magazine april 2010

Leena Huff an American beauty...

WILD & FREE

THE QUAD SQUAD

The Barbi Twins, Amy Nelson, Raelynn Nelson

Publisher Equine Angle unique marketing & PR Advertising EMK online 818 642 4764

Editor & Creative Director Calamity Cate Crismani

Cover/Pictorial Photographer Bristol MacDonald

Contributing Photographers Kathy Higgins Alise Lemoraux

Contributing Writers Kathy Higgins John Holland Alise Lemoraux Kaye Levie Vicki Tobin

VIVO LOS MUSTANGS! SUBCRIBE TODAY

Paypal online Apple iPhone download Print On Demand (POD)

Advertising EMK Links available at

www.truecowboymagazine.com

Heard roun’ the

waterin’ trough

I am a visual person. I love to look at beauti-

ful pictures and I actually see in a “creative

dimension”...everything has the essence and

potential for beauty.

But lately, I’ve been seeing more and more

violent video clips on the internet of animal

cruelty and murder. By grown men. In

modern societies. Statistically it has been

proven that serial killers begin their torturous

lifestyles early on by perpetrating pain on

kittens or small animals. Is the animal

industry, segments of it, comprised of a group

of serial killers?

Not a day doesn’t pass that I don’t think

about the tortured animals in the film “Skin

Trade”, the slaughtered dolphins in “The

Cove” and the murderous bludgeoning of the

baby seals. Doesn’t anyone worry about the

state of our minds, let alone our society?

Most say they cannot watch films of this

violent nature but think nothing of turning on

CSI or The Unit and watch the “drama” of

those characters killing and maiming one

another. No effect on you? I don’t think so.

Firstly, we are told that these TV programs are

“fiction” in order to justify viewing them. But,

dollars to doughnuts, they are based on actual

police case files and only serve to harden you,

all of us, against the ugly facts of life inclusive

of animal abuse and torture. Might I suggest

you turn the TV off and get... involved!

We are all connected...what happens to the

animals today may be our fate tomorrow!

Be kind to one another.

Besos & rockets,

Calamity

“Please take a moment now to go to this site and donate “Please take a moment now to go to this site and donate “Please take a moment now to go to this site and donate “Please take a moment now to go to this site and donate to OUR wild mustangs survival! www.ispmb.org to OUR wild mustangs survival! www.ispmb.org to OUR wild mustangs survival! www.ispmb.org to OUR wild mustangs survival! www.ispmb.org Greatfully appreciated, Amigos!” Calamity Cate.Greatfully appreciated, Amigos!” Calamity Cate.Greatfully appreciated, Amigos!” Calamity Cate.Greatfully appreciated, Amigos!” Calamity Cate.

FEATURES

10 dedicated...Bristol MacDonald

18 “Wild & free, let them be”...Vicki Tobin

22 Many Myths in Wild Horse Management...R. Abbey

26 BEWARE! You are what you eat...John Holland

32 Our April Buckle Bunny….Leena Huff

44 The Quad Squad: Barbi Twins,

Amy Nelson, Raelynn Nelson

48 A Place to Call Home...Alise Lemoraux

52 The Old Mare Has Died...Kaye Levie

Click here www.wildwestexpo.com 626.791.8310

Bristol MacDonald...dedicated

With a background in photojournalism, Bristol MacDonald

has dedicated the last six years of her life to documenting the

spirit of the American Wild Horse. Her unique and captivating

imagery has coveted multiple awards, international attention and

highly successful gallery exhibits. “I am driven by passion and

by a devotion to tell the story of the plight of the American Wild

Horse. I have made it a priority in my life and my art to

educate and enlighten the public and inspire change.”

Once an American legend, a living symbol of freedom, the

American Wild Horse in now in jeopardy of becoming extinct in

a land it helped revolutionize. As a nation we have done little to

extend either stewardship or respect for these noble animals.

Instead, we have herded them, broken them abused them and

slaughtered them. And now we are at risk of losing them for-

ever. MacDonald has traveled across the country observing and

photographing wild horse bands in their natural habitat, but her

heart belongs to Return to Freedom ~ American Wild Horse

Sanctuary, a non-profit wild horse sanctuary founded in 1997

by Neda DeMayo. The sanctuary is a safe haven for over 200

wild horses, located in Lompoc, California.

A portion of Bristol’s photographic sales is gifted to Return to

Freedom. www.BristolEquinePhotography.com

A Day At The Races

www.sctbrescue.org/2010dayattheraces.htm.

“Wild and Free, Let Them Be” Shouts from Protestors of Obama Administration Policy By Vicki Tobin, Equine Welfare Alliance

No doubt, March 25 will be remembered by equine advocates across the United States and the United King-dom as the day the interna-tional cries for the wild horses and burros were raised loud and clear. Rallies held in Washington, DC, London, England, Las Vegas, NV and Los Angeles, CA culminated with a report on CNN that exposed the propaganda being fed to the

public by the Department of Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Land Man-agement (BLM). The video footage of the "starving" horses was released on a prime time report and left no doubt, the rationale given for the round-ups is pure fiction. Mariana Tosca, Actor and Social Activist, was among the advocates attend-ing the Los Angeles rally. Ms. Tosca delivered an impassioned speech that moved the crowd to tears. Ms. Tosca commented, "It is an honor to stand united with the citizens of our global community to bring attention to this urgent matter, which being left virtually unchecked is eroding the landscape of our national heritage." The London rally took place outside the US Embassy. In attendance were Maria Daines, Singer/Songwriter and Melita Morgan, International Actress. Melita Morgan commented on the rally, "After working hard on our Mus-tang Mission, I hope we are very rewarded by all of our combined efforts, that have made such a difference. All these efforts long term will open eyes, tune ears and turn heads as to the plight of these very precious horses.

Actor/advocate, Wendie Mallick in Washington, D.C.

Just being at Grosvener Square on that day, in front of The American Embassy in the grounds amongst the statues and words of great U.S Presi-dents of the past, gave me such food for thought. It brought to mind the words of Dwight David Eisen-hower's first Inaugural Address on January 20, 1953 - 'The faith we hold belongs not to us alone, but to the free of all the world.'" Maria Daines added, "There is danger in removing the beauty of living na-ture from its natural surroundings. For when the last horse is rounded-up, then shall we look back and regret that we could not live and let live, not even for the sake of the generations that will come after us, who will never know what it is we lost and how careless we were to lose it."

Despite high winds, the Las Vegas rally was a huge success. Advocate Arlene Gawne commented that 500 petition cards were signed along with great coverage from KLAS-TV8. A smaller group of advocates contin-ued the rally on Saturday at the opening of the Clark County Shooting Center and received honks of approval from event attendees. Sena-tor Harry Reid commented

that he supported Madeleine Pickens in her efforts for a western home for the captured horses and it was terrible how the horses were being penned. go to page 62

Film Director/advocate, James Kleinert

www.ahdf.org

www.equinewelfarealliance.org

The Let Em Run Foundation is a non-profit

organization in partnership with government,

businesses and the community committed to the

protection and preservation of the wild mustang

and the heritage of the American West.

Call 775~847~4777 www.letemrun.org 501(c)3

The subject of wild horses prompts understandably emotional re-

sponses and, unfortunately, misinformation from some wild horse ad-

vocates who are critical of the Bureau of Land Management's man-

agement of these "living legends" of the American West.

These errors and false allegations serve neither the 37,000 wild

horses and burros roaming Western public rangelands, nor the

American taxpayer who underwrites the management of these iconic

animals. Let me address a few of the more egregious claims

that have shown up on the Internet in one form or another.

Myth 1: The BLM is selling or sending wild horses to slaughter.

Fact: This allegation is false. The BLM has not and does not sell or

send wild horses to slaughter. That is why the Government

Accountability Office, in a report issued in October 2008, found the

BLM to be out of compliance with a provision in the 1971

Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act that directs the bureau to

sell excess horses or burros "without limitation" to any interested

parties.

Myth 2: Everything would be fine if the BLM left wild horses and

burros alone.

Fact: This is an untenable assertion, given that wild horse herds grow

at an average annual rate of 20 percent a year, meaning herd sizes

can double every four years. Western public rangelands simply can-

not withstand the environmental impacts resulting from overpopu-

lated herds.

Myth 3: The BLM removes wild horses to make room for more cattle

grazing on public rangelands.

Many Myths in Wild Horse Management Debate

By Robert V. Abbey, Director of the BLM

Fact: This claim is false. The BLM removes excess horses from

overpopulated herds to ensure rangeland health. Authorized

livestock grazing on BLM-managed land has declined by nearly 50

percent since the 1940s.

Myth 4: Since 1971, the BLM has illegally taken away more than 19

million acres set aside for wild horses and burros.

Fact: This claim is false. No specific amount of acreage was "set aside"

for the exclusive use of wild horses and burros under

the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Among the

reasons why horses are no longer managed in certain areas

where they were found roaming in 1971 is that much of the roaming

land was private or state land not controlled by the BLM,

and other areas -- because of drought or wildfire -- lacked sufficient

forage and/or water to sustain horses and burros year-round.

Myth 5: The BLM is managing wild horse herds to extinction.

Fact: This charge is demonstrably false. The BLM is seeking to

achieve the appropriate management level of 26,600 wild horses and

burros on Western public rangelands, or 10,000 fewer than roam

today. In 1971, when the BLM was given legal authority to

protect and manage wild horses and burros, the number of wild horses

was 17,300 mustangs (plus 8,045 burros), compared to today's

on-the-range population of 33,100 wild horses (plus 3,800 burros).

More myths and the BLM's response to them can be found on our

agency's Web site at www.blm.gov, as can details about Interior

Secretary Ken Salazar's initiative to put the national wild horse and

burro program on a sustainable track. The bottom lineis that the BLM

is committed to ensuring the health of the public rangelands so that

the species that depend on them -- including wild horses and burros --

can thrive. By reaching appropriate management levels in currently

overpopulated herds, the BLM will be able to preserve healthy wild

horse herds on healthy Western rangelands as a legacy for the

American people.

Robert V. Abbey (Bob Abbey) is the Director of the Bureau of

Land Management.

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune and the Bureau of Land Management’s website.

2010 BLM GATHER SCHEDULE This gather schedule is subject to change

State, Agency, Herd Management Area Complex,

Start Date End Date # Planned Gathered,

# Planned Removed species

NV BLM Calico Mt Complex 1/28/09 2/28/09 3186 2806 Horses

CONCLUDED...1,922 CAPTURED…39 DEAD

UT BLM Confusion 1/15/10 1/21/10 200 185 Horses POSTPONED

CA FS McGavin Peak 1/24/10 1/29/10 20 20 Horses

NV BLM Eagle (WC/DLC) 2/7/10 2/20/10 727 643 Horses POSTPONED

CO BLM West Douglas HA 2/21/10 2/28/10 60 60 Horses

AZ BLM Cibola-Trigo 3/4/10 3/10/10 90 90 Burros

NV BLM Hickison 3/2/10 3/15/10 92 75 Burros

AZ BLM Alamo 3/11/10 3/14/10 35 35 Burros

AZ BLM Black Mountain 3/15/10 3/20/10 100 100 Burros

NM BLM Bordo 6/1/10 6/10/10 147 147 Horses

NV BLM Owyhee 7/1/10 7/18/10 620 520 Horses

OR BLM Stinking Water 7/1/10 7/6/10 100 60 Horses

OR BLM Cold Springs 7/11/10 7/16/10 156 81 Horses

NV BLM Moria 7/20/10 7/22/10 72 72 Horses

UT BLM Winter Ridge HA 7/18/10 7/24/10 200 200 Horses

UT BLM Hill Creek HA 7/25/10 7/31/10 250 250 Horses

NV BLM Lahontan 8/1/10 9/30/10 68 58 Horses

NM FS Jicarilla 200 200 Horses

CO BLM Piceance/East Douglas HMA 8/6/10 8/16/10 280 240 Horses

CA FS Devils Garden 8/18/10 8/24/10 200 200 Horses

UT BLM Frisco 9/1/10 9/3/10 100 70 Horses

UT BLM Conger 9/4/10 9/8/10 110 80 Horses

CA BLM Twin Peaks 8/3/10 9/14/10 156 135 Burros

CA BLM Twin Peaks 8/3/10 9/14/10 1000 649 Horses

CA BLM Buckhorn 8/3/10 9/14/10 596 536 Horses

NV BLM Antelope 8/20/10 9/20/10 932 746 Horses

NV BLM Rock Creek 9/22/10 9/30/10 527 427 Horses

OR FS Murders Creek 9/22/10 9/28/10 100 100 Horses

Winter 8387 6972 Summer 6131 5071

TOTAL: 14,518 12,043

BEWARE! BEWARE! BEWARE! BEWARE! You are what you eat

Contaminated Horse Meat a Health Risk, According to Study

By John Holland, Equine Welfare Alliance

A peer reviewed scientific study tracing race horses sent to slaughter for human consumption has found that 100% of the horses in the study group had been administered phenylbutazone, a banned carcinogen that can also fatally damage the bone marrow of humans. The findings appear to validate the European Union’s recent tightening of traceability requirements on horse meat from third countries. The paper, titled Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk, appeared in the journal Food and Chemi-cal Toxicology and calls into question the reliability of the USDA (US De-partment of Agriculture) and CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) test-ing programs which have consistently failed to detect the substance. The manuscript(1), which was authored by Drs. Nicholas Dodman(2), Nicolas Blondeau(3) and Ann M. Marini(4), followed eighteen Thor-oughbred (TB) race horses that were identified by matching their registered name to their race track drug record over a five year period and were given phenylbutazone (PBZ, Bute) on race day and were subsequently sent to slaughter for human consumption. The study also traced records on sixteen TB race horses that were given PBZ on race day and would have also entered the food chain had they not been rescued. The study was limited to race horses because of the availabil-ity of drug records, but phenylbutazone is one of the most common drugs used in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. Because of the bone marrow toxicity caused by PBZ in humans, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set no safe levels of PBZ and bans its use food producing animals, including horses.

While PBZ is but one of the numerous banned substances that are routinely given to US horses, it is one of the most dangerous. Defenders of horse slaughter have long pointed to USDA testing records which consistently showed no positive results for PBZ. The new study shows that the USDA testing could not have been accurate. Indeed, the study uncovered a pilot test performed by the USDA in 2004 and 2005 that used a different testing technique and found 8.3% of the meat to be contami-nated with PBZ. The pilot program had been subsequently discontinued. The study estimates that sixty seven million pounds of horse meat derived from US horses were sent overseas for human consumption in 2008. If 8.3% of this meat contained phenylbutazone residues, it would translate to over 5 million pounds of contaminated meat. Opponents of horse slaughter have long warned that US horses are not raised as food animals and mechanisms to ensure the removal of horses treated with banned substances from the food chain are inadequate at best. Equine Welfare Alliance recently issued a discussion paper with their part-ners, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition on the serious drug issue concern-ing North American horses. The comprehensive paper covers concerns over the ability to meet compliance with European Commission regulations on food safety. (1) Article is cited as, Dodman, N., Blondeau, N., Marini, A.M., Association of phenylbutazone usage with horses bought for slaughter: A public health risk, Food

and Chemical Toxicology (2010), doi: 10.1016/j.fct. 2010.02.021

(2) Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA

(3) Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire - I.P.M.C, UMR 6097, C.N.R.S/Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, 660 route des Lucioles, Sophia Antipo-lis 06560 Valbonne, FRANCE (4)Department of Neurology and Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services Uni-

versity of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, umbrella organization with over

100 member organizations. The organization focuses its efforts on the wel-

fare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids. www.equinewelfarealliance.org

www.EquineChia.com

Stopping Traffic

to Stop the Roundups Wild Horse Preservation Billboards Debut in Lexington and Louisville in

Time for Biggest Horse Events

As horse enthusiasts flock to Lexington and Louisville in April to attend the big three equine events; Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, Keeneland Race and Sales, and the Kentucky Derby, they will be greeted by billboards urging

them to take action to save America's wild horses.

"STOP WILD HORSE ROUNDUPS" - "Text MUSTANG to 44144" is the message of the billboards showcasing large ominous photos of helicopters chasing horses. The billboards debut this week and are sponsored on behalf of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) by coalition partners Return to Freedom's American Wild Horse Sanctuary, Madeleine

Pickens, The Cloud Foundation and Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue.

"Kentucky is an important international hub for equine enthusiasts and we're thrilled to launch this billboard and text advocacy campaign with the message that America's wild horses are facing their last stand on Western

rangelands," said Return to Freedom founder and CEO Neda DeMayo.

"The American public, as well as the Congress, has made it clear that wild horses on federal land are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the American West and must be protected," said Madeleine Pickens. "We must all work together to preserve these magnificent animals to create a leg-

acy all Americans can be proud of."

"America's iconic mustangs are threatened by a destructive federal policy that rounds them up by the thousands off the Western range, stockpiles them in government holding facilities in the Midwest at taxpayer expense," The Cloud Foundation director and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ginger

Kathrens.

“The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild horse policy is bad for taxpayers, bad for the horses and bad for our nation, which, year by year is losing an important part of our heritage. It's time for change," said Jill Starr

founder and director of Lifesavers.

The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign is using the same cell phone advocacy tool that recently gained notice after the filmmakers of the documentary The Cove held up a sign during their Academy Award accep-tance speech asking viewers to “Text DOLPHIN” to help their cause. Re-spondents to the MUSTANG text outreach will be asked to join the effort to save wild horses by asking Congress to suspend BLM cruel wild horse roundups. The BLM continues to perpetuate the myth that wild horses are starving and must be rescued. The BLM's unwarranted removal of horses from the range in numbers that far exceed adoption demand has resulted in the stock-piling of over 36,000 horses in government holding pens and pastures. That number exceeds the estimated 33,000 wild horses left on the range. The pro-gram costs taxpayers over $44 million annually. Costs continue to rise as the BLM captures thousands more horses each year. (Nearly 12,000 are targeted

for removal in Fiscal Year 2010 alone.)

The AWHPC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heri-

tage. Its grassroots efforts are supported by a coalition of over forty or-

ganizations representing 10 million citizens nationwide. For more infor-

mation see www.wildhorsepreservation.com. The billboards are located

on major arteries into Louisville and near the Kentucky Horse Park in

Lexington.

An american Beauty….

Leena Huff “My Great-grandmother, Dorothy, on my father’s side, was Cherokee. I am instilled with Cherokee spirituality because of her. It’s my blood and probably why I am so drawn to horses, and especially mustangs, since we share a common native ancestry”, says our April Buckle Bunny, the striking Leena Huff.

Growing up in Chicago, Leena was on a horse in primary school and loved the sensations of the animal and the experience. “When you’re on a horse, with all of that beating power beneath you, you realize how feeble we are as humans. I love riding, everything about it...the horse, smells, sounds, the saddle swaying under you and over your mount...the calm. There’s nothing like it.”

At 19, she decided to move to L.A. to pursue an acting career. “I probably cried every night for the first year that I was here. It was a terribly hard transition to make, but I preserved and survived”, Leena smiles. “I had no expectations when I came out here and that has led to some pleasant surprises.” Her roles have included reoccurring guest star appearances in the NBC sitcom, LIFE, hosting Disney’s 365 for two years, which included international travel, and has recently starred in a romantic comedy with Daniel Bonjour and Mary Margaret Humes (Mrs.Leery on Dawson Creek) called, “Head Over Spurs In Love” due for release this year.

Another of Leena’s passions is Pit Bull rescue and foster. “I had two Pits, Loki and Misu, who I lost in a bitter relationship breakup. They were the loves of my life. I began to foster pit bulls, I guess, as a way to fill the void of losing my angels. It’s rewarding for me and I am constantly reminded by my fosters what a sweet breed they truly are and what a bad rap Pit Bulls have.”

“Mustangs have gotten a bad rap over the years also from vested interests groups.”, says Huff, “How anyone can annihilate such majestic creatures for their own selfish agenda baffles me. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve our native American Mustangs.”

Our April Buckle Bunny, Leena Huff, an American Beauty.

Shot on location: B and B Performance Horses Aqua Dulce, California

Photographer: Bristol MacDonald www.bristolequinephotography.com

MakeUp & Hair: Jenny Jenk www.jennyjenk.com

Creative Direction & Styling: Cate Crismani

The Barbi Twins,

Amy Nelson & Raelynn Nelson

The Quad Squad

It happens in life whereby an event, of such great magnitude, such great turmoil and shock, propels people to unify for a common cause and a singular

belief. In this case, that cause is the plight of the wild mustangs, horses and burros in the United States and those people are Shane & Sia, better known as The Barbi Twins and their compadres, Amy Nelson and Raelynn Nelson, daughters of Willie, need I say more? Wranglin’ the four women for this interview was no small feat. But persistence got it done and the “Quad Squad” sat down to discuss the pressing issues of mustang round ups, penning and threatened slaughter.

tCm: Hello Cowgirls. Thank you for taking the time to discuss animal rights, horse welfare and your involvement with humane and charitable work to eradicate animal cruelty and slaughter and to be the animals voices. How did you gals meet? Sia: Katrina. Shane and I had pitched in to help the animals as did Amy and Raelynn. It was love at first sight.

Shane: We’re family. Amy and Raelynn are our third and fourth twins. Raelynn: Or the “Quad Squad”. tCm: The rapport between you is very natural and it makes sense for you to band together to help the mustangs. Tell us about that? Raelynn: Well, today, there are more horses in BLM holding pens than free roaming. The BLM is operating in direct violation of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse Act. Not to mention all the land that has been taken away from and for the mustangs. Sia: There is all kinds of propaganda about the mustangs being put forth by the BLM backed by vested interests like corporate cattlemen. Shane: Yeah, like the horses are starving to death. You can look at recent pictures of the wild ones and see how fat and healthy they are so that is just not true. Amy: They are being fenced off from water by cattle ranchers and yes, then they do die of thirst. Its an unnatural and cruel death. If the horses died naturally in the wild, well, that’s the way nature goes. Nature takes care of itself. Shane: Everything has its place in this environment, even people...oh well. Sia: We are being told that the horses are “feral” animals as opposed to “indigenous”. Please! Mustangs are as American as the flag. Shane: She stole that from Willie! Amy: Yeah, Dad’s been great. He has about 72 rescued horses now. And some from the Three Strikes Ranch travesty last year. Dad really loves those horses. tCm: Do you work with any one particular rescue or sancturary group? Sia: We are all on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Horses. But Shane and I also have a non-profit for cat rescue and humane treatment. We helped to ban declawing legislatively in California. We will help any animal when it is needed. We are equal opportunity twins!

Amy Nelson and Raelynn Nelson

Shane: Amy and Raelynn are usually shy but they always come out to help animals. Amy: People have choices, animals don’t. Raelynn: The BLM is managing the horses into extinction. And that is what we are trying to educate people too…I think if you educate people about these atrocities they will get involved and help. Sia: Politicians are not leaders, they can be moved by us, we have the power to change things and be more proactive. Shane: Its like the mustangs are David. The BLM, and the Department of the Interior , is Goliath...and we all know how that story ended! Sia: It’s really a shame on us...as a whole, as a people. “A society can be judged by the way it treats its animals”...and that is the truth. Shane: She stole that from Ghandi!

tCm: So whats the solution? Amy: We need to keep talking about it, to everyone, to the politicians., to the people...make them aware...provoke ac-tion by using every media outlet possi-ble. We, my family, including my dad, will be recording a version of the Rolling Stones, “Wild Horses” dedicated to our American Mustangs. Raelynn: Its like dad said, “Horses are the connection to the spirit world, essentially a connection to God”. Amy: And he also says, “Put the principle before the personality”.

Amy Nelson

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A Place To Call HomeA Place To Call HomeA Place To Call HomeA Place To Call Home by Alise Lemorauxby Alise Lemorauxby Alise Lemorauxby Alise Lemoraux

“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.” ~Christian Morgenstern

The idea of connection is powerful. Our nature is to be communal and yet also uniquely ourselves. We strive to find a place where we fit in, a place where we can relax. We have countless expres-sions defining what home means ranging from do-mestic dwellings, to navi-gational points, to a place that serves as refuge for

our souls. Picasso Moon has struggled to find such a place. As he heads into his fourth year of life, he has had little chance to form strong friendship bonds with other horses. Twice he has fallen under the care of horse rescue. Yet his audacious per-sonality has not been squelched. His compass remains pointed towards at-tracting his kindred spirits. Fitting in with other horses has caused Picasso Moon some problems in the past. The foster home where he was living when we first met wanted to adopt him, but Picasso Moon could not get along with the other horses there and was beaten up regularly. Understanding space and respecting the space of others has been his quandary both with his equine companions and hu-mans. Coming from a rescue background as Picasso Moon had, it is doubt-ful that he was allowed to interact with other horses naturally. When he first arrived here, he got himself into some conflicts when he would try to groom another horse and would bite too hard. Despite the consequences, he didn’t modify his behavior. He would nip and bite the others until he would get chased to the opposite side of the pasture where he would be left stand-ing alone.

Picasso Moon

As time went by, Picasso’s be-havior was not improving. To keep him safe, he had been paired with an experienced older mare. But she found him annoying. He was not getting the horse inter-action he needed. Picasso was becoming hard to handle on the ground while he was being lead to and from his pasture. He would rear, buck, pull on his rope, and con-stantly push the limits. One day he was so difficult to handle that I was ready to send him to auction myself!

At that point I decided to turn him over to a “higher authority”… and I don’t mean God. I mean a new peer group. A group of horses with well established behavior pat-terns and a balance of personalities. I figured the old mare had taught him enough about horse interaction for Picasso to survive, and hopefully thrive, in this new group. And so the change began. Picasso embraced his new situation with gusto. His peers were skilled in the art of the moment, establishing a balance between nature and nurture. They taught, fought, bantered, and groomed him. They created and released pressure and in the end, they showed him his place. His energy be-

gan to blend with theirs. Rebalancing the community was underway. Pi-casso still pressed the limits. Every action was met with a reaction. Picasso began to speak “horse” and understand the principles of social justice. He gave respect and he was beginning to get respect in return. go to pg 54

Azure and Picasso

www.horseboymovie.com

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The Old Mare Has Died

By Kaye Levie

She was the only mare not in foal when the mustangs arrived a little over a year ago. You could tell she was very

old so I gave her the name La Vieja, The Old One.

Her days were spent somewhat solitarily, not making friends or taking an interest in the new foals arriving almost on a weekly basis. Yet, she had a dignity about her, and also a sadness. Perhaps she knew her days were short. Her spirit had been damaged from the trauma of the round up and the loss of the only home she had ever known, the hills, canyons and sage covered mesas of western Utah. While the other mares with their new babies adjusted to life in their temporary desert sanctuary, t he old one seemed to decline into a depression that drained her

life away and she wandered off to die alone yesterday.

The days leading up to her death evidenced her decline and I knew yesterday that the end was near. And the babies sensed it too, a new experience encompassing the ebb and flow of life.

I watched as Uno, the oldest of the foal crop, approached the mare who was standing dejectedly with ears drooping.

The old mare had never let the foals touch her or acknowledged them other than to chase them away from her food with ears pinned and teeth snapping. But this day, Uno was ignored as

she tried to make the mare move. Then, giving up on that effort, nibbled on her gently and lovingly. Soon she was joined by Dos, the black colt with the strong Barb characteristics.

Working together, they encouraged the mare to move into the shade of the trees by the water trough.

The two youngsters then scampered off to find other adventures and the old mare spent the

better part of the day standing in the shade.

As I went about my chores, I glanced at the mare now and then. Later in the afternoon, I saw that she was no longer under the trees. Looking around, I finally saw her several hundred feet out in the five acre paddock. She was down and not moving. With foreboding,

I made my way over to her followed by all nine babies. As we approached, the mare raised her head and I backed off, not wanting to frighten this still wild horse.

But the babies stayed there, gently nudging her or just watching. Soon they were joined by some of the other mares and all stood around her quietly.

After about an hour I saw the old mare go into her death throes, frightening the babies but they didn’t run away. I know animal lovers are often criticized for attributing anthropomorphic qualities to animals. But what I witnessed was as touching and poignant as any family group around

the deathbed of a much loved member of the family.

Today, the guy with the backhoe came and buried the old mare where she lay. They said the babies kept coming over to watch

and this evening I see them out there looking at the ground under which she lies and they are more subdued, quieter, than usual. There seems to be a quietness over the whole herd, a palpable somberness. I can’t help but feel that we as humans greatly

underestimate the depth at which animals feel. There is much we can learn from them if we can just take the time to stand back and observe. I grieve for the old mare but am grateful that her last days were spent in comfortable, beautiful surroundings

with loved ones around her and far from the maddening world.

A percentage of sales

proceeds will be donated to

the International Society

for the Preservation of

Mustangs and Burros.

www.ispmb.org

Cont. from pg 47

As it turned out, the community Picasso was searching for had been wait-ing for him just inside the gate of his new pasture. Picasso found that myste-rious connection that links individuals together despite their vast differ-ences. One horse in particular seemed to connect with Picasso Moon. Azure seemed to recognize a kindred spirit in Picasso. Azure had been was much the same way. Azure came to me from the same rescue organization as Pi-casso did. Azure was 6 years old at the time with little training. He didn’t know much about being a horse either. He too had a community of horses to teach him. Those wise horses have passed on, so things are coming full circle and it is Azure’s turn to lead by example. Picasso Moon is learning about social signals and learning to feel safe among the among his peers. He has food, shelter, and friends he can count on. He knows where his place is now. Picasso has found his home: a place where his spirit is matched and he is understood.

Visit www.comptonjrposse.org

or Call (818) 880 - 5139

Head to Kentucky By Kathy Higgins

In their sixteenth year since inception, The California Cowgirls rodeo

drill team is going strong. They have dazzled the crowds for years with

their fast and fancy horses, breathtaking maneuvers, flashy western out-

fits, and all-American spirit. The Cowgirls perform at rodeos, horse

shows, parades and special events throughout California and Nevada

(including the Western States Horse Expo in Sacramento). This year the

Cowgirls have the prestigious honor of being chosen as the only drill

team among dozens of other drill teams to perform at the opening cere-

monies of the World Equestrian Games to be held for the first time ever

in the United States this September in Lexington, Kentucky. “This is a

huge honor for the Cowgirls” exclaims Sara Curtis the team captain.

For the Cowgirls this is a once in a lifetime opportunity as well as a huge undertaking. The Cowgirls will perform during the opening cere-monies and each day of the sixteen days of the games. As well as getting all the Cowgirls to Kentucky and house them there for duration of the games they will also have to trailer nearly twenty horses across the coun-try. To help raise money for their trip a Whole Horse Wellness clinic was given on March 20-21 in Rancho Murieta, California and was sponsored by the West Coast Equine Foundation and The Synergy Team. This clinic was given by over thirty equine professionals and covered topics including; emergency care, equine dentistry, lameness, nutrition, saddle and bit fitting, physical therapy and many more.

For more information or to learn how you can help the Cowgirls get to

Kentucky please visit their website at www.californiacowgirls.com

All photos copyright Kathy Higgins 2010. All rights reserved.

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Cont. from page 19

The Washington DC protest moved from La-fayette Park to the steps of the DOI building. As the rally was winding down, the mounted po-lice arrived. One can't help but wonder if they were sent for crowd control or came to stand in silent protest with equine advocates. Proudly standing amongst the crowd were the living exam-ples of why advocates

are calling for an end to the slaughter of domestic and wild horses. Our horses are not food animals and deserve a humane end to their lives after racing, serving, performing, working or inspiring us as we provide for all non-food animals in our country. The majestic horses under their mounts spoke volumes of the important role horses play in our society and throughout the history of mankind.

Author/advocate, R.T. Fitch