Horses are expensive to begin with, but few horse owners factor in the additional costs that they incur when going on holidays. Not only are the usual costs of food and care, but now there’s also the added cost of either getting a horse sitter or sending your horse on holidays to the local stables.

Of course, this problem only really crops up if you are keeping the horse on your own property. Not everyone can do this, and while you may feel unlucky not to be able to do so the rest of the year, when you’re thinking about going on holidays, you actually begin to count yourself lucky.

Cost of Stables

Full livery is an option, but there are a lot of factors to consider. First of all there’s the cost, which if you haven’t already factored it in, will eat into your holiday budget. Typical prices in the UK are roughly around £100-£140 per week, but this will vary depending on where in the UK you are based.

For most horse owners, a bigger consideration than cost is the way your horse is treated. While you’re getting spoilt rotten on your holiday, you want to know that the same is happening to your horse or pony. You also want to be certain that they’re getting good bedding, proper exercise and at least basic grooming. This can be difficult to work out without any prior experience of that ‘holiday livery’ or ‘horse hotel’ so it’s always worth asking around, particularly on forums, to see what other horse owner’s experiences have been.

A Horse Sitter

Then there’s the option of a horse sitter, something that’s becoming more and more popular these days, for a number of reasons. The first is the costs of full livery, but more important than that is the peace of mind it can bring horse owners. Not having to uproot your horse and play him in new surroundings is probably the key reason for the increased demand for a horse sitter.

A Few Important Points

Horse sitters vary from professional horse sitters, to friends and family to members of house and pet sitting websites. The last two options are often free, although you shouldn’t expect these people to be as skilled in minding horses as a professional horse sitter. That said, the savings in cost may make up for this, as most chores and tasks can be taught to someone if you’re only going away for a few weeks.

If you’re thinking about taking on a house or pet sitter, trustedhousesitters.com is a good place to start. There are hundreds of eager house sitters based around the world, all looking for house sitting opportunities.

The kind of person you can expect to be minding your horse (and house) is someone who’s either retired or who works from home, as many (although not all) of the house sitters on these websites work for free (in return for free accommodation).

In return for the accommodation, the house sitter usually agrees to take on some chores and tasks and this could involve mucking out, basic grooming, feeding and cleaning – although you will need to explain all of these tasks in detail to your prospective house sitter first.

Jemma from thehousesittingcouple.com recommends setting up a Skype interview first, in order to make sure that they’re aware of all the tasks and challenges involved. Once you’re happy, get something in writing to make sure you’re both, literally on the same page.

“We do list pet sitting services on our website” says Jemma, “but we’re always clear to point out that we’re animal lovers and not vets. We’re happy to undertake any task and we do put heart and soul into it, but having this agreement, even if it’s just over email, helps to set expectations properly beforehand.

I think the biggest concern for pet and home owners is reliability. If you’ve trusted a sitter to take care of a pet, or your home, or carry out a few important chores (starting the car regularly, cleaning the pool, taking important deliveries etc) you want to be certain that they’re not going to bail on you half way through. It’s difficult to figure out, but the references and the amount of time they’ve been working as a house sitter should give some indication to this. “

What if it’s an emergency?

If it’s an emergency, it’s probably better to either go with a professional horse sitter or to take your horse to the nearest livery yard. Although there are plenty of willing horse sitters on sites like Trusted Housesitters, organizing an emergency house sitter at least minute can be quite tricky. That’s not to say that it can’t be done of course. There are plenty of willing participants who are available last minute, but it’s always worth having a backup plan.

What costs are involved?

In the case of an emergency, where you’re employing the services of a traditional, professional horse sitter, especially a pet sitting agency, expect to pay a daily rate as well as possibly additional fees per animal. Some companies will charge a travel fee, which is usually priced per mile, so be sure to look out for horse sitters in your area.

You will also be expected to cover the cost of food and supplies as per normal, and to be liable for any veterinary bills that occur whilst the horse is under the sitters case (the small print). It’s worth pointing out that sitters on websites like Trusted House Sitters or The House Sitting Couple aren’t as stringent with costs, but may not be as easy to get a hold of at short notice.

Where to begin:

If you have friends or family that already own a horse, it’s worth speaking to them first of all, especially if they’re nearby and it’s only for a few days. If you have the time, look out for a trustworthy and reliable house sitter from one of the many pet and house sitting websites out there. This way you also get someone minding your home, which can be a major deterrent to burglars. Finally, take the time to research a few livery yards. Even if you don’t plan on using one straight away, it’s always good to keep your options open.

Jeni is a freelance equestrian writer, based in London. She is currently working on her first ebook on horse training tips.

When
Monday, December 19, 2011

Time
7:00pm until 8:00pm

Description

Rethinking the Horse Business 2012
How the Economy, the Horse Industry and the Internet Are Affecting Horse Business Owners

Rethinking the Horse Business provides vital information for horse professionals about the state of the economy and the equestrian marketplace.

It is the only event in the world geared solely towards helping horse professionals i.e. horse trainers, stable operators, riding instructors, breeders, and professional riders navigate the current economy and identify the best paths for success.

Topic: Rethinking The Horse Business 2012 – The Economy, The Horse Industry and The Internet
Date: December 19th 2011
Time: 5:00 Pacific 7:00 Central 8:00 Eastern
Place: On your computer or phone
Speaker: Elisabeth McMillan and guests

Find out key economic indicators of how the horse industry is fairing. The seminar features information from equestrian associations and companies around the globe. Opinions from industry leaders and influencers. Plus, survey results from hundreds of horse business owners including professional riders, instructors, horse trainers, breeders, and stable operators.

Hear reports on successful marketing strategies and discover new horse business models. Attendees will learn which areas of the equestrian community are growing and gain valuable insight into new marketing strategies, trends, and equine business opportunities.

Gain critical insight into where the horse business is headed and identify the most viable horse business and marketing strategies for the coming year.

Rethinking the Horse Business 2012 is free to all horse professionals but you must register to attend. We are also conducting our annual horse business survey. The results of this survey provide you with valuable insights into the overall health of horse businesses like yours. Please take a moment to complete the survey after you register for Rethinking the Horse Business. Sign up today!

Register Here:
Rethinking the Horse Business 2012 How the Economy, the Horse Industry and the Internet Are Affecting Horse Business Owners – http://www.equestrianprofessional.com/public/1130.cfm

The above info was posted here:
Rethinking the Horse Business 2012 (Facebook Event info) – http://www.facebook.com/events/313421005349685/

I am co-hosting a free equine nutritional seminar on Saturday, November 12, featuring Stance Equine founder and nutritional biochemist, Dr. Tim Kempton. Dr. Kempton was responsible for introducing copra (coconut meal) to the Australia’s livestock world some 20 years ago. Copra’s nutritional benefits proved so remarkable, it was adopted by horse owners there and in Europe who were looking for naturally clean, low NSC equine feed. It is now available in the US, first introduced a few years ago on the West Coast and, most recently, on the East Coast.

This seminar was initially planned for folks in our local vicinity who are using (with huge success) CoolStance and want more information about it. However, the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response necessitated that we move our gathering to a larger facility, so now we have space for even more attendees.

Beginning at 10:00, Dr. Kempton will present a morning educational session exploring topics on general equine nutritional requirements and nutritional partitioning, digestive conditions, including acidosis, dysbiosis and ulcers, and other metabolic-triggered issues such as laminitis, obesity, gait problems, behavior and tying up. Feed balancing is also on the agenda.

Lunch and a question-and-answer session will follow for those who can stay after Dr. Kempton’s morning program. Registration is required so we have a head count for lunch, so please contact me off-list or RSVP to Robin Brown at email maynevent @ msn.com or 843-832-9613. We can send you directions and details at that time.

Several local barefoot trimmers will be attending since they are seeing such positive responses to copra feeding from many of their clients’ horses, so thought this seminar might be of special interest to members of this group, in particular.

You’ll find more information about Stance Equine, Dr. Kempton and the topics that will be addressed in the workshop on Saturday at http://www.stanceequine.com/

If you’re interested in equine nutrition discussions, especially with a somewhat non-traditional, environmental “flavor”, please join our group conversation at http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquinesEatingWell/

Hope to see you there and at the seminar on Saturday!

Message from: Cada McCoy

Email: mtmccoy @ bellsouth. net (remove spaces)

While my home and horses were not affected during the 2003 fires, I know many people who’s were.  Tragically, I am sad to say I know several people who even lost their lives.  Many animal lives were lost as well, as people were forced to simply turn their animals loose in hopes that they would escape in time.

During October of 2007, I was boarding my horse at a public boarding facility which became threatened by the extraordinary wild fires sweeping the area.  We were forced to evacuate the some 20 horses from the small, close-knit facility.

With horses in panic mode, high winds, choking smoke, unnerved owners, and heavy emergency vehicle traffic, it was a high anxiety situation to say the least.  But as I arrived to evacuate my horse that October day, I was surprised to find out that I was one of only about 3 boarders who had a trailer and was accustomed and able to hauling horses.  I was greeted in angst by others asking me to help them move their horses.  Of course, assessing the situation we were in with limited help and transportation, I eagerly agreed.

The day turned into one of the longest, eeriest, and most stressful days I’ve encountered, as I soon realized that there was no evacuation plan in place, we did not have enough trailers for the amount of horses, and worst, many horses were not accustomed to trailer loading at all!

I set forth, two by two, moving horses with my little two-horse trailer and truck, frantically making phone calls to equestrian friends to try to find safe barns who could take horses.  My father lived locally and has horse and trailering experience as well, so I immediately called him for help.  With his truck and a borrowed two-horse trailer from a boarder at my facility (who didn’t have a truck to tow with), the two of us almost single-handedly moved all the horses to safety.  We were eventually joined by a volunteer wild-life rescue team with a six-horse trailer who helped us move the last bunch of horses, and thanks to quick networking and generous horse people, we found temporary barns for all of the horses.

I can’t begin to truly express through these words the urgency and chaos that encompassed that day as we struggled to load horses, and I wouldn’t wish that anxiety and fear on anyone. I also cannot stress enough how important it is to have an evacuation plan in place for your animals, not just yourself!!  Know where you are going to take them, know how you are going to get them out.

That day, there were owners who did not even come out for the evacuation.  While some could not, do to home evacuations, road closures, and other similar issues, I was shocked at the amount of absent owners.  This is another important reason that your horse should load well; in the event you are not able to be there to transport your own horse in an emergency, you should be sure that others will be able to handle and load your animal safely and easily.

From this chaotic and frightening ordeal, I offer a few of my personal tips and take-home-lessons:

1) Get your horses micro-chipped.  No, it’s not just for dogs, and it’s not that costly.  After the 2003 fires and the stories of loose horses found but unable to be returned to rightful owners, I chipped my horses, and they were well prepared for 2007.  This practice also comes in handy for cases of stolen horses you hear of from time to time.  Ask your regular equine vet for more information on chipping next time you have them out.

2) Consider putting dog tags on your horse’s halters (as I did).  While they can be removed, they at least provide a quick reference for volunteers who may be handling your horse in an emergency situation.  I leave them on all year round, and it’s also nice for locating tack at boarding facilities.

3) Practice loading and unloading with your horse until they are proficient with it, before you are faced with emergency!  It becomes more than just a “vice” if they are uncomfortable with trailering, something you don’t quite grasp until faced with an emergency.  Borrow a friend’s trailer to train on if you don’t have your own.  It could save their life.

4) Establish an emergency plan for your animals.  If you keep horses at home, discuss where they would go in the event of a small house fire – a neighbor’s perhaps, or, maybe a nearby facility.  Have those numbers available, and, if you don’t own a trailer, establish a plan with a friend who’d be willing to help if needed.  If you live in a place like me where the entire county can be threatened at any given time, have a back up location, or three!

5) Boarders: if you don’t have one in place with your barn currently, talk to your owner/manager about establishing a plan.  You better believe that after that scary day in 2007, by barn owner got a plan in place FAST!

6) If you board or are a barn owner, try organizing a clinic/safety day event where you practice loading/unloading with your barn-mates.  It’s great practice/training for the horses – and more so the people – so you know what to expect, how to react, and who to rely on during an emergency.  It’s also great to identify which horses need more work and who could be transported easily to help things run smoothly during the real thing.

7) While hopefully you will never have to face an event like this, YOU NEVER KNOW!  Here in southern California, wild fires are a fact and reality every year.  Don’t think that it can’t happen to you, and don’t think that it can’t happen again, either!

I’d like to take a moment now to remember those lost in both the 2003 and 2007 fires, and thank those who helped keep me, my family, and animals stay safe during those times.

Alexis McCollom Bio:

Alexis McCollom is the owner of Equus Athletics, a San Diego based company dedicated to helping both horse and rider perform their best by bringing them the latest innovations in equestrian sporting technology.  A horse owner for more than 15-years and a San Diego Native, Alexis also enjoys many other outdoor activities, including biking, running, swimming, skiing, and kayaking.

Get to know Alexis at the sites below, where you can learn and share information about rider health and fitness, and all things equine!

Alexis McCollom’s Blog
Follow Alexis McCollom on Twitter
Alexis McCollom on Facebook

This was emailed to me today by Beth Decaprio of The Grace Foundation in California:

Hi, I am writing to you today on behalf of The Grace Foundation of Northern California. We are trying to spread the word about a horrific animal cruelty case that we have been working with. This man has been accused of killing over 25 horses living on his property, Whispering Pines, and neglecting and starving over 50 more. Our rescue took in the over 50 survivors when the bank foreclosed on his property, but now that hes has filed for bankruptcy, if he wins the cases the remaining horses will be returned to him as no animal cruelty charges have been filed against him yet. Our goal is to raise awareness of this case, hopefully to a national level, in the hope of preventing future cases like this one. Below is the entire story of this case. Please read the story and consider helping us protect and care for these helpless horses by posting the story on your blog along with a link to our video and our website so your readers will be able to find out how they can help with this case. Thank you for your time.

THE WILD WEST COMES ALIVE: SPURS, LASSOS, SHOOTOUTS, HORSES, RANCH LIFE, AND THE SWEEPING PLAINS OF THE WILD WEST THROUGH THE EYES OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT, MARK TWAIN AND OTHERS

What is it about cowboys that intrigue us? “Does he have a secret? Don’t we all?” asks Stephen Brennan in his introduction to The Best Cowboy Stories Ever Told (October 2011). “On balance, he’s a good man. And so we all reckon ourselves to be.” Explore this hearty collection of stories, each of which captures a different aspect of what it means to be a cowboy—the romance, the risk, the loneliness, and the spirit of adventure. Live the danger and the drama, experience the pride and the sheer fun. Get to know what the cowboy life is really like, and be swept away by these stories of adventure out in the open country.

The Best Cowboy Stories Ever Told continues the long tradition of American fascination with all things Wild West and cowboy-related. By bringing a variety of beloved names in cowboy literature together in one place, Brennan guarantees there will be a story for everyone in this collection:

·        Theodore Roosevelt
·        Frederic Remington
·        Mark Twain
·        Zane Grey
·        Andy Adams
·        And many others

With stories such as “How I Became a Cowboy,” “A Pair of Outlaws,” “Justice in the Saddle,” “Whisky,” and more, the stories collected in The Best Cowboy Stories Ever Told encompass all the grittiness of the cowboy’s life on the range—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

About the Editor

Stephen Brennan is co-author of The Adventurous Boy’s Handbook and The Adventurous Girl’s Handbook, and the editor of The Best Pirate Stories Ever Told and The Best Sailing Stories Ever Told. He has worked as a circus clown, teacher, cabaret artist, actor, director, shepherd, and playwright. He lives in New York City and Woodstock, New York.

Buying info…

The Best Cowboy Stories Ever Told
Edited by Stephen Brennan
Skyhorse Publishing Paperback
On Sale: October 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61608-216-1
Price: $12.95

Most, if not all, riding schools currently offer riding hats or helmets that their clients can borrow or rent for a small charge. It is important that these hats meet the required safety standards, and that they are replaced at regular intervals, and immediately after a fall. A wide range of sizes will be required to accommodate all riders, from children to adults. Look for hats that are lightweight, comfortable to wear and easy to do up, especially if your clients will be in the saddle for long periods of time.

Another common piece of horse riding equipment to be offered by riding schools and trekking centres to their clients is riding boots; including short jodhpur boots and long riding boots. These boots should cover the rider’s ankle, to prevent any chafing when this area comes into contact with the stirrups or stirrup leathers, and have a smooth sole with a slight heel, to prevent the foot from slipping through the stirrups.

Riding boots can help to ensure safety in the saddle, as many clients, particularly beginners or riders who do not participate in equestrian activities very often, will not have their own. Specifically designed riding boots are far safer than the alternative of trainers, fashion boots or wellies. Again, try to ensure a large variety of sizes – including boots of different calf widths and heights – as well as the foot size to accommodate as many riders as possible.

Gloves make up an important part of equestrian safety wear. They can prevent blisters on the fingers and palms, rope burn and even keep hands comfortably warm in winter. It would be advisable to ensure that all clients are wearing gloves whether riding or handling the horses. It is best to keep different types of gloves available – thicker, warmer versions for winter months and more lightweight, breathable choices for summer – in a range of sizes to suit all types of hands.

Gloves can be cheaply purchased, however you may find that more expensive pairs will last longer – just keep an eye on them to ensure that they don’t ‘wander’ off! Gloves with ‘grippy’ palms and fingers are ideal to help riders to keep a good contact on the reins, and they’re also more durable.

Guess Post by www.EquestrianClearance.com

Pet insurance is a type of insurance that typically helps consumers pay for their pet’s emergency medical expenses. While pet insurance is similar to human health insurance, it actually works somewhat differently. With pet insurance, consumers are required to pay for their pet’s care and then submit a claim to their insurance provider. After the provider reviews the claim, they will reimburse the policy holder for the appropriate amount.

Due to the rising costs of veterinary care, many pet owners are realizing the importance of pet insurance. Pet insurance is especially important for consumers who have very expensive pets, like horses. Purchasing pet insurance for one’s horse is the best way to ensure that the animal’s medical needs will always be taken care of.

The Costs Associated with Owning a Horse

A horse is a huge investment. In addition to the original price of the horse, owners can expect to pay certain expenses, including:

• Boarding – Between $100 and $1,000 a month
• Feed – Between $700 and $1,300 a year when including hay, grain, minerals and salts
• Vaccines, De-worming and Veterinary Checkups – $200 to $300 per year
• Bedding – Approximately $150 a year
• Farrier Services – Between $180 and $645 a year depending on whether the owners decide to shoe the horse
• Equipment – Riding clothes, rugs, tack and saddle average around $2,000
• Miscellaneous Expenses – Toys, cleaning solutions, horse sprays and fly sheets cost between $200 and $300 a year
• Emergency Medical Care – Anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the condition

The exact annual cost of ownership will depend on the age, size and condition of the horse. It will also depend on the horse’s location. While costs do vary, almost every owner can expect to pay thousands each year to care for their horse.

Unfortunately, if the horse falls ill or has an accident, the cost to care for the animal will skyrocket. For instance, the average cost of colic surgery is between $5,000 and $10,000. On average, 10 to 11 percent of the horse population suffers from colic each year. While not every case requires surgery, it is still important for horse owners to understand how expensive veterinary care can be. If a horse owner cannot afford the best care for their pet, the effects can be devastating.

What Pet Insurance Covers

Pet insurance policies cover a wide range of expenses. Depending on the specific policy, pet insurance will cover expenses like:

• Prescription medications
• Diagnostic treatments
• Surgery
• Cancer treatment
• Treatment administered by a specialist
• Alternative medical treatments
• Rehabilitation
• Hospitalization
• Death
• Loss due to theft

Many policies also cover losses caused by disability, stallion infertility, damaged equipment and stolen equipment. Some policies will even cover a person’s medical bills if the insured horse caused the injury. Similar to human health insurance, policy holders will be expected to pay a deductible before the company will begin reimbursing these costs.

The price of pet insurance will depend on the age, value, physical condition and regular activities of the horse. The deductible and amount of coverage will also affect the price of the policy. The greater the coverage, the more consumers can expect to pay for insurance.

Is Pet Insurance Really Necessary for Your Horse?

In the great majority of cases, pet insurance is a necessary thing for horse owners to have. Unless a person can afford the cost of an expensive emergency surgery, insurance is the best way to protect against unexpected expenses. Even if a consumer can afford large veterinary bills, it’s still a good idea to purchase insurance, since many policies will cover losses due to death, disability and infertility.

Horses are very expensive animals to care for. It’s not uncommon for horse owners to pay thousands of dollars to treat a very sick or injured horse. While most people don’t want to think about the negative things that can happen to their pet, it is important to plan for these situations. The best way to ensure that a horse receives the highest standard of veterinary care is to purchase pet insurance.

How to Get Affordable Pet Insurance for Your Horse

Many pet insurance policies will not cover costs caused by preexisting conditions, elective procedures or birth defects. Those that do cover these costs will charge more for a policy. One of the best ways to save money on pet insurance is purchase a policy while the horse is still young and healthy. Older horses and those with health problems are more expensive to insure.

Comparing various policies and levels of coverage is also important. There are several companies that offer pet insurance for horses. As with other types of insurance, it is possible to request quotes before purchasing a policy. Before settling on a policy, compare the different prices and policies offered by various companies. This is the best way for consumers to get a competitive price on a policy that might, one day, make it possible to provide their horse with the medical care it needs.

Article by guest author: Susan

Related articles

• Vet fee inflation hitting pet owners (money.marksandspencer.com)
• Report: 13.7 million pet owners are without pet insurance (money.marksandspencer.com)
• Why get pet insurance? (newsguy.co.uk)
• ConsumerMan: Is pet insurance worth it? (msnbc.msn.com)

Report exposes abusive conditions at BLM wild horse holding facility in Utah

Cloud Foundation asks Congress to reform Wild Horse and Burro Program

WASHINGTON (April 8, 2011)—The Cloud Foundation received a written report and video documentation from Lisa Friday after her tour last month of BLM’s Butterfield Short Term Wild Horse and Burro Holding Facility (aka Salt Lake City Wild Horse & Burro Center), outside Salt Lake City. Friday was shocked to find wild horses living in unhealthy conditions that would that raise concerns and charges of abuse if they were observed in private facilities.

“When government is facing a shutdown, tax dollars cannot be used for animal cruelty,” states Anne Novak spokesperson for The Cloud Foundation. “We ask Congress to defund the roundups and use that money to help Americans in their time of need.”

The video contains disturbing images of once-wild horses penned in areas where they were unable to navigate out of a knee-deep mixture of mud, manure, and urine. Friday, a wild horse adopter and long-time horsewoman from Richmond, VA; reports of seeing 30 horses laying down in mud and excrement for the entire three hours in which she was at the facility. ”They never got up,” she states.

“I saw more than 10 horses in one pen alone trying to escape the quagmire but their legs were suctioned deep into the mud,” explains Friday.

“Seeing wild horses in this kind of squalor is heart-breaking,” says Ginger Kathrens, Director of The Cloud Foundation who has spent 17 years documenting the wild lives of horses in her Cloud productions for PBS.  “I don’t understand how BLM can justify the removal of these animals from the safety of their wild homes, only to dump them into these hellish conditions. I seriously doubt that the American taxpayers want their money used for this kind of cruelty.”

In her report, Friday describes conversations with BLM facility employees who acknowledge that wild horses are not given the required three opportunities to be adopted, but are regularly sent to long term holding for life after only one advertised event—which may be nothing more than one exposure on the internet.

Friday noticed a young mare that was extremely emaciated. The BLM told her the female was a three-year old from a roundup in the Moriah Herd Area of Nevada. The mare was captured 8 months ago; raising another red flag about the care the animals receive in the BLM facility. Friday asked where the sick pens were and was told, “Any pen, which contained a sick animal was a sick pen”. She was told there were pregnant mares in the pens. She asked why she hadn’t seen any foals. The employee replied that there was one foal born. When Friday asked where it was, the employee changed the subject.

“Besides their horrible living conditions, it was disturbing to see how cruelly BLM interacted the horses,” explains Friday. “I was horrified to see horses being moved from pen to pen with the help of a ‘Bobcat’ (small bulldozer).”

“Perhaps this is natural horsemanship, BLM style?” asks Kathrens, a wild horse adopter herself. “Anyone who interacts with our wild horses should be required to go through classes to learn the contemporary techniques taught by so many wonderful clinicians. There is really no excuse for this kind of aggression toward already terrorized animals.”

The Cloud Foundation is sharing Lisa Friday’s report with Congress, asking for an investigation of all holding facilities—especially those on private property that are currently off limits to the public. The Foundation demands that BLM follow the law and allow all young wild horses five years and under three legitimate opportunities to find adoptive homes, before being housed for life at taxpayer expense.

The Cloud Foundation and 200 other organizations continue to call for Congress to withhold money for more roundups until BLM undergoes an overhaul of its broken Wild Horse and Burro Program.

The BLM is currently asking Congress for an additional $12 million to conduct their scheduled summer roundups. More than 40,000 wild horses and burros are housed in holding facilities throughout the US at huge taxpayer expense.  The Cloud Foundation estimates that less than 15,000 wild horses remain in the wild. Caroline Betts, PhD, predicts wild horse extinction in 11 years if BLM is allowed to continue removing massive numbers of horses from their legally designated ranges in the West.

“The only way to save the water, land and last wild horses in the American West is to remove the government’s incessantly corrupt Bureau of Land Management…” says Academy Award winner Michael Blake, author of Dances with Wolves.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak
anne@thecloudfoundation.org
Tel: 415-531-8454

Lauryn Wachs
lauryn@thecloudfoundation.org
Tel: 617-894-6939

Links of interest:

Lisa Friday’s full report to The Cloud Foundation: http://bit.ly/gHIjLX

Butterfield, UT short term wild horse holding video: http://bit.ly/hWO2fG%20

“High Crimes and Misdemeanors” – American Herds Report: http://bit.ly/gQlaxa

Foundation video calling to Defund the Roundups: http://bit.ly/hL0eOj

Unified Moratorium letter and 200 signatories http://bit.ly/6ck87L

“Wild Horses: Management or Stampede to Extinction?” – Reno Gazette Journal: http://bit.ly/fBCBz9

“Antelope Roundup a Disaster Wild Horses” – Foundation Press Release: http://bit.ly/h0kvEn

54 Members of Congress protest BLM management http://bit.ly/gFJDs1

Independent Report to Defund Roundups: http://bit.ly/gCyiu0

How to contact your Congressmen: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/

Related articles

• Video Report Shows Obama’s BLM Abuse Wild Horses in Short Term Holding (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
• Government agency accused of abusing wild horses ()
• Roundup Reality (artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com)
• BLM “News Release”Fraud? (ppjg.wordpress.com)

Boarding Stable Owners – Soap Opera Lives

They are developing the show’s first season;  here ‘s a preview the trailer…

“Not So Stable” is a Reality TV show blended with a Soap Opera theme.  It has a cast of about 10 to 15 characters, where each episode highlights interaction and their personal issues – some funny, some dramatic, some intrigue and suspense. The show balances the problems of a struggling horse farm with the joy, educational value, love, care and medical treatment of horses, as well as the difficulties the family encounters trying to keep their boarders happy. Horse shows are huge affairs; tempers flare and issues arise when parents become servants and coaches as their young competitors become Divas.

The primary story is that Jim and Vicky while raising a family lived a good life as successful homebuilders.  Jim’s love for horses led them to invest into a horse-boarding stable business.  Since the economic meltdown and the collapse of the building industry they have been forced to live and work on the farm with their two daughters, Amanda and Rebecca. Jim and Vicky are now broke and working harder than they have in their entire lives and are struggling to keep their home.  Some boarders are trying to help, but others only care about themselves. Some boarders are prima donnas, gossipers, snobs and back stabbers that ad tension to the daily struggles.

Company: Track 26 Entertainment

NotSoStableTV – http://www.youtube.com/user/NotSoStableTV

Please post your thoughts about this show in the comments. Will you watch it? Why or why not?

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• Habitat for Horses Helps Struggling Texans Keep Their Horses at Home (rtfitch.wordpress.com)