A Routineless Delivery

Well, it's finally spring. You know, spring showers and Spring Flowers, and for me - mud and shedding animals. But most exciting - new foals! I love the new babies. Sadly, though, this year (since we've moved off the family farm) I missed the birth of the first foal of the year this morning.

For the last few years I was present for the births of the Thoroughbreds and imprinted most of them. I was planning on spending nights out there to help with foal watches, starting in a week or two. Shameless was due in four days, but last year all of the mares were two to three weeks late. Whoever writes all the books about how broodmares will generally follow the same foaling routine year after year needs to read them to the mares.

Last year Shameless was groaning and miserable all day and foaled in the middle of the afternoon, which was very convenient for everybody. This morning, she was fine at 3AM and by 5AM had a baby following her around. So much for imprinting. So much for routine. So much for me being with her.

Well, I vow to be there (or at least try really hard 'cause who knows what these horses will do?) for the rest of the babies this year. I hate to miss it - there's nothing more magical in the springtime.

We're probably sending Tickles back to the farm to act as babysitter, which she loves and mares appreciate once the babies get really active. Tuff would have to go too so he wouldn't be left here alone, and to give my little pasture a needed break.

By the way, Shameless had another stud colt with two white legs on the same side, which seems to be all she knows how to throw. I guess that's one routine she'll stick to.

I'm so excited about spending time with the babies!

Throw-Away Horses

Not long ago, I wrote about PMU horse farms and the resulting surplus foals. PMU farms produce a drug product used for human hormone replaement therapy, called Premarin (PREgnant MAre uRINe). This drug is collected from the mares who are kept perpetually pregnant.

The obvious result of this process are the births of lots of unwanted foal "by-products." Literally thousands of foals are born each year, with rescue and adoption organizations scrambling to find them homes. Unfortunately, more of them end up at slaughterhouses than adoptive homes.

There are two recent major developments that will greatly impact these horses in the future. One is recent research revealing the dangers of the drug Premarin, and the resulting decline in sales. This has caused the termination of contracts with many PMU farmers and the cutback of production for many more. This move has further resulted in widespread panic as many farmers started selling entire bands of mares as prices plunged.

Meanwhile, despite an amendment passed by Congress last fall defining a clear decision to ban horse slaughter, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has set the three existing hourse slaughter facilities in this country back in business (two in Texas, one in Illinois).

The problems with Premarin couldn't have come at a better time for the meat buyers who can now buy up entire auctions of rock-bottom priced PMU horses. (Because horse-meat is an expensive delicacy in Japan and Europe, these buyers can usually afford to out-bid legitimate horse rescue and adoption organizations.) During the last two years, one could find large numbers of horses including mares with days-old foals at their sides and breeding stallions; well-groomed, trimmed and bathed horses, all going to the killers.

Unfortunately, this comes at a time when PMU farms have been taking greater pride in producing well-bred, registered, highly adoptable horses, including quarter horses, paints, Appaloosas, and drafts. But mainly, PMU offspring now consist of more warmblood sport horses meant to compete with expensive European imports; especially Thoroughbreds and Arab/draft crosses.

So at least here in America we can take heart knowing that we send only the best to our slaughterhouses.

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Another drug (besides Premarin) that has been linked to increased health risks is Vioxx. If you or anyone you know has taken Vioxx for arthritis pain or painful menstrual cycles, be aware that any regimen longer than 18 months can lead to twice the risk of heart attack or stroke. Learn more about Vioxx lawsuits and get a free case evaluation.

Home, Sweet Home

Hooray! My horses have come home. I'm so happy to be able to look out the window of our new house and see my babies out there. The property was not set up for horses and although my husband and I put up a horse fence and repaired some existing fencing, I'm not terribly satisfied as yet.

The previous owners used the back of the property as a mini-junkyard. There are old refrigerators, motorcycles, snowmobiles, a pickup camper shell, and who-knows-what strewn about. We don't have a truck or any other readily available means to haul this crap away, so we're trying to make some arrangements. Right now, with the wet and muddy weather, no one seems eager to try to get a truck back there.

Here in Idaho I often see horses standing in fields full of junk and up to now I have felt a bit superior. I never thought I would knowingly expose my horses to such dangers. I was fully prepared to begin doctoring cuts and scrapes the night I brought my guys home, and yet, knock on wood, they seem to have more sense than I gave them credit for. They've adjusted to their new environment just fine and seem to enjoy being in a neighborhood where there is always something going on for them to watch.

As yet, I'm not riding because of a) the mud and b) I don't want to fall off onto hard or sharp objects. Obviously we don't have the convenience of a riding arena anymore.

So, yes, I'm having some buyer's remorse revolving around having moved off my in-laws' place. (Yes, I know, I need to be looking at Mother's Day Gift Baskets.) I miss the arena, the use of the trucks, the ability to rotate pastures, and the barn.

And yet, we're so relieved and happy to be on our own, in our own place, and taking care of our own horses. I have so many plans for making this place really nice; if the mud would just dry out!

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