Regarding the Horses in our lives...

[perchie.girl]

Sad, sad news everyone. The last Abaco horse in the world just died.
Her name was Nunki, she was about 20 years old and died of liver problems.

Nunki:



Nunki alone, as the last one:




Other Abaco horses, from years ago:










Once there were hundreds of these wild horses in the Bahamas, but now there are no more... not a single one left.
Despite being protected by the government, the horses frequently died from pesticide exposure. Once, after a child tried riding one of these wild horses and died, humans intentionally slaughtered as many of the horses as possible in an act of "revenge."
The Abaco was considered a type of Colonial Spanish horse with valuable genetics, now lost.
It's a grim reminder of the possible fate of other endangered horses...

How sad such a loss.... I didnt even know they had horses in the Bahamas....

 

[perchie.girl]

ever heard of Frasier Island.... Its off the coast of Australia. Largest all sand Island in the world...

Back during WWI there was a ship loaded with horses headed to the front... When it was announced that the war was over the freighter was off the coast of Australia... Rather than tend the horses for a return trip... they dumped the load in the ocean... Survivors swam open ocean and found Frasier Island.

Their decendants afer 70 years... were Culled because they were an "invasive species"...

deb

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Their decendants afer 70 years... were Culled because they were an "invasive species"...

Were any of them saved/removed from the island beforehand or are they all gone?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
there was a big rush to adopt.... but the remainder... sigh. There is an article some where on it... I will see if I can find it.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok I was going off what someone had told me.... whew.... but here is an article on the brumbys.

http://www.equiworld.net/uk/ezine/0903/bwa.htm

I am so sorry for sharing information without knowing for certain... I am usually up on the urban legond sites. it was too heart wrenching to not be true....

deb

 

[seminolewind]

Some people just don't appreciate animals or life. Even in this country with abused animals.

The place I keep my horse at has big pastures with several horses per pasture. Someone who lives with the owners decided that she is going to train race horses so they made the horses smaller paddocks, maybe 50x200 for 2-3 horses each so that she can build a race track on the premises. A few ladies are ticked because they weren't told beforehand.

I'm not sure if these people understand that in smaller pastures, the grass will be destroyed. So grazing will not be happening. Then, without grazing do they realize that their feed bill is going to go up? It will cost more. 28 horses on pasture with access to hay will become 28 horses on ? grass and getting baled hay (more $$) , and more of it to keep their weight.

Of course, the property directly behind them has a race track for training that hasn't been used in years, and it would have been better to approach that neighbor about renting ? use of the track and put a gate in the back.

I can keep my horse at home but it would mean not having any good place to ride. I don't know if I'd be happy that my horse wasn't grazing anymore. I guess I'll have to see what happens. And they also put my mare with a different buddy. She likes him but I don't know why they have to swap horses around.

This place is run by an older woman who is chronically ill, and the woman who is going to "train" race horses has one arm that is sort of unusable and she is having some kind of battery machine placed inside her arm/shoulder for pain. The whole thing is kind of nuts. I can't see that property having room for a workable race track. Of all the nutso things!

 

[perchie.girl]

Some people just don't appreciate animals or life. Even in this country with abused animals.

The place I keep my horse at has big pastures with several horses per pasture. Someone who lives with the owners decided that she is going to train race horses so they made the horses smaller paddocks, maybe 50x200 for 2-3 horses each so that she can build a race track on the premises. A few ladies are ticked because they weren't told beforehand.

I'm not sure if these people understand that in smaller pastures, the grass will be destroyed. So grazing will not be happening. Then, without grazing do they realize that their feed bill is going to go up? It will cost more. 28 horses on pasture with access to hay will become 28 horses on ? grass and getting baled hay (more $$) , and more of it to keep their weight.

Of course, the property directly behind them has a race track for training that hasn't been used in years, and it would have been better to approach that neighbor about renting ? use of the track and put a gate in the back.

I can keep my horse at home but it would mean not having any good place to ride. I don't know if I'd be happy that my horse wasn't grazing anymore. I guess I'll have to see what happens. And they also put my mare with a different buddy. She likes him but I don't know why they have to swap horses around.

This place is run by an older woman who is chronically ill, and the woman who is going to "train" race horses has one arm that is sort of unusable and she is having some kind of battery machine placed inside her arm/shoulder for pain. The whole thing is kind of nuts. I can't see that property having room for a workable race track. Of all the nutso things!

I boarded once at a place with a race track around it... two to four horses in each pasture 50 x 100... Here we have to irrigate to have pasture.... they always kept two open and rotated every few weeks. I was amazed at how much grass they had.... BUT here is the big one.... they fed as if there were no grass at all. I loved having a track because I loved running my horse occasionally. and every once and a while someone who wasn't brave enough to give it a try would ask me to take their horse and see if I could get it to gallop. Some wont because of training.

I got on my girlfriends horse Big Appaloosa mare named Dolly. Denise would only canter her.... so she asked me to see if she would run... Dolly was about fourteen and sweeet sweet mare... and kind of lazy. Denise always rode with a riding crop. I shortened up the stirrups a hole above what I normally ride in. Denise offered me the crop and... I said I don't think she will need it. I got her into a very collected trot then told her to GO.... just Go go go and kept encouraging her... Then she realized It was OK and I would be OK.... OH MY GAWD she WENT.... so fast tears were running out of my eyes.... A full four beat too... It was awesome... We went half the distance on the half mile track... and I started talking her down and quieting her with my seat... What a good girl she was when we came back to Denise her jaw was dropped.... Nice thing too she was blowing but not winded and I know she would have gone around again if I had asked her....

So if this gal is going to train race horses is she going to have someone do the riding for her?

deb

 

[HeritageGoose13]

Ok I was going off what someone had told me.... whew.... but here is an article on the brumbys.

http://www.equiworld.net/uk/ezine/0903/bwa.htm

I am so sorry for sharing information without knowing for certain... I am usually up on the urban legond sites. it was too heart wrenching to not be true....

deb

Thanks for the article.

The Abaco horse was considered the most endangered horse in the world because there was just one left. Now I wonder which breed is considered most endangered?

 

[seminolewind]

Perchie, cool story. This woman intends to do all the training. It looks like they've taken 1/2 of the available pastures and moved those horses into refenced pastures on the other side.

 

[minihorse927]

Perchie, cool story.  This woman intends to do all the training.  It looks like they've taken 1/2 of the available pastures and moved those horses into  refenced pastures on the other side. 

does this women realize how hard a racehorse is on her body? Especially since she already has a bum arm? I use to break and train 2 year olds to the track and race standardbreds (harness racers) at fairs. I messed with a few thoroughbreds and quarter horses on the track and they're even more trying on your body.