I Won a Contest

Turns out I won Oregon's Living Legends recent writing contest. Pretty cool!

The challenge was to write a short, very brief, post about what the picture (at right) inspires in you.

I wrote a short piece that came to mind and entered it without much thought. I like contests like these, but there were so many amazing entries, I didn't even think twice about it.

I found out yesterday I actually won first place! I was really surprised. My prize is the framed picture. It will fit right in with my living room decor - it's just lovely. Can't wait to see it in person.

Check out Oregon's Living Legends website or their Facebook page. The author of the book about mustangs is a good friend of mine, and a damn fine woman. Order a copy of her book . . . I sure am!


Here is my entry:

The sun was setting over the range, its dimming light falling over the two weanlings standing quietly in the grasses. The mustang herd stood nearby, some laying down to sleep, others standing hipshot, and more grazing slowly, one mouthful at a time. The stallion, a rough black coated horse, paced back and forth atop a slight hill, watching their surroundings with a cat-like wariness.

The weanlings, splashed with color, gambled about in the failing light, striking at each other playfully and wheeling around to kick up their heels. They squealed and snorted, then slowly dropped off their play to pick at the sweet grasses beneath their hooves. Several of the mares nickered softly at them to move closer to the herd.

The sun began to dip beneath the horizon as one weanling folded his legs and sunk to the ground, ears swiveling to take in their surroundings as he made himself comfortable on the soil of his birth. The other foal nosed him gently, then nipped, requesting more play. The first colt fluttered his nostrils in an irritated blow of breath, and his companion ceased his teasing and stood quietly beside him, cocking one hind foot and watching their herd.

Night falls at last, obscuring the view of these young lives, living free on the range.

BLM Mustangs

I had been casting about for a good topic to write about, when a good friend on my Facebook had a topic going about the BLM Mustangs, and the little light went off in my head.

I'm so sick and tired of bleeding heart animal rights fundies stomping all over the place spreading misinformation and lies about the BLM.

Said friend works with the BLM quite often and raises orphan foals, so yeah, I think I'm more likely to listen to her first hand experience, than anyone else's.


But constantly you have PETA-esque jackanapes running their mouths. And then people turn around and parrot it. "Oh, the BLM is so cruel. They're selling mustangs for slaughter. Splitting up families. Running the horses to death. Starving them." So forth and so on.

What a load of shit.

The BLM never sells any mustang to slaughter. Never. Which personally, I think is a shame, but you all know my opinion on the matter. I see a nice way to put some meat on plates in these hard economic times AND solve the mustang problem. Oh, oops, was that a Facebook defriend going off again?

As for the splitting up families tripe, are you joking me? Get off the couch, stop watching that absolute inane documentary about Cloud the "rare white mustang" (he's not white, by the way) and learn about true horse behavior. You think they honestly care? No, they don't. It's all instinct, and soon enough, they've forgotten about the other horses.

BLM does not run horses to death. If they did, you'd see a lot more videos of it posted by PETA and those other asshats. How come you only see one or two events, posted over and over? Because it's a RARE occurrence. Accidents happen. Animal rights morons try to make it out to seem like a regular events. Get real.

You know what else I'm sick of? The damned idea that mustangs are "running wild and freeeee!"

Ugh! You know what? Mustangs aren't WILD! They're feral horses. A domesticated animal let loose to roam about and cause destruction of the environment. They do not belong there. But because of some bleeding hearts, they're allowed to remain. Which, fine, okay, but these same bleeding hearts need to realize, if they aren't MANAGED properly, they will destroy the range to the point NO animal can live there, and what becomes of their precious mustangs then?

Open your eyes. And trust me, running "freeeee and wild" ain't a walk in the park.

Yeah, that's what living "wild and freeeee" gets you. Especially somewhere you don't really belong in the first place. Get the butterflies and rainbows out of your head and look at it properly.

You want to do something about mustangs? Go out and adopt one. Go on then, get going. You can even bid and adopt online, and arrange for your mustang to be shipped to your place. Or, go up there and help with the gathers. Propose ways of controlling the mustang population that WORKS. Help fund the corrals and sanctuaries where unadopted mustangs are held. Take in orphan foals and save their lives. So, what's stopping you? Hmm?

Well then. Stop spreading misinformation and parroting the animal rights jackanapes. Get out and do something about it or shut up. Sitting on your couch flapping your jaw never solved anything.

Look, I like mustangs. I'd like to adopt one. I have many friends who have BLM mustangs and love them. When it works well, it's marvelous. I'd like it to continue working well, which is why I support the BLM and their efforts to manage the range.