" Model Citizens of the Horse World"

Let’s talk a little bit about egos in the horse world. Ego is what the entire show system is about. Let’s be truthful here: The horse doesn’t give a crap whether it is ever shown or not. He doesn’t care if he ever rides in a trailer, or gets his feet polished, or carries around a fake tail. The horse exists to eat, shit, possibly make babies and enjoy being worshipped as the extraordinary animal he is. He has no use for ribbons, trophies or full-page ads. However, the horse is rarely asked for his opinion, and because of this he is subjected to one of the most horrible things on the planet: The human ego.

What does the ego do? Webster defines the ego as: the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.


One might also define the ego as: The psychic apparatus that compels some sorry piece of shit trainer to drug, beat and harass a horse into a completely artificial frame in the pursuit of a small piece of satin.


We see this a lot, in every breed and every discipline. There is not a single show system in the world that is not governed by ego. From guppies to draft horses it takes someone with a will to win to subject an animal to the processes of showing. The difference is that if you beat a guppy or a gerbil it would die. Horses, unfortunately, can take a lot of abuse before succumbing and they are usually silent about it.

Do horses enjoy human companionship? Certainly. Horses even, in some cases, enjoy the work that goes along with being ridden. I’ve seen horses jump for fun, or cut cattle with no rider on them. I’ve seen horses interact with humans in a way that makes dogs seem like pikers. Horses can love their people. However, they need people that love them back to care for them. This is usually not the case with Big Name Trainers. I’ll state right now that I’m not remotely jealous or concerned about winning anything, I have an entire king sized bed quilt that is made out of sewing together my horse show ribbons, complete with rosettes. At my age I’m happy to report and observe. I appreciate a well-trained horse. I appreciate a skilled and empathetic rider. I rarely see either in the show ring today. What I do see are horses that are bent, spurred, starved, worn-out and tortured into frames and robotic mindsets.

The hardships forced upon horses in the show ring are appalling, but what is even more ridiculous is that after being caught, suspended and/or fined for their actions the BNTs think that a few months or years after their indiscretion everyone should forgive them and they become “model citizens”, never to be sneered at or avoided again.

Here’s my take on it: Horse abusers, like child molesters, can never, ever, reform. They may not get caught doing it in public, but they are still doing it. Anyone suspended for physically abusing a horse should be banned for life. One strike and you’re out. I’m not talking about an accidental spur mark, or making a raw spot on the corner of the mouth. I’m talking about welts, edema, ripped lips, bleeding tongues, you know, like the horse, Slow Lopin Scotch, that was abused to a horrific degree while residing at Cleve Wells’ ranch. This fiasco cost Mr. Wells his Professional Horsemans’ Association card as well as a one-year suspension from AQHA and a $10,000.00 fine.





And even after all this there are still dumbasses on the Pleasure Horse Forum that are defending him. Why? Because he’s won sooooo much. I don’t give a shit if he wins the Nobel Peace Prize he’s still a complete fucktard for having a horse come off of his ranch in that condition. I suspect that in a few years the AQHA show world and all the wannabes and “excusestrians” will be lined up behind him again, worshipping his winning ways and trying to be just like him.



After physical abuse comes drugging to win. Drugging a horse with fluphenizine or reserpine in order to show it is extreme abuse. It is the ultimate in poor sportsmanship and it is a crime that should never, ever, be forgiven. If you use an anti-psychotic in order to try to win then you are a piece of shit. You have no consideration for your horse or fellow exhibitors. If you are a trainer that puts a kid on a horse that has been drugged with one of these two then you should be charged with child endangerment and sentenced to jail. You do not get a free pass back to being a “model citizen” after serving your suspension and paying your fines. You are forever a POS BNT.

The two forms of abuse are not mutually exclusive. One particular BNT trainer in the ApHC show world (think serious “Drequitation”) was busted for fluphenizine in 2003 and was also caught riding his WP horse in the warm up pen, the horse wearing a racing blinker hood, and popping the horse in the head with a stick to make it lower its head. This is a witnessed event and a complaint was filed, but subsequently shoved under the rug.

Abuse breeds abuse. Don’t ever think it doesn’t. On the days the horses aren’t getting stuck in the vein then they are getting the physical ill treatment. The constant spurring, plucking and checking show such a lack of skill it’s a wonder that real horsemen don’t run these assholes out with pitchforks and torches. We know the judges don’t have the balls to do it, especially in the ApHC, because they ride the same fricking way.

The other effect of the abuse is that the instigators of it get all offended when someone points out their past and doesn’t buy the “born again” non-horse abuser act. I really don’t care if you haven’t been busted for a few years, we all know of the back scratching and fear of retaliation that pervades the industry. Anyone with common sense knows that you haven’t changed you ways. You’re still in it for the money and the bragging rights. You’re still catering to clients and trying to sell horses. Anyone of you could be caught in the warm up pen late at night thrashing some horse. This is where video cameras and cell phone cameras are going to start catching up with you. And we all know that with the exception of a few very high end shows not every horse in every class gets drug tested. A respectable Top Ten win, on a reserpine horse, is just as good an advertisement, and less likely to get you tested, as winning. And by the way, when two BNT decided to start brawling outside the main show ring at the Reichert, because one of them is a whiney ass because the other took his client, then don't be surprised if people dump your ass because you have the maturity of a toddler. Maybe that video will make it to youtube one day.

I can already hear the Pleasure Horse Forum screeching about “forgiveness” once the suspension is over. Bullshit! There is no forgiveness for a person that abuses or drugs a harmless animal. The fact that most of the people on the forum have a moral compass that endorses and even supports this attitude tells you how sorry-assed the pleasure horse industry is. They even came out in support of a trainer that used fluphenizine on a horse because “he’d done his time” and he’s an “angel” now. Then they started trashing a person that spoke out against his past actions and started trashing her facility even though none of the sorry wannabes had ever personally seen it. I found this ironic since the one wannabe is nothing more than an ex-groom and has never shown a high level winner in her life. Perhaps she’s dreaming of the day she too can jab a needle in a vein and compete with the rest of the incompetents. Nothing like ass-kissing with the PHF to make your career. Oh, and according to the PHF denizens the poor horse-abusing trainer just had his poor wittle reputation ruined because someone brought up his past behavior. What a crock of shit! He ruined his own reputation by drugging the horse with an anti-psychotic. I’d barf, but I’d hate to replace this laptop.

Here’s the deal: There is no forgiveness for abuse or drugging. You do not get a free pass back into being a reputable trainer. And even more to the point: You stupidly brought it on yourself and can’t blame anyone for being such a fucking moron. Here’s another clue: No one that discusses your past is the bad guy! You are!

Let’s put public recognition and abominable behavior in perspective: In 1938 Adolf Hitler was voted Time Magazine’s Man of the Year. Yeah, we all know what he went on to do. And we all know that there are a bunch of sheet-wearing dumb asses out there that still condone his actions, because his goals and theirs are the same: to win at all costs, no matter whom you hurt or kill. Some show people are the exact same way. They want to win, no matter how many horses they go through while reaching for that worthless piece of satin.

I’ll end this blog with one of my favorite quotes by Thomas C. Haliburton:

“The only way to reform some people is to chloroform them.”



I couldn’t agree more.

PETA at work

This is not exactly show ring related, but could have an effect on the people that raise, sell and make their living off of producing pedigreed animals.

H.R. 669 is a bill that bans possession, import or export to the United States, transport between states or breeding of nonnative animal species in the United States.
H.R. 669 excludes some animals from this possible ban, including dogs, cats, horses, goldfish, domestic rabbits and some farm animals.
The bill also notes that the Secretary of the Interior can exclude other animal species that are deemed common and clearly domesticated. Any species not excluded must go through an assessment process to determine its possible negative impact to the economy, environment, other animal species and human health.
Supporters of H.R. 669 believe it prevents harm to these areas from nonnative, invasive species.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-669

What this means is that those of you the like exotic birds, ferrets, chinchillas, constrictors and pythons, zebras, and other animals not native to the USA will find yourselves with animals that are banned by this bill.
PETA is one a roll. How long until they get the government to ban the importation of all animal species? Horses and cattle are not native to the USA, even though they've been here for centuries. The majority of dog breeds aren't native either. They are talking exclusions now, that would allow common animals to stay, but that doesn't mean they won't block importation of new breeds.

Madeline Bordallo is the sponsor for this bill and in my opinion she needs her fricking head examined. She's a pawn for PETA and the people that want animals set "free".
Does this stupid woman not realize the impact of shutting down a huge section of the animal industry? The makers of pet products will have to close their plants. People will lose jobs, animals will be abandoned and neglected, veterinarians that have specialized in these species will no longer practice. It makes *no* fricking sense. She's a delegate from Guam and here's her official website: http://www.house.gov/bordallo/
You can contact here here: http://www.house.gov/bordallo/IMA/issue.htm

Step on it people and let this idiot know that she's messing with something she has no clue about. Or the next thing that may be legislated is your ability to keep a horse.

Make Mine A Draft

The topic of the blog today is by request from several people bemoaning how their section of the horse industry has taken a wrong turn.

I think secretly all horsemen love the sight of a draft horse. Not only are they the embodiment of power, but also they represent a time when simply being a good horseman gave you cachet within society. Most honorific titles in ages from Alexander the Great to pre World War II spring from the respect due a good horseman: Chevalier, Cavalier, Caballero, Sir (knighthood), Ritter etc.

Sadly the draft horse went through a down period that started right after World War II and continued for almost 50 years. Other than pastoral societies, such as the Amish, Mennonites and Third World Countries, the draft horse fell out of use due to mechanization. Once tractors appeared on the scene a good draft horse was worth a quarter of what he’d previously been valued. Some breeds survived the down turn and some didn’t. The group that monitors rare and exotic breeds has speculated that almost half of the world’s breeds of draft horses have disappeared or have been absorbed into other breeds.

Thankfully, we’ve seen a resurgence of interest in drafts and many breeds are now growing. The ever-popular Clydesdale sells us Budweiser, while the striking black team of Percherons that Southern States owns tries to sell us farm supplies. In the east a drive through Amish country will reveal teams of Belgians and half drafts plowing the fields. Fox hunting country will yield more half drafts, which are prized for their size and ability, as well as their steadfast temperaments. The draft is at least holding steady, but there are some blotches on the horizon.
Let’s discuss something that is going to really piss some people off: Gypsy Vanner Horses. I’ve seen them at fairs and expos and can’t say that I’m impressed. They don’t have the size of the big drafts, nor the elegance of the small draft. In fact some of them are hideous. And I do mean hideous! In a breed where a roman nose is accepted and even adored they go way beyond the norm and have ugly heads.



Let’s get real here. Horses like this aren’t worth ten grand. They aren’t worth five grand. Mostly they are worth carcass weight unless you can get them trained to be the quietest, most ridable/drivable horse out there. We can forgive ugly if the horse is at least useful.















Really, I’m serious. Even if the horse is puurrttyyy colored, and a draft, it’s not worth shit unless it has all the other components of a good horse. This horse is not a good example of conformation, draft or otherwise, and certainly isn’t worth the $10,000 he’s listed for on dreamhorse. The Gypsy Vanner trend has revealed several things to me.

1) Americans will pay money to import anything, even if it is a piece of shit
2) The Irish and English have a great sense of humor in regards to selling Americans low quality horses for outrageous sums of money. Perhaps they are getting back at us about that tea party thing in Boston.
3) Color is still a primary consideration over conformation, doesn’t matter which breed, how big or small.

Yes, someone paid money to import this mare. 100 like her could be found at any Saturday livestock auction, with the exception that the auction horses would probably actually be trained.

I expect this kind of shit in the stock horse industry. I find it impossible to comprehend in a division of the horse world where rare breeds outnumber the regular ones. Why would you reproduce crap when there are only 500 horses of that breed in the world? It makes no sense at all. Look at what happened to the Friesian. They pop into public consciousness in LadyHawke, get another boost in Zorro (although how the movie makers made the leap from Dutch Carriage horse to Andalusian I will never know.) Next a few people really get on the importation bandwagon and a short ten years later we’ve got crappy Friesian everywhere, crappy Friesian crossbreds everywhere and the breed is littered with breeders going bust because they invested high and sold low. Why is it that horse people are always the last ones to understand “Supply and Demand”?

This is not the best of both worlds here. A Friesian/Percheron cross that embodies the worst traits of each breed is not helping the industry. $4,500.00? For what?

I know, I can already hear it: But they make great Dressage horses! Some of them do, after several years of intensive training. But Joe Bob with the backyard Vanner or Friesian cross isn’t going to put that training on them. You’ll be lucky if he halter breaks the damn thing. No, he wants to produce the horse, expects you to bail him out of his bad judgement with a hefty price and then you get to train his low end horse so it has a job which will hopefully keep it out of the slaughterhouse. I’ve been to plenty of Dressage shows and I have yet to see anyone competing at high levels with a Vanner. And the Friesians I see in the upper levels don’t look anything like the ones you see on dreamhorse. Just because something comes from an exotic breed does not mean it merits reproduction. Even rare breeds have poor examples!

If all drafts looked like this I’d have a few myself, but most don’t. Instead they are bred to either look like plow horses, and all the faults that brings to mind, or they are bred so stylized that the traits that make them desirable have been bred out in the quest for typeyness.

The draft people are also hiding a naughty secret. Seems like owning a huge, pulling machine isn’t enough. Now the drafters are going the way the stock horse halter industry is and using the needle to put the “muscle” on their horses. They are also using more gimmicky methods to make their show horses more showy. Why is it that in hand classes always go corrupt so quickly? It’s the least useful thing you can do with a horse and harbors the worst offenders. Is there really going to be a time when draft horse stallions need to be shown in lip chains? When horses on “roids” are the norm in the in hand classes? Why is the draft horse industry going down the trail that ruined the halter industry?

Let's hope the people involved with these horses wake up and protect the good ones before the poor breeders, and bad trainers, ruin even this small section of the horse world.

Pleasure Horse Forum Stupidity

Just when I think the Pleasure Horse Forum can't stoop to a new low, they go even lower than the dragging heads of their poor tortured horses.

Seems a director for the ApHC made a comment about a big name trainer that had a previous drug bust. The poor pitiful BNT now has people up in arms because his name is being dragged through the mud by someone that made a true statement.

1) The trainer was busted in the past for giving a horse fluphenazine. In case you don't know fluphenazine is an anti psychotic that makes a pleasure horse go really slow.

2) Someone else posted that the same trainer has been busted for blocking tails.

Wonders never cease. Imagine a BNT violating more than one abuse rule.

So now all the little PHF App groupies are all outraged that this shining example of poor horsemanship has had his dirty laundry aired in public by a director of the club. Who fricking cares? I think horse drug offenders ought to go in a national registry like sex offenders so you can look them up and be forewarned before you let them touch your horse. There is no "He paid his debt to society" bullshit going on here. He was busted for doing something wrong and he was suspended. Now he has to live with the fact his dumb ass got caught and people know about it. As for the director: It's about time someone stood up to the criminals in the breed organizations and reminded them that they aren't allowed first class citizens because they chose to break the rules.

The sorry-assed Appaloosa people that are taking up for him prove to me why this breed organization is going downhill. They cater to the criminals and run off the good people. They are the instrument of their own destruction.

Go read the pleasure horse forum and take note of the trainer, who if he had any balls would admit that attacking the person that posted about his drug bust is very hypocritical, and the people supporting him. These people are fine with drugging, so don't buy horses or send your horse to train with them.


And just so none of you PHF idiots make a mistake about who wrote this I'm signing it,
T Jean Maus, owner of the shameinthehorseshowring blog.
Send your complaints to
Idontgiveashit@yourwhining.com

Icy Icelandics

I griped about how some of the traditional Icelandic things were just plain silly, but this video takes the cake.

Here's a line up of Icelandic ponies getting ready to race on ice. I personally think ice racing is stupid. It's a poor surface for the ponies' feet and legs. It increases the risk of damage in a fall.



Not only do these riders stupidly want to race on ice, but they are totally unprepared to get their ponies out after they fall in. Can you imagine the problem if the water hadn't been shallow enough for the ponies to stand? Where's the fricking crane or truck to get them out. This video is over 7 minutes long. 7 minutes in icy water is not pleasant on the best day.

Another thought that occured to me: Despite all of my bitching about showing it's a general practice that people who show demand safe groomed surfaces. I can't imagine taking my horse out on ice and not being assured beyond a shadow of doubt that it was going to hold up.

Tradition be damned, this crap is dangerous for the ponies!