Showing posts with label Horses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Horses. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ohio Horses Need Homes By Saturday -- Emergency!
Just got this info from a friend of mine; perhaps you can help:
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Neglected New York (Paragallo) Racehorses Rescued
UPDATE: March 10, 2010
Mr. Paragallo has been convicted of animal abuse. Read the New York Times story Paragallo Convicted of Animal Cruelty.
I know we're all about dogs here at The Dog House, but being especially concerned about greyhounds and dog racing, Detroit Dog thinks it only fair to focus on the plight of animals often treated as no more than inanimate commodities when their money-making careers are over.
Please read the New York Times article Prominent Horseman Faces Questions About Neglect, which reports about 4 specific races horses (of about 20) that were found in a "kill" pen, with lice, injuries, and severely underweight:
"...the kill pen operator, who does not want to be identified, said the horses were in such bad condition that he had to feed them for several weeks just to get them in shape for the trip to the slaughterhouse."
The mares are currently being rehabbed by Another Chance 4 Horses, a Pennsylvania nonprofit rescue group.
To learn about horse rescue in Michigan, please visit the International League for The Protection of Horses - Michigan.
UPDATE 4/7/2009:
You might also be interested in this New York Times story: Surge in Abandoned Horses Renews Debate Over Slaughterhouses
UPDATE 4/8/2009:
Another NY Times story just in: New York Takes Over Paragallo's Horse Farm. Sadly, there are many, many more horses in poor condition; both New York State Police and the Humane Society have intervened.
Mr. Paragallo has been convicted of animal abuse. Read the New York Times story Paragallo Convicted of Animal Cruelty.
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I know we're all about dogs here at The Dog House, but being especially concerned about greyhounds and dog racing, Detroit Dog thinks it only fair to focus on the plight of animals often treated as no more than inanimate commodities when their money-making careers are over.
Please read the New York Times article Prominent Horseman Faces Questions About Neglect, which reports about 4 specific races horses (of about 20) that were found in a "kill" pen, with lice, injuries, and severely underweight:
"...the kill pen operator, who does not want to be identified, said the horses were in such bad condition that he had to feed them for several weeks just to get them in shape for the trip to the slaughterhouse."
The mares are currently being rehabbed by Another Chance 4 Horses, a Pennsylvania nonprofit rescue group.
To learn about horse rescue in Michigan, please visit the International League for The Protection of Horses - Michigan.
UPDATE 4/7/2009:
You might also be interested in this New York Times story: Surge in Abandoned Horses Renews Debate Over Slaughterhouses
UPDATE 4/8/2009:
Another NY Times story just in: New York Takes Over Paragallo's Horse Farm. Sadly, there are many, many more horses in poor condition; both New York State Police and the Humane Society have intervened.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Michigan Horse Rescue
Today's Detroit Free Press runs an interesting story about a horse rescue group in Dansville, Michigan: Dansville farm readies abused horses for caring homes. This group is "the only U.S. affiliate of the British International League for the Protection of Horses," according to the Freep.
Find out more at the web site International League for the Protection of Horses - Michigan.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Purina Recalls Horse Feed
Purina has just recalled horse feed; this is major. Read blogger pal Victoria's post Do you know about the feed recall? at her blog Teachings of the Horse.
Information can also be found at the Purina web site.
Information can also be found at the Purina web site.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Racing Horses and Greyhounds
Another interesting blog/article in today's New York Times' The Rail, titled Injured Horses You Didn't See, by T.D. Thornton. Thornton questions whether a televised fatality will in fact impact positive change on the track, especially in light of "...15 horses at 39 North American tracks who failed to finish a race Saturday," the same day that Eight Belles was euthanized on the Kentucky Derby track. Speaking of another horse, Thornton says, "Unlike Eight Belles, whose tale will be told for decades to come, the only historical record of the gelding’s misstep will be a cryptic footnote, a dozen-year thoroughbred career distilled into a single line of agate type that reads nothing more than “trailed, pulled up ½.”
You really must read the article to better understand the frequency, severity, and sadness of the demise of many horses on the racetrack. It really draws into focus the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality of which most of us humans are prone to, and a trait which leaves many of us unaware of the same and equally distressing plight of racing greyhounds.
Read my May 3 post about Eight Belles euthanized on the track (and photos), and my May 4 post about ethics and morals of horse racing, with many links to outside stories and opinions.
You really must read the article to better understand the frequency, severity, and sadness of the demise of many horses on the racetrack. It really draws into focus the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality of which most of us humans are prone to, and a trait which leaves many of us unaware of the same and equally distressing plight of racing greyhounds.
Read my May 3 post about Eight Belles euthanized on the track (and photos), and my May 4 post about ethics and morals of horse racing, with many links to outside stories and opinions.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Derby Horse Eight Belles; Ethics/Morals of Horseracing
Read the NY Times story Race Illustrates Brutal Side of Sport by William C. Rhoden. Here are the first few paragraphs of that story:
Why do we keep giving thoroughbred horse racing a pass? Is it the tradition? The millions upon millions invested in the betting?
Another interesting article, and one that definitely looks at both sides of the sport, is a Jim Squires post on the NY Times blog The Rail: Horse Lover's View from Inside the Industry. Mr. Squires, an obvious lover of the sport, defends horse racing but also considers the many criticisms of it, and brings up some serious issues for us to think about, such as track conditions, veterinary care, owners vs. trainers, individual horse's spirit, conscientious breeding, and gambling.
Another story worth reading: Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself to Death? by Sally Jenkins at The Washington Post. Ms. Jenkins speaks to the moral crisis in racing, due in part to the current breeding of horses for spirit and physical stamina, and larger chests yet seeming increased skeletal frailty. A line from that story: Horses are being over-bred and over-raced, until their bodies cannot support their own ambitions, or those of the humans who race them. And another: According to several estimates, there are 1.5 career-ending breakdowns for every 1,000 racing starts in the United States. That's an average of two per day.
Many of these same articles have mentioned a similar - though less noticed - accident just the day before the Derby: a colt named Chelokee dislocated an ankle at Kentucky Oaks and has only a 50% chance of survival. Regardless, the injury has ended the horse's career and we just hope the poor animal doesn't wind up as dog food (though it's been suggested that he might spend his days as stud service).
On another note about equine sports, check out the excellent blog Teachings of the Horse, specifically the post Too Much, Too Fast, Too Hard. In this post, author Victoria Cummings muses on the equestrian sport of Eventing, and the tragedies - and reasons for them - in that sport of late.
For a more immediate reaction to this Derby incident, with links to NBC Sports and ESPN stories, read yesterday's post Eight Belles - Derby Horse Euthanized on Track.
Why do we keep giving thoroughbred horse racing a pass? Is it the tradition? The millions upon millions invested in the betting?
Why isn’t there more pressure to put the sport of kings under the umbrella of animal cruelty?
The sport is at least as inhumane as greyhound racing and only a couple of steps removed from animal fighting.
Is it the fact that horse racing is imbedded in the American fabric? And the Triple Crown is a nationally televised spectacle? Or is it the fact that death on the track is rarely seen by a mainstream television audience?Another interesting article, and one that definitely looks at both sides of the sport, is a Jim Squires post on the NY Times blog The Rail: Horse Lover's View from Inside the Industry. Mr. Squires, an obvious lover of the sport, defends horse racing but also considers the many criticisms of it, and brings up some serious issues for us to think about, such as track conditions, veterinary care, owners vs. trainers, individual horse's spirit, conscientious breeding, and gambling.
Another story worth reading: Is Horse Racing Breeding Itself to Death? by Sally Jenkins at The Washington Post. Ms. Jenkins speaks to the moral crisis in racing, due in part to the current breeding of horses for spirit and physical stamina, and larger chests yet seeming increased skeletal frailty. A line from that story: Horses are being over-bred and over-raced, until their bodies cannot support their own ambitions, or those of the humans who race them. And another: According to several estimates, there are 1.5 career-ending breakdowns for every 1,000 racing starts in the United States. That's an average of two per day.
Many of these same articles have mentioned a similar - though less noticed - accident just the day before the Derby: a colt named Chelokee dislocated an ankle at Kentucky Oaks and has only a 50% chance of survival. Regardless, the injury has ended the horse's career and we just hope the poor animal doesn't wind up as dog food (though it's been suggested that he might spend his days as stud service).
On another note about equine sports, check out the excellent blog Teachings of the Horse, specifically the post Too Much, Too Fast, Too Hard. In this post, author Victoria Cummings muses on the equestrian sport of Eventing, and the tragedies - and reasons for them - in that sport of late.
For a more immediate reaction to this Derby incident, with links to NBC Sports and ESPN stories, read yesterday's post Eight Belles - Derby Horse Euthanized on Track.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Eight Belles - Derby Horse Euthanized on Track
AP/Charlie Riedel @ MSNBCVery upsetting news.
Racehorse Eight Belles has just been "euthanized" on the track during the run of the Kentucky Derby, after having placed second in this most important of horse races.
The only filly to have raced the Derby in 9 years, Eight Belles crossed the finish then collapsed. The decision was made to put her down on the track after vets determined that her front ankles were broken.
These types of accidents happen on tracks; horses and dogs racing at great speeds, pushed beyond reasonable limits. Some are heart attacks, some collisions with other racers or equipment, some broken bones.
And all for money.
Well, there are lots of opinions pro and con for racing horses and greyhounds. I'll try to address those at a later date.
Jockey Gabriel Saenz was able to slide off the horse as she fell; he was uninjured.
Events like this are confusing to me. To watch any athlete perform while in his/her prime is truly like watching a work of art. For me, it makes racing rather an ethical struggle.
Read the New York Times blog The Rail for live-blogging and follow-up of the Derby, and for extensive discussion about Eight Belles, cruelty in the sport of horse racing, pro and con about horse racing, and links to important stories and opinions, as well as over 300 reader comments.
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According to the AP story Filly Eight Belles breaks down after 2nd-place Derby finish:
"...the fracture in Eight Belles' left front ankle opened the skin, allowing contamination to set in. At least one of her sesamoid bones was broken, too.
"She didn't have a front leg to stand on to be splinted and hauled off in the ambulance, so she was immediately euthanized," he said. "In my years in racing, I have never seen this happen at the end of the race or during the race."
"Horses really tire. They are taking a lot of load on their skeleton because their muscles are fatigued. The difficult thing to explain with her is it's so far after the wire, and she was easing down like you'd like to see a horse slow down by that point. I don't have an explanation for it."Click on the photo credits above to read the stories at ESPN and/or NBC Sports.
For links to more stories at NY Times, Washington Post, and others, read my May 4 follow-up post.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Hay for Horses: Horses Suffer from Hay Shortage
Another post motivated by the words of blogger-pal Victoria at Teachings of the Horse.
Recently, Victoria has voiced concerns about the high costs of hay and the difficulty in getting it in her part of the country (northeast USA); in today's post The Hay Fund, she informs us about the recent drought's effect on hay production and its consequential effects on equine care and life. For details, please read Victoria's important post, or read more (and make a tax-deductible donation) at Fairfield Equine Associates.
Suffice to say that in great part due to recent hay shortages and resulting skyrocketing costs throughout the U.S., many horses are starving, and/or being abandoned or sold for slaughter. (Hay costs have increased 8 - 10x over the past year.)
To learn more about the horse-meat/slaughter industry, read Horses Spared in U.S. Face Death Across the Border in Jan. 11 issue of The New York Times.
Recently, Victoria has voiced concerns about the high costs of hay and the difficulty in getting it in her part of the country (northeast USA); in today's post The Hay Fund, she informs us about the recent drought's effect on hay production and its consequential effects on equine care and life. For details, please read Victoria's important post, or read more (and make a tax-deductible donation) at Fairfield Equine Associates.
Suffice to say that in great part due to recent hay shortages and resulting skyrocketing costs throughout the U.S., many horses are starving, and/or being abandoned or sold for slaughter. (Hay costs have increased 8 - 10x over the past year.)
To learn more about the horse-meat/slaughter industry, read Horses Spared in U.S. Face Death Across the Border in Jan. 11 issue of The New York Times.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Horseplay - Toys for Horses
Recently, I've been checking in on Teachings of the Horse, a wonderful blog written by Victoria, who learns about herself and life from her horses Silk and Siete. She invites us to discover our "inner horse" as she does same.
In one of Victoria's recent posts, she mentioned that her five-year-old mare Siete was acting out some boredom. This got me to thinking about toys for horses, and if they exist. I remember some years back seeing one of those "funny pet" programs on TV and there was a horse kicking a ball around a corral, seemingly having lots of fun. Big dogs have toys, why not horses?
So, not knowing much about horses and play, I did an internet search and came upon a wonderful site - Horseplay Products (HP). Horseplay Products "designs, manufactures and sells equine products for horses at play and leisure." Perfect! Their products appear to be good for larger dogs, too. Along with toys, they also sell stall plaques and memorial markers, treats, and mounted feeders.
A "Jolly Ball" is offered at the Drs. Foster and Smith pet supplies site; it is nontoxic and fairly indestructible, about 10-inches diameter, and has a handle on it - so your horse can pick it up and carry it, as well as kick it and roll it. It's a good buy for only $17.99, and comes in unscented, and apple and bubblegum scents.
The good Doctors also offer a Wiggly Giggly ball on a rope, treats and treat dispensers, and other toys, including a "horse soccer starter kit," a 50-inch inflatable ball with "soccer rules" and instructional DVD.
And, finally, Drs. Foster and Smith have a wonderful article about "stable and stall vices," which discusses what constitutes a vice, lists the "vices," and addresses how to treat them and prevent them.
Toys are fun diversions for relieving boredom, anxiety, fear, or frustration. (Seems rather the same with people, yes?)
detroit dog says give the dog a bone! Or the horse a ball! Or something like that....
In one of Victoria's recent posts, she mentioned that her five-year-old mare Siete was acting out some boredom. This got me to thinking about toys for horses, and if they exist. I remember some years back seeing one of those "funny pet" programs on TV and there was a horse kicking a ball around a corral, seemingly having lots of fun. Big dogs have toys, why not horses?
So, not knowing much about horses and play, I did an internet search and came upon a wonderful site - Horseplay Products (HP). Horseplay Products "designs, manufactures and sells equine products for horses at play and leisure." Perfect! Their products appear to be good for larger dogs, too. Along with toys, they also sell stall plaques and memorial markers, treats, and mounted feeders.
A "Jolly Ball" is offered at the Drs. Foster and Smith pet supplies site; it is nontoxic and fairly indestructible, about 10-inches diameter, and has a handle on it - so your horse can pick it up and carry it, as well as kick it and roll it. It's a good buy for only $17.99, and comes in unscented, and apple and bubblegum scents.
The good Doctors also offer a Wiggly Giggly ball on a rope, treats and treat dispensers, and other toys, including a "horse soccer starter kit," a 50-inch inflatable ball with "soccer rules" and instructional DVD.
And, finally, Drs. Foster and Smith have a wonderful article about "stable and stall vices," which discusses what constitutes a vice, lists the "vices," and addresses how to treat them and prevent them.
Toys are fun diversions for relieving boredom, anxiety, fear, or frustration. (Seems rather the same with people, yes?)
detroit dog says give the dog a bone! Or the horse a ball! Or something like that....
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