Sunday, January 29, 2012

Horses saved from slaughter, used for therapy | 11alive.com

Horses saved from slaughter, used for therapy | 11alive.com

12:15 AM, Jan 25, 2012 

Written by

Matt Pearl




The goal is rescuing horses; the group is a tiny outfit in Snellville spearheaded by one woman and a handful of volunteers.

But they go a long way with the resources they have.

"There was this one horse who was gorgeous," said Petal Warner, founder of The Bridge Between Inc., "and we went over and said, 'We'll take her from you; what'll you take?' And it was 50 bucks.

Warner is talking about Annie, a horse that Bridge Between group saved from the slaughterhouse and brought their farm in Snellville.

(please click link at top of the page for the rest of the written article)

Farm’s horses help people heal - SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette

Farm’s horses help people heal - SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette

January 29, 2012

By JOSH BROKAW - Sun-Gazette Correspondent , Williamsport Sun-Gazette

Wendy and Scott Armstrong own Flipside Farm, where they board horses, offer riding lessons and pony camps, and provide equine-assisted therapy to patients in need of a different approach to mental health.

Wendy Armstrong earned her equine therapy certification about a year ago, after it was recommended that a family member fighting an eating disorder try the nontraditional treatment.

The Muncy farm has since served about 40 patients, mostly in one-on-one sessions.

"Most of the treatments are unmounted," said Armstrong. "You take a kid that's never been around horses, lay out a series of halters, and tell them to go halter the horse they feel represents them most. Most people try to put it on backwards every time."

(click link at top of page for rest of article)

When I Ride


Little Girls Dream


So Much To Do!!!

I have been trying DESPERATELY to keep up with all the going's on in the horse world.  Foremost is the fight against horse slaughter and getting the bill passed that would truly outlaw it for good, including transport, moving across the border, donating for slaughter, and many, MANY more things that greatly need to be done away with.

Aside from anti-horse slaughter, I try post about shelters/rescues, interesting stories about horses, events going on in the world of showing.  Pretty much anything equine that I find interesting I will pass along.  I can't ONLY post about horse slaughter or I will be horribly and irreversibly depressed!!

                                       My son TJ and my horse Crystal, her first trail ride spring 2008

I know I've been posting lots of pictures, and many of my horse.  I love this horse to death!  I got her in the spring of 2008 at age ten.  She had hardly ever been ridden, she was mostly used as a broodmare.  She didn't know how to neck rein, and my son taught her how to do that (and he had NEVER RIDDEN before he got on Crystal the first time!).  My son is a natural, a REAL natural.  I wish I could ride again, I miss it so much.  But I'm happy my son enjoys it.  That is almost as good as me doing it!  If I could just teach her how to lay down so I can get on like the trick horses do!!

I'm amazed how many posts I've gotten up in the month or so since I started!!  If anyone would like to see MORE things, PLEASE, let me know.  Maybe I'll start writing an article once a month about a new breed and post things about that breed throughout the month.  If ANYONE can think of ANYTHING else you'd like to see, PLEASE, email me at friendsdonteatfriends@gmail.com, or leave a comment on this post.


I'm starting to see a few more comments, and that is awesome!!  I also see that LOTS of folks are viewing.  I want to say THANK YOU!!  I don't feel like I'm talking to myself anymore!!


TJ and Crystal getting ready for a ride.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Horses in Cedar Creek saved from flood


http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/bastrop/horse-in-bastrop-rescued-from-flooding

Horses in Cedar Creek saved from flood
One animal got spooked and kicked a rescuer

Updated: Wednesday, 25 Jan 2012, 12:25 PM CST
Published : Wednesday, 25 Jan 2012, 12:17 PM CST
Chris Sadeghi



BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) - A dozen former racehorses from a rescue farm in the cedar Creek area of Bastrop County were led to safety after the family that runs the property saw the danger from the fast-rising water on Thursday morning.

The horses are from an organization called "Lone Star Outreach to Place Ex-Racers," or LOPE.

Owner Lynn Reardon said that as the horses were being moved from the barn to higher ground, one got spooked and kicked a woman in the head. She was taken to hospital to get stitches.

Most horses taken to another area... the ones in water are just waiting to be moved to higher ground. Reardon credited Bastrop Emergency Service District 1 for helping.

Unfortunately, Reardon said the organization's barn and home may be lost.

Horse Owner Faces Criminal Charges

http://www.thedailyweston.com/news/easton-horse-owner-faces-criminal-charges

Horse Owner Faces Criminal Charges
by Erin Lynch

The ribs of Blackie, a horse seized from Pee Wee Horse Farm, are clearly visible.




Photo Credit: State Department of Agriculture

EASTON, Conn. – The owner of Pee Wee Horse Farm in Easton was arrested on multiple counts of animal cruelty Thursday morning. The arrest followed an investigation in which state Animal Control officers seized five horses, police said.

Apollonio “Paul” Vittorio, 75, turned himself in to Easton Police minutes before 11 a.m. Thursday after police notified him that the state had issued an active warrant for his arrest, according to Chief James Candee. Vittorio was released on a written promise to appear in court.

The charges stem from an ongoing investigation by state Animal Control officers, who received several complaints about the condition of the horses at the Silver Hill Road farm.

The farm, according to its website, offers riding lessons, horse boarding, guided trail rides and pony rides. The site also says the farm is a place “Where folks are friendly and everyone in the family can experience a bit of the Old West.”

(for rest of article please click link at the top of the page)

Starving horses found in Miami-Dade may have been marked for slaughter - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

Starving horses found in Miami-Dade may have been marked for slaughter - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

Five horses were found starved and abandoned in one day in Miami-Dade County, including four the C-9 Basin, once considered the heart of South Florida’s illegal horse meat industry, according to a prominent animal activist.




Natalie Fawkes, a members of Florida TRAC, a care program for horses, tend to an abandoned, emaciated former race horse found in Northwest Miami-Dade. Joe Rimkus Jr. / Miami Herald Staff

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ

Four horses, including three thoroughbreds, were found neglected and emaciated this week in Northwest Miami-Dade County’s C9 Basin, an area notorious for the illegal slaughter and selling of horse meat.

“There were tires, toxic waste and four horses,” said Richard Couto, an animal rights activist who investigates illegal horse slaughter. “The horses were feeding off of whatever they could feed on.”

The animals – three thoroughbreds and one American quarter horse – were found Wednesday near Northwest 178th Street and 134th Avenue, in a field that looked like a dumping area, said Couto, whose organization is called Animal Recovery Mission

Couto said he immediately called police and the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Miami-Dade police confirmed Thursday that they responded to the area in response to a report of skinny horses.

(for rest of article please click link at the top of the page)

Ripley, MS Police Officer Charged With Neglecting Horses

Ripley, MS Police Officer Charged With Neglecting Horses

Video: Police officer neglects horses


6:06 p.m. CST, January 26, 2012

FAST FACTS:
A horse had to be euthanized after authorities say it was neglected
A Ripley police officer and his wife were charged with animal neglect
Investigators say horse neglect is a growing problem in Tippah County

Daniel.Hight@WREG.com

(Ripley, MS 01-26-12) – A Ripley, MS police officer resigned after being charged with animal neglect. Authorities say Eric Bibb and his wife, Natalie, neglected to feed their horses properly.

The Tippah County Sheriff’s Department said they received multiple complaints.

When they showed up, investigators found two horses suffering from malnourishment, one in such poor condition that it couldn't stand up. It had to be euthanized.

Investigator Jason Willis says the other horse was taken to another pasture and will be nurtured back to health.

(please click link at top of page for the rest of the article)

Happy Trails: Woman Explains Why She Came to Hollywood on Horseback

http://laist.com/2012/01/26/woman_rides_horse_through_hollywood.php

Happy Trails: Woman Explains Why She Came to Hollywood on Horseback


Photo by Emma Gallegos/LAist

Hollywood has always loved a good story about a horseback journey, and that's been true for Karin Hauenstein, who I caught riding down Sunset Boulevard through traffic on Tuesday.

She e-mailed LAist to let us know about her long journey from the Central Coast to Hollywood with her three horses Glory, Coley and Smoke.

Hauenstein is a professional horse behaviorist who lives about 65 miles north of Santa Barbara, but she is also an activist. She had planned on taking a long horseback journey to advocate against the inhumane treatment of horses and horse slaughter this year, but she had to leave ahead of schedule after President Obama signed an appropriations bill this fall that funded the USDA to certify U.S. horse meat for human consumption and sale in other countries.

(please click link at top of page to read rest of article)

Thursday, January 26, 2012

'War Horse' star one of Hollywood's equine elite

'War Horse' star one of Hollywood's equine elite

By Sandy Cohen
AP Entertainment Writer / January 25, 2012

ACTON, Calif.—One star of Steven Spielberg's latest epic likes to end his work day by rolling around in the dirt, kicking his legs in the air and flaring his nostrils.

Finder, a 12-year-old thoroughbred, is among more than 150 equine performers featured in the Oscar-nominated "War Horse," and one of 14 who play the scene-stealing Joey. He lives on a ranch about 45 miles northeast of Hollywood with veteran horse trainer Bobby Lovgren, who oversaw all the equine action on "War Horse."



"Plowing, riding, chasing -- you name it, it's in there," said Lovgren, who calls "War Horse" "the biggest horse movie ever made." Lovgren is the protégé of legendary Hollywood horseman Glenn Randall, who trained Roy Rogers' Trigger.

Thanks to the enduring appeal of horses on screen, Lovgren, Finder and "War Horse" continue a longtime tradition of Hollywood horses that began with the earliest motion pictures.

(for the rest of the article, please click the link at the top)

Horse rescue needs new home

Horse rescue needs new home

Red Bucket Equine Rescue is seeking donations to help the nonprofit find a permanent home for the animals.



Lauren Harms, left, rides King and Kimberly Fohrman, right, rides Buckshot at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center on Jan. 19. The two are part of the Red Bucket Equine Rescue group, which must move out of the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center by Feb. 15. (SCOTT SMELTZER, HB Independent / January 19, 2012)

Michael Miller
January 25, 2012 | 3:39 p.m.

To tweak a line from Shakespeare, Susan Peirce needs a kingdom for a horse.

Fifty-six horses, in fact.

The co-founder and president of Red Bucket Equine Rescue, a Huntington Beach-based nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates abandoned horses, is appealing to the community to donate funds for a new permanent home for her animals.

For three years, Red Bucket has housed its horses at the Huntington Central Park Equestrian Center. However, center owner Mary Behrens and manager Mike Rademaker recently gave the nonprofit's horses until Feb. 15 to move out of their stalls to make room for paying customers, and Peirce and her volunteers are seeking funds for new accommodation.

Wherever Red Bucket's new home is, Peirce hopes it will be at least close to Surf City.

(click link at top of page to read the rest of the article)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Mini horses may serve in Millard - Omaha.com

Mini horses may serve in Millard - Omaha.com

By Joe Dejka
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Most people are familiar with the devoted and dependable guide dog that helps a blind person navigate around obstacles.


Another animal has joined that esteemed beast as special friend of the disabled: the miniature horse.
Both animals would be welcome in the Millard Public Schools, subject to certain conditions, under a proposed new policy.

Members of the Millard school board introduced a policy Monday night that would ensure that the district's treatment of service animals conformed to the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The policy would recognize dogs and miniature horses as service animals when trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a student, parent, visitor or employee.

Service animals are commonly used to assist disabled persons in navigating, keeping their balance and retrieving items. They sometimes pull wheelchairs. Dogs' keen sense of smell can alert their owners to allergens.


(please click link at top of page for rest of article)

Monday, January 23, 2012

Books | Author Jana Harris talks horse sense | Seattle Times Newspaper


Books | Author Jana Harris talks horse sense | Seattle Times Newspaper

Author Jana Harris talks horse sense

A Q&A with Jana Harris, whose book "Horses Never Lie About Love" recounts her 25-year relationship with a horse named True Colors.



By Mary Ann Gwinn


MARK BOTHWELL

True Colors, the bay mare at the center of Jana Harris' memoir, "Horses Never Lie About Love."
Jana Harris

Lit life |

Last week, poet and author Jana Harris watched the snow falling on her farm in eastern Snohomish County and fretted about roof-crushing volumes of Cascade concrete. Keeping her company was True Colors, her friend of 25 years and the subject of Harris' new book "Horses Never Lie about Love: The Heartwarming Story of a Remarkable Horse Who Changed the World Around Her" (Free Press, 279 pp. $24).

Harris, who has won both a Washington State Governor's Writers Award (now the Washington State Book Award) and a Pushcart Prize, both writes and teaches poetry. In her new book she tries out the memoir, addressing a subject close to her heart — her life raising horses and her relationship with True Colors, a Thoroughbred brood mare with an extraordinarily stabilizing influence on both people and horses.

(please click link at the top of the page for the rest of the article)



Sunday, January 22, 2012

Horse truck driver alleges abuse - WSMV Channel 4

Horse truck driver alleges abuse - WSMV Channel 4

Posted: Jan 20, 2012 8:22 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 20, 2012 8:39 PM EST
Posted by Nancy Amons



NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -

A trucker who says he unknowingly drove horses to their deaths at a border slaughterhouse is telling his story to Channel 4.

He doesn't want his name used because he now works for another company, so we agreed to call him "Bob."

Bob made a run for Three Angels Farms in Lebanon in 2010. He says the owner, Dorian Ayache, lied to him and told him he would be hauling a load of cattle to Texas. Bob says when he arrived to pick up the cattle, he was told the plan had changed and that he would be delivering horses to Texas.

They loaded about 70 horses on two livestock trailers; the driver says he immediately felt uncomfortable when Ayache began striking the horses with a fiberglass rod when they were reluctant to board the trailer.

(please click link at top of page for rest of article)

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Twin horses are born of eggs from mom killed in Windsor twister, thanks to CSU Read more: Twin horses are born of eggs from mom killed in Windsor twister, thanks to CSU - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/stockshow/ci_19780418

Twin horses are born of eggs from mom killed in Windsor twister, thanks to CSU

POSTED: 01/20/2012 01:00:00 AM MST
UPDATED: 01/20/2012 06:02:19 PM MST

By Joey Bunch
The Denver Post



Jennifer Mears, 23, left, with her horse Thursday, and sister Mandy Mercer, 30, with her horse Windsor, visit Wednesday outside the site of CSU's Equine Reproduction Lab, which was destroyed by fire in July. The lab engineered the births of the "miracle twins." (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

FORT COLLINS — Dr. Patrick McCue crossed his arms and smiled at the twin quarter horses born to surrogate mothers.

"Triumph over tragedy," said the Colorado State University professor who engineered the births of horse-breeding's "miracle twins."

A chill and the scent of manure was on the breeze outside the stables orphaned by a fire in July that destroyed the Equine Reproduction Laboratory.

The cause of the fire was never determined, and CSU hopes to raise $5 million to rebuild.

Read more:Twin horses are born of eggs from mom killed in Windsor twister, thanks to CSU - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/stockshow/ci_19780418#ixzz1k4lym0hC

FRIENDS DON'T EAT FRIENDS FOOTNOTE:  WHEN I SEEN THIS ARTICLE I COULDN'T HELP THINK INITIALLY "AWWWW, WHAT A GREAT STORY".  BUT IN RETROSPECT, WHY, WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY HORSES HEADED TO SLAUGHTER, ESPECIALLY QUARTER HORSES, WOULD ANYONE GO THROUGH THIS?  I REALIZE THE DEAD MARE WAS PROBABLY THOUGHT TO BE ONE OF A KIND, BUT WITH SLAUGHTER STATS WHAT THEY ARE, WHY?  JUST A LITTLE FOOD FOR THOUGHT.  LETS HOPE THESE WONDERFUL BABIES GROW UP IN A SAFE WORLD WERE SLAUGHTER DOESN'T EXIST. 

Norton Shores horse owner gives gripping account of horse rescue [VIDEO]

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/01/norton_shores_horse_owner_give.html

Norton Shores horse owner gives gripping account of horse rescue [VIDEO]

Published: Friday, January 20, 2012, 4:27 PM Updated: Friday, January 20, 2012, 5:34 PM
By Heather Lynn Peters | The Muskegon Chronicle

Willow was one of three horses rescued from a pond at the Sunny Brook Equestrian Facility, 5611 Martin in Norton Shores Friday morning, January 20, 2012. Norton Shores Fire Department personnel and with the help of friend Jim Espinoza rescued the three horses after they ventured onto the ice. They were wearing blankets and either pushed through the electric fence against the blanket or a portion of the fence had been down. (Muskegon Chronicle/Ken Stevens)

NORTON SHORES — Rebecca Kinney gave an emotional account Friday of the rescue of her three horses, one of whom she thought she had lost after they nearly drowned in a Norton Shores pond.

The horses are recovering from the dramatic 9 a.m. Friday incident that occurred outside the Sunny Brook Equestrian Facility, 5611 Martin, in Norton Shores, said Rebecca's mother, Roxie Kinney, who co-owns the facility.

“They are doing very well. They had given them a shot and left some medicine for later in the day. The barn is warm and they are getting dry and warm. I think everything is going to be just fine,” said Roxie Kinney.

“If it hadn't been for the fire department, they would have been lost. They were just wonderful. They took over and got those three big ole' huge horses out of there.”

The three horses — a stallion, Ren, and two mares, Saphira and Willow — managed to escape a fenced-in area and walk into a frozen pond that was guarded by an electric fence, authorities said at the scene.
(for rest of article, click link at top of page)

Lawmaker takes stand against horse slaughter

http://www.wfmz.com/news/Lawmaker-takes-stand-against-horse-slaughter/-/121458/8478598/-/mswpkez/-/

Lawmaker takes stand against horse slaughter

Author: Jaccii Farris, Reporter
Published On: Jan 20 2012 08:01:05 PM EST Updated On: Jan 20 2012 08:10:32 PM EST

Congressman Pat Meehan is taking a stand against slaughtering horses for human consumption, following a disturbing case with ties to Chester County.

It's a practice that's illegal in the US but that doesn't mean horses can't be sent to slaughter outside the country.

Meehan says that has to change.

At Last Chance Ranch in Quakertow Lori McCutcheon and her staff spend their days rescuing injured, neglected and unwanted animals.

"People keep calling us everyday please come get my horse I can't afford it," said McCutcheon.

Right now, Last Chance Ranch has 62 horses waiting for a good home.

Congress considers ending horse slaughter for meat

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/137729753.html

Congress considers ending horse slaughter for meat

By Amy Worden

Inquirer Staff Writer




Kelsey Lefever , 24, promised homes for retired race-horses, then sold them for slaughter, authorities say.

Charges filed against a Chester County woman for posing as a rescuer of horses while sending them to slaughter have prompted a new round of calls in Congress to end the killing of horses for meat in the United States.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan (R., Pa.) on Thursday urged his colleagues in the House and Senate to pass legislation to halt horse slaughter after reading a report in The Inquirer that Kelsey Lefever of Honeybrook was allegedly selling animals for slaughter in Canada under false pretenses.

"This is a tragic example of why we need federal law to prohibit the transportation and sale of horses for slaughter in the first place," said Meehan, one of 150 cosponsors of anti-slaughter legislation in the House. "Horses are not raised for human consumption, and their slaughter for sale overseas is a cruel and inhumane practice that is not consistent with our values here in Pennsylvania.

In November, state police charged Lefever, a 24-year-old horse trainer, with multiple counts of fraud connected to an alleged scheme involving ex-race horses.

(for rest of article please click link at top of page)

Horse slaughter must end

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/fl-horse-slaughter-forum-20120119,0,2316905.story

Horse slaughter must end

By Mary Hoffman

January 19, 2012

While at least 70 percent of Americans are against horse slaughter, it is possible that tax money will be used for the resumption of USDA inspections of horse slaughter plants as a result of the Agriculture Appropriations bill signed into law in November. Taxpayers would be, in effect, subsidizing foreign-owned businesses that sell horse meat for human consumption.

Pro-slaughter groups say that it is a solution to neglect and abuse of unwanted horses, but Canada — with four slaughter plants — has the same increases in neglect as the U.S.

Slaughter plants do not want the starving, sick older horses. They want healthy horses with weight on them. Slaughter is no more the solution for unwanted horses than it would be for unwanted dogs or cats.

(for rest of article, please click link at top of page)

Rescuers save many horses and other large animals from Washoe Drive Fire

http://www.rgj.com/article/20120120/

NEWS06/120120026/Rescuers-save-many-horses-other-large-animals-from-Washoe-fire

9:40 PM, Jan. 20, 2012



Written by
Susan Voyles



With only 10 minutes’ warning to evacuate, Sherrie Baker, a Pleasant Valley Elementary teacher, says she quickly raced home and loaded up her three horses and a neighbor’s horse. Then she drove her truck and the horse trailer through flames blowing over U.S. 395 Thursday afternoon in the Washoe Drive Fire.

“I got back (home), and the barns were gone,” said Baker, who lives near the school. “But they saved the house.”

(for rest of article, click link at the top)

In addition:

Reno fire chief says remorseful elderly man admits he caused big blaze with fireplace ashes

http://www.newser.com/article/d9sd1roo0/reno-fire-chief-says-remorseful-elderly-man-admits-he-caused-big-blaze-with-fireplace-ashes.html

UPDATED: Virus Outbreak Infects 11 Local Horses

http://lakeforest-ca.patch.com/articles/local-stable-report-outbreak-of-equine-herpes-virus-1

UPDATED: Virus Outbreak Infects 11 Local Horses

One horse has been euthanized. Necropsy results are pending. State officials are monitoring a rash of equine herpes cases in San Juan Capistrano. The disease poses no risk to people.

By Penny Arevalo
January 19, 2012


EDITOR'S NOTE: Latest update today says two more horses with fevers have tested positive, bringing the total to 11.

State officials have confirmed 11 cases of a contagious and deadly equine virus at a San Juan Capistrano equestrian center.

The disease, Equine Herpes Virus-1, poses no risk to humans. But it may have already claimed the life of one local horse.

According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the outbreak began last week when a gelding started displaying signs of the neuropathogenic strain of the virus.

(for rest of article, click link at top)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Driver hauling horses may have fallen asleep at wheel - WSMV Channel 4

Driver hauling horses may have fallen asleep at wheel - WSMV Channel 4

Posted: Jan 16, 2012 6:52 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 17, 2012 7:53 AM EST


Posted by Chuck Morris


Rescued horses may have been headed for slaughter

3:05


Driver hauling horses may have fallen asleep at wheel

1:55



FAIRVIEW, TN (WSMV) -

A trailer hauling horses on Interstate 40 overturned Monday night near Fairview, blocking westbound traffic for hours.

The crash occurred about 5:15 p.m.

State troopers said the truck driver, Mance Frank Reed, 50, of Murfreesboro, may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

The livestock trailer from Three Angels Farms in Lebanon was loaded with 38 horses when it crashed near mile marker 182 in Williamson County.

Reed suffered minor injuries in the crash. Three of the horses were killed, two were seriously injured.

(please click the link at the top of the page for the rest of the article)

Rescued horses may have been headed for slaughter - WSMV Channel 4

Rescued horses may have been headed for slaughter - WSMV Channel 4

Posted: Jan 17, 2012 7:08 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 17, 2012 8:14 PM EST


Reported by Nancy Amons





LEBANON, TN (WSMV) -

The livestock trailer loaded with horses that overturned on Interstate 40 Monday night may have been delivering the horses to their deaths across the border.

Three Angels Farms, based in Lebanon, may sound like some sort of horse rescue operation, but the Lebanon company is licensed as a livestock dealer. The driver, Mance Frank Reed, told state troopers Monday night he was taking the horses to Presidio, TX.

Presidio is the home of a feed lot where horses are commonly held in pens until they are brought across the border to be slaughtered in Mexico. The meat is exported for human consumption outside the United States.

PENNSYLVANIA FARM FIRES KELSEY LEFEVER


http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/pennsylvania-farm-fires-kelsey-lefever/

by Ray Paulick | 01.17.2012 | 9:34am

In the wake of Monday’s Paulick Report article detailing the criminal charges against Kelsey Lefever – the 24-year-old Honeybrook, Pa., woman accused of deceptive business practices and theft by deception involving an alleged horse adoption for slaughter scam – Great Scott Farm in Malvern, Pa., has terminated Lefever’s recently acquired position at the farm as a riding instructor.
On both its Facebook page and website (www.greatscottfarm.com), the farm announced that it is no longer associated with Lefever, who is free on $20,000

bail and awaiting a Feb. 6 court date on the three felony and two misdemeanor charges.


(click link at top for the rest of the article)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Children Strive to Help America’s Icon, the Horse


http://rtfitchauthor.com/2012/01/16/childrens-horse-saving-writing-campaign-building-groundswell-of-support/

Children Strive to Help America’s Icon, the Horse


Chicago (EWA) – The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) children’s letter writing campaign to end horse slaughter, first announced on January 5th, has now received the support of The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Humane Education Committee.

The Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) was contacted by the committee to offer their support and to obtain additional information on the campaign. The committee enclosed a letter from one of their teachers with an email voicing support from Senator Joe Lieberman.

The EWA will provide information to help support, update and expand lesson plans developed by the committee. The plans can be found on the EWA’s new Children’s Page, along with fun and educational videos about famous horses.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Overturned truck closes I-40 west of Nashville

Overturned truck closes I-40 west of Nashville





WSMV-TV

updated 1 hour 55 minutes ago

I-40 in both directions in Williamson County is closed after a tractor-trailer overturned.

The tractor-trailer overturned about 5:15 p.m. on the westbound lanes near the Fairview exit. The truck was carrying horses.

According to the THP, 36 horses are still in the trailer. It is not known how many may be loose in the area.

A second accident occurred on the eastbound lanes in Dickson County near the Dickson-Willamson county line.

Tennessee Highway Patrol officials were directing traffic off I-40 at McCrory Lane.

There were no injuries in the accident involving the tractor-trailer.

Stay tuned to Channel 4 News and WSMV.com for updates

Copyright 2012 WSMV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

A lovely horse......


Image: bk images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net



BLM Issues Decision for Cedar Mountain and Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Gather

BLM Issues Decision for Cedar Mountain and Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Gather:

by Sherry Foote
Published - 01/14/12 - 06:55 AM


(Salt Lake City, UT) - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) West Desert District, Salt Lake Field Office has issued the decision for the Cedar Mountain and Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Areas (HMAs) wild horse gathers. The decision was made to remove a limited number of excess wild horses, and vaccinate mares released with fertility control from the Cedar Mountain and Onaqui HMAs near Tooele, Utah, to protect range conditions and wild horses by helping to slow the population growth of the herds.

Beginning in February 2012, the BLM plans to gather an estimated 469 wild horses from the Cedar Mountain and Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Areas for treatment of the fertility control drug Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP-22). There will be limited removal of approximately 79 horses that will be placed in the adoption program or long-term pasture facilities. An estimated 130 mares of the captured wild horses from the Cedar Mountain HMA will be treated and returned to the range with an estimated 131 Studs. Onaqui Mountain HMA will have an estimated 64 mares treated and released with an estimated 65 Studs. This will bring down and maintain the population of horses to appropriate management levels established through the Pony Express Resource Management Plan.

(click link at the top to read the rest of the article)

Wild Horse Gather Delayed in Western Nevada

Wild Horse Gather Delayed in Western Nevada

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District Flanigan, Dogskin Mountain, and Granite Peak Wild Horse Gather scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, has been postponed until further notice due to logistical delays.

Reporter: Staff

Email Address: news@kolotv.com

Carson City, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District Flanigan, Dogskin Mountain, and Granite Peak Wild Horse Gather scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, has been postponed until further notice due to logistical delays.The public is encouraged to check the Wild Horse Gather information line that has been set up at 775-885-6101 for regular updates on when the gather will begin. The BLM will regularly post gather information on its website at:/www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field.htmlunder “Wild Horse Gathers.”

Commentary: Wounded warriors get help from therapy horses - KansasCity.com

Commentary: Wounded warriors get help from therapy horses - KansasCity.com

J.R. LABBE
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram

War Horse, director Steven Spielberg's movie adaptation of a children's book, is a fictional story about an unbreakable bond between a young military man and his horse. But true stories about horses and warriors are being written right here in North Texas, and lives are changing through the therapeutic benefits of the relationship that can develop between the two.

Just ask Robert MacTamhais, a 37-year-old Hurst resident who traveled in convoys from December 2008 to August 2009 from Kuwait to Baghdad to the Iranian border as a combat medic with the Army's 167th Medical Detachment.

"I got lucky," MacTamhais said. "I didn't see all that much, but I saw enough."

MacTamhais, who served in the military for more than 17 years, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, which manifests as severe anxiety attacks.

"The fire alarm at work went off for no reason one day," he said Monday. "A half hour later I had such an anxiety attack I had to go home."

(click link above for rest of article)

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Horses Die in Barn Fire

Horses Die in Barn Fire



By Renie Workman

5:33 p.m. EST, January 15, 2012

http://www.wnep.com/wnep-horses-die-in-barn-fire-20120115,0,1975132.premiumvideo

Early morning flames leveled a barn in the Poconos and killed nearly a dozen animals.

Flames shot from the horse barn at Pleasant Ridge Farm near Mountainhome in Monroe County around 1 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators said the fire spread quickly through the wood building and caused the second floor, which was filled with hay, to collapse.

Several horses and other animals were trapped inside.

"We did attempt to go through the front, main entrance to try get some of the horses out. We were unsuccessful at that. It was just too hot and just ripping through the building way too much," said Assistant Chief Grover Cleveland with the Barrett Township Volunteer Fire Company.

(click link at top of page for the rest of the article)

Deadly Horse Virus Erupts Again

http://moorpark.patch.com/articles/deadly-horse-virus-erupts-again

Deadly Horse Virus Erupts Again

Five new cases were reported this week by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

By Susan Eskander



Nine months after a potentially fatal equine virus swept western states, the disease is back.

Five new cases of Equine Herpes Myoencephalitis (EHM), also referred to as neurological Rhino, a mutated form of the Equine Herpes Virus 1 (EHV-1) were reported at a facility in California by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).

Last May, equestrian events throughout the western United States were cancelled due to an outbreak of the potentially lethal virus that began at an equestrian event at the Golden Spike Equestrian Center in Ogden, Utah, and spread rapidly to horses in California, Washington, Nebraska, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.

(click link at the top of the page for the rest of the article)

Do Not Underestimate Me



Tell me it can’t be done, and I will do it.
Tell me the goal is too high, and I will reach it.
Place an obstical in front of me. and I will soar over it.
Challenge me, Dare me, or even defy me.
But do NOT underestimate me.
For on the back of my horse ANYTHING is possible.

A horse is a thing of beauty…





A horse is a thing of beauty… 
None will tire of looking at him as long as he displays himself in his splendor.
- Xenophon

Charactor...


animal-quotes-graphics-4

A Horse.......



"A horse is the projection of peoples' dreams about themselves - strong, powerful, beautiful - and it has the capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence"

~ Pam Brown

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Neville Bardos: A horse who almost died in a horrific fire but is now a contender for the Olympics

http://www.thestar.com/article/1115538--neville-bardos-a-horse-who-almost-died-in-a-horrific-fire-but-is-now-a-contender-for-the-olympics

Neville Bardos: A horse who almost died in a horrific fire but is now a contender for the Olympics



After surviving a devastating barn fire about seven months ago, Neville Bardos, who competes in the multidiscipline sport of eventing, has managed a competitive comeback that defied any prognosis from doctors, his owners and others in the equestrian world.JOSH HANER/NEW YORK TIMES

PilonNew York Times


AIKEN, S.C.—The horses’ straw beds were ablaze, along with the rest of the barn, when two men rushed in against the flames and black smoke to try to save the 11 horses inside.

“It was horrific,” said Boyd Martin, the trainer. “Basically, you could see some of my horses burnt to death.”

Six were dead. Four others escaped. Neville Bardos, a chestnut gelding and the last living horse in the barn, was found in a corner. They heard him gurgling.

Neville’s throat and lungs were scorched from smoke inhalation, and other parts of his body were burned.

(click link at top to read rest of article)

The Horse | Virginia Horse Confirmed Positive for Rabies

The Horse | Virginia Horse Confirmed Positive for Rabies
by: Erica Larson, News Editor

January 13 2012, Article # 19446

A Virginia horse has tested positive for rabies, according to a report from the Martinsville Bulletin. Citing a Virginia Department of Health news release, the report indicated the affected horse resided in Patrick County, located near the North Carolina state line.

Rabies is caused by a lyssavirus affecting the neurological system and salivary glands. Exposure to horses most commonly occurs through the bite of another infected (rabid) animal, typically a raccoon, skunk, bat, or fox. Clinical signs of rabies are variable and can take up to 12 weeks to appear after the initial infection. Although affected horses are sometimes asymptomatic, an infected horse can show behavioral changes, such as drowsiness, depression, fear, or aggressiveness. Once clinical signs appear, there are no treatment options.

Rabies can only be diagnosed post-mortem by submitting the horse's head to a local public health laboratory to identify the rabies virus using a test called fluorescence antibody. Therefore, ensuring that all other potential diseases have been ruled out is very important in these cases.

(click link at top to read rest of article)

Viewfinder: Cavalia Horses Trot in for Puget Sound Area Engagement

http://enumclaw.patch.com/articles/viewfinder-cavalia-horses-trot-in-for-puget-sound-area-engagement

A small group of media representatives and horse enthusiasts had the chance Thursday to meet some of the four-legged stars of Cavalia, a large-scale horse show that will premiere at Marymoor Park next Wednesday.

The show includes 46 horses representing 11 different breeds from France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and the U.S. They arrived in semi-truck-sized trailers that had traveled from Sherwood, Ore., where the horses enjoyed a two-week "vacation" after Cavalia's run in Portland.

At Marymoor, the horses were led into their stables under Cavalia's big white tents. Fairland Ferguson, a trick rider from South Carolina, said all the horses are taken outside for a minimum of one-hour each day, and Cavlia representatives create special outdoor space at each performance location to make this possible. (click the link above for the rest of the article)

Are You Sitting On The Fence? You could get a nasty splinter......

I had a talk with my daughter the other day.  Not mentioning any names, but it came up about the horse slaughter issue about someone she knows.  My daughter is anti-slaughter as well.  She's not super impassioned by it like I am, but she is against it and think it's horrible what is done to the horses.  

There is a fairly well known acquaintance of hers that says she is "neutral" on the horse slaughter stance.  NEUTRAL?  I only bring this up because I cannot see how, when an issue is life and death, someone can be neutral.  I think that is what's wrong with the world.  Too few people want to actually take a stand against, or for, something.  This woman is highly revered in her field which would have great impact on the slaughter issue.  But even though she "leans" anti-slaughter, she won't publicly say so.

I'm not sure if people fear for their jobs, status, don't know how to handle controversy, or just don't want to get involved.  So the speaking is left to those of us who have no sway, no pull, no following, who are virtually nobody's just trying to make a difference, trying to get people to listen, TRYING to bail out a flooded boat with a thimble.  I know not much has changed in the world, people have always pretty much been people.  But seems to me there was a decade when people weren't afraid to take up causes.  Sure wish we could have another one.  Thought we were headed that way again, but it seems to have died out, again.  Should we just give up??  Or should I just keep bailing, one thimble full at a time.....

Is it Bad Enough For You? Wild Horses

These videos always make me so horrible sad.



Watching what they do to these majestic creatures is more than I can handle. How many of us have ever given our all for the cause? How many of us have even put ourselves at risk? How many of us have done little more than post on a social network? We all care, those of us that post and watch, cry and scream, feel that crushing pain in our chest that makes us feel like we can NEVER feel anymore pain. But we go on to the next post, and the next and the next. I've been seeing these pictures and films and videos for over 40 years. And it still hurts.

I even wrote a poem once titled "Pretty Young Stallion". If I can find it I will post it. I wrote it when I was a kid. Sadly it's as relevant today as it was back then. Rhiannon, Goddess of horses, give their legs wings, give them stealth to hide from their enemies, give them intelligent to out wit them, give them peace that they may find safe haven away from the tortures of man, and give their enemies what they have coming to them, let them endure just ONE DAY of what they cause to your beautiful wild horses. Blessings dear Rhiannon, please, not for my sake, but for the horses. Blessed Be.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Saw War Horse Tonight

I have always been a blubbering idiot over horse movies and dog movies. Particularly horse movies.  Dog movies are mostly reserved for Lassie, since I'm a dyed in the wool Collie person.  Now horse movies I'll pretty much see everyone, just because!!  I can't think of any movie I've never seen that is exclusively horse!!!

Now War Horse is a boy/horse movie,  which I can buy, but it IS traditionally girls who fall head over heals in love with horses.  I did at age ----  well, I couldn't even talk yet! But this movie works, even with a "boy loves horse/horse loves boy" take.  I cried pretty much from the beginning to the end.  I will NOT give away anything for those who have not seen it, other than to say it was beautifully done, classic Speilberg, he doesnt do it unless it's RIGHT.  And if you go and everyone in the theater is not crying their hearts out, there IS something seriously wrong with them.  Great flick.  Hope it gets several Oscar nods and wins them all!!

And the horse that plays Joey, what an advocate for OTTB!!!  This horse is GORGEOUS and he is AMAZING!!  Very realistic, you could NOT tell he was being directed and he did some unbelievable things.  The human actors were great, but the horse totally deserves one of his own.  Go see War Horse, any horse lover will NOT be disappointed.

Monday, January 9, 2012

'Fly grazing' horses cause £12,000 of damage

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/311036.html

'Fly grazing' horses cause £12,000 of damage                                   

H&H news staff

A group of 35 gypsy cobs, dumped on community land in the Vale of Glamorgan have “trashed” the site, according to the charity The Woodland Trust, which owns the land.


Just before Christmas the gates at Monks Wood, near Wick, were broken and the horses were abandoned.

Villagers had planted trees in memory of loved ones on the land.

Staff from the Woodland Trust delivered hay to the site, but the hungry animals stripped the trees of bark and ate much of the grass.

(for rest or article click link at the top)

I have to add some of my own thoughts to this, because as is said many times, what is one man's garbage is another man's treasure.  Here in the US Gypsy "Cobs" or "Vanners" fetch a HUGE price.  Most horse people would give both their eye teeth to have someone "dump" some of these horses on their land.  Yet here we see them being dumped in Great Britain and they are considered a nuisance. 

The really sad thing is that no animal should ever be "dumped", they should be loved and cared for by someone..  If you cannot love and care for them, then don't have them.  That is the reality.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Sixteen horses, two donkeys seized from property | Horsetalk.co.nz - International horse news

Sixteen horses, two donkeys seized from property | Horsetalk.co.nz - International horse news

Sixteen horses, two donkeys seized from property

January 8, 2012

A group of 16 horses and two donkeys have been seized from a property in Vernon County, Missouri.

One of the horses was unable to stand and would receive emergency treatment, the Humane Society of Missouri said.

Seven dead horses were found on the property, near Milo.

The humane society's Animal Cruelty Task Force worked in co-operation with the Vernon County Sheriff's Office in the operation. A US Department of Agriculture/Missouri state deputy veterinarian also attended the scene.

The society said at least five of the horses appeared to be severely underweight. One horse was unable to stand and was taken to an equine veterinarian for emergency treatment.

Early in the week, the sheriff's office and humane society received calls from concerned citizens telling them of dead and starving horses on the property.



The Horse | Horse Connected to New York Cruelty Case Dies

The Horse | Horse Connected to New York Cruelty Case Dies

Horse Connected to New York Cruelty Case Dies

by: Pat Raia

January 06 2012, Article # 19408

A hotly contested, high-profile horse cruelty case involving the removal of more than 70 animals from Morgan Horse trainer Beth Hoskins' Erie County, N.Y., farm in 2010 became more controversial this week after an animal connected to the case died while residing at a foster stable staffed by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Serving Erie County, N.Y. employees.

The SPCA Serving Erie County removed 73 allegedly neglected horses from Hoskins' Aurora farm in March 2010. All the animals were placed under SPCA care.

Hoskins was later charged with a total of 74 misdemeanor animal cruelty counts and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case remains pending.

During the course of the case New York State Supreme Court Judge Joseph R. Glownia later ordered the SPCA to return 40 of the removed horses to Hoskins. Animal Welfare authorities are monitoring Hoskins' care of those animals. The remaining 33 animals were placed in SPCA foster homes.

In a Jan. 4 statement posted on the SPCA Serving Erie County website, the agency announced that one of the horses, an approximately 21-year-old Morgan mare named Ariel, died on Jan. 3. According to the statement, the mare had suffered from various medical issues since the summer of 2011.

(please click link at the top of page for rest of article)

War Horse author Michael Morpurgo on the hidden history behind Steven Spielberg's Oscar contender

http://gu.com/p/348j8

War Horse author Michael Morpurgo on the hidden history behind Steven Spielberg's Oscar contender

The director's new epic is a fitting testament to the thousands of horses that served and fell during the first world war

Kate Kellaway
The Observer, Saturday 7 January 2012
Article history



British cavalry cross a temporary bridge, circa 1915. Photograph: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Ala/Alamy

War Horse has had an extraordinary career. It started in 1982, withMichael Morpurgo's novel about a boy called Albert and his horse, Joey, who is sent to fight on the bloody battlefields of France in the first world war. The book was short, accomplished and moving, but barely acknowledged until, in 2007, it was turned into a play.
(please click link at the top of the page for rest or article)

Original horse whisperer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/article/Original-horse-whisperer-2448745.php

Original horse whisperer
Decorated equestrian Russell lands in S.A. Sports Hall of Fame.
By John Whisler, jwhisler@express-news.net
Updated 12:52 a.m., Sunday, January 8, 2012




Slug: Hall of Fame/Col. John Russell-Photo Request 55685-December 1, 2011-Leon Springs, Texas-Col. John Russell of the Russell Equestrian Center has participated in and coached Olympic pentathalon athletes since 1948. He will be inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame. Photo: Photo By Robin Jerstad/Special To The Express-News / ROBIN JERSTAD 210 254 6552

Bob Nieman was still years away from becoming the first and only American to win a world championship in modern pentathlon, years away from becoming a three-time Olympian, when he realized he had a problem.

A natural swimmer, the Air Force Academy graduate quickly took to running, pistol shooting and fencing. But when it came to the sport's fifth discipline — riding — there was a major hurdle to clear.

Nieman had never been on a horse.

That changed in 1973 when he came to San Antonio to begin training under Col. John Russell. Just watching his mentor ride helped Nieman overcome his fears.


(please click the link at the top of the page for the rest of the article)

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Commentary: Noble creatures under assault as law permits killing horses for export

Commentary: Noble creatures under assault as law permits killing horses for export

By BERNARD UNTI

Posted: 6:36 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012

the release of War Horse, a paean to the human-animal bond and the nobility of the animal, coincides with the return of a ruthlessly practical use of horses: their killing on American soil for export to a global meat marketplace.

The issue got the public's attention again in November after federal lawmakers removed language barring the U.S. Department of Agriculture from financing the inspection of horse slaughter facilities. This clears the way for the reopening of horse slaughterhouses in the United States. Nearly 100 years after a conflict in which horses served and died in unparalleled numbers, our nation may again succumb to the notion that horses are a commodity, and that once we are done with them, just about anything goes.

More than 100,000 American horses already are being carted off to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico each year. The expansion of slaughter to the U.S. would mark a North American betrayal of animals that have not only served us in battle but played a crucial role in the settlement and expansion of all of these countries.

(click link at top of page to read entire article)

Should horse slaughtering resume in the U.S.?

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2012/01/05/should-horse-slaughtering-resume-in-the-
Should horse slaughtering resume in the U.S.?by Opinion Staff

In 2006, Congress cut off money for the Department of Agriculture to inspect horsemeat plants. In the recent budget bill, the money – $5 million – was restored. In theory, plants could reopen or start, which would mean that the slaughter of horses for their meat would resume.

A billboard on the Florida Turnpike near Jupiter urges a ban on slaughtering horses. (Palm Beach Post photo)The Humane Society of the United States has vowed to oppose any attempt to open such a plant. A confrontation seems likely.

In an interview with ABC news, David Duquette, president of United Horsemen, said, “It’s basic economics. Horses used to be a $102 billion a year industry, with at least 500,000 direct jobs in the horse industry. That’s been cut in half.” Mr. Duquette said he knows of “people from North Carolina all the way out West that are wanting to set up a (slaughter) plant or invest in a plant. There’s a tremendous amount of desire to get it going."

(click link at the top for the rest of the article0

Evolution Unearthed: Ice Age Horses of the American West

http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/news/ci_19689873

Kristina Hernandez, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/06/2012 01:47:41 PM PST

Evolution Unearthed: Ice Age Horses of the American West

Where: San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 N. Orange Tree Lane

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

Cost: Free to attend with paid museum admission

Information: 909-307-2669,sbcountymuseum.org

REDLANDS - A lecture exploring Ice Age horses of the American West is planned for 2 p.m. Sunday at the San Bernardino County Museum, 2024 N. Orange Tree Lane.

The museum's curator of paleontology, Eric Scott, will present a discussion that will explore what he calls "a true American icon."

"Not only are they common in the American West today, but they have a history here that goes back tens of millions of years," he said. "Despite what you may have learned about Spanish explorers' bringing these animals to America, horses are actually American natives."

Sunday's lecture is part of the museum's year-round series that helps the museum encourage public learning about the county's cultural and natural history, said Jennifer Reynolds, media specialist for the county museum.

(click link at the top for the rest of the article)

Love a Great Feel Good, Happy Ending

Like a 'fairy tale,' stolen horse saved twice from near death Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Like-a-fairy-tale-stolen-horse-saved-twice

 Fairy tale ending
Eileen FitzGerald, Staff Writer
Published 09:25 p.m., Friday, January 6, 2012



Annette Sullivan stands with Burma's Lady, the horse she rescued from slaughter, at her Zoar Ridge Stables in Newtown Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011. Photo: Michael Duffy / The News-Times |

NEWTOWN -- In a true tale as dramatic as any movie, this horse was rescued from the brink of slaughter, survived a near fatal foaling, and was reunited though Facebook with the young woman who had owned her and thought she was lost to her forever.

Now the 15-year-old mare named Burma's Lady, who is the elegant granddaughter of champion Seattle Slew, can look forward to a life of love and kindness.


(for rest of article please click link at top)
No Animals Were Made in the Making of this Film

Saturday, January 07, 2012
By Linda Wilson Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Andrew Cooper
Jeremy Irvine as Albert and one of the 14 horses that were used as Joey in "War Horse."

Trailers of "War Horse" might give the impression that this movie would be a difficult one for animal lovers to watch. A wild-eyed horse with flying mane runs up onto a tank and leaps over a trench. The horse is surrounded by flames and gunfire and the bodies of fallen soldiers and dead horses in this World War I epic by director/producer Steven Spielberg.

Amazingly, "No animals were harmed" in the making of this movie, according to the American Humane Association, which has been monitoring animals that perform in movies and television since 1940. The organization gave "War Horse" its highest rating: Monitored: Outstanding.

More than 100 horses used in the cavalry charge scenes were watched and supervised by AHA representative Barbara Carr. So were sheep, chickens and a very amusing goose that functioned as a kind of "watch dog" on the farm in Devon, England, where the war horse lived before the war. Even the rats that plagued actor/soldiers in their trenches were monitored.

(for rest of article please click link at top)

The Horse | Horse Connected to New York Cruelty Case Dies

The Horse | Horse Connected to New York Cruelty Case Dies

by: Pat Raia
January 06 2012, Article # 19408

A hotly contested, high-profile horse cruelty case involving the removal of more than 70 animals from Morgan Horse trainer Beth Hoskins' Erie County, N.Y., farm in 2010 became more controversial this week after an animal connected to the case died while residing at a foster stable staffed by Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Serving Erie County, N.Y. employees.

The SPCA Serving Erie County removed 73 allegedly neglected horses from Hoskins' Aurora farm in March 2010. All the animals were placed under SPCA care.

Hoskins was later charged with a total of 74 misdemeanor animal cruelty counts and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The case remains pending.

(click link at the top of the page for the rest of the article)

EHV-1 Positive Horse Found in Rockingham County

Contagious horse virus found in Rockingham County

By: LATALA PAYNE | GoDanRiver.com

Published: January 06, 2012

A highly contagious neurological virus affecting horses was found in a Rockingham County stable this week.

The horse was taken to the College of Veterinary Medicine at N.C. State University after becoming ill with EHV-1, a neurologic form of equine herpesvirus, according to a news release from North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The horse was quarantined to the equine isolation unit of the hospital, the release stated.

According to Dr. James Talbot at Carolina Equine Hospital in Gibsonville, the horse was found in the central portion of Rockingham County. He said the incident was confined to a singular location.

(click link at top for the rest of the article)

Santa Rosa equestrian denies horse abuse charges

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20120106/ARTICLES/201061068/1036/business?Title=Ex-Olympian-denies-horse-abuse-charges




Malnutrition a thoroughbreed named Valerie is the basis of animal cruelty charges against a former Olympic equestrian.Lost Hearts and Souls Horse Rescue

By DEREK MOORE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT


Published: Friday, January 6, 2012 at 4:10 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, January 6, 2012 at 12:42 p.m.


A former Olympic equestrian competitor from Santa Rosa pleaded not guilty in Sonoma County Superior Court on Thursday to a felony charge of animal cruelty for her alleged treatment of a thoroughbred mare named Valerie.

(click link at top for rest of article)

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Hendra horse died suddenly

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/hendra-horse-died-suddenly-authorities-20120105-1pm6j.html

Hendra horse died suddenly

Darren Cartwright

January 5, 2012 - 3:04PM

A vigilant vet may have saved a horse owner from contracting the potentially fatal Hendra virus, following an outbreak in north Queensland.


A horse died from the bat-borne virus south of Townsville on Tuesday and the property has been quarantined.


Four people, including the vet, are undergoing tests to determine if they have contracted the virus, which has claimed four lives since 1994.

(click the link above to read the rest of the article)


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Horse owner credits Alachua County deputy in rescue



http://www.ocala.com/article/20120103/ARTICLES/120109957?p=1&tc=pg

By Karen Voyles

Staff writer

Published: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 11:07 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 11:07 a.m.

Midnight may not have the nine lives that cats are reputed to have, but the Tennessee Walker got a second chance at life over the weekend after a scary incident on Paynes Prairie.

Midnight and his owner, James Bland, of Ocala, were making their first visit to the horse-friendly state park Friday when their real adventure began around 12:15 p.m.

“I was walking him, and we started down a trail that turned out to be the bog,” Bland said Tuesday morning. “He found the hole and got into it and then as he tried to get out, he just got himself in deeper and deeper.”


(for rest of article, please click link at the top of the page)

Oldest gelding at Wild Horse Island still kicking

Oldest gelding at Wild Horse Island still kicking

By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian | Posted: Tuesday, January 3, 2012 9:47 pm |

POLSON - For some people who love the largest island on Flathead Lake, the news last April - that, for the first time in more than a century, a wild horse had given birth on Wild Horse Island - seemed almost miraculous.

It's not supposed to be able to happen, after all.

But the real miracle may not be the pretty young filly that's already nearly as big as the smallest adult horse on the island.

No, it's the so-old-it's-almost-ancient wild horse that, at times during the past three or four years, has seemed like he's been just days away from death's door.

Each succeeding winter has seemed more and more likely to be the old horse's last.

Instead, the old man is still kicking.


(for the rest of the article click the link at the top of the page)

Just the cutest thing EVER!!

Way too cute!!


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

County horse sanctuary receives aid

County horse sanctuary receives aid

January 2, 2012

Progress staff reports Jacksonville Daily Progress

ALTO — ALTO — Thanks to a grant, an East Texas horse rescue facility will be able to purchase more hay to care for abused or abandoned animal.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) granted the East Texas Horse Rescue and Sanctuary (ETHRS) $4,000 to help continue its program, according to a press release. The grants were given through its Equine Fund.

(for the rest of the article click the link at the top)

Crews rescue horse stuck in trailer near Loveland

Crews rescue horse stuck in trailer near Loveland

Web StaffFOX31 Denver

9:14 p.m. MST, January 2, 2012

LOVELAND,Colo. -- Rescue crews had to use the Jaws of Life to free a horse that was lodged in a trailer following an accident New Year's Eve.

At around 5 p.m., the trailer, carrying two horses, became separated from an RV on West Highway 34. The first horse was removed without incident, but the second one was stuck in the back of the trailer.


(for rest of article please click link at the top of the page)


Hope for Horses Slated for Slaughter

Hope for Horses Slated for Slaughter

There are several ways a horse can end up in the slaughter house, and just as many ways to rescue them.

By Christine Rose
Email the author
January 2, 2012

  

Robyn Dolby, of Woodbury, adopted a horse through a rescue program seven years ago. Her horse, Tytus, is an enormous black percheron that weighs 1,400 pounds and 18 "hands" high. A “hand” is the standard method of measuring a horse and equals 4 inches.

Tytus came from Equine Angels Rescue, E.A.R.,of New Milford, which has rescued 100s of PMU foals over the last 11 years. Premarin, or PMU, stands for pregnant mare urine. (for the rest of the article click the link at the top of the page)