Bella is a flea-bitten gray quarter horse/Thoroughbred mix who was saved from the meat pen. She is a gentle horse and loves attention. She rides well but needs the finishing touches to make her the horse you are looking for. She has been ridden around the mile block and did well with the traffic. Bella is approximately 15.2 hands high and is a stout horse.

For more information or to meet Bella, call 269-965-2117 or 269-924-6595 or Email.

Or for information on some of the other adoptable horses that EARTH Services has to offer, CLICK HERE!

I stumbled upon an ad today titled "For Sale: Dumbest Paint Horse Ever"
Thinking it was a joke, I clicked on the link to see what crazy antics those Craigslist-ers were up to today. And to my surprise, it was an actual listing from someone trying to sell a horse they'd deemed to be the dumbest paint horse ever! And likely targeting the dumbest buyer ever.


That's not to say that $600 is a huge amount to pay for a horse, but for the "dumbest paint horse ever"? I can find plenty of dumb horses on the market for free or close to it.  As a matter of fact, there are probably a few horse owners out there that would pay me to take their dumb horses. 


But I do appreciate the honesty of this seller and genuinely feel sorry for her situation. 
So let's see what you think. The ad is below (my thoughts are in red)...

This isn't Rocky, but possibly a distant relative?

"(I am going to write this ad as honestly as possible {how refreshing}, so forgive my bluntness please, but I want this guy to end up in the most suitable home possible for him.)
Rocky (APHA Name: Scenic Rocket Bar) is an 11 year old APHA registered gelding who is possibly the dumbest horse I've ever owned (through no fault of his own) {possibly? That doesn't say much for your background}. Currently stands 15.3h (with an official stick, on concrete, this is not an eyeball estimate) and is essentially a golden retriever with hooves. His previous owner passed away due to brain cancer, and Rocky was his pasture pet, so he essentially never had to do anything except be loved on and stand around looking pretty for 10 years (which he is extremely good at). He has WONDERFUL ground manners, is a doll for the farrier and vet, and couldn't be any sweeter, but under saddle, he's dumb as a stone. There isn't a mean bone in his body {that he can remember}, but he genuinely needs to be taught to use his brain as he currently has the retention capabilities of a brick. He will lunge no problem, walk, trot, whoa, back, etc without a problem under saddle (runs into his canter, but its there), but you need to be very clear and basically treat him like a 3 year old since he tends to forget everything you taught him the day before. He's just very reliant on his owner/rider for direction and instruction, and as I do only barrel racing & pole bending, I need a horse with something between his ears other than dust and cobwebs. He lives up to the phrase "Nice house, nobody home" and he's a wonderful horse to have around the barn  {if you're not counting that he is the dumbest horse ever} (no bad habits, easy to get along with, low man on the totem pole), but my horses have to be able to work for me, and asking him to run a pole pattern (with 12+ flying changes) is a monumental task that I think would end with him needing a psychotherapist. His ideal situation would be a teenager {yes, let's suggest a 1,000 pound animal with training issues to a child. Good thinking!} that wants her own (cheap), pretty gelding that will love on him and mess with him on a daily basis and eventually take him to 4H or open shows or make him into a playday horse. He is UTD on shots, worming, 2010 Coggins etc, had his teeth floated in May and had a Power Pac done at the same time. He IS low man on the totem pole (definitely a gentle giant) and the other horses pick on him {wouldn't you?} (he would rather run away and go off by himself than hang with the herd), so he's a little thin right now {probably forgets to eat}(compared to the pictures from Feb), but he's gaining weight steadily. He has nice hard feet {matches his hard head nicely} and will most likely never need shoes. Price on this guy is $600. That's what I paid for him in Feb {I'm sorry for your loss}, with no vet work, etc, so I have a LOT more into him than that, but he's doing nothing here except being a lawn ornament and while he does it very well, its not fitting into my program. Phone calls only please, I can be reached anytime at (248)XXX-XXXX, please leave a voicemail if no answer {because they will be very busy taking calls from prospective buyers}."

Cowboy Logic of the Day

"It don't take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep"

CSN Stores will giving away another $40 gift certificate to another lucky "Horse Sense" reader! The winner can use their $40 gift certificate in any of their more than 200 online stores on a variety of items, from pet furniture to home decor or even a bedroom vanity!

Here is how you can enter:

1st Entry - For your first entry all you need to do is Follow My Blog (publicly)!! You can follow my blog publicly by clicking the "Follow with Google Friend Connect" button on the right sidebar of my blog. Leave me a comment on this post to let me know that you are a follower. If you are already a follower, just make sure to leave a comment on this post to be entered into the drawing (You must be a follower to be entered in the drawing). Then make sure your comment links back to your email address so I can contact you if you’re the lucky winner.

2nd entry – To get a second entry you can link back to this giveaway on your own blog or website. Then make sure to come back and leave another comment with a link to your page to let me know that you did!

3rd entry - Get a friend to follow "Horse Sense". Have them mention your name in the comment they leave. You can have one additional entry for each referral follower!

Any questions? Just email or comment me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.  

Hurry! This giveaway ends at 12 a.m. EST on Thursday, August 12, 2010

and the winner will be announced within a few days of contest closing.

Good Luck!

Note: This giveaway is only open to US and Canadian residents. Please remember that there may be shipping charges or international fees for certain products when ordering your item.

Sheik is a 21 year old 13.3 hand bay pony. He is good with other horses and very easy to handle. He stands tied, leads and trims with no issues and is great on the trails.

Sheik is very well trained and would be a great horse for beginners or children. For more information or to meet Sheik, call 269-965-2117 or 269-924-6595 or Email.

Or for information on some of the other adoptable horses that EARTH Services has to offer, CLICK HERE!

While perusing the local horse classifieds for possible new additions to my little herd, I often see listings that use the colors "buckskin" and "dun" interchangeably. And though it probably isn't as pertinent to horse advertising as the differences between levels of "broke" (ex. "Green Broke" = "I almost had a saddle on her once"). So in case you've ever wondered what the difference is, here you go...

Dun

Though there are many variations of the dun coloring (red dun, grullo/grulla, bay dun, etc.), there are a few other traits that distinguish Duns.

Dun Markings (from mustangs4us.com): 
Any individual horse may have most, but not necessarily all of these traits:

• diluted body color, somewhat like that of the Creme gene (this one is a MUST-HAVE)
• dorsal stripe (this one is a MUST-HAVE), often confused with Countershading
• zebra stripes on knees and hocks
• ear lining and tips: top one-third of the ear on its back side darker than body color
• fawn color inside of ears
• mane and tail lined with lighter color (2-color mane & tail)
• cob-webbing on face
• face darker than body color 
  
  
  
  
  Buckskin
  
  
  
  
  
  From the International Buckskin Horse Association - 
   A true colored buckskin should be the color of tanned deerhide with black points.  Shades may vary from yellow to dark gold. Points (mane, tail, legs) can be dark brown or black. Buckskin is clean of any smuttiness. Guard hairs which are buckskin colored grow through the body coat up over the base of the mane and tail.
  
  
  

Don't forget to check out the Oakland County Fair Horse Shows this week!

Featuring local riders from all disciplines, the annual shows are a must-attend event for horse lovers. Check out the schedule below for dates and times of each event. 

Click Here for Fair Coupons!

Whether you are hauling your horses 1 mile down the road or on a 1,000 mile road trip, be sure to check out the trailering tips below before you travel to ensure a safe and stress-free ride. Now if only the Snohomish County driver had read these...

• Inspect your trailer inside and out before each trip. Check tire pressure, hitch, floor boards, dividers, safety chains, lights, and latches. I read a story recently about a horse that was seriously injured by some tiny rivets that were sticking out from a tear in the trailer padding. 
•  Make sure your trailer's hay rack/bag is full to keep your horse busy and distract from all of the outside stimuli. 
• Check your mirrors frequently. You should be able to see if a latch has come undone or a lead rope has untied (this is where trailer ties come in handy). It also helps to keep an eye on other drivers. Non-horse people don't always know proper equestrian etiquette (proven by the people who repeatedly drive by at 50+ MPH with barely a horse width distance from trail riders). And on the other hand, they might be the first to see if something on your rig has gone wrong, so keep an eye out in case another driver is trying to flag you down.
• On long trips, make regular stops to re-check your equipment and re-hydrate your horses. 
• Consider using a leather or breakaway halter and shipping boots to protect your horses from injury. In the case of an emergency, a leather halter will probably break and may prevent the horse from being trapped or hung in the trailer.
• Always leave extra stopping distance to keep your horses from being shifted unexpectedly.
• Practice loading and unloading your horse a few times before tackling a long trailer ride. It is important to be sure that the horse is completely comfortable being inside of the trailer before you add movement and road noise to the mix. 
• Make sure the trailer you are using is suited to the horses you're hauling. For example, you wouldn't want to haul a 17hh horse in a trailer with only a 6' high interior. Though you may be able to load the horse initially, the likelihood of the horse getting bumped and bruised throughout the ride is high. And one bad experience can lead to a lifetime of trailering issues. It's a whole lot easier to make a few extra safety preparations than it is to train the fear out of a horse that's had a bad experience.
  

Have any other horse trailering tips? 

Send me an e-mail or leave a comment and I'll add 'em to the list!

Cowboy Logic of the Day 
"When you get to where you're goin' the first thing

to do is take care of the horse you rode in on."

Betty & Bertha are are sweet, quiet Belgian mares that are both broke to ride and drive. They are 10 & 11 years old. They were Amish horses, so they also know how to work off equipment. They are not spooky and will stand tied with no problems.

For more information on Betty & Bertha, Click Here!

To see the other adoptable horses & pets at EARTH Services, Click Here!

I came across a story a few weeks ago that was so disturbing that I've been sitting on the blog post ever since. But after realizing that every BIG mistake comes with a lesson to be learned, I've decided to post it.

Last month, a driver in Snohomish County, Washington dragged a horse from the back of her trailer for more than 2 miles before other drivers flagged her to stop. A trail of blood and body parts that followed the 2 mile stretch on Grandview Road was a gruesome reminder to Snohomish County residents of the horrific accident. And though the driver said she believed that the horse's neck broke as soon as it fell, there's no way of knowing how long that poor animal actually suffered before it died.

I try to give people the benefit of the doubt in most cases, but in my mind you would have to be either intoxicated/high or trying to kill this animal to end up in a situation like this one. You'd have to have one helluva truck and trailer to not feel 1,000+ pounds of live weight dragging behind it. And even then, I'm not so sure.

Warning: The video below is pretty disturbing and may not be suitable for the youngsters.

  

Click here to hear what the driver had to say.

Cowboy Logic of the Day

"No matter who says what, don't believe it if it don't make sense."