Over the weekend we had a bit of interesting news in the Valley of the Sun. A group of four riders went out and during their ride they ran into a problem. A rather large problem. They left their common sense behind.
We have had quite a bit of rain over the past couple of months. 13" so far this year is what has been reported. We live in a desert and sometimes the storms are referred to as a "gully washer", because the washes, gullies and otherwise small streams fill up washing everything away. The Salt River is flowing and the current can be strong in places.
So these people set out and at some point in their ride thought crossing the water was a good idea. Now I am all for a horse crossing water and quietly going where you ask them to go. But for the horses sake- use your head! They underestimated the current, one of the horses is now still 'stuck on the island' and one of the horses broke a leg and had to be shot on site by an officer.
It's a sad story that could have been prevented all the way around, had these people made a simple decision and chosen a different route. Really not a tough thing to do.
In Arizona we also have what is called the "Stupid Motorist Law" which in affect, leaves the motorist to pay for their rescue should they decide to try crossing the water in a gulch, gully, wash or roadway otherwise covered with water. If the roadway is blocked with a pylon or barrier- you are plain busted. You pay for any and all resources involved in pulling you out. You pay the wages of any officers, firefighters, EMT's or specialty rescue crews involved- however many hours it takes to get everyone out. You pay for the trucks, boats, heavy equipment, a helicopter and pilot if necessary... It can add up fast.
Another aspect of this is that your insurance company can deny the claim, drop your policy and you are SOL ($h!t out of luck) to pay for not only the rescue operation, but a vehicle that is now a total loss with a 'salvage' title and off to the wrecking yard due to water damage. If you haven't paid it off- you still owe the bank. If you have kids in the car, you face charges of child endangerment on top of it all.
The one local news station abc15 has been covering the story and in this article they are asking if the riders should be charged for paying for their rescue. It was at Yes- 73.2% / No- 26.8% when I voted. I am wondering if they also face animal cruelty charges on top of it as well? The horses didn't choose the trail.
The owners are also now desperately wanting to get hay out to the horse. In the last photo of the slide show you will see about a half bale of alfalfa sitting on the ground, ready to go out to the horse. They have tried taking it out by boat. To me this translates into putting more people at risk and possibly another rescue mission in the making...
The horse has been there since Friday. Dumping a half bale out there he will likely dive into and consume it all and could resultingly colic. Are they going to get a vet to the island if he does? Could the current turn that into another rescue mission too?
I want what is best for the horse. I understand it is one they raised from birth, but had they cared so much about it- this whole situation never would have come up in the first place. The people? They all got out with no injuries. Maybe I am being a bit harsh. I can handle that. But where does their accountability and responsibility lay?
Our horses are not in that situation. They won't be, either. Not if I can help it. don't know if they asked for any of the media attention, but they don't seem to be turning it away either. I don't need my 15 minutes of fame that badly. I will go without if it ever meant the life of one of my horses and possibly another.
*Just to add to the story a bit- more on the story or maybe it should be MORON in the story- "My wife lost everything she owned... her boots her sunglasses..."
So much for sympathy about losing the HORSE!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
For Sale Friday: Wanted
Fern Valley has her post on Fridays featuring horses, as well as Johnie Rotten's Trading Post which is always up and open for business.
Todays post will be about the things we would all Like to have. The things we WANT. It is okay to want nice things. It is also okay to like certain brands. Brands that deliver quality, not necessarily quantity. And it is okay to like brands that others do not. We each have our own tastes and our own reasons for liking or disliking the things we do. Quality tack holds up over time and the quality delivers, on the price you spend buying it. More than that though, with care- quality tack retains its value. If you ever need to sell it, you can usually get a quick sale at a reasonable price.
Admittedly I used to shop based mainly on price alone. I started with the clearance and "Sale" items. ALWAYS. Things have changed, for me anyways, but that is a tough habit to break. A lot of times I found I was buying and replacing stuff a number of times. Had I bought quality the first time around and paid the price to begin with- I would not have spent as much time and usually more money too, replacing things over and over.
Get out your wish lists, and get out your lists of online sources and tack companies. If one of us knows where someone else can find something on their list- please post the company name or make a 'clicky link' for them to help them find it. Horsemom was seeking boots in the first FSF post. I'm curious to know if she was able to get any, but when she does, she now has a couple places to start with when looking.
Clicky link 101- replace the parenthesis with < and >
(a href="web address goes here")clicky link words go here(/a)
Be honest with what you want, but more so, be reasonable with your budget. Yes there are some extremely great deals to be had out there. Those are the deals just way too good to pass up. Many times they come through word of mouth. Sometimes we stumble across them and don't even realize how great it is until afterwards. That's when we either start crying or doing the Happy Dance. Here's hoping we are all doing the Happy Dance!
Todays post will be about the things we would all Like to have. The things we WANT. It is okay to want nice things. It is also okay to like certain brands. Brands that deliver quality, not necessarily quantity. And it is okay to like brands that others do not. We each have our own tastes and our own reasons for liking or disliking the things we do. Quality tack holds up over time and the quality delivers, on the price you spend buying it. More than that though, with care- quality tack retains its value. If you ever need to sell it, you can usually get a quick sale at a reasonable price.
Admittedly I used to shop based mainly on price alone. I started with the clearance and "Sale" items. ALWAYS. Things have changed, for me anyways, but that is a tough habit to break. A lot of times I found I was buying and replacing stuff a number of times. Had I bought quality the first time around and paid the price to begin with- I would not have spent as much time and usually more money too, replacing things over and over.
Get out your wish lists, and get out your lists of online sources and tack companies. If one of us knows where someone else can find something on their list- please post the company name or make a 'clicky link' for them to help them find it. Horsemom was seeking boots in the first FSF post. I'm curious to know if she was able to get any, but when she does, she now has a couple places to start with when looking.
Clicky link 101- replace the parenthesis with < and >
(a href="web address goes here")clicky link words go here(/a)
Be honest with what you want, but more so, be reasonable with your budget. Yes there are some extremely great deals to be had out there. Those are the deals just way too good to pass up. Many times they come through word of mouth. Sometimes we stumble across them and don't even realize how great it is until afterwards. That's when we either start crying or doing the Happy Dance. Here's hoping we are all doing the Happy Dance!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Tenting the saddle pad
Go Lightly has been speaking of tenting in saddle pads a bit lately. I have to thank her for something concerning that. I will explain why a bit later...
For now though, you can all thank her for bringing it up. Since we are discussing saddle fit, it will help to explain the 'tenting' by starting back at the beginning. Like the saddle tree. The saddle tree really determines whether or not the saddle will fit the horse. The tree will also vary to some degree, depending on the use it is designed for.
This image from Sugar River Saddlery and Tack in Wisconsin, shows a number of different trees, ready to be made into saddles. They will actually ship you the tree to fit on your horse, before they start to make your saddle. Of course there is a deposit and forms and stuff, but honestly, I have not heard of many if any saddlery shops that will do this. In most cases, saddles either fit your horse or they don't.
I found the website by looking for examples of the western saddle trees. Pictures to help us 'visually guided' folks...
This is their solid oak tree with bronze horn. It shows the way a saddle tree fits on the horses back. Obviously this tree is a bit wide for the 'horse' it is on since the pommel is a bit low and would be making for a sore back, but it is shaped a lot like the english saddle trees, with a nice wide space for the spine.
They also offer trees comprised of a few different components. Polymer Tree, Wood Tree Option for Covering, Fiberglass Wrapped, Bull Hide Wrapped (Rawhide), Flex Tree & ProTech.
A lot of the saddles on the market come in the standard- bullhide/rawhide wrapped wood tree, fiberglass tree, fiberglass wrapped tree and with technology advancements more options offering lighter weight, greater strength and longer saddle life, there is much to choose from and something for everyone. Then there are other companies offering treeless saddles.
Some of the saddle trees offer more of an actual seat on them. When you look at them as a bare nekkid skeleton, they look more like this one-
It looks like this picture is from a forum from the horse channel. Anyone care to say what they like or dislike about this type of tree? There are two things I find right off, that makes me think about continuing my search if I were shopping for a saddle.
The underside of a finished saddle here-
For those who don't already know, this is the correct way to set down a western saddle if you do not have a stand or rack for it. The horn and front of the saddle go down. Depending on the horn length and size, it may keep the saddle from falling over onto the seat and cantle, if not, you may need to lean it agains something to help it stay upright.
With this one, keep in mind, the riders position in the seat, would be right between the two rear cinch straps. Right about the back of the channel between the saddle bars, towards the top of the saddle as pictured. The rear of the saddle shows the skirts stitched or laced together. Many saddles on the market are constructed like this. The lacing of the skirts is another thing preventing the saddle pad from being tented the length of the horses spine, allowing for airflow. Add in the thickness of the pads and it makes it a bit harder to do. Not all saddle though, have the fleece lining the channel of the saddle. Some are left a bit more open.
Everyone can do their best to tent the pads, but as the horse moves, the pad may slip down and rest on the back. This can in some cases cause problems. Some pads offer built in channels to allow air flow along the spine. Sometimes you just have to make exceptions and work with what you have.
Hopefully this will explain a few things for her and help others understand their saddles from the inside out.
For now though, you can all thank her for bringing it up. Since we are discussing saddle fit, it will help to explain the 'tenting' by starting back at the beginning. Like the saddle tree. The saddle tree really determines whether or not the saddle will fit the horse. The tree will also vary to some degree, depending on the use it is designed for.
This image from Sugar River Saddlery and Tack in Wisconsin, shows a number of different trees, ready to be made into saddles. They will actually ship you the tree to fit on your horse, before they start to make your saddle. Of course there is a deposit and forms and stuff, but honestly, I have not heard of many if any saddlery shops that will do this. In most cases, saddles either fit your horse or they don't.
I found the website by looking for examples of the western saddle trees. Pictures to help us 'visually guided' folks...
This is their solid oak tree with bronze horn. It shows the way a saddle tree fits on the horses back. Obviously this tree is a bit wide for the 'horse' it is on since the pommel is a bit low and would be making for a sore back, but it is shaped a lot like the english saddle trees, with a nice wide space for the spine.
They also offer trees comprised of a few different components. Polymer Tree, Wood Tree Option for Covering, Fiberglass Wrapped, Bull Hide Wrapped (Rawhide), Flex Tree & ProTech.
A lot of the saddles on the market come in the standard- bullhide/rawhide wrapped wood tree, fiberglass tree, fiberglass wrapped tree and with technology advancements more options offering lighter weight, greater strength and longer saddle life, there is much to choose from and something for everyone. Then there are other companies offering treeless saddles.
Some of the saddle trees offer more of an actual seat on them. When you look at them as a bare nekkid skeleton, they look more like this one-
It looks like this picture is from a forum from the horse channel. Anyone care to say what they like or dislike about this type of tree? There are two things I find right off, that makes me think about continuing my search if I were shopping for a saddle.
The underside of a finished saddle here-
For those who don't already know, this is the correct way to set down a western saddle if you do not have a stand or rack for it. The horn and front of the saddle go down. Depending on the horn length and size, it may keep the saddle from falling over onto the seat and cantle, if not, you may need to lean it agains something to help it stay upright.
With this one, keep in mind, the riders position in the seat, would be right between the two rear cinch straps. Right about the back of the channel between the saddle bars, towards the top of the saddle as pictured. The rear of the saddle shows the skirts stitched or laced together. Many saddles on the market are constructed like this. The lacing of the skirts is another thing preventing the saddle pad from being tented the length of the horses spine, allowing for airflow. Add in the thickness of the pads and it makes it a bit harder to do. Not all saddle though, have the fleece lining the channel of the saddle. Some are left a bit more open.
Everyone can do their best to tent the pads, but as the horse moves, the pad may slip down and rest on the back. This can in some cases cause problems. Some pads offer built in channels to allow air flow along the spine. Sometimes you just have to make exceptions and work with what you have.
Hopefully this will explain a few things for her and help others understand their saddles from the inside out.
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