Thoughts

Thoughts

Inheritance Ignored

By Robert M. Miller, D.V.M.

"It’s a shame," I said to Walt,
"Her conformation’s filled with fault.

Her head is plain. Her neck is ewe.
Her back is long. Her tail askew.

Her shoulder straight, back at the knees;
She toes out in front, you’ll notice please.

Offset cannons and splints you see.
This mare, I fear, will never be

A racing prospect, or good for show;
Brittle feet with seedy toe.

Four years old, already lame,
In both forelegs, in back the same.

Problems to worsen eventually,
because she’s built inadequately.

Her hip is short, her croup is low.
The right fore tendon’s begun to bow.

She cribs, you know, and lolls her tongue.
Too many vices in a mare so young.

And when she’s worked to desperation,
she wheezes with each respiration.

Her teeth are bad, she overbites.
With other mares she always fights.

When she trots she’ll weave and bobble,
Her hind end has a definite wobble.

Now melanoma in horses gray,
is very commonplace I’d say.

But these masses, ‘neath her tail are bad.
In a mare so young it makes me sad.

I hate to bear such tragic news;
you might as well just pull her shoes.

And stop her training as of now,
you cannot ride her anyhow."

Walt looked at me and then replied,
"The guy who sold her surely lied.

He told me that she was so great,
and I so eager, could hardly wait,

To load her up and take her home,
to pay for her, make her my own.

Well, no matter," said Walt aloud,
"she’ll make a broadmare fine and proud.

We’ll breed her soon and get repaid,
for the investment that I made.

I know a stallion with a fee so low,
he’s laid up for a year or so.

He’s got navicular disease they say,
but his stud fee I guess I’ll pay,

And raise a foal so this young mare,
will pay her way and earn her fare.

Don’t you agree, Doc, with my plan?"
I answered him.... I told the man:

"Like begets like. You’ve heard that said?
This foal you’re planning, in your head,

Is good for business-mine,
I mean, Foals like this, I have seen,

Are useful to support a vet.
Because of many defects, yet,

Our voice is often heard alone,
warning breeders, Do not condone

The breeding of inferior sire,
To inferior mare if you desire

To produce foals to improve the breed.
BREED best to best, that’s all you need.

Now listen you breeders of puppy dogs,
and cats and sheep and cows and hogs,

For your own species just change the name,
The principles are still the same.

Like begets like. It’s in the genes,
controlled by DNA it seems.

BREED best to best, it’s your only chance,
for offspring that will the BREED enhance.

When your day seems out of balance
and so many things go wrong...
When people fight around you
and the day drags on so long...

When parents act like children,
in-laws make you think "Divorce"...
Go out into your pasture...
and wrap your arms around your horse.

His gentle breath enfolds you,
and he watches with those eyes.
He may not have a Ph D,
but he is oh so wise!

His head rests on your shoulder.
You embrace him oh so tight.
He puts your world in balance,
and makes it seem all right.

Your tears they soon stop flowing.
The tension is now eased.
The garbage has been lifted,
and you're quiet and at peace.

So when you need the balance
from circumstances in your day...
The best therapy that you can seek...
is out there eating hay!!

Mary Anne Miller

The Foal Watch
by Patty Barnhart

10:00 pm - Gather sleeping bag; alarm clock and three
back copies of Northwest Rider. Head for barn.

10:01 pm - Return to house for bag of taco chips and
an ice-cold, 32 oz Pepsi.

10:10 pm - Back to barn. Flashlight goes out half way
there. Figure you can make it by memory. Pat faithful
ranch dog's head as he pants and slobbers alongside.

10:11 pm - Remember suddenly you have no ranch dog.

10:11 pm - Run screaming to house. Change flashlight
batteries. Change underwear. Return to barn.

10:15 pm - Establish foal-watch headquarters in empty
stall next to broodmare.

10:16 pm - Enter broodmare's stall for the 5,687th
inspection of the reproductive parts.

10:16 pm - Broodmare flattens ears for the 5,687th time.

10:17 pm - Sigh audibly, leave stall and head for
house. Dial veterinarian just to make sure he's home.

10:18 pm - Replace receiver on phone base rather than where suggested.

10:19 pm - Return to barn and squirm into sleeping
bag. Set alarm for one hour and shut off light.

10:20 pm - Forty thousand sets of tiny feet become
active as entire mouse population in the county begin
wind sprints in your barn loft.

10:25 pm - Sit up when something with not so tiny
feet joins wind sprints in loft.

10:26 pm - Flick on light - listen to absolute silence.

10:27 pm - Flick off light.

10:28 pm - Wind sprints resume. Big foot is winning.

11:18 pm - Finally fall asleep.

11:19 pm - Alarm goes off.

11:20 pm - Peek through knothole at broodmare.
Mare pins ears.

11:21 pm - Reset alarm and flick out light.

11:23 pm - Flick on light. Realize 32 oz Pepsi was a
mistake. Head for house to "eliminate" problem.

11:26 pm - Resist urge to phone veterinarian.

11:27 pm - Trot back to barn. Left boot is sucked off
in mud hole. Hobble three steps before getting stopped.

11:28 pm - Return to house and change one sock.

11:29 pm - Walk to barn.

11:30 pm - One last check of broodmare though
knothole. Ears pinned.

11:30 pm - Set alarm for one hour. Turn out light.

11:40 pm - Wake suddenly. Check knothole.
Mare is lying down!

11:41 pm - Enter broodmare stall carrying Ye Olde
Foaling Manual, 3 pounds of clean rags, iodine and a
tetanus shot. Mare breaks wind and gets up. Pins ears.

11:42 pm - Return to sleeping bag. Flick out light.

11:52 pm - Flick on light. Remove flake of hay that
has accumulated in bottom of bag. Flick out light.

12:01 am - Can't hear clock. Flick on light. Clock is
fine. Remove hay from ear. Flick out light.

12:29 am - Fall asleep.

12:31 am - Alarm goes off.

12:32 am - Eyes feel like somebody put sand in them.
Stagger to knothole. Extreme close-up of mare's rear
end. No change in reproductive parts. Can't see ears.
Assume pinned.

12:33 am - Back into sleeping bag. Set alarm and
flick out light. Left foot cramps. Shove foot
against bottom of bag to relieve cramp.

12:38 am - Cramp over. Relax foot.

12:39 am - Left foot turns into a pretzel. Struggle
out of bag and hobble around stall for 5 minutes.

12:44 am - Cramp over. Return to bag. Right foot starts to quiver.

01:10 am - Fall asleep.

01:39 am - Alarm goes off. Sleep right through it.

6:30 am - Wake up. Glance at clock. Attempt to leap
from bag. Become part of polyester/fiberfill wad in
hay. Crawl to knothole. Peer into broodmare stall.
See TWO sets of pinned ears.

"Just A Horse"
author unknown
(if anyone knows the author of this poem please let me know as I would like to give them credit)

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a horse,"
or, "that's a lot of money for "just a horse".

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a horse."
Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted.
Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse," and in those days of darkness,
the gentle touch of "just a horse" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you will probably understand phrases like
"just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.
"Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.
So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future,
the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.
I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse," but the thing that
gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand.
Just A Horse . . .