. He gave us permission to eat animals, but not to kill, maim or torture them for sport or fashion. Not even a sparrow fall from the sky without his knowing. Think about that! MT 10:29 Jesus himself said this!
I know I sound preachy, but you know, this must be told. So very soon there will be an accounting – and no power in the universe will stop it. God's kingdom is coming. We are living in the last days. Each night while watching the news, can count on my fingers the Bible prophecies being fulfilled right now! Soon wars will cease to the extremities of the earth – wars between humans and between animals. These is so much more involved than can be written here in this article and all have the right to make their own choices, but time is running out. Justice is on horizon – the storm is coming.
~Nina

Rest in Peace, Dear Fancy

Eye of the Storm lost Fancy on December 5, 2013. She was 26 years old and likely had cancer. She was a lovely girl and will be missed. Below are some photos of her in the snow taken back in 2011.

Please see the donation button on the left to help support the friends Fancy left behind. Thank you!