smellshorsey

What a Horse Girl Wants for Her 13th Birthday

Lily turned 13 last week. Her biggest desire is for the means to go places -- to Pony Club, horse shows, trail rides, whatever. So she was dying for a truck and either repainting our trailer or getting a new one. (Note: She's not old enough to drive. Yet.)

Fortunately for her, Paul's Passat died. I could write several pages about our disappointment with Volkswagens. I've driven nothing but VWs since 1979 and have had wonderful experiences driving them until the wheels fell off at 200,000+ miles. I love them! They're fun to drive and economical, too. But the Passats we recently bought were another story. Google VW oil sludge for massive complaints. Mine died last year and we had to sell it for junk, which it was. Paul's was recently diagnosed as having only three months to live, so in spite of being a relatively young car (for us), he had to get something else. (VW has some kind of loophole going where they're not responsible for the oil sludge problem unless you can document all your oil changes and show that you used nothing but synthetic oil. Since they didn't make this announcement until we had had the cars for a few years and didn't keep meticulous records of our oil changes, we were sunk. So we've divorced VW.)

Back to the dilemma. Does Paul get a car and we keep using Ben to pull the trailer? Or does Paul get something that can pull a trailer that he'll drive everyday?

After much angst, deliberation and finally resolve, he bought a two-year-old Yukon. The things you do for love! Now Lily can go places beyond the local farm where she takes her lessons. This was a surprise for her. Paul drove up in it for the first time while Lily was feeding the horses. She dropped everything and came running. I managed to catch a moment or two with my camera. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Because Her Dad Pulled Her to Horse Shows

Today was riding lesson day. It was also the day the National Guard was flying. A pair of F-16s kept roaring over. It's hard to find them in the sky because the sound is one place and the jets are in another. I tried to take a picture with my cell phone. They were too fast and my phone was too slow. It was a strange but beautiful mix of worlds -- girls riding horses on the ground and jets that stop me in my tracks every time I see them streaking up above, which is often.

I trailered Lily and Buddy to a nearby farm for their lesson, and then got to talking to a father of a teenage girl who lives and breathes horses who was there getting ready for a show this weekend.

The conversation started because I wanted to know how he liked his truck because there's a new truck in our future. And he began to tell me about how he wished that his daughter didn't like horses because of all the reasons we know why it's not the easiest or cheapest sport. And the more he talked, the more the truth came out.

First, there were all the reasons that were so well put by a mother in this post. And then he came to something that was pretty special for a father.

Because he pulled her and her horse to horse shows and Pony Club, they got to spend a lot of time together. Because he gave up his weekends and Saturdays so that she could have experiences and memories, those memories will include being with her dad (and mom). And one day, she'll even realize how much trouble it was for them.

Because he was with his daughter at horse shows in nice places, he sometimes got to sneak off and play some golf at courses away from home, so this wasn't all about self-sacrifice. He showed her how he could have fun and still make sure she was doing what she lived to do.

And most of all, because he spent all this time with her doing something as mundane as driving a truck and moving heavy objects and standing by the ring watching things he sometimes didn't even understand, they've grown closer.

They've got a good relationship. And when she goes off to college and beyond, they'll still have a special connection. In telling me all this, he suddenly didn't feel like he'd driven all that many miles. Instead of going far, he had drawn closer to home.

Horses bring us many blessings. Sometimes we just have to know where to look.

Animal Bones and Possible Mass Horse Grave Under Investigation

In spite of the good news in my previous post about the horses that were confiscated from the Trexlers in Sumter and Hopkins, S.C., there's a worrying on-going investigation into the animal bones they've found on the breeder's former property in Sumter. Worse still is that there are rumors of a mass horse grave. You can read the developing story here on the WLTX web site. Here's an excerpt:

The investigation came after the Humane Society says they received calls from Sumter County residents that say there were sick and dying horses kept at the property.

Kelly Graham with the Humane Society says investigators are on the way to document what's been found. They say they've heard there's a potential it is a mass grave.

Now, horses don't live forever so I'm hoping this will be the remains of fat horses that died of old age. We can hope.

Here's a summary of other news about this on-going story:

This extensive WIS TV story gives background on the family and the bond hearing.

And there's a good video clip here from WACH FOX 57:

Mother, sons arrested in horse abuse case

Abused Horses Have Excellent Chance at Recovery

Photo from Humane Society web site. Fortunately, the horses confiscated earlier this week will probably all be fine. They mainly need food and worming. Here's an excerpt from a TV interview with the attending vet, Mike Privett:

What happens to the horses now that they are in custody of the Humane Society? WIS News 10 sent Drew Stewart to find out.

 

It's a scene veterinarian Dr. Michael Privett sees all too often. "We'll see cases with the Humane Society periodically, every year or two. But this type of condition is not that unusual, but on a smaller scale."

 

In these horses, Sheriff Lott says there were also inflictions could have caused lameness and halters growing into the faces of the horses.

 

The horses in question this week were confiscated earlier in the week by the Humane Society. They were brought to Dr. Privett's Richland County farm for evaluation and diagnosis. He says they need "de-worming. But mainly deworming and feeding them properly."

 

But more often, Privett sees cases where the owners just don't understand how to take care of their horses. "I'll run across situations where the owners were feeding the horses pine straw and Cheerios, and they thought that was the right thing to do."

 

Another problem is owners who run out of money to care for their horses. Privett estimates a cost of around $2,500 annually to feed a horse properly. He says the horses are often the first neglected when the owner gets into financial troubles.

 

Dr. Privett uses a one to 10 scale, with 10 being an overweight horse and five being optimal. The horse WIS News 10 saw got a one rating, but the good news is that with care and proper feeding, the horse can be rehabilitated.

 

Privett estimates it could take from three to five months. "I don't think we'll have a lot of trouble bringing these horses back. This one behind me is one of the worst, but I don't think she's too far gone that with proper feeding we can't bring her back. She's still energetic and interested in feeding."

 

But often, the best way to solve the problem of a malnourished horse is teaching the owner. "The owners will call us out, and it's just a matter of education," says Dr. Privett.

If you'd like to make a donation, view more photos or look into adopting a horse, here's the Humane Society web page.

In Addition to Horse Abuse, Charges Now Include Kidnapping!

Story updated here 2-28-08

Just when you think the story has gotten as sad and bizarre as it can be, now the man who's facing horse abuse charges and has been suspended from his $84,000/year job as an assistant director of the state department of agriculture has been arrested on kidnapping charges!

Here's part of the story from The State -- front page, above the fold:

An assistant state agriculture commissioner is in jail — charged with kidnapping after police say he threatened and detained a Humane Society investigator looking into allegations of abused horses at the farm where he lives.

James W. Trexler, 48, also is charged with five counts of ill treatment of animals. His mother and brother also face charges of ill treatment of animals.

Trexler and his mother and brother — Hazelene E. Trexler, 70, and Terry A. Trexler, 44 — were arrested at 8 p.m. Wednesday by the Richland County Sheriff’s Fugitive Task Force at James Trexler’s home on Derby Lane in Hopkins, Sheriff Leon Lott said.

Hazelene Trexler is charged with 28 counts of ill treatment of animals; Terry Trexler is charged with 23 counts of ill treatment of animals.

Lott called the treatment of the horses “severe and barbaric,” adding, “the Trexlers have proven time and again that they have no business owning any animals.”

The fugitive task force was called in to apprehend the Trexlers because investigators “received information that they were getting ready to flee,” Lott said, but he wouldn’t elaborate.

James Trexler’s kidnapping charge stems from a Feb. 13 incident during which a Humane Society investigator was parked on property adjacent to the Hopkins farm where he lives to investigate allegations of mistreatment of horses there, Lott said.

When Trexler saw she had a camera, Lott said, he drove his truck onto the other property and blocked the drive so she couldn’t leave. He then threatened and tried to intimidate her into giving him the camera, Lott said.

Trexler refused to let her leave until a sheriff’s deputy arrived, Lott said.

The kidnapping charge, a felony, is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. Ill-treatment of animals is a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine up to $2,000.

All three are in the Richland County jail, awaiting bail hearings. (more here)

The Plot Thickens

Here I've been posting like maniac about the family whose Arabian herd has been confiscated for abuse in neglect in S.C. and Georgia. There are arrest warrants for the mother of the clan and one son.

Now the plot thickens and I'm not sure whether to post or shut up. There is another son involved. He had the five worst case horses hidden in his barn at his home. And here's the worst part:

James Trexler (the son) is the state's Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture.

Officials say the five horses were found at a barn at his house. Officials say a dog and two rabbits were also found malnourished and confiscated.

And then the plot really thickens. He lives down the street! From me! He must have taken those five worst-case horses and hidden them in his barn to protect his mother. He previously had one horse in his pasture and although I thought it could have looked a lot better, it wasn't terrible. I never saw the others and suspect they are late arrivals. Maybe that means I'm not very observant. I'm hoping it means I'm just not nosy.

Neighborhood gossip is that the house has been sold to the daughter of another neighbor. I hope they'll keep -- and feed -- horses.

Here's the TV story.

What Do You Consider Cold Weather?

This is a photo of Shelly from Saskatchewan's horse watering bowl. Her dad has to add hot water every morning to thaw it out. And I've been whining about having to crack a thin layer of ice!

What do you consider cold weather? I'm a wiener. I think it's cold today. Here's the weather report for S.C.: In the wake of Tuesday's cold front, highs will struggle into the 40s today and overnigt lows will drop well into the 20s.

Brrrr! I told my 95-year-old father to stay home today, which he said he's not doing. Back when I used to foxhunt, I wouldn't go out on days when the highs were only going to be in the 40s. When I lived in Philadelphia where the snow didn't melt for months, snow lost its charm for me, though I do wish we'd get a good snow every winter so Lily could enjoy it. So long as it melted within 48 hours. We haven't had a good snow but once in her 13 years.

But my friend Shelly in Saskatchewan knows all about snow and it doesn't seem to slow her down a bit. I marvel at this. I don't even know how to dress for really cold weather. Here's some information about her in her own words:

• 26 years old
• live in Regina, Saskatchewan, but my parents farm is on the edge of the Qu'Appelle valley at Indian Head, Saskatchewan (it's about 45 miles East of Regina). 
• My parents have been on the farm for almost 40 years.
• Team roped, gymkanna-ed, barrel raced, and now just ranch riding
• Basically born on a horse, don't ever remember not riding.
• Temperatures in winter can be as cold as -40C with a windchill of -50C and in the summer can get to be +40 although the average is usually around -20C in the winter and +30 in the summer.
• We never are really ever too dry in the summer.  Usually get good rains, and the snow in the winter

She's sent me some great photos. Thank you, Shelly! I'm sorry I don't know how to make them bigger and arrange them artistically. Maybe one day I'll learn. In the meantime, here they are and you can enlarge them by clicking on them. Photo #1 is a frosty muzzle. Photo #2 is Shelly showing me how to dress for the cold. #3 is their current herd in winter, and #4 is the absolutely gorgeous reward they get when summer comes. What do you consider cold and how do you deal with it? (We'll talk about coping in 105 degree heat in a few months here. Please note photo of Lucy in the sprinkler, top right of this web page.)

Maybe I Need a New Camera

You've seen my fine camera work. Life is zooming by at the speed of a jumping horse pushed onward by a horse-loving 13-year-old girl, and all I get is the tail flying over the jump. I'm losing priceless memories, though since I switched to digital at least I'm not wasting film.

I understand that a fancy camera could make up for a lot of my incompetence. And did I mention that we're still shooting videos on VHS? The big tapes? The last time we tried to use it, it didn't work. Maybe it's time for an upgrade. It sure would be fun to get the whole jumping round on tape and in motion, not just the tail.

We're not quite ready (since we're looking for a truck), but I wouldn't hesitate to go to 42photo.com for a digital camcorder.

Before the Internet when I needed a camera, lens or audio equipment, I'd buy the Sunday New York Times where I could always find an ad for 42nd Street Photo that would usually have just what I was looking for at a very competitive price. I've bought a lot of things from them, and they never disappointed me. It was really great to have access to a big-city discounter for great products that I sometimes couldn't even get at full price in a store here at home. I'm glad they're still around.

Same Family Charged with Horse Cruelty in Georgia

Story updated here 2-28-08.

A friend just called me to tell me that the same people who are charged with animal cruelty and neglect are not new to this. It's a whole soap opera. One of the sons is a disbarred lawyer. The mother owns and breeds the horses in S.C. and Georgia. Georgia officials quarantined one pasture of neglected horses and some of those horses have disappeared. Wonder if any of them are the ones confiscated yesterday?

Here's more on the story in Georgia from the Rome News-Tribune (and I'm sorry about the crazy spacing in some of these posts -- I can't seem to control the text I cut and paste):

  LOUISVILLE, Ga. -- Georgia officials are looking to arrest a South Carolina mother and son for 30 charges each of animal cruelty by starvation in connection with a horse farm in Southeast Georgia.

While the Georgia Department of Agriculture's investigation is still ongoing, Jefferson County authorities have already issued 61 warrants for the arrest of the animals' owner, 70-year-old Hazelene E. Trexler, and her son, 44-year-old Terry Alfred Trexler, both of Sumter, S.C.

None of the more than 60 horses remain the pasture off Highway 171 that pasture Georgia Department of Agriculture Equine Health officials have been monitoring since October. Law enforcement officials said that they could account for only about half of the quarantined animals.

Since first being notified that there were horses that appeared to be so malnourished that bony structures like the hips and ribs were plainly visible, the state's equine health division has made three trips to the pasture to take the most infirm and transport them to critical care centers for recovery.

After several weeks of monitoring to see whether the animals put on any weight, the state first returned on Nov. 7 and impounded 11 horses.

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin said at the time that all of the animals taken had body scores of 1.0 to 3.0, the lowest ranking on the state's 1-10 system. All of the horses impounded needed immediate care, he said.

According to Officer Kitchens, the property owner from whom the Trexlers leased the pasture, has since taken 10 horses and the state has returned and impounded an additional 15. Officer Kitchens said the 10 taken by the property owner have since been cleared with the state for sale to the public.

"We don't know what happened to the others," Kitchens said. "But whoever took them broke quarantine."

Commissioner Irvin's office placed all of the horses at the site under quarantine until they could receive proof of their vaccinations and results of a valid Coggins test which is used to diagnose carriers of Equine Infectious Anemia.

Officer Kitchens said it appeared the horses had been completely abandoned since the beginning of January.

"This level of animal cruelty will not be tolerated and will be investigated if reported by both local and state authorities," Kitchens said.

Update: Owner Claims Horses Are Skinny Because They'd Just Foaled

Here's more on the story about the rescued Arabians. It gets worse -- this woman's a breeder and claims that they are skinny because they just foaled. Here's an excerpt from the report you'll find here:

"These horses are well taken care of. I've been doing this 15 years. I know a little about horses."

 

Trexler claims she's purchased more than $1,200 worth of feed for the horses. She also claims she's planted the field with rye grass for the animals.

 

As for why some of them looked so emaciated, she says, "We had five horses that just had babies."

 

She says when horses have babies, they lose weight. "These horses will put their weight back on."

 

And when we asked where her feed was, "What am I doing with it, eating it myself?"

 

WIS News 10's Drew Stewart said, "I don't know what you do with it, but the Humane Society says you're not giving to the horses."