Crazy animal rights wackos (is that PC enough?)

I'm not going to use my blog as a political soapbox, mostly because when I don't have all the facts, I tend not to want to say anything at all. I started writing about the animal rights activists demonstrating at the American Girl store in NYC this week (which, facts or no, horrifies me on about 10 levels), but don't have the numbers/facts to back up what I'm saying. I know, it's a shocking idea in this day and age to not write about something if you don't know enough to be sure of it, but that's how I roll.

That said, I don't need facts or numbers to say this: PETA, Humane Society of the United States, Friends of Animals.... if you give money to any of these organizations thinking that you're doing something good in honor of your furry friends, think again. They're not interested in long-term animal welfare, they're interested in the big "hot button" issues (like the carriage horses in NYC or hunting in any format), and have no problem traumatizing small children on their way to what they consider to be the right result. I also have yet to find anyone involved with any of these groups who can tell me what would happen to the animals in question if the animal rights groups were able to "liberate" them.

I leave you all with this fabulous statement: "We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding...One generation and out. We have no problem with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding." Wayne Pacelle, Senior VP of Humane Society of the US, formerly of Friends of Animals and Fund for Animals, Animal People, May, 1993  (Ah yes, that just screams "wants to do what's best for the animals in question," doesn't it?)

The gray pony thing..

Somewhere along the line, the universe decided my life was not complete unless there was a gray pony in it. Unfortunately for all the gray ponies in my life, they have big shoes to fill.

Not literal big shoes, as Nylar was about the closest thing to an actual pony that a 5'6" teenage girl was going to get. If he was 15.2, it was a really good day for him, and I was forever having to put knots in halters and punch holes in nosebands in order for them to fit his head properly.

But there was never a more perfect first horse. Everyone knows that quote from Corinthians - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Nylar was pretty much that definition of love. Except for the delighting in evil part, which he did on a fairly regular basis. Especially if there were dogs around that needed to be given a knockdown. But patient, protecting, keeping no record of wrongs? That was my gray pony to a "T."

He was the first horse I ever showed through an entire season, the first horse I ever took into the 3' ring, the first horse I won a year-end award with. I learned to clip and braid properly on him, and he's the reason I can turn out my current gray horses as well as I do.


We parted ways when I went off to college, he moved on to one of my friends, I moved on to other (not-gray) horses. When he came back into my life 3 years later, it was supposed to be so that my parents, aunt, and I could retire him the way that he deserved. He never did retire though, after a winter of good grain, all the hay he could want, and some careful maintenance of his arthritis, he went back to work full-time. He was the cornerstone of my lesson program when it started in 2003, horse showed until 2006, and was on his way into the barn for a lesson the day that the EPM symptoms appeared in 2009.


And right until the last moment, he was patient and kind (but still delighting in evil). He pushed through for 6 weeks while I said my goodbyes, ground-driving around the farm on his good days and just hanging out in his stall on the bad ones. He had a stall guard instead of a door and would pretend to attack anyone who happened by at the wrong moment. He even took one last gallop the day before the vet came, sans halter and with people chasing after him.


So Dundy, Nobu, and all the other gray ponies in my future, there's what you have to work for. Although, you know, if you wanted to skip the delighting in evil part, we'd probably all be okay with that. ;)

Let's be brief, but with a video!

I only have one thought today: I'm going to Culpeper, VA to horse show on Friday and there is no rain forecasted. This will be the first time in like 10 years that I haven't gone to that place and been knee-deep in mud.

Also, Google+ is my new favorite time waster. This week.

And finally, this. I'd actually gone looking for Anyone Can Whistle videos, but this is way funnier: