Friday, November 1, 2013

The Unknown, Sarah Bos, Free Horse Roundup & Puppy Doe

Howdy! I'm back. The Saint Francis Horse Rescue fundraiser "Cowboys in the Kitchen" was a blast! I won a few incredibly awesome prizes and donated a couple as well. If you didn't make it, there's always next year! Kudos to all who donated, cooked, ate and sang, especially the Star Fire family band! They're great.

And somehow, in between my being away and being sick, another Halloween is over. How did that happen?! The common cold is scarier than any monster.

Speaking of monsters, have you noticed how many scary movies don't show more than a brief glimpse of the creature/killer until the last possible moment? That's because the unknown is really what scares us. Half-seen figures, noises in the dark, and the sensation of being watched-- those things frighten us. But put us in a well-light room with those oh-so-scary movie monsters, and we'd probably just shoot them until they stopped twitching. Freddy Krueger, Chuckie, Hannibal Lector, Jack Springheels, zombies, gremlins... all are problems that could be quickly solved with a steady hand and a Colt .45.


"OH NOoooo... wait, it's only a little dead girl. Heck, just hand me my squirrel gun."

So today, we're going to wrap up the spooky season by talking for a bit, not about monsters, but about the much more frightening unknown. Let's look at this ad, shall we?

Click to enlarge

All horses face an uncertain future when they are sold. However, this filly is facing the unknown with many strikes against her already. She's a grade, parents unknown. She has substandard conformation. She doesn't pick up her feet well, and she can be pushy. She's never been in a trailer. The owner doesn't want to provide recent pictures of the filly, because she's "really dirty." And far from the seller asking for a buyback contract, she "needs to go ASAP! Would like her gone by the 1st."

Wow. The chances that this little girl has a bright future ahead of her are very slim. It frightens and angers me how many horses are in the same position right now. Badly bred, unbroke and not well mannered, horses like this have flooded the market. They're almost literally a dime a dozen. A very few lucky ones will end up in decent homes and stay there. The great majority of them will be traded from owner to owner, none of whom will care enough to get them trained, until they wind up... well, who knows where? In a can of dog food? In a neglect situation? We don't know.

This filly's owner doesn't seem to care where her filly ends up, either. Sarah Bos Urban of Portage, WI, just wants her gone, ASAP, because board is due on the first of November. Oh, and she'd like five hundred dollars for this filly, whose absolutely best characteristic is that she's spotty. Yeah, I did not mis-type, that's five hundred dollars. ("Or best offer" of course, but you have to be "SERIOUS".)

Hmmm. Let's spend five minutes on Craigslist and see what better bargains there are, shall we?

This package deal of two broke horses with their saddles and other tack, and one donkey, all for $1,000.
This POA yearling filly, also an unbroke grade fugly just like the filly, for just $75.
Here's a broke, registered Saddlebred gelding for $500
There's a mustang here, broke but needs a refresher, 21 years old, very friendly, $400
And check out the handsome 8 year old Arab/AH gelding, broke, only $400

...do I really need to go on?

 I can't tell if Sarah Bos Urban is asking $500 for her filly because she's desperate (her boyfriend Zach Fabry owes a credit union $ 5,672.43 according to CCAP), or because she's delusional, but she's almost certainly not going to get it.

Oh, and guess what? She's the victim here! Yes, Sarah Bos Urban has been sadly taken advantage of, according to her recent post on the Horse Drama Facebook page. You see, a family made her an offer on the filly, but now doesn't seem to be serious about it, leaving Sarah stuck with the horse. Oh poor baby!


Truly, Sarah, I feel so very sad for you. Even though you are attempting to sell your filly as fast as possible, for as much profit as possible, without apparent concern for where she ends up, without having taught her basic skills that might give her a better shot at a decent home, clearly you are the victim here.

I'm so very sick of sellers not caring where their horses wind up.
I'm so very, very sick of people who keep breeding more substandard horses.
I'm so VERY sick of people who make excuses for people who do these things.


While we're on the topic of horses heading into a scary, unknown future, tomorrow is another Tim Nolan auction up in Marion, and I'm sure we'll see ten dollar horses again. I've also combed Cragslist for you... do you have any room for another friend? There are so many great horses that need homes!

Free Horse Roundup

GORGEOUS registered paint gelding, solid black, perfectly broke, 14 years old, 15.3h, healthy, owner would like to visit. WHAT A DEAL!


One last note on sending horses (or any animal) into the unknown, without giving them a halfway decent chance at a great home...

Radoslaw Czerkawski was arrested this week for his year-long torture of a puppy, dubbed "Puppy Doe" by her rescuers. The dog was found to be burned, starving, all her joints were dislocated as if she had been stretched on a medieval torture rack, she had been stabbed in the eye, and her tongue was split. She could not walk. She was euthanized.

"The dog had been bought and sold multiple times online via Craigslist before it ended up with him, according to police."

Listen up folks: 

YOU NEED TO GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHERE YOUR ANIMAL ENDS UP!
  • Check vet references.
  • Visit an adopter's home.
  • Have sellers sign a buyback contract.
  • Check out the character of the buyer on social media and free public criminal records databases.

These things are not guarantees of good homes... but they are commonsense, fairly easy precautions. If you don't spend a couple of hours doing them, you may be responsible for the horrible torture of an animal you once owned and loved.


Edit: I think I've allowed everyone to have their say... and now comments for this post are disabled. Have a lovely day, haters :)

8 comments:

  1. Learn to ask the right questions before you decide to write a blog like that. Yes I wanted to sell my filly fast, no she wasn't going to just anyone. Her price tag was to keep "cheap" horse hunters away. She sold for much less than that price because the new owners proved themselves competent with a yearling. I sold her because I was not. This is flat out defamation of character. Please find the facts. Never once did I say I wouldn't get recent pictures, I was stating when the ones posted were taken. I never stated I did not know who her parents were. You never asked. I make simple posts so I can gauge interest and competence when people reply to me. If she had not sold (which she did to a good family that I know) she would have stayed with me as long as she needed to find a home where she would be loved and taken proper care of as well as trained properly. I would appreciate it if you would correct the errors of your post and take my boyfriend out of the equation. He has nothing to do with the situation at all. His finances should not be anyones business but his own. You should have found mine and posted those instead. This was MY horse not his. In the future, be sure the people you write about can't find your posts and call you out on your gross negligence of the truth.

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  2. I have one thing to correct. Looking back at the email I sent back to "North Horse" the person did inquire of parent names. I did not see it at the time as it was inside another question. I stated that I didn't know simply because I was answering the question that was asked along with this one. I do know her parents. For confirmation if needed to correct yourself her registration papers were given to her new owner who would be glad to show you.

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  3. I am posting as anonymous because I do not have a goggle account. But that is beside the point. I bought this filly. I read the ad, I spoke with the seller and I went and looked at her. So let me address the statements made in the above blog one at a time:
    1. grade, parents unknown - she has registration application - thus parents are known
    2. substandard conformation - first of all, anybody who is willing to judge a horse's conformation on photos alone is setting themselves up to be wrong - the photos posted on the first ad that I saw, were only marginally better than the above picture - but I know how hard it is to get good conformation shots all by yourself - you set them up, step back to take picture, the horse moves . . . so I choose to reserve judgement of her conformation until I saw her in person - standing and in motion - I did find a few minor flaws in her conformation but nothing that would prevent this filly from giving years of enjoyment to her new owner
    3. doesn't pick up her feet well, and she can be pushy - as far as this fillys behaviors are concerned, Sarah exaggerated a bit - but the reason why was because she wanted to be sure to disclose what the buyer is getting into - the filly let me touch her everywhere and let me pick up her feet - she had a quiet and curious nature and enjoys the attention of people
    4. she has never been in a trailer - for one thing, how did she get to Sarah's place? in a trailer - that was probably her first trailer ride - and 'never been in a trailer' is not necessarily mean won't go into a trailer and haul quietly
    5. the pictures - whatever - I wouldn't agree to buy the horse without seeing her in person anyway - recent pictures are nice but how recent do you need? today? Sarah told me that the filly rolled in the mud - I told her that white horses like to do that more than dark horses LOL

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  4. ... continued ...
    6. "needs her gone ASAP" - I apologized for putting Sarah in this position - I agreed to take the filly and then had truck troubles - well, what would you think? somebody sounds like a tire kicker! I don't blame her a bit
    7. buy back contract - those are nice but not always practical - I assured Sarah that I would not simply turn around and resell the filly that what I was looking for was a horse to be my daughter's new best friend for the next 25+ years - Sarah and I discussed at length what I was looking for in a horse and what we planned on doing with the horse - could I be lying? of course - people lie all the time - but could Sarah buy the filly back if she bought another horse (one that is broke to ride) - because at that point, buying is not the only thing Sarah has to consider - she would have to be prepared to pay board on two horses - before we judge the lack of 'buy back contract' we need to put ourselves in other's shoes and be honest about it

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  5. ...continued...
    Also, I promised Sarah that if this filly didn't turn out to be what my daughter wanted to love forever - for some reason they didn't "click" that we would withhold that call until the filly was broke to ride and we would place her in a suitable home with a new owner that suited her personality - we own our farm and have the luxury of not paying monthly board and bale our own hay - have our own pasture - we are prepared to keep her forever
    8. "spotty" - actually it was what made me look at this filly not twice but several times - until I just had to ask about her LOL she's very unique and that's what struck me first - her personality is nice, that was a second - she's pretty and she's sweet - what's so wrong about that?
    9. asking five hundred dollars - I've had horses all my life - once I paid $1500 for a horse that the seller was asking $3500 for - the very same horse that his ex-wife paid $10,000 for - the value of a horse is the amount that one person is willing to pay and another is willing to accept - the negotiation has to start somewhere - oh yeah, and FYI she was 'asking' $800 for her when I first answered her ad - do I think this filly is worth $800 - no, plain and simple, no - but I began negotiations at that point and guess what? Sarah and I found a value for this filly that we are both pleased with - PRICELESS!!!
    10. You see, a family made her an offer on the filly, but now doesn't seem to be serious about it, leaving Sarah stuck with the horse. Oh poor baby - I do believe this is about me - as I stated above - I made her an offer on the filly - and then made poor Sarah sit and wonder if I was serious - because I had truck issues and had difficulty setting up transportation for the filly - did Sarah have a right to vent about it? YES - did I see my name in that vent NO - why? because Sarah is mature enough to VENT and leave it at that - she and I have resolved this between ourselves and we're both good with it - I do not blame her for how she was feeling - crap happens sometimes
    11. without teaching her basic skills - what the filly did know, Sarah taught her - she was just fine - not some monster horse - Sarah did right by her and actually gave her a chance where she didn't have one before - there is so much more to this filly's story than you know

    I want everybody who reads this to know - that I bought this filly - probably in the end paid more for her than I would have if I had gone to Nolan's sale tomorrow and bought a broke horse - and not to mention Nolan's Arena is a heck of a lot closer to my place than Sarah's :D But this filly now named Ivy by my daughter now has a home where she will be loved and fussed over - because Sarah and I discussed her fate and we agreed that this is where she belongs. My daughter got home from her job and is heading out to play with her new best friend.
    Thank you so much Sarah for you patience with my crazy life and crap breaking down - Ivy looks even better than the last time I saw her - proof to me that she was looking better and better in your care. And I promise that you will be kept posted on Ivy's progress.

    "North Horse" blogger - please get the facts before you go after a person's character like this - because it reflects on your character. I'll probably be the next one under the 'gun' of the "North Horse" blogger for buying a substandard fugly filly. Whatever - my conscience is the only one that I have to live with.

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  6. Wow, I see someone is clearly an insufferable bitch, having just an issue with correct facts is a complete understatement. This is a personal attack against someone you obviously do not know, if your going to use exact names do not pretend to be pointing out a vague genre of irresponsible horse owners. Then when you decide to pick on someone make sure that horse owner is actually irresponsible if you knew Sarah you would know she is plenty responsible and only wants the best for the filly she was sold under FALSE pretenses. You would also see the progress she made with this horse that gave her the best opportunity possible.

    I have a question for you? When someone gives birth to a child and gives it up for adoption do you criticize the mother for giving up on her child or do you praise her for doing what she thought was the best for her child? This filly is safe and happy how is this a failure? Tell me I'm really curious....

    I will make it a point to find out who you are and we can take some time to pick apart your personal shit on a blog. Your a worthless hag with clearly not enough people who love you and with this blog I get why. People like yourself make me physically ill, you pathetic bully with too much time on her hands go order a new rabbit since clearly your burnt the motor out on yours and go fuck yourself.


    -- Sincerely --
    -Ms. Stevie-

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  7. Ms. Stevie - yes, Sarah told me that she was lied to about the filly so she ended up with something that was not what she was looking for and being caring and responsible, she wanted to make sure the filly went where she had a chance - she could have just dumped her like she got dumped with her - but she didn't - she spent money and time to do what she could for her and then found a home for her - like I said, Sarah did right by this filly and we will do the same :D I've had several horses from whenever they came into my life until their deaths - I've taken in horses from people who asked me to care for them in their last years - horses are not disposable to me. And Ivy will not be thrown away - :D

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  8. People, get a life. When you put out a poorly written ad like that with the wording that the horse needs to go ASAP you put out an air of desperation which is never a good thing for the animal. This blogger cares about these horses and offers some excellent suggestions on how to keep them SAFE. Period. Take your junior high bullying comments on out of here and grow up. Glad the filly found a good home (or so you say) but then again who really knows. Even Barb Thiry said she took good care of her horses. ?? She also goes on the defensive like that making up crap as she goes whenever she is questioned. Now go outside and DO SOMETHING with the filly and make her life sweeter so she doesn't get sent down the road again and for God's sake keep her off Craigslist!!!

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