Category: Shark’s Perspective

I must apologize to you all that I haven’t spoken my mind in quite a while, but I’ve been busy taking care of my mares and keeping an eye on things here at the farm from my favorite vantage point. I can see the whole farm from that corner, and my girls just hang there with me. I must admit I’ve also kept my comments to myself because I’m concerned that sometimes I feel so strongly about things that I’m afraid it might have a backlash on Pam, which I certainly don’t want.

I’m afraid this will be my last perspective, since I don’t think I’m going to finish this race, which makes me and everyone around me very sad. However, I can’t complain. I’ve had a great life here at GEVA with my mares by my side. I’ve taken good care of them, worried every time someone comes into our paddock to do something with them. I’m right there in their face, minding my manners of course, but I want to know what’s going on with them.

I don’t know how many of you know my background, but I’ll fill you in a bit. I was really a good race horse, not great, but good. I won over $500,000, which was good money in my racing day. I was a stake winner and stakes placed. I don’t know if I gave it my all, since I ran second a lot and should have won, but I think I did or at least tried to win. I ran hard enough to fracture my cannon bone requiring pins in it. I also injured my suspensory ligament. They laid me up to rehabilitate, which I did. I came back to race and ran well, but then was off again. However, rather than let me retire in peace and just be a horse, as I deserved, I was brought back and raced in $5,000 claiming races. How humiliating! After all, I am still The Barking Shark, with a national following of fans.

Of course I outclassed my company in those races and won. However, because I won I became like a ping pong ball being claimed each time I ran and bouncing from barn to barn. There were a couple of trainers who kept claiming me, John “Mickey” Martin and Lonnie Arterburn were two of them. There was a group who was concerned about my well-being because the trainers who had me weren’t. They were just interested in winning and making money. Ed Moger claimed me for Frank Lucarelli. The group that was interested in retiring me before I broke completely approached Ed Moger offering to purchase me. He wouldn’t sell and told the group to claim me. Well, that day it was rumored that there were going to be eight claims dropped for me. How popular can one guy get??!

The group was upset about that and really wanted to get me away from the track to retire with GEVA. That sounded okay with me. So, what they did was offer the claiming price plus what would be the win purse if I won. Money always seems to talk, so they agreed to sell me to retire with GEVA. My arrival at the farm even made the Channel 5 news that night. I was very happy and have been ever since, just being able to be a horse with no demands made on me and never had a saddle on my broad back again nor a cold steel bit in my mouth. Now, this is what retirement should be. I was ten years old when they bought me, and I’d earned a comfortable retirement. I’m 23 now and have spent the past 13 years enjoying just being a horse, something I never got to do when I was racing.

This brings me to what I have to say today. From what I hear, it sounds like there’s a big push for all of us “retired”, “injured” or “rehabilitating” off the track Thoroughbreds, as they now call us, to go on to second careers. Why? The donors appear to want it so we move out to make room for other horses to move in. Excuse me, why should I be expected to go on to another career instead of retiring, just to make room for another horse? Maybe if the donors gave more money to the organizations they could afford to take in more horses needing care, like me. But no, instead of increasing funding to the nonprofits so that they might be able to manage a few more horses, they cut the funding back, from what I hear. When GEVA started over 20 years ago I’ve heard that there was little funding from donors, but I hear that the money was more consistent than it is today. I’ve heard Pam say that it’s hard to budget how many horses can come in here when we don’t know how much money GEVA will get in grants. Personal donations are unpredictable, but there are a few who have been consistent over the years and I know they’re most appreciated.

Pam was almost in tears the other day, and she doesn’t cry except when one of us moves on to those greener pastures. I heard her say that she’d been cut in funding by about 50% this year and she didn’t know how she could take in any more horses now. She really wants and tries to help us. She nurses us back to health and soundness. She’s out here with us every day cleaning up our mess and giving us fresh feed and carrots. Oh how I love those carrots! I greet her at the gate every morning with a nicker and an expectation of carrots. After all, I am The Barking Shark and so deserve them! But she’s there rain or shine to care for me and my mares and the rest of The Gang, as we’re fondly called. I’m told that she doesn’t get paid for any of her loving attention to us.

Anyway, it appears that the bottom line is money again. It’s not enough that we’ve gone out there putting on the show for the track owners, management, bettors and spectators, horse owners, trainers, jockeys, exercise riders, pony riders, gate crew, valets, test barn, grooms, hot walkers, vendors and any others who have an interest in racing. Instead of rewarding us with a nice retirement to live out our “golden years” we get dropped down in class until we get too hurt to run any more and if we’re lucky we get sent to a rescue or rehabilitation facility instead of going to slaughter or euthanized. But then once we’re healed up they want to adopt us out or sell us to someone to train us for a second career as a hunter/jumper, dressage horse, eventer, endurance horse, barrel racer, cutting horse, polo pony or some other discipline or some just as a trail horse.

We’re again subjected to the human discipline and control, carrying a rider on our back, and usually a bit in our mouth, spurs in our side or a crop or whip in the hand. All we wanted to do, and deserved to do, was hang out in the paddock with our buddies and swat flies or play horse games, bucking and rearing and pawing and rolling and spinning and running full out because we want to, not because someone is whipping us to go faster.

People separate us from our new found friends without a second thought about the bond we’ve formed with these other horses. We’re loaded in a trailer or van, shipped off never to see our friends again. Far too many of us are sent to auction to make a quick buck for the owner and then end up with the “kill buyers” who ship us off to a horrible fate of slaughter. It’s just plain wrong!! We deserve better!! I am The Barking Shark and I know what we deserve!

Now they even have a “Retired Racehorse Project”. You figure. They refer to us as “retired racehorses”, but they have a “project” for us. That doesn’t sound like retirement to me. A “project” sounds like work for us, and that’s exactly what it is. They’ve created a “Thoroughbred Makeover”, yup, a makeover. They want to make us into something other than a racehorse to show the world how versatile we are. We know how versatile we are. Just watch us out in pasture playing. We can do most of the dressage movements without a cue. We can turn on a dime and switch leads as many times as we want without anyone telling us how to do it. We can jump down banks and over obstacles without losing a stride and can judge our own take-off point. We can get down on our haunches and corner our buddy just as they want us to do with a cow, but we don’t need a rider to show us how to do it. There’s not much we can’t do without human intervention and someone off balance on our back and yanking on our mouth and doesn’t really know what they’re doing, nor do they really care what they’re doing to us.

But to make the “makeover” even more tempting they’ve put up $100,000.00 in prize money for qualified contestants. That’s hard for a lot of people to pass up, so down we go into training again for a second career. People have a choice if they want a second career after retiring, but we horses have no say in the matter.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some horses who get bored in retirement and would rather go out and do something more. That’s fine, if that’s what they really want to do. I’m merely saying that I don’t think it should be what’s “expected” of us… move us out so another can move in kind of like an assembly line. Hello, we’ve earned a rest! Let there be more funds given out there from the racing industry to provide for more of us “off the track Thoroughbreds”.

I’ve been told that there are articles about me saying how much I loved to race. Yup, I did, but I’ve also enjoyed retirement and just being a horse. I could go on and on since I feel so strongly about this, but I’ll just say I feel very fortunate to have been retired here with GEVA for these past many years. I’ve had my mares, loving people, good feed and care and shelter. I’ve had the retirement I earned, thanks to a group of caring people who rescued me from certain injury if I’d kept on racing.

So, dear friends, I really don’t want to leave this comfortable life I’ve had with my mares here at GEVA, but I think the greener pastures in the sky are beckoning me closer. I’ll miss you all and am very grateful I just got to retire and share my perspectives with you.

Not to be forgotten,

The Barking Shark

Where does the time go?

Well, I did it again!! I fell down on my duty as communicator. I owe you all an apology for my lack of communication this year. I’ve got all kinds of excuses: my mares, first and foremost, but then the weather, and events at the farm, and my attitude and laziness about getting around to communicating something, etc., etc., etc. But, I am The Barking Shark and should have some privileges (as well as to be allowed to make excuses)!!

However, although I haven’t communicated anything, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and observing and recollecting. So, I’m on my soapbox again. I don’t get on it too often any more. (It’s too hard to get up and down!) But, when I do, I have a message to convey and a purpose for doing so.

Many of you won’t identify with what I’m trying to say, which is unfortunate, because it’s a BIG message from us, the horses with whom you deal, whether on an occasional or daily basis. We’re really pretty silent about our feelings, hurts and objections, but there are times when we express our feelings that need to be recognized, acknowledged and heeded. As I’ve said before, all too often you “discipline/punish” us unreasonably for something. Either you haven’t explained what you want adequately for US to understand, or we have a physical or emotional problem dealing with it, which YOU don’t understand. We really do try to express ourselves, but there aren’t enough of you people out there who want to listen to us and our reasonable objections and complaints.

For instance, if one of us is REALLY fractious in the paddock at the races or doesn’t want to load in the gate, there’s usually a good reason for it. Far too many times one of us gets injured or suffers a catastrophic injury in that race. No, although I’m The Barking Shark, I don’t have statistics to show this. I only know it from observation when I was on the track. As a matter of fact, I had several injuries (screws in the cannon bone, suspensory injury, quarter crack, etc.), but I kept running because I am The Barking Shark. Fortunately there was a group of people who wanted to retire me, and I’m glad they did. Because I kept running with my injuries at the lower levels and kept winning, they kept running me. Sooner or later my injuries were going to come into play and I would break, but this group retired me from that fate. (Thank YOU!!!)

So, now I’m retired and enjoying my two mares, but there are others out there like me, who need retirement and protection from further injuries. They may be trying to get the message across in our own way of expressing things, but you people may not understand what we’re trying to say, or worse yet, you may not care. If we’re not cooperative, there’s usually a good reason for it. If we refuse, we usually have a reason. If we’re overly fractious, we usually are trying to tell you something. Just try to listen to what we’re saying. A happy and pain free horse is almost always willing to try to comply with the requests of the rider whether on the track, eventing or on the trails, or any other discipline. A horse who has physical or mental problems will often object. Please read our signs!! We’re really eager to please, but if you ignore what we’re trying to tell you, we have to protect ourselves. You’d do the same!!

Don’t get me wrong. I know there are those of us equines who are just plain obstinate about doing something when asked. I’m not defending them, if they don’t have a physical or emotional excuse for their attitude. They do need to be brought into line. But for the most part we’re really pretty cooperative IF we know what you’re asking us to do. We’re really lovers, not fighters, given the right treatment.

But I’m getting off my important message and drift.

There are LOTS of us, like you humans, who have physical problems. Some are worse than others. Some of us deal with our aches and pains better than others, just like you people do. Most of us learn to cope. We have a natural survival instinct that allows us to protect ourselves and recognize our innate abilities and our weaknesses when they arise.

Some of us have problems that you people would like to “fix”. However, sometimes the “fix” is more life threatening than leaving things alone, if we’re coping with them okay. Why do you people think that you always have to “fix” something? If it’s working and we’re dealing with it comfortably, don’t introduce a complication! There are a lot of people who walk with a limp or use a cane or walker. Unfortunately we don’t have the option of using a cane or walker, but many of us get around fine with a limp. If it becomes more serious or life threatening, then you can go for more aggressive treatment, but don’t always feel that you have to “fix” us because we’re not perfect. If we’re coping adequately, leave us alone on that level. It’s kind of like you humans. If an elderly person has a problem, do you go for surgery or try to remedy/cope with the problem without the surgery due to the risk factor? Usually you wait. So why don’t you people try to read our signs and understand what we’re trying to tell you? We really do express ourselves quite clearly if you’d only observe and listen.

These are only my opinions from “The Barking Shark”, but as a voice of authority, I hope you’ll hearken up. I’m only looking out for my brethren and trying to get a common ground for understanding our expressions of pain, fear or other problems. I’d like to think that we’re all on the same page.

Take good care, and good care of us. If you think treatment of us for something is necessary, think it through completely. What are the possible consequences? What can go wrong? Is it necessary to make us feel better, or will it make you people feel better for doing it? Does it really need to be “fixed”? Think of your old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Sometimes it is best to leave well enough alone.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying to not treat an emergency or life-threatening situation. By all means call the vet, but make sure you understand what the vet is doing and that the vet has considered the options and consequences too. Don’t be too quick to euthanize us, if it’s a curable problem and if we show the will to live. Some of us do, and some of us don’t tolerate pain or discomfort well. There again, that’s when you have to understand what we’re trying to tell you. My suggestion is, when in doubt be conservative, if it’s not life-threatening. There’s tomorrow to make the final decision, but euthanasia has become all too popular, and it’s VERY final. You can’t change your mind after the injection is given. Also, if you choose to euthanize one of us, please do it humanely. Let the vet give us that extra bit of sedation before the lethal injection. It costs a few dollars more, but aren’t we worth that? I should hope so!!!!

Now, on a happier note, I have to go tend to my mares. They don’t like it when I ignore them for any length of time. But, before I step down off my soapbox, I want to wish you all a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON. Please be sure to stock up on carrots, cookies, apples and peppermints for us horses for the Holidays too.

As always, I am

The Barking Shark

And these are my personal perspectives…

Where does the time go?

Wow! Here it is September and I’ve been remiss in my responsibilities to get my thoughts out to you since last spring. Where does the time go?!? It’s not like I have a lot to do around here except keep my mares happy, put up with their nagging at me and watch over what’s going on with the rest of The Gang from my old penthouse pad, but time just really got away from me.

Maybe some of it was because our routine got out of sync when Pam got hurt. I know we all mourned the loss of Macho Man. He’s been with us a long time and his death was a real shock. I wasn’t in the paddock with him when it happened, but I was in my penthouse position to observe. It was very sad!

Maybe that’s why I haven’t gotten around to expounding on my thoughts and perspectives for the past few months. It’s been real hard to swallow the sudden loss of a friend.

Even though when Pam put me in the paddock with Macho and the rest of those guys, I didn’t get treated as I should have, I still cared about them. I was “rescued” from the group that picked on me because Pam felt sorry for me. Huh, that’s a first. Here I am the big strapping muscular and oh so handsome The Barking Shark, and I’m pitied in my position by some little woman who wants to make me happy and comfortable. That’s a big switch from the trainers who just kept wanting to race me to win, even though I had my physical problems. They just thought I’d go on forever and keep on bringing in the checks. Hey, I could beat those guys at the level I was racing, but I don’t know for how long my old injured legs would hold out. I was too dumb to not try, so I kept winning. As long as I kept winning, they kept racing me. This seemed like a no win situation for me.

But then, before I was supposed to race again, some group of people got together and paid way too much money to keep me from the next race and retire me to GEVA. Hey, that didn’t bother me a bit. I was happy to get off the track. I just kept shuttling from barn to barn and they kept racing me. Life is good in retirement.

I hadn’t been off the track at a farm in a long time. I was in a stall at first and I was scared when Pam came in to clean my stall. She had that pitchfork in her hand, and I wasn’t sure what she was going to do with it. However, as the time passed, I realized that it was only to clean out my poops and messes in the stall, and not to jab me to move over or whatever.

I remember I was afraid of any movements when I first got here too. I didn’t know if someone was going to hit me or what, so I was really on the defensive. If Pam raised her hand to do anything I shied away. Slowly I realized that she wasn’t going to strike me or do any harm to me, but it was just a human gesture for whatever reason, and I learned to trust her. Now I don’t even think twice about such things. I have no reason to doubt her good intentions here. I trust my surroundings, which makes me a happy horse. I see my brethren out there in other paddocks with the same attitude. Actually, the treats and personal attention cause us to become overbearing at times and Pam puts a “recess” on such. I guess we have to get our act together and get some manners in place to warrant the treats without being so pushy. We do have a tendency to be that way. Nothing’s free in this life!!

So, what is my message and where am I coming from in this? Well, I think it’s two-fold.

I think you people need to realize and accept that we horses have feelings too, just like you. We feel pain and abuse, and neglect, and intimidation and fear and loss of companion just as you people do. We suffer, and hurt and experience fear. We’re creatures of fear and flight from predators, and that’s our first instinct, unless we learn to trust you people to guide us through that fear and give us the confidence in you to know we’re safe. We really want to please you and also feel safe.

We also deserve a comfortable retirement and/or rehabilitation as here with GEVA. We’ve put out our all to provide the show for the horse racing industry, and haven’t always been treated as the stars we are. At times we raced when we shouldn’t have, compromising our well-being as well as the jockeys and other horses in the race. I probably shouldn’t mention such things, but hey, I know what my injuries were and they kept racing me to get the money. So, are we horses merely a means to the end of the money wagon? That’s not right! And, it’s not only we race horses that experience this fate. The show horses and eventers suffer equally from the attitude and acts of the owners and trainers.

We horses are/were/will be the only thing that makes horse racing and the horse show world. Without us there is no horse racing and there are no horse shows or events! Without us there are no trail rides or hunts or barrel racing or breeding for more horses. Since I was a race horse, I speak more of racing, but what I say I believe applies to all horses in any venue. We provide the show, make the profits for the owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, associations and any others associated with horses. How many of them have come forward to support us, the stars of their industry, when we can no longer provide their entertainment? VERY few. We’re an expendable commodity. When we can’t produce for them, then we’re expendable and our welfare is not an issue.

Tell me, why are we so expendable?!? I, The Barking Shark, ran my heart out with my injuries and provided for my owners. But, you know what. My breeders and owners have never come forth to provide a cent for my retirement. It’s really a big insult to me! I can tolerate it because I’m in a happy home, but it’s inexcusable!

So, I’m The Barking Shark, a somewhat famous horse, and a very happy horse now with my mares. But, you people out there who supposedly have the brains to control us and this industry, please tell me, a horse, how you’re going to resolve the retirement issue for us and provide enough income for farms like ours to maintain us. We deserve better than what is being offered, which is next to nothing. We horses treat each other better than that. It’s a very sad statement on the part of the horse industry for their lack of caring about our welfare, but we sure appreciate the life we’ve been given with the wonderful people who volunteer here at GEVA. And do you know the interesting fact is that none of the volunteers is or was associated with racing, showing or actually even riding. Most of them just love us horses (but what’s not to love about us!?!) and love to spend time with us. I hear that a few of them had a horse when they were kids, but for the most part they just appreciate us for who we are and treat us accordingly. They GIVE to us. Our ex-owners and breeders, etc. TOOK from us and most have given nothing back to us or to GEVA. I’m just a horse, but I’m a smart horse, as most of us are, and there’s something wrong in this big picture.

Well, I just have to stop talking about this because it gets me too upset and then I might get unmanageable and pick on one of my mares, and I certainly don’t want to start acting like a person. After all, I am The Barking Shark, the only one of a kind, or should that be “king” …

I am,

The Barking Shark

Spring is in the air, and in the trees, and in our systems. We’re shedding our winter coats! Hurrah!! It’s itchy, I want it gone now! I roll, but that doesn’t quite do it. I sure appreciate it when Pam comes out to give me a good curry. Unfortunately I intimidate the volunteers, so they won’t come in to groom me very often. I really don’t mean to be overbearing, but then again, maybe I do. I love to push them to the limit to see how much I can.

You know, horses do love to test people. You folks really have to EARN our respect. I know there are a lot of you people out there who want to be friends with us and want us to love you and you’ll do anything to get that love. But you want to know the truth? If we don’t respect you, we can’t love you. They go hand in hand. You can love us and spoil us and give us treats, but if you don’t also discipline us and earn our respect, we’ll walk all over you. That’s a FACT!! I hate to say it, but that is also an invitation for us to injure you because we’re so big and strong and if you can’t control us, that’s what happens. In French they’d say “c’est la vie”. So it’s an internationally known fact. You really have to earn our respect.

Getting back to the grooming, and shedding and spring in the air, etc., let’s get down to basics. I’m “The Barking Shark” and don’t ever doubt it!! I’m big, I’m powerful, I’m handsome and I use all of these attributes to my advantage, except when it comes to other horses bullying me. (I hate to admit it, but then I’m a woos. HOWEVER, now that Pam has me in with my two gorgeous fillies, I’m a happy woos. They still pick on me, but I love it, and love them. Life is good.)

Let me talk about respect and caring. If somebody comes into my paddock, my space, I instinctively challenge their presence (unless it’s Pam, and I even challenge her at times). So, how do they respond? If they challenge me, I may back off. If they’re friendly, but defensive, I may analyze this. If they’re timid, I’ll probably walk all over them. If they don’t establish their “space”, I’ll enter it. So, there are boundaries and understandings that need to be established for a good and healthy and safe working relationship. There are horses out there that I watch and they enter a person’s space just to get treats or attention or get petted. They wouldn’t dream of doing anything to hurt anybody. However, if that same gentle horse is challenged by another horse in the same pasture or paddock, and that horse is higher in the pecking order and also wants treats or attention, that gentle horse is going to get away from the other horse faster than you can blink, and very well may knock the person down in the process, not intentionally, but you have to remember that we’re creatures of flight. That’s our first instinct if we’re scared or feel threatened. So, I’d advise you folks to create your “safe space” and only let us in if you invite us. As for me, I just can’t be trusted not to do something either mischievous or challenging. It’s just my nature, even though I know better. If I’m not reminded to behave, depending upon my mood, I just may not behave. There are lots of others like me, so if you don’t establish your space, and make us respect it, we’ll enter it putting you at possible risk. Take heed!

Communication with us is really relatively easy. We want to make life simple between us equines and you people. We want to trust you and merely need the direction to do so, for the most part. There are others like me, like Governor Elect, who will always challenge a newcomer to see how far we can get, but that’s just kind of our nature and a game we play. Most of us want to understand what you’re trying to teach us, and merely need your understanding to know how to communicate this to us and the patience to do so. Key word here is “trust”. If we learn to trust you, we’ll be more willing to do what you want knowing that you won’t hurt us and lead us into any threatening situation. That may take some time and repetition and various experiences to gain complete trust, but patience and kindness with reasonable discipline and demand for respect will accomplish the goal. You won’t succeed by using brute force, but having the knowledge to know what you’re trying to convey to us, repetition, patience, and knowing what our limits are will help us to learn what you want us to accomplish. We really don’t have a very long attention span, so it may take several short “sessions” to get the message across. Don’t get me wrong, by any means. I’m “The Barking Shark” and I’m not stupid, nor are my brethren, but sometimes we lose interest in what you’re trying to convey, or we get bored or tired or cranky or whatever, so we don’t pay attention anymore. Case closed, shutters down, out to lunch, gone fishing. Come back tomorrow. Why do you people think more is better?!? You want to drill us to death, repeat, repeat, and if we don’t respond or understand what you want you mistreat us to try to get us to understand what we can’t understand the way you’re trying to teach it. Hello! Maybe you should re-evaluate your teaching methods so we can understand them. We really do want to have a peaceful and happy co-existence and we’d really like to make it as easy as possible if you’d just let us understand what you want us to do, or not do. BUT, please be consistent also. Don’t try to teach us one thing one day and then change it to another thing another day. If we don’t get your drift, and it’s reasonable, just keep trying patiently with us and we’ll eventually communicate. We really want to please, if we know what’s expected of us.

So, here we are, back to the basics. I’m “The Barking Shark”, and I’m as strong and willful and (woosy) and pushy as I was ten years ago. I’m a stakes horse and willing to show my class. I really need someone to keep me in line. I don’t want to hurt somebody intentionally and I LOVE attention, but I’d best respect you if you enter my space, and you’d best establish your space with me or any other horse, if you don’t want us to walk all over you or put you at risk. Be safe and create your space with us. We’ll respect it and you … and there’s still room for lots of love.

I know Pam is doing some camps and clinics on safety and horse handling and I really hope some of you will take advantage of this. Like I’ve said, I don’t mean to hurt anyone, but I’m big and strong and have my own mind, so you’d best know how to control me, or another like me.

My back still needs to be scratched. Any volunteers????

I am,

The Barking Shark
(I’m really quite loveable – ask my filly room-mates or Pam!)

and that’s where I live! However, I have my two lovely fillies to keep me warm. (Yes!!!! Eat your heart out, guys!) I know they pick on me, but they keep me happy.

But getting back to the cold, there are some things upon which I’d like to give my opinions from this special horse’s point of view. I’ve been around for some 14 years or so and have lived in different situations, so I have some background for my comments.

I can’t stress enough that I wish more owners had more experience and knowledge about us equines when they decide to buy us or keep us at home or in a barn. I’m sure that most of the “ignorant” things you do are not mal-intended, but merely from a lack of knowledge of how to treat us equines. I know Pam offers some private or group classes for people who are interested in learning about the proper way to care for us. I wish more people would take these classes from Pam or anyone else who could afford us more educated care.

When I was talking about things this summer, I mentioned “cool, clear water” as a necessity. That was to have lots of water for the hot days and to be sure the tanks were cleaned regularly to get rid of any algae.

Winter isn’t much different except that the water doesn’t get algae very quickly, but still needs to be cleaned regularly.

The biggest problem is that we don’t drink enough water during the cold weather. If I don’t drink the water, there isn’t the motility in my gut to make things move through on an even keel. When God made our bodies and systems he didn’t do us any favor
when it came to our inners and digestion, etc.

For those of you with automatic waterers, it’s really hard to tell if we’re drinking enough water. At least with buckets or water tanks in pastures or paddocks, people can see how much we’re drinking. It’s really important in the winter months.

You may give us a bit of extra salt to help make us thirsty and you may add electrolytes to our feed. If you give us grain or supplements, you might make it into a mash with warm water to give us more intake of water. But, the bottom line is, please try to monitor and increase our water intake during the winter months. We aren’t very smart about it, which I hate to admit, but we need your help and observations. Please be alert for any signs of colic. If you don’t know what to look for ask your vet, or take a course or do some research on line.

Winter can be ugly and hard on horses, whether in the barn or outside. We do a lot better if we carry some extra weight on our bones going into winter. Especially those of us who are getting up in years or are more frail. We use up a lot of energy trying to stay warm. Some of us will probably need some extra feedings, like a warm mash in the morning and afternoon. Pam has a few of the older guys here doing that. They go up to the barn for a supplemental mash in the morning and early afternoon. I must admit they look pretty good for their ages, being in their late twenties and thirty. Be sure to keep up the worming during the winter months too.

People are sometimes our worst enemies, even though you think you’re helping us. I think it makes you feel better to do certain things, thinking that it’s helping us, when it really isn’t. For instance, depending upon what part of the country you live in and have us, the barn may be a problem for our health. We’re really used to being outdoors in the natural environment. We have a knack for fending for ourselves. We know what it takes, for the most part. However, people want to coddle us and warm us up, etc. They close the barns, have heat, etc. The bottom line is we often end up getting sick due to a lack of ventilation and air circulation. Usually we horses will grow enough coat to keep ourselves warm under most circumstances, but when you blanket us and turn up the heat in the barn, you’re compromising us and exposing us to more germs.

If we’re enclosed in a stall in a barn, leave the barn doors ajar for some ventilation and air circulation. If it’s an old barn there may be enough cracks between the boards for the air flow, but if it’s one of the newer prefab or newly constructed barns, they’re pretty airtight and need to have some way for the air to circulate without having the North Pole draft blowing through. If you use straw or shavings for bedding, the dust in the air from them can be bad for our respiratory system if there’s no ventilation to move it out.

If we’re out in a paddock or pasture, we can manage quite well without a blanket if well attended and given sufficient feed and hay and some shelter from the elements. I believe that the blankets and coddling make our owners feel better, more than helping us. The thoughts are appreciated, but please don’t compromise our health to make you feel better about what you’re doing for us. Also, if we’re outside and get covered with mud from rolling, please clean the mud off. Our insulating hair can’t stand up to warm us if it’s coated in mud. Just give us a curry to clean off the mud.

If you insist on putting a blanket on us, please make sure it’s the correct weight for the climate. Also, please be sure it’s waterproof, if you’re going to leave it on us outside in the rain or snow. There are any number of blankets manufactured that can fill your needs. Be sure it fits properly so we don’t get a leg hung up in it. If in doubt, check with your vet or local tack store.

Lots of people want to body clip us in the winter. I know our winter coats aren’t very attractive, but they’re functional. A lot of people just don’t want to take the extra time grooming us or cooling us out after a ride when we sweat with our winter coats. How would you like to run around like a naked jaybird when it’s freezing outside? That’s what it feels like. For goodness sakes, if you’re going to body clip us, at least cover us up with a good blanket and please don’t leave us outside in the elements with no hair.

In line with grooming us, be sure to take some extra precautions with your tack. It’s really easy to gall us and cause sores if the girth or saddle has dried mud on it that rubs and irritates our skin causing a sore. The same thing can happen with a dirty bridle rubbing on the face or a martingale yoke between the legs. Please take those extra few minutes to be sure our coats are clean and so is the tack. If you don’t, we very well may have to express our discomfort in a way you won’t appreciate, if you get my drift.

Also before you stick that cold piece of steel or aluminum in my mouth, or any of my brethren, please warm it up in your hands for a few minutes. It really makes a world of difference. You can just blow on it in your hands and you warm breath will take the chill off it. I guarantee it will put your horse in a better frame of mind and he or she will be more willing to accept the bit when you’re trying to bridle up. We really are pretty easy to get along with, if you take our thoughts, fears, misgivings and feelings into consideration. We’re not much different from you people in that sense. We prefer to please and live in harmony when we understand what you want, but we’ll also balk or fuss about things if we don’t understand or trust what you want or if we’re uncomfortable or hurt from something.

Speaking of hurting, I live in sunny California, the land of the “California girls”, surfers, aging flower children, etc. It’s hot and dry in the summer, but wet and MUDDY in the winter, at least up north where we are. By about the end of February I’d rather have nice clean snow than the icky, sticky mud. It seems like foot abscesses are a way of life in the winter, which are no fun. They hurt big time. Please take care of us if we show signs of lameness. Depending upon your level of experience, you may be able to take care of us, but if in doubt, please call your vet to treat the problem. Foot abscesses are not only painful, but can become serious problems if they get infected.

There are a couple of other problems common during the wet winters, such as “mud fever”, which is from standing around in the mud, “rain rot”, which forms scabs on the horses’ coats from being out in the rain. These should be recognized and treated. If you don’t have the experience, please contact your vet to take care of us. We also develop the snotty noses and coughs just like people, especially if there is a lot of traffic of horses coming and going from different places. We really don’t have to worry about that here at the farm, but when Pam gets a new horse in she’ll “quarantine” him/her for several days, just in case they brought anything with them that could be transmitted to the rest of us.

I could go on about lot of stuff, but I hear my girls calling and wanting my attention. I can’t slight them, so gotta go for now. But before I do I want to wish all you people out there a horse’s perspective of a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year – carrots, cookies, peppermints, apples, carrots, pats, cookies, attention, carrots, peppermints. Do you get the message? Happy Holidays and may all your days be merry ones with one of us equines…

I remain as ever,

The Barking Shark

You know, I’m just a horse, but a great horse if I may say so. I’m big and handsome and strong. I’m not mean by any stretch of the imagination, but at times I just feel so good and playful I’m a bomb waiting to explode, and sometimes I do. I run and buck and play and strike and really have fun with my tail in the air. I wouldn’t mean to hurt any person, but if they got in my way in one of my “flings”, they might get hurt. My 1200 lbs. can do a lot of damage to a human body, even if I don’t mean to hurt anyone. It’s even worse ’cause I’m in with two beautiful fillies (Heaven on earth), and we play a bunch. I get a bit perturbed because they don’t respect me because I am The Barking Shark. They actually pick on me and bully me and I let them do it. I don’t know why. I’m not a wimp, but I love their company and we play a lot and enjoy life.

I’m really glad Pam and a group of others decided to buy me to retire me from the track. I’d been racing for many years and sure had my share of injuries. One day I was at the top of the game and a few years later I was at the bottom, but they kept sending me out there to “win”! And, because I’d been at the top of the ladder and dropped down, I did keep winning. But I was ten years old! Give me a break (not literally)! I’ve paid my dues and won over half a million dollars and they still wanted to squeeze more out of me. So they were going to keep racing me until the leg that has the screws in the cannon bone or the suspensory ligament injury I have re-injured itself or something else broke. Hey wait!!! I’m The Barking Shark. I deserve some respect and consideration!! I’ve earned a bunch of money for my owners, been injured in the process and now should be entitled to a nice retirement like people do.

Well, fortunately I was saved from a possible doomsday fate.

You know, now that I’m really retired and see what life is like as a real horse, I wonder about those horses that are in training as race horses, show horses, trail or endurance horses or just backyard pleasure horses.

Let me tell you a bit about us horses. We’re real social creatures and used to lots of freedom of movement. Give us our space and our chosen companions and we’re really happy. (I know some people who are the same way, but I won’t mention any names.)

I think there are lots of us who enjoy or enjoyed doing what we do or did. We’re professionals at it even if we don’t compete. We’re trained to do something for our owners. Some owners know what they’re doing and others don’t, but we’ll go there in another of my perspectives. Right now I’m just talking about us horses that have been in training and need to get a new life. I have a couple of farm mates here who are retired Grand Prix horses. It was really sad to watch them for the first few months they were here. They would trot or canter around their pasture in a totally collected frame. I’m going crazy. “Hey you guys, you’re out in pasture!!! Let loose and enjoy!! You’re not in the show ring anymore.” As the months progressed so did they, and they actually began to loosen up and act like real horses. I really couldn’t get in and coach them, since we’re in different paddocks, but I sure watched them change over the months. Now, a few years later, they’re just horses like me.

We’re all lucky to be here retired at this farm. I’m just sorry that I hear Pam saying that she has to turn away horses like us because she doesn’t have the funding or help to take care of us. I know I, The Barking Shark, demand a lot of attention and care, not to mention the expected treats, so if I have to multiply that by many I can understand why Pam has to turn away my brethren, although I’m sure it pains her to do so. I owe my life to her, and most others here do too. I wish there were a way I could help her help my brethren.

I hope you humans/people know that horses deserve a retirement just like you do. Some get a better deal than others, but we don’t deserve the slaughter house or cheap auctions. I was lucky and got what I deserve. (Maybe I’d like a bit more of the Kentucky bluegrass, but I’ll settle for what I have in love and vittles. I haven’t lost any pounds and I get lots of love and carrots.)

I, The Barking Shark, really have a message to put out to all of you people who own us horses. Please know the responsibility you’e accepting when you buy or breed a horse.
We don’t ask to be born, but when we are, we become your baggage. Please treat us with respect, care for us and love us as a creature that you created or obtained for your commercial or personal advantage. Know that we have a long life, which depends upon you for our well being. We don’t come cheaply and demand a lot of care. Be prepared for such if you decide to enter this world of horses, because we can be burdensome, but we can also brighten your day and create many memorable moments whether in the winners’ circle or just hangin’ out. You owe us that respect and care in our retirement years whether from age or infirmity. I don’t want to hear that you can’t take care of us any more because we’re injured and you have another horse to ride or whatever. Hey there! We were there when you wanted us to perform, so now take care of us when we can’t. You got into this field of owning horses for your own enjoyment. So, what about our “afterlife”?!?! Don’t just discard us. We’re real living and feeling creatures. Have a heart and accept your responsibility or don’t even go there about owning one of us. We don’t need the pain when you decide to discard us like a piece of equipment. Buy a bicycle instead to get your “rides”. They don’t have feelings or feel pain.

I think I’ve probably said enough to anger some, but those are my perspectives on who should own a horse and how we should be treated when we can no longer be “productive”. Those are my thoughts, which are of course noteworthy because …

After all, I am…

The Barking Shark

Wow, it’s hot out here! My owner always has some cool, clear water for me to drink. Actually, sometimes it’s not so cool when the temperature rises, but it’s clean. I need lots of it when it’s hot, and it’s no good when it’s days old and full of scum and algae. Why don’t people realize that I need good clean water just like they do? It’s really important to my health, but sometimes people don’t take the time to think about my health when it comes to water.

I drink a lot, especially in the summer. That’s why it’s really hard to monitor when owners have automatic waterers. They don’t know if I’m drinking what I should be drinking. Although water troughs are harder to maintain and clean, at least the people have an idea of how much I’m drinking on a daily basis, but the troughs do need to be cleaned regularly. I won’t drink water that’s full of algae, and then I’ll become dehydrated. Pam’s good about cleaning my trough, but I know a lot of people aren’t.

Just think of it! On a hot day it’s nice to splash and drink cool, clear water. Kids like to run under the sprinkler or jump in the pool to cool off. Well, I don’t have a pond to jump in and I don’t have a sprinkler to run under, but I do enjoy splashing in my water trough and making puddles and then pawing in them and making my face all muddy.

Pam always laughs at me after I’ve been playing in the water and have a dirty face, but I’m a happy horse for doing it and she doesn’t mind. It seems to make her happy that I’m happy. So, I hope you’ll all make sure that your horses have plenty of good cool, clear water for the summer. I’m just trying to help my kin.

If you have any questions, I’m sure Pam will be happy to try to answer them for you. She’s taken good care of me… and even gives me carrots while she’s filling my trough full of cool, clear water. Fringe benefits…

I am…

The Barking Shark