Halter Horses

It's been a while since I posted something offensive, so I figured, what the hell, might as well open a can of worms.

Halter horses.

If there's one thing in the horse world that puzzles me like no other, it's halter horses.

Huge, overfed, overmuscled horses on tiny little feet, paraded around an arena and judged.



Do you know what halter horses actually are, but no one wants to ADMIT?

Meat.

Yup. Halter horses are the equivalent of the "meat" breed. In every livestock species, we have different breeds. Some goats are for dairy, some for fiber. Some for meat. Rabbits, the same. Sheep, the same. Cows, the same.

Only horses are above and apart from this, in the United States. Horses are pets and riding companions and livestock without a meat market.

But I look at these halter horses, and I'm talking about halter horses that are good for nothing but showing off with their tiny hooves and posty legs. (There are good balanced halter horses out there who go on to have successful careers being ridden.) You know what I see? I see an animal bred for fast growth, heavy muscling, stocky body. To grow up and EAT.

Good for nothing else except a dinner plate. And yet, hypocrisy of all hypocrisy, the people breeding these freakish looking horses would clutch their chests in horror at the very thought. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that's where a good many of them end up anyways. Don't win enough ribbons at the end of a lead rope? Where else is it going to go? You can't ride them. Very few people have the room or money for a fat pasture puff.

Off to auction they go, and then on a truck to Mexico.

Look halter horse people. Stop screwing around and admit what these horses are for. Open the slaughter houses back up in the United States and start eating horse meat. Then you'll really see your market boom!

Got a nice stallion that puts out fast growing fat little babies? Just think of all the money you could make in stud fees!

Halter horses. Delicious.

The Aftermath

Sorry for the delay between posts lately. There's just been so much going on, I haven't felt much up to writing blogs. But I do have some good material sure to offend someone up my sleeve. So bear with my, my four or five readers.

So . . . the dog attack. I lost my beautiful little buckling, and the leased buck, "Billy" was very badly injured. I won't describe the injuries because they were bad enough to make even my stomach turn over. We gave him a chance, treated him to the best of our abilities, but come the forth or fifth day after the attack, he turned a corner for the worse.

So his owner and I put him down. It was heartbreaking.

The dogs have not been seen since. Sigh.

I do have to thank everyone for their kind thoughts, jingles, prayers, and support during this time. It really means a lot. The breeder of the buckling I lost has even offered to replace him, which is an amazing offer, although I don't feel it's something she has to do at all.

Otherwise, life continues on. It's getting colder. I've brought back Blizzard to hopefully cover any does that weren't covered. Zenyatta is in heat today, loving on him, so hopefully he'll cover her this evening or tonight, or catch the next heat. I'm not sure if Ruffian or Seven were bred. Ruffian can be covered by Blizz if need be, but unless Seven gives poor ol Blizz a hand, she is too tall. I think the world conspires against her being bred.

Along with Blizzard, I also brought home a very sweet Mini-nubian doe. She's very petite and lovely and I am hoping Blizzard covers her as well.

Now I must go update my website, so I'll finish off with a picture of the new doe, April Showers.

A Bad Day

Today was a very bad day for our little farm. It could have been worse, but it was bad enough.

We had a dog attack this morning. Part of it is my own fault, our electric fencing was off; it needed some repairs and I shut it off the other night until I could get to those. The horse and goats have been respecting it well so I figured they'd be fine.

But I hadn't counted on outside influence.

I woke up suddenly, not sure what woke me up, but I have a habit of getting up and checking on things when I wake up. Before I could even pry my eyes open, the Boxers started barking and I could eat the goats.

Concerned now, I went out to have a look, and was struck by the horrific sight of three strange dogs in the pasture. My heart jumped and then sunk into my stomach and my throat nearly closed in on itself.

I grabbed the gun out of the washroom and hauled ass outside. Within a few seconds I was able to see that my beautiful little gold buckling, Alydar, was dead, and the dogs had several goats pinned in the barn.

As soon as they heard the door they turned and took off. Luckily there is open space behind my house and I could get a shot off without risking neighbors. I got one but was unable to get the other two before they made it out of my range (I have a short range that I feel I can hit reliably, being visually impaired, and will not risk shooting beyond that range).

I've never seen these dogs before. They were shepherd crosses, maybe lab crosses. I know nearly all of the dogs in the area, from riding Apple. I've actually had very little problems with dogs ever since I "cleaned up" around here when I moved in. The dead dog is very thin and mangy. Best guess is they were a dump.

The sheriff was called and a report made. They took pictures, and so did I (which I will not release in any form or fashion, in case by some stroke of luck, these dogs actually DO have owners.)

Several of the does have superficial scratches and bites. The worst of it, other than the dead buckling, is the leased buck. He was bitten and torn badly under his jaw. Everyone was checked over with a fine tooth combed, treated. I'm worried about the buck. Goats are strange creatures. Either they heal from some pretty scary wounds and injuries, or they drop dead at the first opportunity.

The buck ate some feed and drank water for me, so I am hoping he's going to fight back. I feel really horrible because I don't own him, but I will do everything in my power to heal him, but if he doesn't heal, I will make it right. The owner is understanding but I still feel just awful.

And my buckling...he was growing so well and such a great little character. And the most valuable goat on the property. Why does it always work that way?

Sigh.

Quick Recipe

I don't know how many of you know that I love to cook and come up with recipes. Well if you didn't know, now you do.

This isn't an original recipe, but it was still really good, so I thought I'd share. If ya'll are really lucky, once in a while I might post one of MY recipes. If you ask nicely and all. You know, the whole six people who read this. *snork*

Butternut Squash Supreme

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions

Place squash in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until very tender. drain well and place in a large bowl; mash. In another bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, onion, milk, salt and pepper; add to the mashed squash and mix well.
Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

I find it quite delicious.

Unwelcome Advice

Fair warning, this one is going to end up a little ranty. But everyone loves a good rant, right?

You know what I can't stand?

People who can't keep their damn mouths shut.

Now, in this particular situation, I'm talking about people who don't agree with the way you do things, and insist on making their own opinion heard.

I'm not against speaking up if someone is doing something just plain wrong, or is doing something dangerous.

But there is no way in hell I would argue with someone who does something differently than I do.

Let's make it a little more clear and use a few examples so you can understand better.

Let's say you want to wean your colt. You decide to gradually seperate, a few hours a day, increasing time apart, before removing the mare altogether. The mare and colt have time to get used to being apart and begin to accept it. Many people prefer this method of weaning.

Some people, like myself, generally wean cold turkey. We take away the mare one day and they don't see each other again for a good long time.

Both have their pros and cons. My way is right. So is the other way. Neither are wrong. They are just different ways of doing the same thing. What works for one colt may not work for another.

So why in the world would someone come walking in with a condescending tone and tell you you're doing things wrong. And proceed to tell you how THEY do things.

Are you joking me??

STFU and GTFO.

Really.

So what if I wether my goats by banding? Just because you use the scapel does not make me wrong. Keep your opinion to yourself unless I ask for it!

Part of staying good friends with someone who works with the same animal you do, be it goat, horse, dog, is learning to keep your mouth shut. Just because I would handle a situation different doesn't mean I should open my big mouth when my friend is handling her horse. That's a good way to lose a friend real quick, that's for sure.

Of course, at the same time, you have to be open to asking for advice when you need it. Or capable of discussing different techniques without getting your panties in a twist.

But for the most part, if they don't ask for your advice and they're not hurting themselves or the animal, keep your trap shut. Just because it's different doesn't make it wrong.

Horses In Need

Taking a quick moment to get the word out on some horses that are in need of care.

My friend has taken in several horses that were standing in a dry lot starving to death. There includes two yearling colts (pictured), an older blue roan filly, and possibly a bay mare.

The colts have been gelded and had their wolf teeth pulled. All have been vaccinated and dewormed. From what I hear, all are easy to handle and halter broken, but need hoof care, weight, time, and attention.

A real project for anyone out there who's looking for one. She's asking just enough to cover the medical she's put into them, and would really like to find them a good home.

She is located in NorthEast Texas, if you're interested, just shoot me a message or a comment and I'll put you in touch with her.

Damn this drought and damn anti-slaughter.

** Update **
These horses found homes! Thanks!

True or False? Goats

To this day, some myths about goats continue to persist. Even I, the Goat Whisperer, find myself having to time and time again refute these myths.

It gets a little frustrating at times! Ignorance is never a fun thing to come up against. But ignorance can be remedied, if people are willing.

So let's take a look at a few of those myths and I'll give my . . . unique point of view on them. Won't that be fun?

1. Goats stink. Now here's a fun one! It's both true and false. My does (female goats) and any wethers (neutered male goats) I keep absolutely do not stink. They have a pleasant subtle smell if you stick your nose in their fur. However, bucks (intact male goats) absolutely do stink for part of the year. They go into rut, a state of heightened sexuality, where they urinate on themselves and their faces. They emit a powerful odor to make themselves sexy to female goats. It works.

To someone not used to the smell, it can just about knock you over. It sticks to you and is difficult to remove. So yes, buck goats stink. Don't want smelly goats? Don't keep a buck.

And of course, if a dumbshit locks any animal in a small enclosure and don't clean it, it'll stink.

2. Goats eat anything. Man I hate this one. Very false. For some reason, every moron out there thinks goats can eat anything and everything and will be just fine with some shitty moldy hay they wouldn't give cattle.

Goats have stomachs far more delicate than cattle. They are more on the level of horses, despite having a chambered stomach and rumen. They cannot eat poor forage and absolutely do not eat trash or tin cans. And most won't.

My goats and many others won't even touch something that fell on the ground. If I give them the best hay available, they pick out the best and anything that falls out of the feeder is stomped into the ground and laid on. Wasteful creatures. If I give them slices of apple, any that are dropped are left to the chickens. Goodness forbid these prima donnas eat something with dirt on it!

Feeding goats insufficient and even moldy feed has cost them their lives, when they eat it out of hunger.

3. Goats will mow your lawn: True and false I suppose. Goats are browsers, not grazers. They prefer to eat from high up, like trees and bushes. They will clear that out first before they touch grass, and even then they'll be picky. You won't get a nice smooth lawn, that's for sure! If you can keep them in your pasture anyways.

4. Goats are impossible to keep penned up: *cough*true!*cough. Ahem. Well, true and false again. Goats are clever creatures who are quite certain that the trees are always greener on the other side. To keep goats in, you need fencing made for Fort Knox, and even then, you'll need to watch, if there's any weakness, they'll find it.

5. Goat milk tastes "goaty": Absolutely false. "Goaty" or musky tasting milk is the result of poor handling, not the milk itself. Goat milk is naturally homogenized and more delicate than cow's milk. It needs to be strained and cooled as soon as possible and not overly shaken about. Which is why goat milk in stores tastes so poor, it's been pasteurized to death and then shipped, which breaks it down. Goat milk I get from my own animals tastes just fine, like whole milk, perhaps a little sweeter, and definitely way better for us.

6. Goat meat is a poor man's meat: Hah! This is a joke. Are you aware that over seventy percent of the world's population eats goat meat? It's a wonderfully lean meat, very healthy. It's molecular structure makes it easier to digest than most meats. Goat meat is so popular that our country cannot keep up with the demand and imports much of it for those of us who eat goat meat.

Did you know that the goat was one of the first domesticated animals, if not the first? They are amazingly diverse creatures. They can be used for milk, meat, fiber, packing, carting, weed control, pets . . . the list is nearly endless. Goats are intelligent, as intelligent as most dogs. And people wonder why I'm so fascinated with them.

I'll leave off there for now. Have you any myths you've heard? Have you discovered that they are true, or false?

Stupidity vs Ignorance

Not much is going on here lately. Just the usual day in and day out. Wouldn't have it any other way, really.

Breeding continues. I'm just letting the buck run with the does and checking tails every morning and evening. Looks like we're having some "action" going on. March kids, here we come.

To the right is my latest bit of art. This model has a lot of expression and I was pretty pleased with it. He goes to his new home tomorrow.

Today I want to touch on a certain subject.

Stupidity vs. Ignorance.

Let's start real quick with their definitions.

Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, wit, or sense. It may be innate, assumed, or reactive

Ignorance (or witlessness) is a state of being uninformed. (lack of knowledge).

Pretty straight forward, right? The only problem is, so many people can't tell the difference between the two. I consider calling someone "stupid" an insult, telling someone they are "ignorant", not so much. Stupid is forever, ignorant can be remedied.

"Stupid" people will continue to argue with you even when time and time again, you offer evidence to refute their argument. It will be like beating your head against a brick wall. Often they will turn your words around and twist them into a mess that you cannot even begin to fathom.

"Stupid" people will, obviously, do things that are stupid. Say things that are stupid. Continue to come back time and time again to cause problems because they get off on irritating more intelligent people.

"Ignorant" people on the other hand, are just misinformed. If they have any brains at all, they'll listen and learn. Not much else to say about them, is there?

Then you get people who are ignorant AND stupid....

Breeding Season Begins

At long last, a goat post!

Breeding season here at K-n-S Farm has officially begun!

We have leased a Fainter (also known as a Myotonic) buck. He is amazingly "fragrant" and has no doubt of his job. I've seen some of his kids and they are lovely.

Now you may be wondering, why would I cross a fainter with my dairy does?

I'll tell you why.

Meat.

Yup, you heard me. Any wethers not reserved beforehand will be held back for meat. Doelings will be sold, or if I get an exceptional one, retained.

With this drought continuing to ravish our state, beef prices are mostly certainly creeping upwards. Before long, I won't be able to afford to add much beef into the budget. And I do love to eat meat. So the solution? Breed the does for meat kids and fill my freezer. So this is what we're going to do.

Juliet was first in line to be bred (of course) and so we're going to start expecting kids in early March. Hopefully everyone else falls in line pretty soon here, I like my kids to be born pretty close to each other. It makes planning things like vaccinations, cocci treatment, disbudding, and other procedures, easier to do.

To update a couple of other things. Jetta went to her new home on Sunday. I'll miss her lots, but the new family is very happy with her and have let me know that she is settling in well. And through Jetta, I was able to buy a load of hay that should last me through the winter hopefully, or close to it.