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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!!
monthly counters started on February 13, 2010 for the website, because this is a
free counter, it will only show about a 1/4 of our total numbers, so its
not an accurate depiction of all of our visitors, just gives an idea about all
the people that visit our site. We do love our international visitors. Welcome!
Visitors By Country
Top 100 Visitors
Last 100 Visitors
Visitors Map
Daily Stats
Congrats to our President for the nomination and eventual induction to the
ROTC Hall of Fame at West Virginia State University, nominated by the former VP
of the University, the induction will take place at the Embassy Suites in
Charleston, WV October 14, 2010. A former military school, rich in a history of
national defense has only inducted just over 100 military retirees to its Hall
of Fame, many of them general officers. Congratulations on this huge honor.
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 are going to
set up a fan based page so everyone can be added. So sorry to the 200 + people
who have asked for a friendship.... we'll get our fan page up soon.
Benefit Wines is a unique online retail wine shop that partners with
non-profit organizations to raise funds. Every charity partner has their
own unique wine label. Supporters enjoy fine, organic wines while
supporting their favorite cause. Cheers!
Raise $1000. for Second Wind
Adoption Program and have a 1 in 70 chance at a 15 carat Ruby/Diamond
Ring! ... mail donations to Rt. 2 Box 24A Jockey Camp Road, West Union,
WV 26456
The Wish List of Our Needs:
More than anything we need a large donation to help us pay off our farm, we just
owe 70k. With a farm paid for, we will never worry about the program and schools
closing.
We are looking for 2 to 3 people to do work in exchange for a place to live.
1. New or lightly
used truck and 3 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,
or Delaware.
3. New or Lightly
Used Farm utility vehicle (like a john deere gator), 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.
6. A volunteer or low cost
employee who can help us fix our
database that lists all adopters, donors, supporters and horses/dogs/cats
in the program.
7. Some sort of a cloth
facility like Cover-all or Farm-Tek
building to increase our abilities to be able to take more horses and
have an indoor area to work and train horses in winter, donated, grant or
partially donated. anywhere from 50 x 200 to 72 x 300.
8.
Monthly Sponsors for our light
use, elderly or retirement/sanctuary horses/dogs who's possibilities for
adoption are very low, ie. Orphy, Jelly Bean, Dixie, Allie, Kochese, Darlin, Mr.
Darcey, JoJo, Freckles, Lucy, Bandit, Max, etc.
9. Volunteers
to commit to doing one fund raiser for SWAP horses at your location during 2010,
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.
10 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 100 lbs of feed).
This is beautiful clean top soil. This offer will only last so long because we
will be leveling the manure pile this August when its dry enough to get a dozer
in there.
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 our cruelty case workers Tom and Ruby Fleming at
tomfleming64@cebridge.net or 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. 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.. Easy keepers may be round but it does not mean they are
healthy, most easy keepers need 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. 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 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.
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).
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
| |
 Questions and Answers
Hi C -
Have you ever had an attorney contact you because a horse that you own once
allegedly caused an injury to someone (not during the time you owned the horse
but before you owned the horse)? 5 years ago, I had that happen - with a mare I
bought at auction...so I was nice and allowed an expert come to my place to ride
and watch me ride this horse. She gave a very favorable recommendation that the
horse was not dangerous and said that is what she was going to write up and
present to attorneys. This was 2005. I just got an email from same law firm
requesting a visit again. What the heck? I mean it was 5 years ago and I thought
I was being generous the first time to even get involved and allow them access.
I am so angry I could spit that a case could drag on this long with no apparent
resolution (I think because the injured party at the time was a minor and it
happened in PA). What would you do? I figure you may have come across something
like this in all your experiences with the rescue and such and having riders
riding horses whose backgrounds may not always be fully known. I'd love to hear
your thoughts and opinions on this matter. Thanks! Cheers, Liz
Liz, I do a lot of expert witness work for equine cases and
unfortunately cases like this can go for years. I have seen lawyers go back
and look at a horse several times over a personal injury case. I am working as
an expert witness on a case right now that has been going on since 2007 and
we're no where near being ready for court. Possibly that was the expert from
one lawyer and now the other lawyer wants to see the horse.
I would tell the lawyers they can come and see the horse, and tell them up
front before they come to bring all parties that will want to see the horse,
to take pictures or video if they need it but this would be the last visit.
I think the court may be able to make you show the horse with a subpoena but
hopefully that will not happen later.
Do you know how old the horse was when the accident happened? Any training the
horse has had since then? You might want to mention if he was young when the
accident happened that young horses are more apt to do something because of
lack of experience or lack of confidence or respect. I would mention the
horses training since then and also your horse experience and let them know
that accidents sometimes happen with horses because of a persons inexperience
and it really has nothing to do with the horse being dangerous. The person put
themselves into a dangerous position and in that position most horses would be
dangerous. Sometimes with lawyers you have to explain the nature of horses.
All the things we naturally know they don't have a clue about. Do you know was
it the plaintiff or the defendants lawyers that came out before? I would tell
them both need to come this time if possible.
Some of the things I often explain to the lawyers or experts is some things
that will affect how a horse acts:
- the draw of the herd
- the safety aspects of riding
- the follower/leader relationship they have with all horses and people,
meaning the horse can be very different dependent upon the handler
- how the environment can affect how a horse acts... sugary feed, turn out or
lack of turn out, not getting handled daily, 24/7 turn out making the
attachment to the herd stronger, the weather the day they were riding ie
excessive winds or cool temps or a thunder storm, long breaks from the last
ride all affect how a how will be.
For example if the horse is a 3 yo, sitting in a stall for 4 days because of
bad weather getting a rich sweet feed full of sugar and someone goes to get on
this horse without at least letting them get the edge off with a little lunge,
and say there was a long break since he was rode last and maybe on the day of
the ride the wind was kicking up.... none of those things have anything to do
with the temperament of the horse but all those things can make a horse act up
and ruin a riding situation. Add a child to the situation who has a very hard
time getting a horse to respect them and you have an accident waiting to
happen.
You might mention to the lawyers that I do expert witness work and if they
need someone to explain the nature of horses to prepare their case, just have
them contact me at 304-873-3532 or contact TASA and ask for me as an expert
witness.
Hope this helps some.
Celeita
Hello there,
My name is Katie MacDougall and I am from eastern Canada. I ride and show
hunter/jumper horses, and recently a close personal friend of mine purchased
a horse. I was at a show the day she went to inspect the horse, and was
unable to accompany her. I recommended she had the horse checked by a
reputable veterinarian and sent her on her way. She saw nothing wrong with
the horse, besides his extremely thin appearance. The seller and buyer had
already known each other, and she trusted him. She did not go through with
the vet check, but purchased the horse. Two days later the Thoroughbred
gelding became extremely lame. We have discovered that he has Navicular
disease. I have told her not to make any hasty moves (fearing slander laws)
but the horse is uninsured and in a bad situation.
I was searching the internet for cases of buyers taking sellers to
court over equine diseases and happened to come across your website. You
seem to be very well informed of the laws and how to go about taking a
horrible man like this to court. I can honestly say that I have had the
wonderful chance to work around some amazing horses, and many more unamazing
horses, and have never seen a horse in a condition such as this poor
gelding. He is skinny beyond belief. I have rescued a Registered Morgan
gelding myself (owners left him in a hayfield where the poor fellow ate
himself to 450lbs overweight, and developed laminitis so severe that the
heat and tissue and swelling blew right through the front of his hooves.) I
have dealt and seen the misery that goes along with a horse in pain (he made
a full recovery with constant attention, patient excersize, and a VERY
talented farrier) and I have never seen a horse in worse condition then this
horse. I believe the seller may have drugged this horse, and the effects of
this drug wearing off have stripped what little weight he DID have at the
time of purchase off the horse.
We are unsure of how we are going to proceed in a legal manner, but are
preparing a case just incase we are able to take this horrible man down. I
would appreciate any info you may have, even examples (even though you are
in the United States, anything may help) because you seem very well informed
on the subject.
Thank you and keep up the excellent work with SWAP, your facility is
excellent and what you are doing is amazing. We need more like you in the
world.
-- Katie MacDougall
Katie, I'm very sorry for the delay in answering your email. I am desperately
trying to get caught up. I'm sure you have already found your answers but I
wanted to respond anyway. This may take some research on your part for
canadian law and the law of the province/territory where the horse was sold
(where the crime was committed). I would think there would be a statute that
is similar to our 'taking money under false pretenses' which is in most US
states is against the law and would be a criminal case and in the US is a
felony usually when its over $250. US dollars. This of course, has to be
proved in a court which means the person either had to have a written
agreement with the seller that stated the horse was sound, something in
writing such as an email stating the horse was sound or even a written ad, in
some cases this can be something that implied the horse was sound but that is
harder to prove. If there was a verbal description given to
the buyer by the seller then the buyer would need a witness (a second person
who was with her to hear the seller say the horse was sound and preferably
someone who will state so in a court of law as there is no reason to have a
witness if that person is scared of court or of the seller, or if they are
just scared of the thought of testifying in court.
I would recommend going into the city and providence where the seller is
located and file a criminal complaint so that its on the books (so if it
happens again, there is a formal record that police can use in the future...
if everyone did that then these lying cheating horse traders would be in jail
faster).
Besides the criminal case you could probably do a civil case against him for
false advertising if he was using written ads or verbal communication (when
you have an adult witness). Statements from people (including a vet if
possible) saying the horse was not sound just a few days later would be
critical to win in court but without a written or verbal agreement/statement
from the seller that the horse was sound or any implying to that fact, the
seller could still say the horse was hurt after the sale and departure from
his facility so the buyer would need witnesses again saying nothing happened
at the new facility or on the trailer...
What I tell people is always do a formal written agreement, either get a vet
check in writing (directly from the vet as we have heard of sellers changing
vet checks and then giving it to the buyer) or get in writing a statement from
the seller that the horse was not drugged and is sound. Of course, thieves and
con artist will just say they did not know the horse was unsound or that
something must have happened to the horse after they left so being timely is
critical when you find something like this. The seller could always say
something like the horse is not shod correctly or trimmed correctly so a
statement from a farrier/vet also helps. I always recommend going to purchase
a horse with an adult knowledgeable horse person that agrees to be a witness
in court if necessary. If the seller makes the buyer sign a statement
(that they do not guarantee soundness, training, temperament, etc), then the
buyer really has no recourse at all as they should know they accept all risks
but most sellers that make the buyers sign such statements return fees or
take the horse back and find a replacement (like we do). .
I hope this helps some. If nothing else file a criminal complaint with the
police so there is a record about this person and let everyone you know how to
protect themselves with purchases. Sadly this happens every day in the US and
people just let it go instead of doing something, it ruins people's horse
experiences, turns them against the horse world, against having horses and in
some cases gets people hurt. The only way we will ever get it stopped is by
making sure these people go to jail or are held accountable for what they have
done as what they have done is against the law. Sadly
con artist are working in the horse industry because they know the police
won't do anything as its 'just horses' and they use the internet many times as
it puts distance between the buyer and seller knowing the buyer will not do
background checks on the person selling or the horse being sold and once the
seller has the money they disappear. We have a long list of checks we now do
when people adopting our horses (we do them because we have learned the hard
way as many con-artist type horse traders target programs like ours to get
horses and turn around and sell them by telling lies about the horse and
drugging it even though its against our written contract with them).
Luckily our contract always wins in court and has put people in jail because
we do not release ownership of the horse, we are only conveying possession of
the horse. That is the only way to protect the horse for life.
All the best and thank you for caring so much a doing the right thing for your
friend and about this poor horse.
Many regards, Celeita
PS. I've copied some other smart horse women who might be able to add
something that might help.
Hi, Just wondering if I have a horse that can be
fixed. 6 yr. twh gelding. Shipped up from
www.eveningshadefarm.com 2 years ago. We have not been able to de
spook . Has a quick spin, bolt up his sleeve that keeps popping up just
when you think it's gone, after enough miles and ground work. Otherwise
a sweet boy with great gaits and ground manners. No warning or reason.
Thank you for any advise. Ellen
Have you tried Parelli's 7 games, Monty Roberts join up, both has a
great video that covers them? Or some of these other despooking natural type
training? Also there is a new book out that I've heard good things about,
Bombproofing your horse, you might try that. You might also look at our
questions and answers page, driving is also a good solution for a de-spooking
horse. I hope this helps some. Some horses spookiness can come from the
rider, some horses just need a really settled quiet rider, that is a very good
leader, some will not go out alone either but that just has to be evaluated
individually. Some horses are just more up, I've known many walking horses
like that or they move so much faster than other horses which unnerves some
riders.
Celeita
A horse who's gas pedal is floored
I purchased a lovely 5yr old, 17 hand thoroughbred
in August. (never raced) He was at my trainers for 30 days (he normally
trains QH's). My big boy was trained "Clinton Anderson" style. He has
an issue however and that is ... his "go" button is stuck ON all the
time. He is very soft(one rein stop). I can walk him on a loose rein
with no problem but if I ask for a trot/canter he wants to gallop (i
know it's in his blood). I saw a Clinton Anderson show on RFDTV and he
suggested to an audience member to do thousands of turns, shut him down
everytime he goes any faster than you want him to. He literally said
"thousands" of turns. I was just wondering what method you all use to
train for "speed control"????
Any advise would be appreciated!!!!!!
Leanne Strauss
Leanne,
I've seen that method work many times, every time they go to speed up
you put their nose on your leg or foot and spin them, then give them their
head and if they go to speed up, you do it again and again and again....
eventually they just get really tired of spinning.
Was he ever trained for racing by anyone? Anyone ever done anything with
him that would push the speed or is this just him?
In many ways, your boy is just being who he is, a young TB.... he'll
hopefully get better with age but at 17 hands he'll always be a huge mover.
Honestly I would put him with someone who trains TB's and for the
discipline you do but QH's are being crossed so much with TB I'm certain QH
trainers are seeing much hotter horses today than they used to, he might be
okay. Is he a big rider (heavy or tall) as he may be driving the horse more
than a smaller rider would?
Also the 7 games by Parelli, especially the friendly game is good for that.
You might get his training video on the 7 games.
Even working with him ground driving and giving to the bit, you can do it
in a round pen or arena but many europeans ground drive their riding horses,
dressage and jumping horses for miles getting them responsive to the bit but
with his size and age I would use another person at his head with a lead until
you know he's not going to drag you down the road.... headers are used many
times with driving horses so its just for yours and the horses safety.
I have 2 good friends of mine, one is an irish huntsman and other was the
AHSA Horseman of the year in 1977 (and they only pick one) who are big
supporters of teaching a horse to drive in order to make them into better
riding horses. Both believe you drive them before riding and any time you are
having any problem with them riding, hitch them up to a cart and drive them
several miles. I respect their opinion and I've actually seen teaching a horse
to drive an excellent way to fix problems and to make a better horse. I really
believe its part of the reason that all our standardbreds go to beginners
after racing, they are just so settled and sensible, easy to control. In the
spring, once we are settled into the new facility you could bring him down and
we can teach him how to drive if you like, just a weekend is all you need to
go home and continue to work with him. We will probably also be giving driving
clinics at the new place, this is how much I believe in driving your riding
horses.
John Lyons also teaches the one arm/rein halt/stop to keep yourself out of
trouble. How's his brakes? He also says if a horse wants to go, then run him
and keep running him until way after he wants to stop.... after about an hour
of a good hard trail ride he'll be thinking about stopping or wanting to slow
down but you keep running him way behind that. Its like his saying about... if
he's going away, make him go away fast. Eventually he'll really want to slow
down but only do this with someone with an excellent seat and endurance to
stay in the saddle.Do you think he feels comfortable at the other
gaits with a rider? Does he feel balanced in a trot to you? Possibly some trot
work in a round pen, on long lines, ground driving or driving might help.
Always remember to use a header though when ground driving or driving, at
least in the beginning until you know he's settled.
I hope this helps some.
Celeita
horse-trading... the lies, fraud, the felonies, getting your
horse back
Hello,
I have been following the SWAPS website for many years and have always
enjoyed reading the articles, as well as looking at the horses. :)
So, I am emailing you because I do not know where to begin with my current
horse predicament. I have read about the unfortunates incidents where horse
trading, neglect, and abuse has occurred to your SWAPS horses and I was
hoping you would be able to shed some light on a situation I am going
through.
A couple years ago I sold a beautiful, but physically limited, 17.2 hand
thoroughbred named George to a gal in Montana who sounded like a really good
person (a vet tech who could really care for his legs). She sent me emails
and letters, pictures of her boarding facility and even let me talk to her
vet (who was supposedly her employer) for a reference. I set up a Bill of
Sale Purchase Agreement, which she signed, and she came with her husband and
picked George up here in Oregon. I contacted her once a year later to see
how he was doing and she replied quickly to tell me he was doing wonderful
and he was almost sound.
Fast forward to two weeks ago, I received a call from a criminal
investigator asking me questions about George and the gal who bought him,
Melissa Thurston. His name is XXXXXXXXXX and he is part of the Montana
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. I sent him all the information I had from the emails to
the bill of sale to George's tattoo number and pedigree. He couldn't tell
me why he needed this, but he did say that this was all part of an ongoing
investigation against Melissa Thurston and my information was extremely
beneficial for the case. Since this really piqued my interest, I searched
high and low on the internet to explore what this may all be about. I found
many classified ads for George (who is now called Marq) that ranged from
$9,000 to $30,000 as a USET trained jumper, endurance horse, and "dressage
master." My heart is broken to pieces, because I sold George thinking she
would just use him as a pleasure flat horse and continue his suspensory
ligament rehab and bone chip care (he was an ex-racehorse).
http://www.equinenow.com/horse-ad-29192
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=855906
http://www.equine.com/Horses/ad_details.aspx?lid=295147&search_id=3d93041e-58ea-4727-928c-0cffc77fc089
All the ads are different, but they are for the same horse.
I feel like I've been had, but more than anything, that George is in danger
and I want him back.
So where I'm at a loss is what am I able to do legally? I have a contract
that I bought from the local tack store with an agreement from both parties
stating I have the first right of refusal is the new owner should ever want
to sell the horse. I'm in Oregon and she's in Montana- ia this contract
legally binding in two states? Do I need to contact a lawyer? I have
talked to the investigator a few times and told him I want the horse back,
but I know I can't contact Ms. Thurston until the investigation is
complete.
I'm sorry for such a long winded email, but like I said before, I've
followed your website for a long time and really love what you provide for
the animals in need. I have a mare from the Standardbred Retirement
Foundation that has been a true joy in my life as well as a navicular Paint
gelding who can bring comedy and smiles to anyone's life. It makes me sick
that there are horse traders, wheeler-n-dealers, out there and I feel like I
need to save George before anything worse happens to his legs or him in
general! I never want to let go of him again.
Thanks you for you time and care,
Sincerely
Christa
Oregon
Christa, did she sign the right of refusal contract? Do you have the
original of that? Do you have anything from a vet that says the horse should
only be ridden for pleasure? Was it an injury that was not going to get
better, like a hard tissues injury that was never going to get better? Did you
put limits of use and sale in your contract? If she did and you do, I would
just go get the horse. With that contract and the ads showing she is
attempting to sell the horse against your contract with her and
misrepresenting the horse then you can just go get the horse. Try to get the
horse when she is not there and before she calls the police. If she calls the
police then have all the documents to show them, including vet reports that
describes the limits of the horse, especially if any of them say that the
horse would never be able to do certain things.
Going to take horses back and even on private property is a regular
practice of adoption programs and rescues and nothing ever happens, if she
gets physical or lays one hand on you then call the police, if she threatens
to call the police then say okay lets call the police because she is
committing a felony and you want the police to know it and if she won't let
you take the horse then you call the police. Take the horse and leave the
money she paid you for the horse.
They may call in the magistrate right then to make a decision in fact if
the police say its a civil matter, tell them no, its criminal because she is
misrepresenting the horse, which is taking money under false pretenses and
fraud and that is against the law and tell them she may sell the horse to a
child who could be killed because the horse is not what she is saying and can
not do what she is saying and the childs death will be on their shoulders
because you told them what she is doing. Tell them if they do not allow you to
take the horse she will sell it and it will never be found so they will be
allowing her to break the law.
If she is there and will not let you take the horse, then you call the
police and ask the police to call the magistrate and have a decision made by
the magistrate. Have all the documents and have any witnesses with you that
were around when she picked up the horse from you or anyone that talked to her
or anyone that can prove what you are saying. We are realizing you have to
have witnesses for everything that happens with horses and she brought her
husband who will lie for her so you really need anyone that was involved
besides you that can prove what you say. If the police won't call the
magistrate then tell them (away from her) the name of the investigator that is
investigating her, probably for fraud in horse sells.
If you can't do that and can't go there then I would contact a lawyer and
show him all the emails, the right of refusal contract and the ads where she
is selling him against your contract but time is of the essence because she
could sell your horse at any time. Does your horse have any markings or
tattoos, brands that you can prove he is your horse as you may have to.
She came to you to you to buy the horse, you did not go to her so you can
file against her in your state and she will have to find representation in
your state or accept the judgment, with a judgment you can go pick up the
horse but personally if you can go to Montana, just go to her farm and get
your horse and tell her she is misrepresenting the horse and attempting to
sell the horse, which is against your contract and tell her you are taking the
right of refusal since she is attempting to sell him against your agreement
with her. If you do sue her sue her for the return of the horse, all the
court cost and all your legal fees, all your costs for tracking her down, the
costs of going there if you go there and keep receipts for everything and sue
her for all your expenses for getting him back, including the mental anguish
that she has caused and file in circuit court if you can as it will get more
attention.
This is the problem with selling because without a very complete contract,
something very similar to our contract except for a sale of a horse then once
you hand over ownership, the person can do almost anything because the police
rarely do anything but if she is under investigation then maybe up there the
detectives have the time to actually go after someone like this. In the
eastern states the detectives are so overworked, unpaid and most are going
after murders and major frauds, 250k and up so they do not have the time to go
after something like this, even the police won't do anything in most cases and
they will claim its civil when in fact it is criminal only because they don't
want to address it.... they just don't have the time. I hope this helps.
Celeita
Celeita,
Thank you for your response! Your words have helped ease my mind since
I had no clue where to begin!
I do have the Purchase Agreement where in section 11 a box has been
checked to state:
-Yes, the seller wishes to retain the right to purchase this horse back
if the new owner(s) decides to sell, thus retaining the "first right of
refusal." This is valid until as long as the horse lives.
And in section 12, in regards to the entire agreement is states:
-Either party may nullify this Agreement if the other party breaches a
material term of this Agreement. The wronged party may recover
reasonable attorney fees and court costs.
George is tattooed and his brand inspection records are available at the
Montana Department of Livestock. I think the criminal investigator
caught wind of Melissa Thurston from a brand violation and it has since
snowballed from there. Unfortunately I do not have anything in the
Agreement stating George's limitations, so I was hoping that the breach
of section 11 in the contract would be enough (by law). I *do* have all
the emails stating his physical limitations and her agreeance to
continue his rehab, plus all his vet records (including x-rays of the
bone chips and ultrasound of his ligaments). My vet has since moved to
WA, but he is a good friend of mine and I think I will call him, just to
reiterate George's permanent and limited condition. Alas, I don't know
is that would stand up in court (if it came to that).
Today I recieved a number for a gal who is an equine lawyer here
locally. At this point, I have to hold tight until the investigator
contacts me for a formal phone interview. He did assure me that he has
been keeping an eye on George and he has not been ridden for a month
(and no abuse is prevalent). I just can't help but worry, but I know
there are plenty of folks on my side.
Again, I appreciate your help and I will keep you apprised of the
situation. I think the more wheeler-n-dealers we can flush out, the
better off our four leggeds will be.
Happy Holidays,
Sincerely
Christa
Very good Christa, the right of refusal should be enough but I would
get a notarized statement from your vet to have on hand and let him know he
may have to testify by phone (since he is out of state most courts will let
a person testify out of state but some states require the person to be
there). Can you prove by the pictures of description that the horse in the
ads is your horse, say did she use your pictures or are the markings so
distinct that you can prove in court that her ads are the same horse. I
didn't look at the ads but as a person who does expert witness work in the
horse world, in a court an expert could be there to say yes, this is the
same horse from the pictures and the markings. The thing you don't want her
to do is just be able to lie and say that's another horse or she wasn't
really selling him.
I would call the detective and tell him you can't wait because if she
sells your horse he will be impossible to find, then she could say
anything... like he died or something or she can just clam up, which we've
had happen, even with a huge amount of evidence if they don't talk their is
nothing they can do to get this girl to tell you where the horse is... he'll
just be gone. And I would get with the equine lawyer and have her do an
injunction to stop any sales or moving of the horse until the court is over
because even while you are waiting on the court date she could sell,
thinking she is going to lose anyway so why not get some money out of it.
Yes, we need to shake the tree until all the bad horse traders fall out
and the world would be a much better place. Don't get me wrong, there are
great horse traders too. I know one in particular, he's dreadfully honest
about the horse, he trains the horse and makes it so much better and he
matches the horse with the rider. Its a lot more work to be honest but the
horse world is a much better place for it. For Sure. I do hope you get your
boy back. Let us know how it goes and if we can be of help. I'll be your
expert witness if you need one. I've done it several times. Celeita
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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!
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