Hero: Diane T Scumfuckers: Dunn County

UPDATE: More on this situation with video here.  Thanks to Mary of St. Francis Rescue for keeping everyone informed.

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 I AM SO ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY.

Once again law enforcement refused to lift a finger to help starving horses in Wisconsin until the last possible second, and then only because they were practically forced to. The horses pictured above and many more were rotting in a bleak cornfield in Dunn County, west of Eau Claire. There was no food, water or shelter for these horses. Among the corpses of the dead lay the dying. One of those still alive was a newborn foal, shivering and desperately seeking more thin milk from his malnourished mother.

The horses have been removed from the property. They were not seized as evidence, and only some of them are going to horse rescues-- the rest may be headed to slaughter or a family member of the abuser. No one is being charged. Only through the efforts of Diane T was something finally done about the situation at all.

Diane T. is a hero. She did what others did not. Many people must have driven past these starving horses. They continued to drive past as some literally dropped dead. Diane did not. She not only gave a damn, she perservered in giving a damn.

Instead of just calling authorities and shrugging off their apathy, Diane persevered. She called, waited, called again, waited, called again. She insisted on speaking to several people. She made official reports and insisted on a call-back. She contacted the HSUS and other large organizations. When police told her the horses had been removed, she went out and checked-- and called again to say they were still there, still starving. She INSISTED deputies come out and take pictures, and waited for them, then watched as they did so. She INSISTED deputies visit the house of the abuser, and drove by the house to make sure they did. When an investigation was FINALLY opened, WEEKS after Diane first reported skeletal horses with no shelter, she followed up and kept an eye on the situation, spreading the word to horse rescues and social media.

Super Kudos to Diane T
to Midwest Horse Welfare, who originally publicized Diane's letter and pictures (see them here)
to Saint Francis Horse Rescue who spread the word
to Twin Creek Visions Rescue who took in some of the horses
and to all those who actually gave a damn.

Pray for these horses, and for the strength to persevere in case you find yourself in a similar situation.

Sam's Arrival: My Horse is in Love with a Midget (and What's a Mini Anyway?)

My horse is in love with a midget.

So as promised, here's the full story of Sam the pony. Last weekend my wonderful mother went with me to the auction. She's scared of horses, refuses to ride them and doesn't really like getting dirty... but she totally supports my equine obsession and loves getting out and about. After spending the first quarter of the sale flirting with cowboys less than half her age (pretty successfully I might add), she joined me in the bleachers. For the next forty minutes, she watched my face contort in agony, watching countless horses and ponies go through the ring for very little money. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Out of the blue, she raised her hand! My jaw dropped. She'd bid on this little shaggy pony we hadn't even seen in the pens. I wasn't even sure of the age or sex, only that she'd gotten him for peanuts. It happened so fast, we didn't even know his hip number. All the way out to the pens, she kept apologizing, even crying a little. Awww! It's okay mom. Auction fever happens to everyone.

So Sam arrived just over a week ago. He's a four year old gelding, absolutely healthy, though with a tiny bit of an overbite, and slightly too-long hooves. After a vet check and vaccinations, we let him out to try making friends. Annie was instantly smitten. I mean tail-lifting, ass-waving, sticky-fluid-excreting, totally in lust/love. She did everything except hand him a stepladder and a box of Trojans. And all this was over a midget gelding! There are times when it's very embarrassing to own a mare, and this was one of them. Mr. Strut, on the other hand, was less than thrilled.

It took days of supervised visits for Mr. Strut to get used to the idea of his new buddy, but now everyone has mostly settled down. Annie remains glued to Sam. Sam is a delight, easily handled but with all the amusing attitude I've come to expect from a mini.


But wait... a mini what? A mini horse? A mini pony? What's the difference? A Hackney is called a pony, but looks like a small horse, with proportional, if dainty features. Icelandics look like ponies, with short stocky legs, thick necks and large heads... but are called horses. I'm confused! I have to confess, I'm pretty ignorant about the fine points of midget equines. By the time I had saved up for my first horse, I was well past the pony stage. Let's see, Wikipedia says,

"There is an ongoing debate over whether a miniature horse should possess horse or pony characteristics. This is a common controversy within the miniature horse world and also is a hot debate between mini aficionados and other horse and pony breed owners. The level of controversy is reflected by the presence of over 30 different registries for miniaturized horses or ponies just within the English-speaking world."

Oh. I guess I'm not the only one confused.

Hey, before we're done today, let's talk Midwest Horse Fair!! I'll be there all day Friday and Saturday, and I will be there for at least the Chase the Dream challenge on Sunday. I'll try to give you an update on the new horse psychic, Amy Miller, and tell you if she's more or less of a con artist than Asia Voight. I want to attend an awesome Western Dressage session, and I'm looking forward to seeing exactly what kind of bullshit people are trying to sell us about using essential oils on horses. (Really? Seriously?) The Equine Fashion Show that could be magnificent or ridiculous. The chickens and horses thing is equally up in the air for me. I'm confused as to why there are so many programs on body clipping. I'm most looking forward to the "What's Wrong with This Picture?" session on Saturday afternoon, Ride Like a Horseman, Rhia the trick horse, and of course the Dream Challenge on Sunday. As always, I'll be promoting the goodguys, exposing the badguys, and keeping a watchful eye out for wiffleball bats. Stay tuned North Horse fans!