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SWAP
FEED FUND
MAKE CREDIT CARD DONATIONS TO THE SWAP FEED FUND... CALL
FOSTER FEEDS AT 304-269-1333, TALK TO CHARLIE TO GIVE A DONATION TO THE SECOND
WIND ADOPTION PROGRAM FEED FUND, WE GO THROUGH 6 TONS OF FEED A MONTH. YOU CAN
ALSO PAY FOR ADOPTIONS AND PURCHASES THIS WAY!!
We do love our international visitors. Welcome! Just a small sample of our
visitors. (only shows about 10% of the total visitors or hits)
Visitors By Country
Top 100 Visitors
Last 100 Visitors
Visitors Map
Daily Stats
Award Winning Website from The Pet Directory
Award Winning Rescue and Horse Website from Horse Breeds
Info
Stay up with our President/Executive Director, all the
directors, volunteers and riders. All the CSS/SWAP supporters and adopters are
having a big time sharing stories, pictures, lots of good stuff about their
horses. Our President is at her max friends so she is full but we have set up a
fan based page so everyone can be added. So sorry to the 2000 + people who have
asked for a friendship.... our fan page is now up.
The Wish List of Our Needs:
More than anything we need a large donation to help us pay off our farm, we owe
50k. With a farm paid for, we will never worry about the program and schools
closing.
We are looking for 2 to 3 people to work in the barn in exchange for board for
their horse and possibly personal board in exchange for part time or full time
work/volunteer.
1. New or used
truck and 2 to 6 horse trailer, our equipment has seen its better days,
we've been using both for nearly 14 years to pick up horses and move them to
their new homes.
2. A Farm in any
location for low cost long term lease or donation to expand our program
to develop a retirement farm for our now aging horses returned to us from
adopters who could not retire our horses. Our highest priority locations
initially are Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
West Virginia or Delaware.
3. New or Used Farm
utility vehicle (like a john deere gator or mini truck), farm
tractor, & manure spreader
4. Tack and large
horse items donated... like carts/buggies, racing bikes, jog carts,
harnesses, saddles, horse trailers, blankets/rugs to use or sell on SWAP
Shopping. Supplies to use around the barn or office.
5. A bulk feed bin
that will hold anywhere from 6 tons to 9 tons of grain donated or at low cost or
even a break on the cost of purchase and instillation.
7.
Monthly Sponsors for our horse
and dogs while they are waiting on their forever homes.
8. Volunteers
to commit to doing one fund raiser for SWAP horses at your location during 2011,
it can be a golf tournament, a bake sale, book sale, lemonade stand, car wash,
setting up an information stand at a horse show. This is a great way to kids to
get involved in helping horses.
9 Anyone interested in
free high quality top soil
(manure already composted) and manure for gardens, you can pick up for free by
the truck load at our WV location (bring a loader). If you are a gardener and
only need a small amount, pick up in a truck or we'll be selling it by the feed
bag full at $2.00 a bag (in a bag that is usually used for 50 lbs of feed). This
is beautiful clean top soil.
11. Someone to do
dozer work on the farm, level arena/round pen, do terracing on the hill
sides to keep water out of the barns and level the top soil and manure pile to
increase the level of that land in that bottom so we can put our methane
digester in and indoor arena. Volunteer or at a reduced cost.
Reporting Neglect:
Please, if you see neglect (ribs and hip bones showing or no
food available), its critical to call the sheriff of the county where the
horse/animal is located. Have the address where the horse is located or
directions to the farm, pictures and the owners name (if possible). If the
sheriff does nothing email PETA's cruelty case workers Stephanie or Tori at
sbell@peta.org,
or
ToriP@peta.org Remember horses can not speak for themselves so
we must speak for them!! All reports are kept anonymous.
Getting Help for Your Horses/animals if you can not care for
them:
If you can not feed your animals, whether they are horses or
other animals, if you are adopters, call SWAP HQ immediately, if not, call your
local horse rescue and plead for help, if they are full then call your animal
control officer or sheriff to release ownership of your animals so they can get
them help Before they are starved to death, do not wait until they are starved,
its critical to get help early. Contact us if you do not know what to do. call
304-873-3532 or email
secondwindadopt@aol.com. Many counties have pet
pantries so you can get feed when times are tough.
If things are getting tight with costs, go to a less expensive
grain like a simple stock pellet supplemented with corn, according to Ohio State
Corn is the leading horse feed in the US according to their research, many large
equine schools and large farms feed these all natural feeds because of what they
get for the price, a lot of negative stuff has been written about corn but no
one can support it with actual proof and research. We feed a simple all stock
pellet from southern states and we supplement with cracked corn for those who
need more calories, here is the link:
- http://ohioline.osu.edu/b
- 762/b762_7.htm
TOP TEN WAYS YOU CAN HELP PROTECT HORSES
(ASPCA and SWAP Suggestions)
1. BE THEIR VOICE - your vote is
your greatest weapon against injustice, so register and actively support horse
protection and preservation legislation.
2. LEAD BY EXAMPLE - Walk the talk. Don't support or
attend cruel horse activities such as Tennessee Walker events using "soring"
techniques - painful techniques to make the horse walk a certain way, or events
that use drugs to make horses achieve results. High-diving horse acts are
cruel, as are rodeo events that don't promote respect for animals and their
health.
3. BE AN INFORMED CONSUMER - products made from horses like
Premarin (pregnant mare urine pills for estrogen replacement), are created
through horses' suffering. Your spending dollar is a weapon.
4. SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE - inform people what happens to horses
after their short careers are over (slaughter plant bound), or where Premarin
comes from, talk to them about over breeding, the hazards of over using young
horses or not training a horse. Engage them in discussion.
5. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HORSE RESCUE OR SANCTUARY - these
organizations make life better for horses.
6. VOLUNTEER - your gift of time is valuable to horse groups and
if you have special talents, so much the better.
7. REPORT CRUELTY - if you witness abuse or neglect, report it
to local animal control or your county sheriff. Someone cruel to animals
is cruel to humans, too.
8. PROTECT THE AMERICAN WILD HORSE - mustangs have a special
place in our history and you can support federal and local legislation by
writing emails and letters to your government reps.
9. KEEP YOUR HORSE SAFE AND HEALTHY - if you own a horse,
maintain its health with regular hoof, medical and dental check-ups. Make
sure they are companioned as horses suffer living alone - even a goat makes a
good companion. Feed what the horse needs, if you are seeing ribs and hip bones,
the horse is not getting enough, if you can't afford to buy more feed, then give
the horse to someone who can, just be sure to check the person out and make sure
they are not selling the horse to slaughter or just going to turn out and sell
the horse to anyone that has the money. .
10. PLAN AHEAD FOR YOUR HORSE'S CARE - your health and finances
change so what happens to your horse of you can't care for it anymore?
Research your options, including a pet trust. Horses live into their mid
20s and early 30s now - that's a lifetime of commitment.
Crossed Sabers Stable:
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As many as 60
million visitors per year |
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As many as 530,000 hits in one day |
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Visitors from 113 different
countries |
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Website Visitors from every
continent of the world |
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Thousands of adoptions (of 68
different breeds) in homes today with SWAP |
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Horses adopted in 46 states and
Canada |
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14 Year History |
Preparing for a Cold Winter:
HAY: Get
your hay now before the prices become outrageous, get enough for the winter
(good planning is 2 bales for every 3 days for one horse or 10 bales per month
per horse, so to make it until the middle of June (first cutting), you're
looking at 90 bales per horse at the very least (from September to June). If you
have good thick grass that has been mowed and fertilized then depending on where
you live in the US you might just need 60 to 70 bales. For good grazing its
recommended that you have 3 to 5 acres of mowed, seeded, fertilized grass
per horse. Remember Grass is dead in WV from Oct/Nov until about April and every
state has some months where the grass does not give the horses their calories or
nutrients it needs to sustain life (USDA has details of that for each state).
They may be grazing in the winter but they are not getting anything from the
grass to survive. I know most know that but I say it because we had an adopter
last year in WV that thought if they were eating grass that was all they needed
and she nearly killed 2 horses.
GRAIN:
Remember on average horses need 1 lb of concentrated feed (grain) for every 100
lbs of body weight, so on average horses need about 10 lbs of grain a day, more
when its very cold or if they are living outside in a run because much of their
calories go to keeping them warm. Also older, sick, skinny, stallions, bred
mares and young horses take more feed during the winter. Some horses need
more so its critical to watch to make sure their ribs and hip bones are staying
meaty and covered. If you see ribs, the horse is too thin and needs more
calories, not supplements but more calories, which means more grain.. Easy
keepers may be round but it does not mean they are healthy, most easy keepers
need a certain amount of calories and a multi vitamin to stay healthy.
WATER:
One of the most critical things needed in winter is clean fresh water all the
time, anywhere from 5 to 20 gallons per day per horse and everyone knows what a
pain that is when there is ice and snow on the ground but its critical to
preventing colic and water helps keep the horses body temperature regulated. Get
your electric heaters, defrosters now, heated buckets, what ever it takes to
make sure they have good water in front of them all the time and at least 10
gallons (2 flat backed buckets per horse at the very least). Here we keep 100
gallons troughs in the stalls since we have big stalls, its much easier than
frozen buckets in winter, all we do is break the ice and remove it most days and
put a heater in them on really cold days. We use a sump pump to empty water and
scrub troughs each week which keeps water fresh and clean. So look for easy ways
to keep water thawed out and clean. This is the biggest reason horses die in
winter.
SHELTER:
Domestic horses need shelter, they are not wild and can not survive outside
without shelter or some kind of heavy waterproof rug to keep them warm during
snow/ice and freezing temperatures but the best is a closed in shelter that is
free from drafts (meaning its closed on all 4 sides with some sort of
ventilation). Wild horses first of all don't live very long, living outside in
the elements is very hard on them, secondly wild horses move in cold
temperatures to keepselves warm and they often times move over thousands of
acres to keep warm or to find cover or water. No domestic horse can not do that
on 5, 20 or even 100 acres. Just because your horse has learned to survive in
bad weather does not mean its good for them, they need shelter in bad weather.
CARE:
Its important to make kids take care of their horses but they must have adult
supervision on a daily basis to make sure horses are getting what they need.
Trust me, I usually have 30 year olds working in our barn and I still have to be
there daily to make sure things are done, that they have clean water, especially
when its cold because our young helpers want to get out of the weather and then
the horses are left at risk for colic. Every day check your child's work, do not
leave your horses care to a child (completely), if you do you are asking for
trouble.
The Woman I will
Be
- I shall wear diamonds and a wide brimmed
straw hat with ribbons and flowers on it
- And I shall spend my social security on
white wine and carrots
- And sit in the alley of my barn and listen
to my horses breathe.
- I will sneak out in the middle of a
summer's night And ride the dappled mare across the moonstruck
meadow, if my old bones will allow. and when people come to call, I will
smile and nod, As I walk them past the gardens to the barn And show,
instead, the flowers growing there
- In stalls fresh-lined with straw. I will
shovel and sweat and wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel. And I will
be an embarrassment of all who look down on me Who have not yet found the
peace in being free To love a horse as a friend, a friend who waits at
midnight hour
- With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes For
the Woman I will be when I am old.
The perfect analogies for why we
have the life school tied into SWAP and animal welfare work:
"Everyone thought we took this
broken down horse and saved him but really he saved us"
Jockey Red
Pollard from the movie Seabiscuit
I rescued a
human today
Her eyes met mine as she
walked down the corridor peering apprehensively into the kennels. I felt her
need instantly and knew I had to help her. I wagged my tail, not too
exuberantly, so she wouldn't be afraid.
As she stopped at my kennel
I blocked her view from a little accident I had in the back of my cage. I didn't
want her to know that I hadn't been walked today. Sometimes the shelter keepers
get too busy and I didn't want her to think poorly of them.
As she read my kennel card
I hoped that she wouldn't feel sad about my past. I only have the future to look
forward to and want to make a difference in someone's life.
She got down on her knees
and made little kissy sounds at me.
I shoved my shoulder and side of my head up against the bars to comfort her.
Gentle fingertips caressed
my neck; she was desperate for companionship. A tear fell down her cheek and I
raised my paw to assure her that all would be well.
Soon my kennel door opened
and her smile was so bright that I instantly jumped into her arms. I would
promise to keep her safe. I would promise to always be by her side. I would
promise to do everything I could to see that radiant smile and sparkle in her
eyes.
I was so fortunate that she
came down my corridor.
So many more are out there who haven't walked the corridors.
So many more to be saved. At least I could save one.
I rescued a human today.
Baggage
by Evelyn Colbath
Now that I'm
home, bathed, settled and fed,
All nicely tucked into my warm new bed,
I would like to open my baggage,
Lest I forget
There is so much to carry -
So much to forget.
Hmm, Yes, here
it is, right on the top
Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss,
And there by my halter hides Fear & Shame
As I look on these things I have tried so hard to leave-
I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain.
I loved them,
the others, the ones who left me,
But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me.
Will you add to my baggage?
Will you help me unpack?
Or will you just look at my things
And take me right back?
Do you have the
time to help me unpack?
To put away my baggage,
To never re-pack?
I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see,
But I do come with baggage -
Will you still want me?
A young boy was walking along the beach
- as high tide came in.
- With every crash of the waves
- he noticed that dozens of seahorses were
being cast onto the beach,
- where they lay gasping and squirming.
- Hurriedly, he ran to each seahorse he could
find
- and gently tossed them back into the surf.
- A man watching all this approached the boy
and said;
- "Son, what you are doing won't make a
difference",
- to which the boy replied,
"To
that seahorse .
. . it will".
Some folks said they missed my great goals
list for 2010, so here it is back again
1. Spend an hour a day with your horses, not just
feeding, training and turning out, but real quality time doing something that is
enjoyable for the both of you. Grooming or hand walking is a great way to bond
with your horse and good for both you and the horse.
2. Get your loved ones more involved in your
horses. Divorce is the biggest reason we see horses coming back to us. Don't
just share the work, share the fun too and find something they really enjoy
doing with horses.
3. Learn a new discipline, go to a clinic, a
horse show, or equine affaire. Come to one of our clinics or watch a training
video. If you are an adopter you can check out books and video's from SWAP's
Library for just shipping costs. Take a lesson at least once a month or Bring
your adoption horse here and we will help you. The better you are, the more fun
you will have.
4. Make a plan for your horse after you are gone
or if you have a major injury, let your Will Executor know your plans. Make a
plan for emergencies or financial bumps along the way for your horse. Have a
plan if you or your horse gets injured, even for the tough times of year like
winter (or summer down south and for a drought winter when hay prices
skyrocket). Ask friends, family and neighbors to be part of your plan, most
people that don't have horses or a farm love the idea of getting away and
helping. And people can not resist someone when they are asking for help for the
welfare of an innocent animal.
5. Get yourself healthy and in better shape to
prevent injury, to live a long life and to more enjoy your horses. Eat 1-1-1
(one ounce of dark chocolate, one ounce of fresh walnuts, one glass of red wine
daily) and 2-2-2 (2 servings of fresh vegis, 2 of fresh fruit and get 2 sources
of fat free calcium). Drink 100 ounces of spring water a day, get a whole house
water filter. Change over to Sea-salt. Take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
every morning to keep your body alkaline (cancer and disease can not grow in an
alkaline body). Eat more fish and chicken and less red meat. Get a good air
cleaner and do daily deep breathing exercises, get outside in the fresh air and
sunshine for at least 1/2 hour every day. Get away from high fat food, processed
foods, fast food, can or boxed food, sugar or artificial sweeteners, soda and
don't eat anything if you can't read all the ingredients and know exactly what
is in it. Clean all vegis and fruits thoroughly, buy organic, buy ocean caught
fish, not farm raised, buy fresh meat and raw milk, not packed or processed. Eat
only natural carbs (potatoes, rice, oats) bake/broil or steam everything. Get 8
hours of sleep, reduce stress/risk (reduce commuting by car pooling, tight
schedules, cell phone use in the car, watch or read the news only once a day or
better yet once a week. Do one hour of walking, yoga or weight training every
day and it will make you strong, lean, you'll look great and get wonderful
complements from friends, coworkers and loved ones and the horse work will be
easier and more enjoyable.
6. Stay clear of negative people and those very
negative chat rooms and bulletin boards, they seem innocent but every time you
go to them you lose a bit of your positive self, they are truly emotional
vampires that will leave only a shell of a person. They are not based on the
truth, they are based on harassment, complaining, whining and dishonesty. We all
become tomorrow what we are around today, every person we come in contact with
defines who we are tomorrow so be careful who you choose for friends, even the
websites you go to as each of them affect who you are tomorrow. Do you want to
be a bitter, miserable, complaining person or do you want to be happy, inspired
and honorable, all that is affected by the decisions you make today. Stay away
from Toxic people and Toxic websites/forums that are negative or that spend all
their time talking bad about people and their horses. What you are around today
and what you are doing today is what you will be tomorrow. Stop Complaining and
be Thankful for what you have. If you become a target of harassment or anyone
saying anything negative about you, if you are doing only good, positive things
and not hurting anyone then ignore them, its all based on jealousy and a sick
sort of wish to be like you. They have the problem, not you.
7. Read at least one book on training your horse
and one on care each year, if for nothing else but just inspiration. SWAP has a
great library of books/videos that adopters can check out for just the cost of
mailing it.
Click
here to see our Library
8. Get carrots/apples every time you go to the
store, your horses will love you for it and always come running when you call.
Don't feed candy or anything sweeter. Carrots are sweet enough. Get rid of the
sweet feeds and you'll get rid of the hot horse once and for all.
9. Realize that if you are having a problem with
your horse, more likely than not, the problem is you. Learn more, practice more,
ask in a different way, be patient, change their environment or daily schedule
to better suit them. Taking better care of a horse always brings out the best in
that horse. Good feed/hay, time to rest in a quiet stall out of the
elements, lots of fresh water, time to be with you and time to just be a horse,
time with their buddies, farrier and vet care always done is a good start. The
biggest part of this relationship puzzle is you, not the horse. If you are
struggling, then you need to learn more and get better.
10. Ride at least once a week, regardless of
weather. Use this time as your down time for healing, your therapy, your time to
relieve stress and the pressures of daily life. Even if you don't ride, go sit
and read a book in the pasture with the horses or sit in the barn and listen to
them munch on dinner, away from the crowd and noise of your day. Enjoy the peace
and quiet, enjoy hearing happy horses eating dinner or grass in the pasture.
11. Spend time leisurely grooming your horse once
a week. Rubber curries are shine makers. You will have a beautiful horse and a
very loyal friend who will do anything for you.
12. Come and spend a week at SWAP HQ,
volunteering and focusing on helping a horse and giving will change your life
plus it will be the best vacation you ever had. Help an animal in need, whether
fostering, being one of our state reps that goes out to check on our horses in
their homes or helps us approve adopters in their area. Find horses in need and
help us find them homes. Buy a horse at a slaughter auction, get it fat and
trained and we'll help you place it into a good home. Foster and volunteer for
your local small animal adoption program. I promise, the good things you do will
come back to you a hundred times over. Every person has a talent they can offer
and if you help one horse or one dog or cat find a good home, you have changed
their life forever.
13. Know that every goal is obtainable and it
starts with a single step. Take that first step today!! No matter what it is or
how big, YOU CAN DO IT!! Every goal that is written down will come true
(really!). Every famous person, every great or notable scientist, author,
trainer/rider, parent or friend started out as just a thought, just a goal.
Remember to take one step today to reach your goals.
14. Start every day with thinking about, what is
the most important thing I can do today to change my life and make it better. Do
that one thing and in 30 days your life will be totally different. Can you
imagine what your life would be like if you did that for 60, 90 or even 365 days
a year. The opportunities are endless.
15. Want to keep your horse sound for life? (That
should be every horse owners number one goal) do a long slow warm up (cold
muscle is easy to injure, a warm one is nearly impossible to injure). The very
best cool down is hand walking your horse for 1 hour after every work out. Yes,
get off the horse and walk with it. Its great exercise for you and a good time
for you to bond. Stop riding your horse during cool downs and stop using a hot
walker, do something good for you and the horse, hand walking. Its also the best
rehab for over work and injuries, the only thing better is hydro therapy and
swimming your horse. Allow soft tissue and hard tissue to become more
conditioned before going into any training program... that means 3 months of at
least 3 days a week for soft tissues and 10 months of work for bones to become
strong enough to jump or do any strenuous training program. Don't start any
upper level work, jumping or extensive training until the horse is fit and at
least between age 4 and 6 and has been conditioned for at least 10 months
(especially if the horse has never been jumped/worked or not been jumped or
worked in the last year).
16. Appreciate what you have and be thankful.
Instead of looking at what you don't have, look at what you do. Thank those
people who have helped you and supported you. The more you give, the more that
will come back to you. When you give something away or give something to
someone/something in need, you make space in your life for something good to
come to you. We are all very blessed, if we just take a moment to look around
and enjoy those things.
17. Get used to using favorite mantra's and
visualizations every day, simple ones that are easy to remember, like 'I can do
this, I will do this', 'this isn't going to get the best of me' or even, 'I
deserve the best' or 'the gift of love, caring, and support always comes back'
and take two minutes every morning as you wake and at night as you go to sleep
to visualize the life you want, the you you want to be, Our thoughts
become things, what you see is what you get, if you expect the best, the best
will happen, change your self-talk from negative to positive and I promise your
life will change for the better..
18. Each person is put on this earth for a
reason, each of us has a mission. What is yours? Seek and you shall find,
finding is a journey ... in the journey and the search you'll find your life
purpose. If you died in your sleep tonight is there something you haven't done
that you need to do or want to do? Someone you need to mend fences with, burnt
bridges to fix? People you need to tell them how much you love them? Have you
fulfilled your purpose in your life? Ask yourself, Why am I here? How can I make
this better? Who do I want to be? Who am I suppose to be? What reason was
I put on this earth? What is my purpose?
19. Be an inspiration to your family, co workers
and friends. We all fall on our face, we all make mistakes, we all get
discouraged, most times we all get up and try again.... sometimes we need a
nudge. Instead of being negative or doing negative things, be their inspiration.
You do believe they can do it, so why not tell them. If their self talk is
negative, then you be their positive self talk.... eventually they will start to
say it and believe it too. Life is self fulfilling, failure feeds on itself or
causes more failure, achieving does as well. So if you or your love ones are in
a negative cycle, break the cycle by changing your thoughts, your self talk,
achieve something small to get yourself and your family back into the cycle of
achievement.
20. We all file a flight plan every single day
for our life. Where is your flight going today? Just like a pilot flying, the
winds, the gravitational pull will change your flight and take you off course,
so you must make small corrections along the way to make sure you make your
destination. Have you selected your destination? Have you picked the steps in
your flight plan to get there? Every goal is really that easy, pick the goal and
figure out how to get there. The easiest way to pick your flight path/plan is
find someone who has done it before you, then do what they did. Its all baby
steps you know. Just keep an eye on that destination and keep saying...."here is
my destination, this is where I'm going, this is where I am now, this is how I'm
going to get there.... I will arrive at this time on this day. You can do
it..... its just like getting in your car to go to the store, its just deciding
where you want to go and how to get there, then take that first step. You can do
it!! No matter how big or how outlandish you may think your dream to be...
it is obtainable.
21. Laugh every day and try (as hard as it is
sometimes) to find the positive and the humor in each situation (and have at
least one bite of a truly decadent desert once a week). Life is just too short
to not enjoy it thoroughly.
22. We learn the most and do our best work when
we have fallen on our face, when we are struggling, when we are worried, scared
or frustrated, when we are anguishing over something or troubled by it. It is
then that you have true motivation, when you think clearer. The most brilliant
ideas come to people when they feel lost, frustrated, or at the bottom, helpless
or hopeless. Cherish these times because its when you can come up with your best
ideas to your biggest problems and challenges. You see, there is a reason for
the rainy days.
23. You can't make everyone happy, its useless to
try and wasted energy to think you can. 50% of all people will not agree with
you at any given time, don't worry about it and don't let it stop you. 50%
becomes a lot of people when you are in the public eye. As long as you are not
hurting anyone and you are doing the right thing, then go ahead and do it. If
you are wondering what is the right thing to do, its usually the harder thing to
do, the toughest path to take. The easy way out is rarely the right thing to do.
Instead of worrying over what someone thinks of you or says about you, do
something amazing and outstanding to inspire them or at least have them sitting
on the side lines being jealous, secretly saying, "wow, she has guts". One
person with purpose becomes the majority, one way or another.
1. There are at least two people in this world
That you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world Love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you Is because they want to Be just
like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, Even if they don't Like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you Before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists, loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, Something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has
Turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.
Always in hope and admiration, Celeita
YOUR BANK ACCOUNT
A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably combed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home
today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he
smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a
visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
hung on his window.
'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just
been presented with a new puppy.
'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'
'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied.
'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or
not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged .. it's how I arrange my
mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when
I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the
difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of
bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and
all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.
Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank
account of memories!
Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.
I am still depositing.' Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Our
lives with horses...
Our lives with horses are rich with feeling. You know this if
you've ever.... choked back tears watching a new foal wobble to his feet for
the First time ...or watched your good horse wobble to his feet after
surgery.... or seen the ends of the reins float straight out as a reining
horse spins beneath them . . or chuckled to yourself as you watched a tiny tot
on a patient pony trot through a barrel pattern at a saddle club payday ... or
felt the building tremble as an eight-up hitch of feather-legged giants towed
a hand-carved beer wagon into the arena ... or had your heart stop when you
saw your horse lying motionless in the pasture on a sunny day and waited
breathlessly for an ear to flick ... or cheered at the screen when 'The Man
From Snowy River' slid Dennie down the mountainside, .. or when
Seabiscuit made his final surge to beat War Admiral ... or cruised along the
highway and seen a horse in a pasture and wondered what he's like to ride or
pictured him as a prospect ... or sucked in your breath as a horse and rider
approached a six-foot wall ... or sworn a solemn oath to your horse that
together you would triumph ... or flipped through the TV channels and stopped
when you saw a horse even when it was a commercial ... or laughed aloud
when you rubbed your horse's face and he rubbed back ... or gotten chills
hearing Dave Johnson's 'and DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME!' (or 'Run for the
Roses' circa 1980 ish?)
... or stood in awe at your horse in morning play as he sprinted around
the pasture, then stopped, head erect, and snorted defiance at the rest of the
world
... or been thankful to see wild horses grazing casually at the foot of a hill
... or felt calmed by the sleekness of a silky
haircoat beneath your hand ... or felt your jaw drop as you watched a Lipazzan
perform a capriole ... or if you've ever seen someone in the grocery store
wearing a certain kind of hat, or boots, or buckle, or have a certain cut and
length to their jeans, and felt some remote kind of connection ... or felt
warmed by a soft nicker greeting as you entered the barn ... or slid your hand
under your horse's blanket to straighten it out, only to pause in the glowing
feeling that you get when you touch the
warmth of his coat... or riding on a trail with your horse, thinking how that
trail over there looks nice and almost without asking, your horse has sensed
your slightest movement in the saddle and he's now taking you there. ... or
pulled up to your barn where you board and only your horse greets you with a
welcoming hello from the sound of your car or your voice.
HEROES AND HORSES
SOME NOTABLE HEROES AND THEIR HORSES ARE MENTIONED AND WE KNOW YOUR HORSE IS
YOUR HERO AND VICE VERSA.
1. Kanthaka - Buddha's horse, the one he used when he was still
Siddhartha the prince, to escape from his father's palace and begin his
journey toward enlightenment. Kanthaka's hooves made no sounds as they
fled together and he is often depicted being lifted on his four feet by benign
spirits.
2. Pegasus - the mythical winged horse parented by Neptune and Medusa
and ridden by Bellerophon to rid the world of Chimera, the monster.
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was able to capture and train Pegasus
when he allowed her to place her golden bit in his mouth.
3. Phosphorus (Light Bearer) - the great Roman racehorse immortalized by
the 4th century Roman poet Ausonius (at the emperor's request) in a beautiful
eulogy: Fly with haste to join the wing-footed horses of Elysium;
may Pegasus gallop on your right and Arion as your left-wheeler, and let
Castor find a fourth horse for the team.
4. Babieca - famed white gelding of El Cid, Rodrigo Diaz of Bivar, the
Spanish hero who united Christians and Muslims against a Moorish onslaught
from Africa. Babieca lived to be 30 years old and carried El Cid into all his
battles. Babieca means "crazy" as Rodrigo made a crazy choice since
the colt was the runt of the herd.
5. Bucephalus (Ox-head) - beloved horse of Alexander the Great who bore
the Macedonian hero on his back from Greece to India. Odds against a
horse living past 20 in that era were great, but Bucephalus, in his 20s,
endured until he fell in battle in India.
6. Sleipnir - the eight-legged war horse of Odin, the Norse god,
was able to fly without wings and shape-shift.
7. Balios and Xanthos - a grey and bay, both sired by Zephyros, the West
Wind, who together pulled Achilles' chariot.
8. Vivasat - a Hindu sun-god who often took the form of a stallion.
9. Al Burak - Mohammed's horse, on whose back he ascended to heaven, was
brought to him by the archangel Gabriel
10. Chiron - the centaur who taught Achilles, Jason and the first
physician, Ascelpius, all he knew.
11. Rakhsh - blue-eyed and dappled red horse of the legendary Persian
warrior, Rustam. Rakhsh was highly intelligent and saved his sleeping master
from a lion's attack, killing the predator.
There are many more famous mythical and real horses and we will be adding to
our list. Can you help us add to this list?. thank you Harmony Horse Works.
The question is not: "do you support horse
slaughter."
The question is: "do you support the cruel, terrifying
transport for days without food and water in their journey to death?"
The question is: "do you support the torture and abuse of
the killer chutes, even for crippled horses, pregnant mares, wild horses,
protective mares with foals by their sides?"
The question is: “Do you support the horse slaughter
factories that lie to their consumers about the many chemicals that taint the
horse meat, and call it Organic?
The question is: do you support the breeder who breeds
hundreds of horses just to pick out the good ones and cash in the rest to the
killer buyer?
The question is: Do you support the person who uses the
horse its whole life and when it gets to an old age sends it to slaughter as a
thank you?
The question is: “do you support the slaughter workers who
cheer a horse on that struggles extra hard for its life?
The question is: Do you support the killer buyer who not
only buys up the strong, fat and healthy horses and leaves the meek weak and
unhealthy for society, but also bids against the good homes and horse rescues?
The question is: “Can you see though the lies of the ones
who stand to loose a buck with the end of horse slaughter?
The question is: Do you support ripping the last of our wild
horses away from their families and peaceful lives to be slaughtered?
The question is: As a nation, can we allow this to continue
and still call ourselves a civilized country?
The question is: "Can you look at the footage of innocent
horses with their eyes gouged out, hooves ripped off, legs broken, beaten by
the workers, faces smashed in from being on the transport trucks, horses
stabbed in their spines, horses conscious for the entire killing process and
do nothing?
That is the question, so what is YOUR answer?
Resolve to make the world a better place for animals
(credit: PETA)
| If you haven't already done so,
have the companion animals who depend on you spayed or neutered. These
simple procedures help protect your furry friends from many types of
cancer and prevent thousands of animals from being born only to end up
abandoned on the streets or dumped at severely crowded animal shelters.
|
| If you live with a dog,
pledge to walk him or her every day, even when it's cold outside and you'd
rather hide under a blanket. If you share your home with cats, set
aside some "kitty (or horsey) quality time" every day to play
with, brush, and bond with them. It's sometimes too easy to overlook our
feline friends, but they can get bored and lonely too. |
| If there is a lonely "backyard dog" in your
neighborhood, try befriending his or her
guardian. Start by politely talking to him or her about the dog's needs,
such as companionship, daily portions of fresh food and water, and a
weatherproof doghouse filled with straw. Many lucky dogs have had their
lives changed because someone like you cared enough to intervene.
|
| If you're shopping for yourself or buying
holidays gifts for your loved ones, stay
away from fur, wool, leather, and companies that make or sell products
made from the skins of animals. |
NOTE: Crossed Sabers can not fully guarantee the accuracy of every page
on this website which is huge (38,000 files and over 300 pages). We do not
have the personnel or time to keep it up to date and accurate for every
situation as this Stable and all its programs have always been a dynamic
entity, ever changing and improving itself to meet the needs of horses and
horse people. We do try to make sure each page is up to date and accurate but
the best thing to do If you have a question, is email or call us. Additionally
Crossed Sabers can not guarantee anything that anyone says about us on line,
we have no control over other people and their websites, forums or ads, all we
can tell people is if you do not know the person, their name, address and
their experience, age or history/background/education and location do not
trust what they say. That is true for everything on the internet. Some things
said about us have been grossly inaccurate and did not come from CSS, some
come from past employees we fired for cause (for hurting horses or stealing
from us), people that are pro-slaughter and hate our mission and what we do
for horses enjoy trying to make us look bad, some are horse traders that we've
helped put out of business and some are people we helped put in jail on
neglect cases. Again, if you have questions about us, our services, our
company structure, how we are licensed, how we pay taxes, how we do things or
anything at all, please feel free to contact us, just don't assume that all
you read on another website is accurate because 99% of it is not true,
especially if you read it on a forum, blog or chat room and don't assume that
it came from us, just call 304-873-3532 or email us at
secondwindadopt@aol.com,
or better yet, come and see our operation and you will see how we do things. I
can guarantee it's 1000 times better than what the liars and frauds say who
are jealous of our work.
All programs and services listed on this website, including
SWAP is a part of Crossed Sabers Stable which has been licensed in WV for the
last 13 years. The Mountain State Horse School and Second Wind Adoption
Program, Inc. and Crossed Sabers International Horse School, Inc. was
incorporated on 4 Sep 08 to address the education needs and life challenges of
people and horses.
Buyer and Seller Beware!! Update on the
Robin Hollingsworth of Blacksburg, SC
(she has several alias's and about 10 fake names) fraud case for those
of you who have been asking. The SC prosecutor accepted a plea bargain from
her and dropped the case if she paid the people she ripped off (the people she
took money under false pretenses from when she sold them horses she did not
own), she did that so she was let go but the 3 arrests will stay on her record
and the record of what she did to all those people is still on the books and
will stay there. If she is caught again I'm certain she will go to jail but
people who are cheated by her must stand up and testify.. If more people that
she ripped off would have not chickened out and backed out because of fear
(Quote from them was we are scared of her, she is crazy) she would be in jail
right now but beware, she is still loose and still taking free horses or
companion horses that have things like ringbone and navicular and drugging
them and then selling them as high level jumpers and competition horses on the
internet. Her daughter works with her, Amanda or Mandy, she helps her rip
people off. Beware, I'm getting calls almost every month where Robin has
committed more crimes against people, taking horses, not paying for them,
bouncing checks, buying vehicles and horse trailers and not paying for them.
BEWARE OF THIS WOMAN!! If you want her history or to check a person's name
against our black list (our do not adopt to, do not sell to, do not buy from,
do not hire or even rent to list), then contact us.
BEWARE: Do not buy a horse from anyone you
do not know, ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET, unless they have websites like ours,
their names and addresses listed and they show they have a long long history
on their website and do not buy unless you go to see the horse and have it vet
checked and you have contact with the vet, not the seller or even trainer
telling you what the vet said. DO NOT GIVE YOUR HORSE OR SELL YOUR HORSE
WITHOUT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT IS TO HAPPEN WITH THE HORSE, RESELLING,
USE/LIMITATIONS, FACILITIES NEEDED, ETC. It you sell or give away a horse with
no agreement, they could go to slaughter the same day you release them or they
could be sold and misrepresented, living a life of neglect, abuse, over use
and miss use the rest of their lives. We hear stories all the time where a
best friend or neighbor, the nice lady you gave the horse to sent the horse to
slaughter or is neglecting it and there is not a thing the owner can do now
because they no longer own the horse and they made no written agreements
signed by both parties. If you need help doing written agreements, back ground
checks on buyers and sellers, just contact us, that is part of our 'SAFE
SELLING' SERVICES. Your horse's life depends on you being safe and thorough!
BEWARE: People are selling horses on the
internet that don't even exist so beware, the horse industry is full is liars,
cheaters, and thieves, even we have had to deal with them from potential
adopters who were in jail applying to adopt, to employees and former trainers
who totally ripped us off by stealing tack and tools, asking for huge advances
and then leaving after they get them, people who don't even know us or had any
experience with us slandering us on forums, harassing us and our supporters,
interfering with company operations and even adopters who don't think twice
about breaching their contract or forging their vets signature on applications
& annual updates or even selling their adoption horse to programs like ours
and even 501c3's public charities selling horses to slaughter auctions or
being put in jail for neglect and animal cruelty. We are bringing each person
that has wronged our horses to justice one at a time and winning all our cases
but that does not protect the general public from these liars, thieves,
con-artist and cheaters. Your horses life can easily be ruined forever, they
could end up in a fate worse than death so buyer and seller beware, your
horses life depends on you keeping them safe and you being thorough with doing
things like getting references and making sure the people have stable
employment, that they really own the farm they say they do, doing background
checks to check for criminal records. The horse world is full of dishonesty
which ruins it for honest people that really care and always try to do the
right thing, such a shame. Just be very careful and get proof that your horse
is going to a good home, get more than a feeling because we promise you about
50% of the time when it comes to horses, your feeling that its a 'nice' person
or a 'good' person' is wrong. And even when you pick a good home, they can
turn around and sell or give away to a bad home.
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and
height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches and negative people pull
you down. People who like to cause trouble will shorten your life and make you
just like them... miserable.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening,
whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen.. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who
is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets,
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next
county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.
Every Dream Starts with a Single Step, Take Your Step Today!
Women from History Who Dared To Change the World (credit: O Magazine)
600 B.C. TO 200 B.C.: Tribes of statuesque women (and men) roam
the Eurasian steppes. The fearsome Amazons of myth? Not exactly. But
archeological evidence suggests that among these nomads, the women were the
warriors.
Circa 39: Dynamic sister duo Trung Trac and Trung Nhi amass a
Vietnamese army in a revolt against Chinese rule. For four years, they lead
the rebellion.
Circa 395: Fabiola, a Roman aristocrat whose divorce and subsequent
remarriage were condemned by Christian society, founds a hospital for the
poor and other outcasts of her city. It's likely one of the first hospitals
in the Western world.
Circa 1001: Murasaki Shikibu begins writing The Tale of Genji,
an epic portrait of court life (twice as long as War and Peace),
considered by many to be the greatest masterpiece of Japanese literature and
possibly the world's first novel.
1429: Peasant girl Joan of Arc commands the French army in a series
of victorious battles to liberate her homeland from the English; she is
burned at the stake for her trouble.
Circa 1579: Grace O'Malley, a swashbuckling Irish pirate known for
raiding ships, fights off an English government expedition sent to stop her.
Circa 1613: In her graphically violent painting Judith Slaying
Holofernes, Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi slays the ideal of
submissive womanhood: Her heroine is fierce, powerful, and ruthless.
1777: Teenager Sybil Ludington rides all night long through a storm
to alert the 400 men in her father's militia that the redcoats are coming.
She's called the female Paul Revere—but Paul rode with two of his buddies.
And he was captured by the British.
1805: Sacagawea joins Lewis and Clark as their expedition's
interpreter, traveling thousands of miles across the Rockies with her
newborn babe strapped to her back. Who says life ends when you have kids?
1814: As the British torch Washington, D.C., First Lady Dolley
Madison remains in the White House long enough to rescue historic
valuables—running out moments before the soldiers charge in.
1862: Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, just 19 and dressed as a man, enlists in
the Union Army. In a letter home, she assures: "I don't fear the rebel
bullets nor I don't fear the cannon."
1867: Ida Lewis rescues three drowning men from wind-whipped swells
in Newport Harbor. Then she rows back to save their sheep. Ida later
becomes the country's first female lighthouse keeper.
1872: Victoria Claflin Woodhull becomes the first woman to run for
president. A colorful candidate, she advocates for free love.
1906: Madam C.J. Walker hawks shampoos and serums door-to-door. The
orphaned daughter of former slaves, she becomes one of America's
wealthiest businesswomen.
1912: Astronomer Henrietta Swan Leavitt discovers the
period-luminosity relationship (later used to calculate the distances
between Earth and the stars).
1914: Barnstorming adrenaline junkie Georgia "Tiny" Broadwick makes
the first-ever free fall from a plane.
1916: In a tenement neighborhood in Brooklyn, Margaret Sanger opens
the doors of the country's first birth control clinic. Outside at least
150 women are waiting.
1916: Movie star Mary Pickford insists on becoming her own
producer. America's Sweetheart is no sucker.
1937: Amelia Earhart disappears on the ultimate adventure—her
attempt to fly around the globe. In a note to her husband, she explains:
"I want to do it because I want to do it."
1938: Anna Mary Robertson Moses sells her first paintings, at age
78. Known as "Grandma" Moses, she continues to paint for 23 years,
becoming one of the century's most renowned folk artists.
1941: Protofeminist superhero Wonder Woman first appears in a comic
book, fighting off Fascists in star-spangled hot pants.
1946: Super-geekette Dorothy Hodgkin cracks penicillin's chemical
makeup with an X-ray crystallographer. (Eighteen years later she'll earn
the Nobel Prize.)
1953: Jackie Cochran flies an F-86 Sabre jet through the sound
barrier. She learned to fly so she could travel around selling cosmetics,
but it turns out trashing speed records is a lot more fun.
1959: On the edge of the Serengeti Plain, Mary Leakey digs up and
pieces together a 1.7-million-year-old hominid skull, one of the most
important finds in the history of archeology.
1960: At the Rome Olympics, Wilma Rudolph (left)—once partially
paralyzed by polio—earns three gold medals in track-and-field, the first
American woman to do so.
1963: Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first female
to fly a spacecraft around the globe.
1967: Kathrine Switzer dares to run the all-male Boston Marathon,
while an irate race official chases her.
1981: Alexa Canady becomes the first black female neurosurgeon in the
United States.
1985: Just 175 miles from the Iditarod finish line, Libby Riddles
heads into a blizzard when other mushers opt to stay in camp; this gives her
a six-hour lead and, ultimately, the win.
1989: Performance artist Karen Finley smears her body with chocolate
to illustrate that women are treated like, you know, dirt. The National
Endowment for the Arts rescinds her funding, but she ultimately gets it
back.
2005: Roz Savage quits her corporate job, leaves her unraveling
marriage, and rows across the Atlantic by herself. Midlife crisis averted.
2008: Sandra Andersen, a barista at a Starbucks in Tacoma,
Washington, learns that one of her customers needs a kidney to live. So she
gives the woman hers.
2009: Navigator Ann Daniels leads the Catlin Arctic Survey, a 74-day
journey from the Arctic Ocean to the North Pole to measure the thickness of
sea ice.
************************************** The Warmth
of A Horse
When your day seems out balance...
and so many things go wrong ...
When people fight around you
and the clock drags on so long ...
When some folks act like children
and fill you with remorse ...
Go out into your pasture and wrap
your arms around your horse.
His gentle breath enfolds you as he
watches with those eyes ...
He may not have a PhD but he
is, oh so wise!
His head rests on your shoulder
you hug him good and tight ...
He puts your world in balance
and makes it seem all right.
Your tears will soon stop flowing,
the tension will be eased ...
The nonsense has been lifted.
You are quiet and at peace.
So when you need some balance
from the stresses in your day ...
The therapy you really need
Is out there eating hay!
| | 
WHAT TO DO ABOUT ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN
YOUR AREA
Make humanity gentle or reasonable towards animals, and strife or injustice
between human beings would speedily terminate.” - Dr. Edward Mayhew
|
Our response to another rescue as to why we take horses here even when we
are struggling to cover all our costs.... this is our response. Do we let
them die? This is why people need to support us, we are needed so badly in
this state. Horses are dying in bad homes all over this country and no one
is being prosecuted, horses are not being saved in most cases.
WV is not PA, most people in this area does not work, no one has money,
they live off the government, 60% of the county is disabled or at least
pretending to be to get money, the other 40% has babies to get more money
from the government. This owner has been trying to give away her horses
for 2 months and no one took them.
If she calls the police to take them, they send them to auction to only be
sent to slaughter because no one but meat buyers buys horses in this area.
In this county in most situations they just leave the horses to die. Even
if I send these horses off to another rescue, it will be better than
sitting here and dying in her care or being sent to slaughter.
You would be better off not to judge people when you don't know the whole
situation. here is a picture of dead horses the animal control officer
found in this county, Doddridge County, she went back to tell the sheriff
and the prosecutor and they never even went to see the owner and I
believe, he is still killing horses... they do not care here at all.
These cases never happen when you are sitting there fat dump and happy
with a pocket full of money, it does not happen that way, in fact most
happen when you're broke but you do the right thing for these horses
anyway.
We can not depend on the authorities to do the right thing, you can't
even depend on most of the people in this area to do the right thing for
these animals.... they are rednecks who only think of themselves. Honestly
the rest of the country is not that different either. I've filed criminal
complaints in many many states for neglect of our adoption horses and they
have never ever done anything to an adopter. And people wonder why our
adoption agreement is so strong and why I get so nutsy over not getting an
annual update on our horses.
you don't have a clue about this area and just how bad the problems are,
the best thing I can do for these horses is to pass them off to another
rescue or if I can get them trained and get them the heck out of here that
would be even better because I can find them a good home if they are
trained but you're making a very bad assumption that I don't have feed
because that is not what I was saying, we always have feed, right now we
have a ton of grain and over 400 bales and if anything our horses get over
fed, not under fed but our place is 150% better than anything that will
happen to horses around here and I will not let horses sit here and die or
be neglected. She called me and told me she had 2 bales of hay and no
money and she had 8 horses, I took 4 of them, the rest I saw go down the
road on a flat bed home made trailer, probably going to auction.
And besides, do you have all the money you need to cover every horses
expenses for the entire time you have it before it even comes in.... I
don't think so and if that were the criteria, no rescue would ever take a
horse. Don't judge me and my situation unless you know everything. Let me
just show you just a hand full of the neglect cases we dealt with in this
state just last year... only one horse from all these were removed, not
one owner was prosecuted... this is just how bad the problem is. do you
honestly want these horses that we just accepted to end up like this?
Trust me, if I ever get to the point where I can not feed the horses you
will hear me screaming bloody murder for someone to pick them up and this
is why we ask for help so we never get into that situation... take a good
look at these pictures and you tell me to not take any horses....
this horse is actually still alive and the sheriff told the neighbor that
the horse was resting, that was a thursday, the sheriff came back on the
next Tuesday just to make sure the horse had died... they did not even
want to pay for a vet to come and put this poor horse our of its misery.
this took nearly 2000. in surgeries, nearly 2 years of rehab and its
still not right completely and not a penny was asked of the owner, he was
not prosecuted and there is a state law that says you will call a vet in
for injury. I sent these horses to ERL in VA because I felt that I could
not take them on at the time they came to me.
i think this horse died at the owners home, the police never did
anything. these horses were actually hidden from us by the animal control
officer in this county because they knew we would report it. we talked the
owner out of two of them, they rest are probably dead now. abandoned at a
strip mine for 2 years we were reporting this guy and nothing was ever
done until they found him with dead horses all over his farm, I still
don't think he was ever prosecuted. starved by one of our adopters in WV,
I filed a criminal complaint and the police only went out there once and
closed the case, they did not even ask for proof of buying feed.... she
had only had the horse for 2 months and she starved our other horse to
death.
all the county did here was go in and bury the horses, no prosecution at
all, not even charged here are the pictures of the horses that died with
the man we had been reporting for two years... the police don't listen,
they don't care.
|
 West Virginia neglect this horse
is actually still alive and the sheriff told the neighbor that the horse
was resting, that was a thursday, the sheriff came back on the next
Tuesday just to make sure the horse had died... they did not even want to
pay for a vet to come and put this poor horse our of its misery. there
were other horses on this farm that were down and dying, nothing was ever
done!
|
 WV
neglect
I sent these horses to ERL in VA because I felt that I could not take
them on at the time they came to me. |
 WV
neglect
these horses were actually hidden from us by the animal control officer
in this county because they knew we would report it. we talked the owner out
of two of them and both are now in a great home, they rest are probably dead
now. (to see these two horses go to our rescue page to see before and after
pics) |
 WV
neglectfor 2 years we were reporting this guy and nothing was ever done
until they found him with dead horses all over his farm and on his road
where he dumped them, I still don't think he was ever prosecuted. |
 WV neglect
all the county did here was go in and bury the horses, no prosecution at
all, not even charged |
 WV neglect
 this took nearly 2000. in surgeries,
nearly 2 years of rehab and its still not right completely and not a penny
was asked of the owner, he was not prosecuted and there is a state law that
says you will call a vet in for injury. he was starved and injured, (go to
our rescue page to see his before and after pics) |
 WV neglect
i think this horse died at the owners home, the police never did
anything. |
.jpg)
WV neglectabandoned at a strip mine, we took him in and he's now in a
great home and he's healthy and beautiful (see this horse on our rescue page
to see his before and after pics) |
 WV neglectstarved by
one of our adopters in WV, I filed a criminal complaint and the police only
went out there once and closed the case, they did not even ask for proof of
buying feed.... she had only had the horse for 2 months and she starved our
other horse to death. |
 WV neglect here are
the pictures of the horses that died with the man we had been reporting for
two years... the police don't listen, they don't care. THEY DON'T DO
ANYTHING, THEY DON'T PROSECUTE FOR CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS
more neglect cases where no one was ever charged....
 WV, (see this horse on our rescue
page to see his before and after pics)
 WV, (see this horse on our rescue
page to see his before and after pics)
 WV
 TN, a foster of ours starved this
horse, she is a large animal vet tech, on the TN horse council and worked
for a large animal vet, two weeks prior to finding out he was starved and
covered in rain rot she told me he was doing 'fine'. I contacted the vet she
worked for, filed a criminal complaint and contacted the TN horse council
and nothing ever happened to her. She had not fed him anything but hay all
winter long and it was a hard winter in TN, when we picked him up our vet
said he would not have lived another 3 months. (see this horse on our rescue
page to see his before and after pics)
TN, this woman had 45 horses on 2 acres, throwing them alfalfa cubes out to
them, no water anywhere, a hoarder, it took us 4 years of reporting her and
calling the authorities to finally get her put in jail and she only got 90
days and can't own horses for 7 years... she had a trail of boarding
facilities, farriers, vets, feed stores, transporters that she did not pay
and all she did was keep filing bankruptcy and giving her family her assets.
years of neglect and abuse.
 PA neglect case
PA, starved by an adopter, a Phd, a university professor in PA, she
called him to have him return and said he was fine but he was not working
out for her husband and that he could not even ride him, she said he was
fine to be placed from her location, so we did that, when he got to his home
in SC this is what we found. No wonder her husband could not handle him, no
horse is going to stand to be ridden like this. We filed criminal
complaints, the police went out and they did nothing, closed the case. We
made her pay $1500. to get him healthy again just to stay out of court and a
civil case. he had rainrot so bad he had pus all over his back. this is what
he looked like when he went to her...
.JPG) Indiana,
our adoption horses starved, the adopter had these horses for between 5 and
7 years and they were fine, then she went through a divorce and stopped
feeding them, it had nothing to do with money, we think it was her husband
that took care of her horses, she had a very good job. We took back our
horses, the state vet was called and the animal control officer, they never
did anything and didn't take the two other horses she had that were also
starved, we don't know if the others have survived the neglect. We are in
the middle of filing civil complaints for the costs of getting our horses
healthy again.
.JPG) WV, an
adopter starved our horse, we removed him and filed criminal complaints,
nothing was done, we are in the middle of filing a civil case for the money
it took to get him healthy again. He's better and in a new home now ... but
if we had not been there he would have starved to death like so so many
other horses that are sold, given away and bred every year.
 if this horse
would have been bought and not adopted he would be dead right now because no
one is watching and no one is doing anything to protect them. this is why we
exist, this is why we take horses even when we are struggling because in
many cases if we don't, the horse will be dead and no one will do anything
about it.
If you are a breeder, if you have sold a horse or sell horses, if you
have horses being leased.... many are being neglected or starved to death
and the only way you can know any different is to actually get in your car
and go see the horse because the person will not tell you the truth about
the condition of the horse. This is why we harp on safe selling agreements
so you can take the horse if its not being cared for. Don't just assume
because the person is rich or smart, or nice that they are caring for your
horse.... its just not true. YOUR HORSE DEPENDS ON YOU TO SCREEN
BUYERS/ADOPTERS AND THEY DEPEND ON YOU WITH THEIR LIFE TO WATCH THEM IN
THEIR NEW HOME.
VETS WILL NOT REPORT NEGLECT WITH THEIR CLIENTS, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT
TO LOSE THE MONEY OR THE CUSTOMER... YES, ITS TRUE, I'VE SEEN THIS SEVERAL
TIMES... I guess that should not surprise us since many vets are also
Pro-Slaughter. |
I'm in a fire fight here, a battle to protect horses, a battle that the
horses are losing and no one seems to care, the authorities just let it happen,
so if you can't help then don't just email me and piss and moan, get out of my
way and let me do what I think I can do to help. Have a nice day.
Cruelty to animals is illegal in every state and should not be tolerated or
overlooked. CSS/SWAP shares your concern about animal cruelty situations.
Since you may be the only voice and the only hope for a mistreated or neglected
animal, please report cruelty or neglect of any animal as soon as possible (you
can usually remain anonymous if you prefer). In your area, please contact your
local animal protection/welfare organizations for assistance (if they can’t help
the animal, ask them to refer you to a group that can).
We recommend that you contact any or all
of the following to advise them of the facts you have conveyed to us. While we
realize that you may have contacted some of these entities already, sometimes it
takes more than a few calls or complaints to get a response, and again, we urge
you to be persistent.
1) For concerns about zoos, pet stores,
breeders, puppy mills, or kennels, please contact the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. You can contact their headquarters at (301) 734-7833, go to their
website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov or e-mail them at ace@aphis.usda.gov.
They will direct you to the appropriate regional department where you will be
asked to submit your complaint in writing.
2) For concerns about farm animals,
contact Farm Sanctuary, an organization devoted to improving the conditions for
farm animals, headquartered in New York (607-583-2225) and California, at
(530-865-4617); or the Humane Farming Association at (415) 485-1495/ www.hfa.org.
3) For concerns involving horses, please
contact the American Horse Protection Association at 202-965-0500. The Hooved
Animal Humane Society at is also a good choice. They can be reached at
815-337-5563 or
www.HAHS.org .
4) Your local Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and/or Humane Society (which may have
the power to enforce animal cruelty laws in your area): If you would like a
complete listing of animal welfare/protection organizations in your city/state
to contact, please visit to www.aspca.org, and click on “How to Report
Cruelty.” You may also call us at 212-876-7700, x4650.
5) The city/county Health Department/Board
of Health (because abuse of animals often involves unsafe or unsanitary
conditions for humans);
6) Your local law enforcement officials;
and/or the law enforcement officials in the county where
the horse is located.
7) Local media organizations. Often your
local news channel or newspaper will be interested in doing a story on a
particular issue involving cruelty or neglect. We have heard about many
successful outcomes for abused animals after local media became involved in the
coverage of the story.
For attorney referral, we suggest that you
contact The Animal Legal Defense Fund (707) 769-7771 or go to www.aldf.org,
and click on Legal Information or your state bar association.
The most
important thing to know is that most states do not have any laws that govern
the minimum care of large animals. Which means if a person owns an animal in most
states, they can literally do anything they want to it and it will not be
against the law. The most import thing anyone can do is make sure they
have the laws in their state in place, otherwise you can call the police all you
want, if its not against the law, the person will never be prosecuted and the
animals will never be taken away.
The first
place to start is to get laws written on your state books that protects large
animals, at least something that says they have to be fed according to the
animals needs and they have to have fresh water. Going to Legislative sessions
in your state and writing the laws you want to see put into effect and then
sitting down with your local legislative representative. Having the backing of
your State Horse Council helps.
Remember
regardless of whether you are talking abut a local abuse case in your city or
county or the state laws, you have strength in numbers. Petitions signed by
thousands of voters do change the laws. 50 people calling the local sheriff has
much more influence than one person calling when someone is starving their
animals. Get every friend, animal lover and horse person you know involved.
I know
this seems like a lot of work, it is, but we have to fight for the things that
can not fight for themselves and animals are definitely defenseless.
Here's
are the link and the state laws on animals abuse:
http://www.animal-law.org/statutes/index.html
(go here to see the updated laws before using these for litigation)
Animal Rights Law
Anti-Cruelty Statutes
|
What to do if you have a local abuse, neglect, over use
and miss use case, or even a person in your area that is the worst kind of
abuser, the horse trader that lies and cheats people, hurting animals to make
sales:
- Before this even happens, look at your state laws and push toward
getting better protection for the animals in your state.
- Attempt to talk to the owner of the animal in a polite, respectful
manner. If you have the funds see if they will sell you the animal or give it
to you to allow you to bring it back to health and find it a home. They
probably won't as many abusers are collectors and hoarders, which means they
continue to get more and more animals they can not care for but they won't let
them go either so the problem just gets worse and worse.
- Don't break the law by trespassing, don't threaten or accuse anyone,
don't become abusive to the person, it won't help the animal.
- Don't be scared to get involved and express yourself, you are in the
right and protecting an animal that can not protect itself.
- If possible, get good quality pictures of the animal from all sides in
the sun light of day,
the environment, the lack of room, the lack of feed, the lack of water, the
general condition of the animal.
- Keep records of everything. Remember everything must be proved in
either a court of law or to the sheriff and detectives if it is criminal.
Without logical records and proof nothing can be done.
- Contact your local sheriff (county or city). Have all your friends
contact the sheriff too, remember there are strength in numbers. Keep calling
until they do something.
- Start a petition requiring something be done about the problem and sit
in town for a week and get all the local voters to sign it.
- Contact your local ASPCA, local Humane Society, animal control or dog
shelter in your city or county. Many are tied in with the authorities and have
the right to go check on animals with the authorities, they also know about
records keeping in abuse cases.
- Contact your state Horse Council, part of their mission or charter
should be to protect the animals within their state.
- Contact any local or state wide equine rescue or adoption
organizations, even the small animal organizations. They may know the
authorities personally.
- Contact your state vet at the Department of Agriculture to make a
formal complaint.
- Contact a city or county vet (a vet must be involved in making an
opinion about abuse, neglect, miss use or over use, without that no court
system will listen to you).
- Contact the local paper, TV station for news coverage of the problem.
Many cities now have reporting for the people, like 'channel 5 on your side',
etc.
- File a criminal complaint with the county sheriff, animal control or
county criminal detectives if its abuse or neglect or if an animal has died or
is about to die. This is your right if you think a crime has been committed.
Make a written complaint even if your state laws don't cover it.
- Contact some of the national organizations for support, such as:
- The American Horse Council
http://www.horsecouncil.org/
- Hooved Animal Humane Socity
http://www.hahs.org/
- American Horse Protection Association
http://equineprotectionnetwork.com
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
http://www.peta.org/ This
organization with work with local authorities and the abuser to do the best
thing for the animal.
- Don't give up. Persistence is key in these things. Sometimes they go on
for years. Sometimes the first couple of offenders get away but eventually
these things take hold in a community if people stay strong.
- Now about the Horse Trader that is frauding people and hurting
horses to make money. Horse Traders that drug horses and lie about ages
and capabilities of the horse, not only put the horse in danger but the rider
as well. Fraud is against the law, taking money under false pretenses is as
well. Changing State Coggins papers or Vet records is also against the law. Do
not let these things go on without at least making a criminal complaint in
writing to the police department where the crime was committed. After
so long the police have to do something about it. Just like our fraud case in
South Carolina, over 18 years of frauding people selling horses and no one
ever made a police complaint until last year. Robin Hollingsworth (or what
ever she's calling herself now) is going to jail, its just a matter of time.
- If someone has taken a horse from you and not lived up to the contract
with you, even a verbal one it could be a civil matter (and its very easy to
file in a small claims court and you do not need a lawyer to do that)
but could also be criminal, if they have abused or neglected, hurt the animal.
If they have sold it to someone else and lied to them, then that is taking
money under false pretenses and that is a crime.
- Information you need to be able
to pass along to authorities, horse councils and humane societies:
1. Your complete contact information (please know that your anonymity is 100%
guaranteed).
2. An exact address, city, county, and state where these horses are located.
If you know the name of the owner and facility/establishment, please provide
that as well.
3. What are your specific concerns for the animals on this property today? How
many animals are there and what kind of condition are they in? Are all of them
underweight?
4. Have you recently contacted local humane or law-enforcement agencies
regarding your concerns yet? If so, which agencies and what has their response
been? I’d love to make follow-up phone calls to them.
Unfortunately, none of these
things are against the law:
| Manes and tails have tangles in
them. (There is no law against not grooming your horse) |
| Vaccinations are not given or
are not current. (The law does not consider it abusive not to vaccinate your
horse) |
| Horses have worms. (Our
inspectors can not do fecal exams, so we have no use for this information and
there is no law stating that horses must be wormed on any set schedule, or
ever). |
| Shelter is in disrepair. (This
would only be pertinent in describing the property to help our inspectors
locate the property.) |
| Incidents of abuse, neglect, or
cruelty that are not currently going on, unless charges were filed by law
enforcement in the past and the abuser was convicted or officially cited (got
a ticket for it). |
| Abuser is seeking to breed a
malnourished mare. (The law has no specifications for a minimum weight prior
to breeding a mare) |
Abuse
and Neglect
Unfortunately, abuse and neglect are a way of life for
many horses in the United States. SWAP works with Animal Control agencies to
provide shelter for horses they have seized as part of an animal cruelty
case.
|
Reporting Abuse and Neglect
You must contact the Animal Control or Sheriff's
department in the county where the equine is located. Some of these agencies
do not have a great deal of experience with large animals, or a place to
shelter horses. Be prepared to provide the information on our Neglect Reporting Form.
Please advise them that SWAP is available to transport and shelter seized
equine at no cost to their county. This may make a difference in the way
they handle the case.
If you can't find your local animal control, or can't get a response,
please fill out our
Neglect Reporting Form. If we have any questions about the neglect we
will contact you. Thanks you for your understanding and concern! |
|
Equine rescue and welfare is a subject close to the hearts of horse
lovers. Here are real-life experiences and solutions, as well as
information about the professional organizations to call on for help in
cases of equine abuse and neglect.
|
Microchip Your Horse for Foolproof ID
It's painless, invisible, permanent, inexpensive and tamper-resistant:
electronic microchip identification for your horse. Written by Sandra
Cooke for Practical Horseman magazine.
|
Horse Rescue 101: How and When to Take Action
That skin-and-bones horse in the junky pasture down the street is
obviously ill-cared for. But is it neglect? Abuse? And if so, how
should you handle it? We tell you when and how to safely step in-and
how to avoid legal pitfalls. By Karen E. N. Hayes for EQUUS
magazine.
|
USRider's Large Animal Rescue Video a Success
August 14, 2003 -- The video is designed to increase awareness of the
need to correct rescue training among emergency medical technicians,
law enforcement officials, horse associations, and other related
groups.
|
 |
Henneke Body Condition Scoring System for
Horses
(used by vets, rescues
and programs like ours to evaluate a horses condition)
TABLE 1: Description of individual condition scores
| Score |
Description |
| 1. |
Poor |
Animal extremely emaciated. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber
coxae and ischii projecting prominently. Bone structure of withers,
shoulders and neck easily noticeable. No fatty tissue can be felt |
| 2. |
Very thin |
Animal emaciated. Slight fat covering over base of spinous
processes, transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded.
Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae and ischii prominent.
Withers, shoulders and neck structures faintly discernable |
| 3. |
Thin |
Fat build up about halfway on spinous processes, transverse
processes cannot be felt. Slight fat cover over ribs. Spinous processes
and ribs easily discernable. Tailhead prominent, but individual
vertebrae cannot be visually identified. Tuber coxae appear rounded, but
easily discernable. Tuber ischii not distinguishable. Withers, shoulders
and neck accentuated |
| 4. |
Moderately thin |
Negative crease along back. Faint outline of nbs thin discernable.
Tailhead prominence depends on con formation, fat can be felt around it.
Tuber coxae not discernable. Withers, shoulders and neck not obviously
thin |
| 5. |
Moderate |
Back level. Ribs cannot be visually distinguished but can be easily
felt. Fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy. Withers appear
rounded over spinous processes. Shoulders and neck blend smoothly into
body |
| 6. |
Moderately fleshy |
May have slight crease down back. Fat over ribs fleshy feels spongy.
Fat around tailhead feels soft. Fat beginning to be deposited along the
side of the withers, behind the shoulders and along the sides of the
neck |
| 7. |
Fleshy |
May have crease down back. Individual ribs can be felt, but
noticeable filling between ribs with fat. Fat around tailhead is soft.
Fat deposited along withers, behind shoulders and along the neck |
| 8. |
Fat |
Crease down back. Difficult to feel ribs. Fat around tailhead very
soft. Area along withers filled with fat. Area behind shoulder filled
with fat. Noticeable thickening of neck. Fat deposited along inner
thighs |
| 9. |
Extremely fat |
Obvious crease down back. Patchy fat appearing over ribs. Bulging
fat around tailhead, along withers, behind shoulders and along neck. Fat
along inner thighs may rub together. Flank filled with fat |
This method of evaluating body condition in horses was first published in
1983. Since then it has come to be a widely used tool for veterinarians,
animal protection and law enforcement needs, and for horse owners. Easily
learned, the method has been applied to miniatures, ponies, draft horses,
racers, and brood mares.
References
Henneke, D. R. (1981) Body condition and reproductive efficiency of
mares. PhD thesis. Texas A & M University, College Station.
Westervelt, R. G., Stouffer, J. R., Hintz, H. F. and Schryver, H. F.
(1976) Estimating fatness in horses and ponies. J. Anim. Sci. 43, 781.
|
Article Archives
To Report or Not to Report: Is That the
Question?
More often
than not, neglect can be resolved by education, assistance and
support; reporting should be reserved for abuse situations and for
those given the opportunity to correct or amend a neglect situation
that have chosen to consciously ignore these efforts. |
By
Kimball Lewis
Overview
The
relationship between veterinarian and 'patient' is unique in more ways
than one might think. Recognizing that we are looking at this
relationship as it pertains to the reporting and/or investigation of
alleged neglect and abuse, there are some key elements to consider.
When we look
at human victims of rape, assault, neglect or other forms of abuse there
are, more often than not, first- or second-hand accounts – by the
victims or others - of the events leading up to or surrounding the act.
Whereas in the case of animal abuse or neglect, unless someone has
witnessed the act and reports it to the authorities, the victim can
never verbalize what actually transpired. More often than not this means
that unless the owner of the animal or a witness reports the crime, it
will never be discovered. No starving horse, no abused dog, no tortured
cat has ever picked up the phone and asked for help. There must be, in
each and every case, a person who steps forward to advocate for the
animal. And since owners are often the ones inflicting the neglect or
abuse and witnesses only observe a fraction of the actual cases, this
places the veterinarian in a very unique posture. The veterinarian might
well be the only hope, the last line of defense for a creature that
cannot speak for itself.
Law
enforcement agencies and physicians have struggled with the issue of
doctor-patient confidentiality on such issues as rape, incest, child
neglect and family matters for decades. Only during recent times have
roles and responsibilities become more clearly defined. Still, there
remains broad latitude and interpretation of reporting laws from state
to state and between the US and Canada.
ER Physicians
Initially Concerned
One obvious
concern among emergency room physicians was the potential to discourage
people from seeking treatment if the patient, patient-guardian or spouse
knew beforehand that law enforcement or social services would become
involved post treatment. Indeed, there exists still today, a reluctance
among some patients, guardians, spouses, etc. to bring a patient in for
an injury or illness if they perceive that officials may scrutinize
them. Horror stories of accidents being interpreted as intentional abuse
are still recounted in modern society. Recently, a Michigan father
delayed seeking treatment for his son who had suffered a broken arm. In
a subsequent interview with the child’s father, he related that his
estranged wife had often threatened to accuse him of abuse as a leverage
mechanism in their ongoing court battle over custody for the child.
Ironically, the father realized a self-fulfilling prophecy as his delay
in seeking treatment for his son saw him charged with neglect.
Mandatory
Reporting by Veterinarians
During
recent years, several state, provincial and regional governments have
grappled with the concept of requiring mandatory reporting of veterinary
concerns. The American Veterinary Medical Association Model Veterinary
Practice Act includes the reporting of known or suspected cruelty to
animals, animal abuse, or animal neglect as defined by law. But there is
a vast difference between mandatory reporting and suggested reporting.
As of 1997, mandated reporting of animal abuse was required in
Minnesota, West Virginia and Quebec, Canada. A call to the Alberta SPCA
Enforcement Division suggests that veterinary professionals are
“expected to report” but not mandated by law.
Liability and
Client Privacy Concerns
Like their
human physician counterparts, veterinarians are concerned about a host
of issues pertaining to mandatory reporting. Perhaps the biggest legal
obstacle is the threat of civil action by the owner of the animal. Loss
of business or a “bad rep” in the community were also cited as concerns.
In California, Arizona, Idaho and West Virginia veterinarians are
protected from civil litigation under state law. These laws indemnify
the veterinary professional for “good faith reporting”. Indeed, many
more veterinarians surveyed have indicated they would report abuse more
often if they felt protected by law.
In an
interesting twist, veterinarians in Colorado and California are mandated
reporters of child abuse but not animal abuse. But why would a
veterinary clinic be a mandated reporter of child abuse? Simply put,
there is an undeniable link in the pattern of violence against people
and animals. It is a proven fact that persons who commit acts of abuse
against animals are much more likely to do the same to people and while
it may be ironic or even confusing to require a veterinarian to report
child abuse and not animal abuse, these laws, policies and suggestions
all point toward a society that is becoming increasingly aware and
proactive about the humane treatment of animals.
Is there a pat
answer?
If common
sense could be legislated, all of society's ills would be resolved with
the stroke of a pen. We could eliminate unnecessary, cumbersome laws
with the signing of one simple law mandating common sense.
Unfortunately, we have swung the pendulum far beyond the point of recall
and common sense will never be enacted as a law. Nonetheless,
veterinarians are, for the most part, still free to exercise common
sense when attending to their daily practice. In effect, veterinarians
should resolve to “do the right thing” within reason and common sense.
It is
speculated that during the next decade, most states and provinces will
enact some form of mandatory reporting. This makes reporting compulsory
and may take any latitude of discretion away from the doctor. In this
scenario, there is a potential for innocent lives to be ruined on both
sides of the fence. It is important that we understand the mechanics of
abuse and neglect to better understand reporting.
Mechanics of
Abuse and Neglect.
A.
Abuse-Reporting
The difference
between abuse and neglect is more than semantics. Recognizing these
differences is as important as understanding the mechanics between the
two.
Intentional
abuse is just that. The word “intent” denotes that the act was done in a
purposeful manner and was no act of omission nor was it born out of
ignorance or neglect. Neglect cases outnumber abuse cases by a ratio of
10-1. Still, any investigator will tell you that they can recall, in
great detail, nearly every abuse case they have handled while neglect
cases are a blend of owner ignorance and financially motivated woes.
Stabbing, hanging, lighting on fire and other unimaginable forms of
torment are commonplace in abuse investigations. Virtually every serial
killer apprehended during the past century had some history of animal
abuse in his or her criminal history.
Animal abuse
and domestic violence as well as collateral family violence go hand in
hand. This is exactly the reason why Colorado authorities mandate that
both animal control officers and veterinarians report child abuse.
Authorities recognize that these two groups of professionals are often
exposed to episodes of animal abuse and therefore, are likely to witness
some other evidence of family violence such as child abuse. There should
be no question in anyone’s mind as to the importance of reporting
intentional abuse.
B.
Neglect-Reporting
Animal neglect
is not as neatly packaged as abuse. Neglect can mean a variety of
things. Most obvious are:
1. Failure to
provide adequate shelter
2. Failure to provide necessary sustenance, which might include food or
water.
3. Failure to provide veterinary care for an existing illness or injury.
The reasons
for animal neglect are even more open to interpretation. During the
course of my career as a state investigator, special agent and director
of two of the largest animal enforcement agencies in the US it is
estimated that I processed, investigated or otherwise supervised more
than 10,000 neglect and abuse investigations. My first- and second-hand
knowledge of these cases makes me absolutely qualified to offer the
following patterns in a factual rather than simply anecdotal fashion.
Causes for animal neglect in order of occurrence are:
1. Owner
ignorance - basic lack of understanding of the needs of that particular
animal
2. Financial - bankruptcy, loss of work, divorce, overspending and
general lack of resources
3. Plain apathy - laziness, lack of moral discipline. Instant
gratification society means instant divestiture society. Easy come, easy
go etc. These are the kind of people that would rather sit on the couch
with a six-pack than show up at an absolutely free spay and neuter
clinic. Too lazy to drive to the vet, pick up hay, clean stalls etc.
4. Narcotics abuse - substance addiction, alcoholism
5. Domestic violence - husband cuts off pets to punish spouse, father
won’t feed dog to punish child, etc.
Because of the diverse scenarios behind neglect, reporting by the
veterinary community requires equally diverse discretion and therefore
would be dangerous to legislate. More often than not, neglect can be
resolved by education, assistance and support. Understanding and
programs aimed at helping those in need are the absolute best recourse
for these situations. Reporting should be reserved for those given the
opportunity to correct or amend a neglect situation that have chosen to
consciously ignore these efforts.
Too many
humane organizations and animal rights groups place their emphasis
strictly toward saving or helping pets when it is the animal steward or
owner that programs should be aimed at helping. In effect, help the
owner and you help the pet.
One
exception to this, however, might be exigent circumstances cases. In
1999 I received a call from a well-known and respected equine
veterinarian. He had been called to a barn for the first time to treat a
horse that was down. Upon his arrival he observed a 7-year-old gelding,
which was subsequently scored at a 1.5 on the Henneke
scale. The horse was in an advanced state of wasting and needed to be euthanized.
A field necropsy and subsequent laboratory tests confirmed starvation as
the primary factor for the horse's condition. Other horses at the barn
were also scored at between 2 and 3.0. Several horses were seized and
the owner, a drug addict, subsequently convicted.
The dilemma
that arose was this:
Should the veterinarian, when summoned to the barn to help horses, and
upon his observation of these horses observe an advanced state of
neglect, notify authorities? And what is his liability? After all, he
was summoned there by the same people he subsequently reported.
It is
reasonable and prudent for a veterinary professional to step forward and
advocate for animals in dire need and it is necessary for veterinarians
to report any and every case of intentional abuse. Veterinarians should
be allowed some latitude when reporting neglect, but horses found in an
advanced state of neglect, when the neglect is clearly severe or
intentional, even when it is the owner/caretaker who summons the
veterinarian, should be reported.
In cases of
owner ignorance, reporting should be a last-resort option for the
veterinarian. Everyone wins when people and communities come together to
educate and assist those who have allowed neglect to occur through
misunderstanding or lack of proper skills. However, when it is obvious
that any reasonable or prudent owner could be taking remedial steps and
they choose not to, the veterinary professional should elect to summon a
responsible agency to investigate, whether it is the owner/caretaker or
someone else who summoned the veterinarian.
Any
animal owner, caretaker or admirer can help stop abuse and neglect by
recognizing and reporting it. To help recognize equine abuse and
neglect, one can become familiar with the Henneke
Body Scoring guidelines, and contact the local animal protection
organizations or humane societies for information. Suspected abuse and
neglect cases can be reported to these organizations, to the state
Department of Agriculture Equine Services Division, or to the local
sheriff or police. |
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this is an example of a form to report abuse or neglect, either copy and
paste this on a piece of paper or type out this information and give it to the
sheriff of the county where the horses are located. Also send a copy to PETA in
an email at sbell@peta.org Stephanie Bell
can get you in touch with regional animal welfare representatives who will work
with you and your county sheriff in making sure state welfare laws are followed.
Abuse and Neglect Form
Notes:
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Best of 2011
-Foster Mom of the Year, Lydia
Millner, we didn’t have
a lot of horses in foster homes this year but Lydia was so
different from most fosters who want a certain horse or a
certain capability and only want it for the summer. Lydia
called and offered to help by taking any horse for the
winter, now that is a foster mom that all programs dream
about having. Someone who is more concerned about helping
any horse in need than thinking of themselves she even paid
to ship him to her place, what selfless devotion to helping
a horse that would have never had a chance without us and
her. Lydia is fostering Aargon for the winter and is
focusing on helping him become an even better horse, he’s
not just going there and sitting in a field, she’s handling
him every day and this will end up really helping this horse
find a great home and help him be success in that home. I
would give my right arm to have more fosters like her.
-Adopter Update of the Year, Pony
Pastures along with
all their students that are our adopters!! What can you say,
with all their SWAP horses and many of their students with
our horses and all the pictures we get all through the year
on facebook… we have no doubt what a great home they are all
in. Nothing like constant updates, we love it and the
pictures of the kids and horses are priceless. We are so
thrilled to have found Pony Pastures, they have become a
SWAP East helping us find horses homes and putting the word
out about our work. What great adopters, every one of them.
-Best All Around Volunteer,
Ellen Mitchell, Esq.…. Anyone who will drive 12 hours
one way about every 3 months to spend a weekend to clean
stalls and troughs and sit all day helping with inventory in
the SWAP store, plus donating funds to the feed fund,
donating stuff for the SWAP store, donating her legal
expertise on different issues deserves much more than this
recognition. Ellen has gone above and beyond the call of
duty and asks nothing in return but the chance to help a
horse in need. We are so praying to keep her around for a
long time and begging for more like her this year!!
-Best Fund Raisers of the Year,
Delaware Harness Racing Golf Tournament for SWAP, the
Ring Raffle Sponsored by Faye York and The Donor Challenge
by Sherry Galt and all the donors that accepted her
challenge. We can thank these three fund raisers for our
continued existence. The golf tournament paid for all of our
hay, the Ring Raffle paid the farm mortgage for 10 months
and the Challenge continues to help us pay for feed, farrier,
vet and monthly expenses. Shew, what do you say to people
that saved your life and the lives of so many animals that
we helped this year and the years to come. Reminds us all to
have the faith of a child that there are good people out
there that really care and when help is so badly needed,
help comes when you’re heart and work is in the right place.
-Best All Around Supporters:
We had so many that helped this year that its hard to pick
out of handful but Dale Ames, David Ferrell, Jim Gerchow,
Chip Copper, George & Tina Dennis along with so many from
Delaware Harness Racing, Faye York, Sherry Galt, Carole and
Clint Wade, Peggy Breakiron, Gene Swansey, Sara Gauer,
Kaitlyn Snodgrass, Diana Greenhalgh, Donna Moore, McKinzi
Straub, the Swisher Family that brings us all our hay,
Foster Feeds, all those transporters that kept our horses
safe on the road …..these folks have made all the difference
in the world in the programs operation...
-Donor of the Year, Quang Hua and
Vietopia Restaurant of Houston
bought $5000. worth of raffle
tickets for the ring raffle… no matter how hard I wished
they would have won, they didn’t and I was heartbroken but
they made the ring raffle a success and kept the farm
running for another year. Wishing we could do something
special for so many that have given so much in money and
time.
-Presidents Award, Diana
Greenhalgh, Years of
working at Second Wind, doing whatever needed to be done for
over 11 years now but this year with Celeitas injury Diana
was at the farm every day to make sure the horses were cared
for, she was the one that came daily to pack and wrap
Sonny’s feet, cleaning up after dogs and doing all the
things that Celeita could not do for over 3 months, she was
the one that covered the operation when Celeita had to have
surgery or be gone all day at the VA hospital. There is no
way we could have ever paid her for her time, gas money and
for all the work she did this year. It was a hard year on
everyone, the volunteers were tired and worn out with
Celeita’s injury it put a strain on the whole operation,
many just stopped coming to help. Diana was the only one
coming to help consistently even when Celeita was begging
for help from anyone. The program and the critters owe her
so much, so much more than we’ve ever been able to give her
for her devotion and dedication to the animals in our care.
-Life Time Achievement, Rhonda
Ross was a longtime
friend, adopter and supporter of Second Wind. She spent a
lifetime of loving horses but her life was shortened from
diabetes, which first took her sight, then took her kidney
of which she got a transplant. She always talked about SWAP
to her family and friends, she had dreams of being a
professional horse woman and dreams of showing and
competing, even dreams of doing what we do here at SWAP.
Unfortunately all those things had to be put aside for
Rhonda to fight for her life, which she did for many years
and then her poor heart could not handle all the stress any
more. Rhonda was really an inspiration because she took
great care of 2 SWAP horses, riding both as well, proving a
good relationship with a horse and respect will compensate
for strength in the rider. I saw her ride the first time,
already legally blind and had already had the transplant. It
was one of those times when you think, I have no excuses, if
she can ride that well, I should be able to do anything. She
was riding horses that many able bodied riders could not,
she showed us anything is possible, it just depends on how
badly you want it and she wanted to ride badly. Rhonda lost
her battle this year and sent all her horses to SWAP plus
told her family she wanted all her horse stuff to come to
us. Even in her death she was thinking about helping horses.
She was a precious delicate gift to horses and to us, she is
so desperately missed by all who knew her.
-Most Dedicated Vet, Dr. Shannon
Loomis along with Marla, her vet tech..
this year was such a tough year
for Second Wind, we had to put down more animals in one year
than all the past 15 years total. Dr Loomis and Marla helped
us make good decisions about animals in pain and about our
toughest welfare decisions because we never got into
horse/dog adoption to put animals down. When you have feet
and legs falling apart, illness so bad that the horse is
hurting itself, legs breaking down so badly that it takes 4
people to trim the horse, horses sloughing their hooves from
poor care, excessive seizures that we could not stop, then
we are forced to consider what is humane. We expect people
to dump horses here when they don’t want to put them down,
and when they are old and lame, when they have not been fed
or cared for but its never easy when we can’t fix the
problem or help them. We’ve realized that ending the pain,
pain we never caused is the most humane thing we can do. To
be there for them, to put them down where they were loved
and cared for, to do it humanely with lethal injection and
bury on the farm is the best answer. Shannon, Marla and
Audubon always handled these animals with care and
compassion and they were there for the SWAP staff, knowing
how painful those decisions are to us. Many of them we had
had in the program for many years, following them through
years of homes and then allowing some of them to live out
any good life they had left in the Old Timers Sanctuary
until they were in so much pain and could barely walk or
barely get up. We hate the whole thing but as a rescue we
have to find a way to give horses relief, relief from past
injuries, from serious illness, from damage done from past
owners. We are always attacked for all our decisions,
regardless, attacked by people who think we should put the
horse down at the first sign of an issue and also attacked
by those who feel that you never put any horse down
regardless, that they should always die on their own from
natural causes so the attacks and outside opinions make
things even worse and its already a very painful situation
because we love the animal. Dr. Loomis made this so much
easier, reminding us that quality of life is a major
consideration, as is the horses safety and survival. I know
I will think of these animals for the rest of my life, but I
know we made the right decisions for each with the knowledge
and experience of our veterinary team.
-Directors Award, Michael
Asthalter, Michael has
been a long time friend to SWAP as an adopter, donor,
foster, transporter, advisor and even checking out new homes
when he delivered horses to their home but this year he
returned to Germany because of the limited opportunities in
the horse industry in the US. The decision all started with
the death of his beloved wife Zorana Ristic, a veterinarian
that always gave us free advice and supported our operation
completely for many years. We miss Michael and it was a huge
loss to SWAP, he was a meticulous transporter and worker,
his knowledge of horses is unmatched and being German he was
always kind but always honest, even when it was something we
didn’t want to hear. We hope that his home land will give
him all the opportunities for great work that he longs for.
-Vice Presidents Award, Alan Macy
in Indiana, We all
lost a great animal advocate when we lost Alan Macy to
cancer. He and Angie have been adopters, volunteers,
fosters, rescue assistance and emergency transport for
Second Wind since the late 1990’s while helping Angie care
for their 20 + equine, dog and cat family and two kids. Alan
was what most horse women would call a loveable puppy dog,
he was always ready to do whatever was needed to be done and
had the patience of a saint. He was a good man, husband,
father and animal lover. This is a small tribute to his
years of selfless work to help animals and care for animals.
Sorely missed does not describe the huge loss to the animals
and to his family.
-Most Dedicated Riders, McKinzi
Staub and Donna Moore,
what a year we had, seems like
every horse came to us untrained, unhandled, crazy from
mishandling, uncastrated, completely herd bound. At times I
was starting to think I was getting too old to take the
really hard rescues. None were completely starved but all of
them needed training. McKinzi and Donna were ready to take
on any problem they had, from mounting issues to just never
being trained or handled. They were becoming old pros at
putting new horses under saddle and most of the horses we
found homes for this year was because we had these two
ladies and their gentling talents to bring horses along so
they could be adopted and be successful in the home. Donna
brought McKinzi on board and McKinzi brought her college
church group to volunteer as well so they are much more than
a couple of riders/trainers… they are two caring young
ladies who really want to help animals. Kudos!
-8 years of Service, Aldine Hart...
Wow!! What a work history. For many years Aldine was the
barn and farm manger, then he retired but has continued to
help us with farm maintenance, building, fixing, mowing,
weed eating, fence repairs and walking the miles of fence
lines, helping us stay up on stalls and even horse care on
occasion. He’s been a trooper for so many years and such a
great dedicated, honest worker that always does his best
work.
-Adopter of the Year, Dr. Sherry
Galt of TX, at first
we thought Sherry was going to be just another great
adopter, keeping her horse beautiful, good about doing her
updates, then she was given a professional award and she
could either take a donation to a program of her choice or
take an extended vacation in the Bahamas. She had her award
sent to us. She always got our newsletter and stayed in
touch when we started struggling because of the economy
Sherry’s challenge kicked in, getting several others
donating monthly to the mission to match her donation, she
also put $3500. Into our feed fund this winter, nearly
paying our winter feed bill for the horses. How do you ever
pay someone back for that kind of support and how do you
thank them? We have no clue but she is certainly adopter and
donor of the year all in one. She deserves so much more.
We’ve seen some real heroes step forward this year and make
a big difference in the horses lives and we have all been
sleeping much better, not having a fret over feed and care
for the horses. Outstanding dedication to helping the ones
who cannot help themselves. Bravo!!
-Groom of the Year, Sara Gouer,
Our bathing, clipping,
grooming, spit shining geru... she goes all day taking
horses to the wash stall making them all looking marvelous!
We’ve not found anyone who enjoys this more and does quite
the job she does when it comes to spit shining up a dog or
horse. The animals love her for it too.
-Animals Best Friend, Jean Kruse
of WV Jean runs our
county Spay Neuter Program, of which all the SWAP small
animals went to but she has been instrumental in helping
dogs and cats that need help…. even horses too, does
transports, pick ups, placements, tracking down
abandoned/stranded animals and dogs that have landed in
shelters by mistake, takes in animals and finds them homes,
helps us get our dogs placed into homes too, she is an
animal’s best friend for sure and its so nice to finally see
someone in our own county step up and do something for
animals besides us and Donna Francisco!
-Adopters with the Best Horse
Pictures: Amanda Rockower with Fior in PA, The Stouts with
Ebony in WV, The Riehl’s with Banner in Indiana, Betsy
Bailey and the Bailey family with Classy and Mistral in VA,
Marissa St. Clair with Melody and LilBit in Maryland, Morgan
Crabbs with Ren and several SWAP horses in Maryland,
Alexandra with Zahara in Florida, Kim Stark with Country
Lane in Oklahoma, Wendal and his human family in Arkansas
and Pat Pape in Texas.
This is always a hard choice, all
these folks send the best pictures of them and their horses,
when things are hard here and we’re really struggling, we
turn to these pictures as a critical reminder as to why we
work so hard for no money, why we struggle, why we continue
even though we have sleepless nights worrying over horses,
why we ignore the BS on the forums being written by people
we helped put in jail for horrific neglect or people that
abused their horses and even the ones we didn’t approve
their applications for dishonesty or extreme selfishness…
these pictures serve such an important purpose to us, not
only in fulfilling the adoption contract and letting us now
the horse is safe but also that all important reminder that
some people do really care and it’s so badly needed.
-Biggest Transformation in Horses:
You expect rescues to
go through a huge transformation, certainly Aargon
comes to mind, going from a dangerous jerk to a sweet easy
going confident pony in training but also watching Morgan
Crabbs and Ren go from a well cared for TB with a
wonderful beginning to a big beefy competitor jumping big in
big shows was a sight to see. Also Cortez has turned
into a fit, capable lesson and dressage horse in the hands
of Andra Constantin and Carol Popp in CT, Rocky
is another in CT that is looking wonderful and coming along
so well with Lynda Morhardt. All very dedicated
people who take pride in how their horses look, knowing that
your horse is a reflection of you as a person.
-Best All Around Adopters: Carole
and Clint, The Wade Family of WV
adopted yet another horse this
year, all are always fat and shining, they have donated to
the mission, worked at the SWAP store building tables for
us, bought a ton of stuff from the SWAP store, volunteered,
bought calendars, offered transport help to volunteers and
to Celeita when she fractured her arm… the list goes on and
on as they are always looking for a way to help, this couple
is a dream come true to any program trying to get things
done with very little money.
-Adopters with the biggest hearts:
Nancy Trotter of GA, Micki Ollman of NC and Dana Limpert of
Maryland. Nancy and Micki
for adopting completely blind
horses just because they needed a home and they could give
them that home, this is the second year we’ve selected them
for this honor. Nancy has gone through a major injury with
Amber, a family move and even found a Donkey to be Ambers
buddy. Micki now runs a blind horse sanctuary in NC and
we’ve recommended several blind horses to her that she’s
accepted into her program. She even had our beloved 41 year
old Kochese a birthday party with local kids attending and
walked him in the local Christmas parade, she even went out
of her way to meet Kochese’s original owner who had him for
many many years but lost her home to foreclosure after a
major family illness. When a blind horse comes to you as a
rescue, it’s the biggest worry wondering if anyone will ever
adopt or if they will ever have a family of their own and
then you worry about them being neglected or abused… most
rescues just turn them away and many times It’s their last
chance. When such a needy horse finds a great home it is
really a gift from god. They will both tell you there is
nothing better than having an animal that needs you so much
and they realize what a gift to them that it really is to
have such horses in their lives. Dana Limpert adopted
Klack and is working to get his OCD removed as promised,
it took us 2 years to find someone that cared enough about
the horse to accept the challenge, amazing how many people
want something great for nothing, not Dana, she has no
expectations except to get him healthy and give him a
chance. You just do not find people with the spiritual and
personal strength and faith, courage and selflessness to
take on horses like this every day. It is truly commendable.
-Adopter that has learned the most
since adopting: Katharine Owens and Arab mare Melody of VA,
she adopted unhandled
10 month old SA Melody who came to us from a breeder that
was over breeding many years and then would send us 10 to 15
unhandled youngsters each year. Melody was lovely but needed
so much training…. Fast forward 11 years and they are
showing, competing and winning in halter, dressage and stock
seat show classes and Katharine is not a professional, she
paid a trainer, went to lessons, she got trained and got
Melody trained, it really shows that with the investment of
time and money and many years of dedication, everyone can
raise the horse of their dreams, no matter what their start
has been but it does not happen in a month and many times it
does not even happen in a year, slow and steady always wins
the race.
-SWAP horse that has lived the
most interesting life: Mikado and Revue,
Mikado was born in Ireland,
competed in eventing there, then imported to the US and
competed around NY and the east coast, then was adopted into
a home in Fairbanks, Alaska. That boy’s been around and his
personality is bigger than life. Revue was born in
Australia, competed there, went to Europe and was owned by
the FEI President, competed there, imported into the US and
competed here. Came to us as too much horse for an amateur
and not enough for a professional to win but to the surprise
of many we placed her with Rhonda Ross, a legally blind
rider who built a relationship with her and Revue would ride
her anywhere, we sadly lost Rhonda this year and Revue is
back with us looking for another home that will give her the
time she needs to establish a relationship with in order to
see the best of her abilities.
Thank you all for a super year.
Without you, SWAP today would just be a memory of the past.
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15 Years Serving Horses, the Horse Industry and Horse
Owners
