Horse Slaughter

 Today I was watching videos of pretty horses galloping around on fields until I saw this video about horse slaughter. I was curious, so I watched it and then I cried. I mean it. I seriously cried so hard saying, "Why God? Why do you let these horrible people kill these beautiful animals? What did they ever do to you?" Turns out it was because they could sell the remains of the horse for a ton of money. I think that is a terrible reason. I tend to cry a lot, but seriously, I was heartbroken this time. Horses are our companions, they aren't meant to be slaughtered. I truly love horses and this was one of the most sad moments of my life. I never thought that human beings could be so cruel.

         This is the process. First they will unload the horse into the skinny path made of cement. One by one they enter the slaughtering ring. If the horse refuses to move they will slap it on the rear end with a crop. Next the horse will enter the ring. The slaughterer will give it a minute or two to explore its surroundings. Then when the time is over they will do it. They kill it. It's all over now. No more having a great life, going on rides, showing, and just plain living. And most of the time the horses are pretty young.They kill each horse by shooting it in the face. :( If you are a horse slaughterer think again. "Why do I do this ?" This is truly saddening.

         Another reason that people will send their horses to slaughter farms, is because they either made a mistake and accidentally hurt the rider, or the horse is not as perfect as the rider wishes it to be.

Remains of the horse are sometimes in:

• lubricants
• polish
• soap
• cement
• ink
• lipstick
• Jell-O
• gummy candies
• pet food
• agricultural feed
• crayola crayons
• cosmetics
• lard
• and gel in canned meats

         Gross right? So next time that you eat jello, think about what it's made of and decide if you are really that hungry. And don't forget the poor horses that you might be eating.

                Did you know that selling horse meat became illegal in the U.S. in 2006? People must really not like horses to slaughter them illegally. Some people are so desperate that they will even send their horses to Mexico or Canada just to cause them pain. Most of these horses probably had a good life, (like us).What if someone you thought loved you, sent you away to be killed? How would you feel? Can you imagine waking up each morning knowing that you are going to kill a horse? I sure couldn't! Or could you possibly picture yourself eating one? No way for me. Guess what? Over 100,000 horses die from slaughtering each year. It is a tradition around Europe and Asia to EAT THEM!

           Quick message to the horse slaughterers out there: "Why do you slaughter horses?" Well if you say" Because I want to make more money" As a true horse lover I think that is probably the worst reason for anything in the entire world! And I can guarantee you, someday killing horses then selling them for people to eat will be stopped everywhere. Horses are like us humans in a way. They can feel the pain just like we can.

        You know what? What if instead of sending your horses to slaughter houses you can put them in your local SPCA? That would make a huge difference! But that's a whole different post. If you help me together we could change this cruel world. Horses are our friends.Stop the slaughter.End the abuse. Watch these videos please. They are the exact same ones that made me cry. :(

http://youtu.be/cgvhOyvcC3I

http://youtu.be/EWtih7oahmI

http://youtu.be/CBWN6TMAQJI

~Lauren

French Fry

Today I rode a welsh pony named French Fry. Lucy put me on him rather than Star because he was easier to make go. Lucy said that he might not be here for to long unless someone leases him ( I really want to !) Well I got to jump him around 1 foot.That was so much fun!!!!!! I didn’t get to canter him but I might next time. He is amazing!! I wish that he was mine. I think he stands around 15.3 hands. He is also very easy to make go. He looks kinda like this.

Horse Abuse Or Not

A couple of days ago , I was walking through the classroom with my riding stuff and people were saying ” I thought you loved horses! Why do you whack them with that whip” and I said ” You don’t you lightly tap them to make them go slightly faster.” Crops and lunge whips are not horse abuse. People use them to make their horses go faster. Sometimes it can be abuse though.

Crops and lunge whips are important because :

• sometimes you horse is very lazy. so you just lightly tap it on the shoulder
• Sometimes your horse will refuse to jump so right before you jump lightly tap it ( if you don’t it can be dangerous because your horse could stop right away and make you fly over their head.
• sometimes you will threaten it with it but not hit it to make a lazy horse move

Crops and lunge whips can be animal abuse if :

• you whack it extremely hard
• you are just “playing” with it and your horse
• sometimes people will smack the horse’s but the lunge whip for fun

For an example of animal abuse watch this
http://youtu.be/-Wfq38NaGDU
~Lauren

My First Fall

Today I had my first fall off a horse. Here is how it happened.
Well when I arrived at TBF I found out I was riding Greylight on a class I hadn’t signed up for . So I told them and they said that maybe I could switch to Chamber. So I got all of Chamber’s tack and brought it to the aisle to set it down. Next I brought Chamber out on cross ties. He was soooooooo dirty, so it took a while to brush him. When I finished tacking up , I brought him out side and mounted.
So when I was warming up I walked around the arena twice, then Lisa told me to start trotting , so I gave Chamber a big kick. Since he was a thoroughbred he took off cantering and I was sooooo not prepared for it. As he was cantering Lisa said ” pull on the reins !” I tried but failed and accidentally let go of the reins with my left hand and slid off to my right. It was so scary !!! I had landed on my back,neck and head . It hurt so much!! I was just about to cry. At least I had a helmet but my head still hurt. I had never ridden a thoroughbred before so I didn’t know that they were so sensitive. At least I do now.
After that did not I ride in my class but I got right back on and Lisa trotted me around so next time I ride I wouldn’t be scared. I really thought that all my friends would be all “that didn’t hurt”or “You are a wimp” . But they were super supportive. I was so glad that I had fallen off once now. I thought that it would be so much worse. But I’m fine now except my head hurts when I shake it. So I’m not going to shake it .
~ Lauren

Horseback

On Tuesday I jumped Star for the first time. It was a 6in. cross rail. It is so much fun. I jumped with my friend Zoe. She rode her horse Regi. Also in the middle of my lesson Star had to get stitches on her throat because before Lucy caught her from the field she got hurt. So the vet came and said that she must of hit her throat against a nail or something like that. Star got 2 shots and 7 stitches. But right after that I got right back on.
I love Star. She is so sweet! I would really want to show her someday. Maybe I will. I were to do handiness ( which is when you dress your horse up and make a routine.) We could go as a bride and groom. I could put a dress on on top of my breeches and Star could wear a top hat and something like a tuxedo.
I also want to half lease a horse. Half leasing is when you get to ride the horse 3 times a week, get to use him/her for every lesson , but you also need to pay for half of the vet bills. That is why it is called half leasing.
Some classes I could do right now are Costume, handiness, Walk/Trot, and maybe trail. Costume class is when you dress your horse up and just walk around the arena. Handiness is when you and your horse dress up and do a routine.Walk/Trot is when someone tells you to walk around the arena then they say trot. Also in walk trot they judge your postion and your horse’s movement. Trail is like an obstacle course for you and your horse. In trail there is usually a small jump a bridge and much more.
Someday I want my own horse ,but I’m not ready yet. My dream horse would be a balck thoughbred gelding, named Wish me Luck. He would be a great jumper and he would have a star on his forehead.
Some of my favorite horse names are

• Shadow
• Cupcake
• Donut
• Wish me Luck
• Lily
• Star

Is Jello Made out of Horses ??????

I know that millions of people all over the world love jello. But did you know that people slaughter horses and cows just to make it? Probably not. I mean who would do that to such gentle friendy animals. They grind up their hooves. Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, odorless, and nearly tasteless substance that is made by boiling of skin, cartilage and bones from animals. It’s made primarily from the stuff meat industries have left over – we’re talking about pork skins and cattle bones. Gross right? If you don’t believe me look it up yourself. Poor horses and cows. So if you help me together we can stop this and save poor animals.

Why Horseback Riding is a sport

A lot of people think that horseback riding is not a sport. They think all you do is sit in the saddle, but no! I totally disagree! I love to ride horses and it is definitely a sport. Try squatting for an entire hour. Pretty hard right? Sometimes we have to do that. Or sometimes we just sit there and bounce. It sounds very easy but when you are just starting to ride it can be tricky. If you don’t believe me try it yourself!

  Also sometimes we have to post. Posting is when you use your heels to push yourself up and down. Or even harder is posting without stirrups. Stirrups are the part of the saddle that you put your feet in. When posting without stirrups you need to raise your body with your thighs , but you can’t squeeze.

Here is some very important proof horseback is in the Olympics!! In the Olympics there are three categories Show Jumping, Dressage, and Cross Country. Show Jumping is when you mainly focus on jumping. In show jumping the ring is usually outside.Also you have to wear a protective vest in show jumping . Dressage  is another word for training.Dressage is a very fancy show type where you walk,trot,canter.  In dressage you have to wear a fancy coat and top hat. Cross Country is where you and your horse race for the best time. On the courses they have jumps and sometimes open fields. In cross country  you have to wear a protective vest. In all classes you have to  wear tall boots and a helmet.

~Lauren

CanterWood Crest

Canterwood crest is one of the best series for horse lovers ever

My First Lesson at KEC

On Tuesday I had my first lesson at KEC! It was so much fun!! My instructor Lucy made me work pretty hard , but she was still super kind and nice. I rode a horse named Star. His show name is Legally Blonde! He is a palomino paint horse who is very sweet. First we just walked around the outdoor arena twice then we did some working trot. Next  I did something I had never done before, jumping position in the trot. She said ” Before we canter you need to learn how to steer better” Then we did posting without stirrups, which is incredibly hard and annoying! That was like my favorite lesson!

~Lauren

Switching Barns

I love horseback ! It’s just so much fun, but my instructor is moving so I either have to find a new barn or TBF has to find a new instructor. So now lets hear some good news they found one!  The thing is though … my mom thinks that she is too young and she has never taught before , so my mom thinks she is unsafe. I for one sort of agree with her, but I am still depressed. So this week I’m trying out KEC. Which is very exciting! I’m riding Star, a palomino paint horse. This is only a sample lesson so it isn’t permanent decision. My instructors name is Lucy. Although she dosen’t own the barn she still seems very nice.

-Lauren

Spooking

Spooking on horses can be very scary! Like one time I was riding a horse named  Noble. and the horses hadn't been out of there stalls for two days , so he started to canter . That was only one. Another time my friend Eden and her friend Hannah were  playing in the snow banks so that spooked  Perfidia she started to canter. The  last time I was riding Noble and we were too close to Boomer so Noble kicked Boomer. Then Boomer kicked back and Noble took off cantering and mini bucking.

Why I want a Horse

I want a horse because I think That I can handle the responsibilities of taking care of one.Also I have been riding for almost one year. My parents don’t think that I can handle one and that can be extremely expensive. I really want one but I would probably have to give up some vacations and new clothes and stuff like that. I just hope that someday I will buy one.

Horseback

My favorite sport is horseback riding. A lot of people think that it is not a sport, but it really is it’s very tiring using your entire body just to post .Posting is when you sit then rise and  sit then rise over and over again. My favorite horse to ride is Boomer,because he is my type and speed. I have been riding for almost a year. Right now I’m learning how to canter. I ride at TBF. My instructors name is Sue. Usually  every lesson we do trot work in the beginning and we canter the last few minutes.

Horseback requires  some  expensive materials  such as

• a helmet
• riding boots
• breeches ( riding pants)
• gloves (optional)
• a riding shirt

 You can get all of this supplies at Dover Saddlery for mostly reasonable prices.

Most of my best friends ride too! Like Alyssa and Laila. Experience wise Alyssa has been riding the longest, and Laila has been riding the shortest so I’m stuck in the middle.

 -Lauren

Fidelity Jump Classic Horse Show

Sunday my friends and I went to the Fidelity Jumper Classic Horse Show. It was so cool.

We got in for free because we helped park cars with our 4-H group.

We also got free t-shirts that say staff on the back and the picture of last years winning horse.

The horses jumped up to 5 feet high ! I loved to watch them jump.It inspired me . Thats what I would love to do when I am older.

That show was amazing! I’m so going next year too.

_ Lauren