Horse Stories | Horse2Heart – Great Horse Stories» rescue horses

Horse Slaughter Restored in USA

Lisa-Rodriguez — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Take 5% OFF ANY SIZE ORDER at State Line Tack. CLICK HERE and use coupon code CJSL5OFF at checkout.

USA Horse Slaughter Restored

President Obama earlier this month quietly signed into law a spending bill that restores the American horse-slaughter industry, just a few months after a government investigation said the ban on slaughtering for human consumption was backfiring.

The agriculture spending bill Mr. Obama signed the week beforeThanksgiving did not include a ban on the inspection of horse meat — a backdoor prohibition that had, since 2006, effectively halted the U.S. horse-slaughter industry.

In June the Government Accountability Office, Congress’s official investigative branch, released a report saying the ban had shut down U.S. slaughter, but that only depressed prices for horses here while causing many of the animals to be shipped to “foreign slaughtering facilities where U.S. humane slaughtering protections do not apply.”

In unusually blunt language, GAO suggested Congress and Mr. Obamareconsider the ban.
The options facing Congress were to further ban export of horses for slaughter or to lift the domestic slaughter ban. Congress chose the latter.
“While we have a long way to go, responsible processing represents a vital first step in reversing the unintended consequences to blame for the dismal state of neglected horses and their frustrated caregivers across our country,” said Rep. Adrian Smith, Nebraska Republican. “Reinstating a humane, accountable and legal management tool is good for horses, good for owners, and is good policy.”

There has been no comment by the Agriculture Department’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as of yet. APHIS was responsible for inspecting horses for slaughter before the ban went into place.
Horse meat regularly is used for consumption by circuses and zoos, and it is now sent to Eastern Hemisphere countries, where it is an accepted food. But slaughter has been a prickly issue in the U.S., where animal-rights activists and some horse lovers pushed to close slaughterhouses and ban exports.
In 2010, about 138,000 horses were exported for slaughter, and another 30,000 horses were shipped for other purposes, though some of those likely were sent to feedlots to be fattened for later slaughter.

Horse slaughter itself was never specifically banned, but Congress in 2006 prohibited any money being spent to regulate and inspect horses being transported for domestic slaughter. Under a 1996 law, those inspections were required for any slaughter intended to produce meat for human consumption.

This year, the House version of the agriculture spending bill maintained the slaughter-ban language. But the Senate spending bill did not include the ban, and when the two chambers reconciled their bills, it was not in the final version.

Mr. Obama signed the spending bill by autopen Nov. 18. He was traveling in Asia at the time the bill was presented to him, so he used the automated signature machine for the second time in his presidency.

When you shop using these links you save money and support Horse2Heart. Thank you.

3 PACK Cosequin® EQUINE (4200 gm)Cosequin plays an important role in maintaining optimal joint function. The superior quality ingredients in this patented formula provide the raw materials that are essential for the synthesis of synovial fluid and the major components of articular cartilage matrix.

3 PACK Cosequin® EQUINE (4200 gm)

Click the Buy button for a 3 PACK Cosequin® EQUINE (4200 gm) on sale now.

Post from: Horse Stories | Horse2Heart Equestrian News and Great Horse Stories

Horse Slaughter Restored in USA

Thoroughbred Racehorses Rescue

Gerry_Grant — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:27:26 +0000

Thoroughbred Racehorses Rescue

A TRIBUTE TO THE MAJESTY OF THOROUGHBREDS

After the Finish Line presents its annual charity fundraiser, “A Tribute to the Majesty of Thoroughbreds,” at the Hilton Hotel in Del Mar, California from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

After the Finish Line, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, is dedicated to helping rescued Thoroughbred horses that can no longer race or breed. It provides funding to rescue organizations in California and throughout the United States who save, rehabilitate and care for these talented horses so they can transition into a second career. Without the financial assistance of After the Finish Line, many of these ex-racers might otherwise be
sent to slaughter because they are injured, too slow to win or not producing quality foals.

Dawn Mellen, founder and president of After the Finish Line, stated, “These talented horses deserve the opportunity to transition and excel in second careers such as hunter/jumpers, dressage, trail, therapy and companion horses. More and more people are becoming aware of the cruel fate that awaits many of these beautiful Thoroughbreds. After the Finish Line will be a voice for Thoroughbred horses that are not supported when their racing careers are over.”

In addition to attending the fundraiser, those who wish to support the efforts of After the Finish Line may also consider donating in-kind items, gift cards or services for the silent or live auctions. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

For further information on After the Finish Line and other upcoming events, please visit

www.afterthefinishline.org or call 858.945.1371.

Post from: Horse Stories | Horse2Heart Equestrian News and Great Horse Stories

Thoroughbred Racehorses Rescue

Theraputic Riding is Giving Back

Lisa-Rodriguez — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:31:18 +0000

Putting Kids and Horses together is Theaputic Holiday warmth. Theaputic Riding is Giving Back happiness for those that need the simplest things: Love and compassion. The smallest expression can mean so much on many levels. This Story link comes from Boulder, Colorado where one Mare and her filly foal Sasha covered diffucult miles to start work with the good people at Medicine Horse. Search for a local source or consider those on Horse2Heart.org .

Post from: Horse Stories | Horse2Heart Equestrian News and Great Horse Stories

Theraputic Riding is Giving Back

Horse Training Methods for Wild and Difficult Horses Offered

Lisa-Rodriguez — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:55:09 +0000

Learn the secrets of horse selling
from experts the world over

The Essential Guide to Selling Your Horse Click Here!

From the Horse2Heart Equestrian News desk:

“Wild Horses” presents our newest horses, wild horses from one year old to eight years old, on their way to be slaughtered when they were rescued by Medicine Horse. Together, Matt Condon and Kathy Johnson bring years of experience in dealing with young, untamed and troubled horses. Their groundbreaking class will give you hands on experience in an environment that is safe for both you and the horses. In the Medicine Horse tradition, the emphasis is on building relationship through honest communication. Partnership and friendship take the place of punishment and force in the taming process. As you learn to listen to the horses, they learn to listen to you. In this “challenge by choice” course sessions are individualized. No prior horse experience is necessary. Those with extensive horse experience may tackle greater challenges if they choose.

Week 1: The Spirit of the Wild Horse. Where do these horses come from? What makes them different from their domesticated cousins? How do we honor the wild spirit of the horse without breaking it?

Week 2: The Universal Language of Horses. Learn to communicate safely through clear and effective verbal and non-verbal language.

Week 3: Establishing Connection through Herd Dynamics. Think like a wild horse in order to become a trusted member of the herd.

Week 4: Building RelationshipThrough Trust. Giving consistent messages through praise, reward and release.

Week 5: Seeing Through the Horse’s Eyes. Understanding the sensory process of the wild horse to predict behavior.

Week 6: Where Do We Go From Here? See and experience the training stages of former wild horses at each developmental stage: yearlings through five year olds.

The following skills will also be practiced: grooming, haltering, leading, handling hooves, basic round penning and desensitization.

Completion of the course will give volunteers priority as horse handlers in upcoming HopeFoal Programs. It is mandatory for those wanting to adopt a HopeFoal or a rescue horse from Medicine Horse.

Class times: Sunday mornings 9:30 am to 11:00 am. August 15th to September 19th.
Cost: $275 to Medicine Horse Program. No refunds for missed sessions, one makeup session at the end of the course if needed.

Space is limited, and is filling fast. Call Kathy or Matt at 720-406-7630 or email kathy@medicinehorse.org to sign up!

Post from: Horse Stories | Horse2Heart Equestrian News and Great Horse Stories

Horse Training Methods for Wild and Difficult Horses Offered

Blind Horse Rescue Story

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:14:08 +0000

Wherever we travel, we all look at the same stars; same moon, and admire horses in the same ways.

We’re Not Different, After All by Catherine Sprunt

Catherine Sprunt lives in Japan wither her parents and her rabbit. She is 13 years old and goes to an international school. She is from Malaysia and Britain, but was born in Japan.

When I moved to Japan, I felt torn apart. My favourite pony, Rupert, was still in England…without me. I had been a regular at the stables and missed him terribly. My parents told me that riding in Japan would be hard, as there was not much open space and stabling and keeping a horse was expensive. Looking for a suitable place to ride took what seemed like an eternity to me. We traipsed from place to place and while the horses and ponies there were great, it was too professional and I didn’t get a homely, welcoming feeling as I walked past the stalls of horses, briefly stopping to slip a carrot or sugar lump into the mouth of a hopeful horse. Finally, we found the perfect place. It was nothing big, but as soon as I walked in the gate, I got the feeling I had been searching for, and I started riding there the very next week.
The first horse I rode was Cassis. Me being a small person made it difficult to find a good horse. In Japan most of the stables acquire racehorses, retired off the track. The horses were often skittish and edgy. Elly was the second horse I rode. She was calm and collected but a good few hands taller than Cassis. I had a few close calls with the two horses but finally I fell in love. When I was given the choice to ride Tachi (Touch and Go was his real name, but if you say it using Japanese syllables ‘touch’ comes out as ‘tachi’), I was thrilled. Tachi was just a pony, but I was just a small girl. His pale, grey coat reminded me of Rupert, but he had a cheeky glint in his eyes. My lesson was after school on a Tuesday, which was ‘disabled day’ at the stables. If I arrived early I would wander down to the far end of the ring, and watch as the disabled children were taught how to ride with nurturing guidance and love. I watched intently as one boy rode Tachi around the sectioned off area, no lead reign attached. I used to think that disabled people were ‘different,’ but now I realize they’re just the same. When I watched that boy ride without assistance, I knew that Tachi knew who he was carrying, and carried his rider with pride and dignity. Now when I go down there, that boy is cantering, and even jumping.
When it was my turn to ride, the disabled lessons still carried on at the far end of the ring, but Tachi’s shift was over. I would sit up straight in the saddle, and warm Tachi up, circling the ring over and over, and with each round, I passed the area where the disabled children learned to ride. Every time I passed, I had mixed feelings. Half of me wanted to sit up straighter and ride on faster. I wanted to show them what I could do, and impress the disabled children’s instructors. The other half of me wanted to slouch, just a little, and go just that tiny bit slower. I wanted to show the kids that if I could do it, they could do it and there was nothing more to it. Every time I slouched and pulled on the reigns lightly, I had a feeling that Tachi knew what I was doing. He knew what I was trying to show those children, and he helped me. When I rode past, Tachi gave me an encouraging feeling. He let me know that I wasn’t higher than them, I wasn’t lower than them…I was an equal, and maybe they couldn’t do what I could do, but they could try just as hard, and sweat just as much to do it. Tachi helped me see what I had ignored all of my life. Tachi helped me to realize that it doesn’t matter how you look or what you can do, it’s how hard you try.

Post from: Horse Stories | Horse2Heart Equestrian News and Great Horse Stories

Blind Horse Rescue Story

AQHA Husband Horse Comes Home

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:16:12 +0000

AQHA Ranch Horse Becomes A “Husband Horse” by Lisa Rodriguez

You may or may not have heard the term Husband Horse before. That’s what American Quarter Horse Leo’s Keep Sparkling was brought home to be. It started when my vet, Dr. Janice Posnikoff, called to tell me of a good horse needing rescue. She had watched as I rehabilitated one after the other of the rescues all these years, then got them good homes.

Post from: Horse Stories | Horse2Heart Equestrian News and Great Horse Stories

AQHA Husband Horse Comes Home