Equine Controversy

Controversy... If you think that it does not exist in the equine world, well you are sorely mistaken.  It does exist.

One of the most recent controversies to take place in the equestrian world was at the 2012 London Olympics.  One of the Canadian jumpers, Tiffany Foster was disqualified by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).  During a random ground check, her horse, Victor, was found to have a hypersensitivity in the left front leg, above the hoof.  The team tried to convince the vets to let them bring the horse out of the stall and jog him, but they did not allow it.  As a result, our olympic team was forced to compete with only three riders.   As for Tiffany Foster, her olympic dreams were shattered, as she was sent home. Equine Canada issued a statement thanking the FEI for its conduct in the affair.  Olympic rider Eric Lamaze has taken a stand and announced that he will never again compete under Equine Canada's authority unless the federation reverses its position.

Another recent controversy in the equine world is over the dressage stallion, Totilas.  This owners and rider are being accused of unethically treating this horse.  According to one welfare organization lawyer, the horse suffers from forced hyperflexion when ridden and from constant isolation in a box stall when not training.  The German branch of PETA has filed these charges, as they have found that Totalis has been trained using the rollkur-method and lives the majority of his day in his stall.  They have also requested a total ban of the rollkur in Germany, and a nationwide ban of animal torturing training methods.  It will be decided by the German prosecuting office whether further investigations are warranted to determine if the animal welfare laws have been violated.

We will have to wait to see how this turns out

Sources:
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/08/05/canadas-olympic-equestrian-team-outraged-by-controversial-disqualification/
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20819&src=VW
http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2012/10/22/german-branch-peta-files-charges-against-totilas-owners

Every Horse Deserves A Second Chance

Every year there are thousands of horses in Ontario that are in need of assistance.  Some come from families that are no longer able to afford the upkeep, while others have run their course on the racetrack.  Some have been neglected and starved, leaving them terrified and untrusting.  Others are lame and are unable to continue their showing career.  Whatever the reason, theses horses deserve a second chance. There are many people across the country that feel the same way and have opened their farms and hearts in order to try and provide happy endings to many of these horses.

Rescue centres exist all across the country with a common goal in mind... to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home as many horses as possible.  These centres receive no funding from the government and depend on donations and the proceeds from fundraisers to provide food and care for the horses they take in.  If you are looking for your first horse or a new horse, take a moment to look online for these centres before going to the breeders.  They post pictures and stories behind all the horses they have rescued.  Give a rescued horse a second chance.   

Here are a few rescue centres:

Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue - www.heavencanwaitequinerescue.org

Horse Rescue Ontario - www.horserescueontario.org

Refuge RR - www.refugerr.org

Canadian Horse Rescue Links - www.ghostfleetfarm.com/canada.htm

Horse Rescue Centres - www.tracs-bc/horserescuecentres.html

Cannington Horse Rescue - www.cannington-horse-rescue.com

Adopt A Preloved Horse - www.adoptaprelovedhorse.com

Freedom Valley Horse Rescue - horseadoptontario.blogspot.com

Rainbow Valley Riding Center - www.rvrc.ca

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken....Or Can They?

Alberta Canada is home to Canada's wild mustangs.  Today there is a threat facing the wild horses..... Capture then slaughter.   It has been noted that 99% of all wild horses captured end up slaughtered.  A study done by Sustainable Resources and Development claims that around only 770 wild horses remain in the wild.  It is also believed that the numbers are much closer to 500 than to 1000.  

Forestry companies are constantly complaining about the wild horses, claiming that they are damaging the environment.  According to spokesman Tom Daniels, Sundre Forest Products plant about five million seedlings are planted in a year and an unknown number are damaged by grazing horses.  He also claims that the horses are a potential traffic hazard, and problem for employees, as they have had staff threatened by horses while working in the field.  What theses forestry companies need to remember is that the land does not belong to them, but to the Albertans.  Many Albertans share a strong emotional connection to the wild horses because of their part in settling the West. 

The wild horses in Alberta are descendants of the horses used to help work the fields and the mines back in the 1900's.  They used to improve the quality of life and provide a means of transportation.  Once they were no longer needed, the horses were set free to roam the lands.  The number of wild horses has increased over the years, not only because of breeding, but because of escaped and illegally released horses.  

There have been that many attempts made to capture the horses, that in order to ensure the humane treatment of the horses, the government created the Horse Capture Regulation.  This regulation also allows the government to regulate the issuance of licences for horse capture, and also restricts the inhumane methods of capture.  Over the past couple of winters, trappers have caught and sent more than 350 wild horses to slaughter.  That is 31% of the total wild horse herd.  

Many are crying out for the government to create an Alberta Heritage Species Act, which will change the status of the wild horses from feral, and have them protected through legislation.  Both Saskatchewan and Newfoundland have brought in legislation to protect their wild horses, now Alberta needs to do the same.  

Sources:

http://www.srd.alberta.ca/LandsForests/LandManagement/FeralHorses/Default.aspx

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/08/04/calgary-wild-horses-forestry.html

http://www.ndpopposition.ab.ca/node/3424

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Featured+letter+Alberta+needs+halt+cull+majestic+wild+horses/7292585/story.html