Wild Basin Ranch

04/29/2015

What WE are FIGHTING:
The removal of a SAFETY tool for both horse and exhibitor.

AQHA’s Edict:
The use of lip chains at AQHA events (current AQHA Rule SHW355.4) will be prohibited as of January 1, 2016.

“While many of our halter exhibitors lobbied in favor of lip chains at the 2015 convention, the Executive Committee members – based on input from the Animal Welfare Commission, the Show Committee and Show Council – believe that the use of lip chains in halter classes is not the intended use for lip chains – especially in the hands of novice exhibitors. It’s simply not humane,” Dr. Blodgett said.

GOALS & Action of those that DISAGREE with this Rule:

1. Petition AQHA to have the exhibitor have a choice for the use of lip chains. It does not hurt or cost to sign the petition, even if you do not think it will do any good it WILL show the total number of people against prohibiting lip chains.

2. Educate all that the PROPER use of the lip chain is not inhumane.

3. Write, email, call AQHA and the Members of AQHA SHOWS, PRO HORSEMEN AND AMATEUR COMMITTEES MEMBERS : http://www.aqhamembers.org/MS/committeelist.cfm]

4. Let the AQHA Executive Committee know how you feel :

Glenn Blodgett DVM
6666 Ranch
PO Box 130
Guthrie, TX 79236 USA
P: (806) 596-4424
F: (806) 596-4550
[email protected]
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/glenn.blodgett?fref=ts

Sandy Arledge
946 DORIS DR
ENCINITAS, CA 92024-4016
(760) 755-3088
[email protected]
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/sandyaqh

Jim Heird, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University
(979) 845-0511
[email protected]

Stan Weaver
P.O. Box 589
Big Sandy, MT 59520
1-406-378-2600
[email protected]
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/WeaverQuarterHorses

Ralph Seekins
Seekins Ford Lincoln
1625 Seekins Ford Dr
Fairbanks, AK 99701
(907) 459-4000
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/ralph.seekins

5. Make all your comments POSITIVELY focused on retaining the choice of using a lip chain.

6. Do NOT engage in hateful, ludicrous and argumentative conversations with those that do not agree. Remember if you argue with a fool, no one can tell which one is the fool. It gets no POSTIVE forward action and distracts from the FOCUS and unity of reversing the change…just what they want.

7. Is this the first step to overhauling ALL disciplines, their training methods and tools for the AQHA membership, no matter if they ride or lead?

8. Enlist and embrace ALL AQHA competitors no matter the discipline.

Berating and pointing to their sport in the light of trying to make ours look better will FAIL and is not the FOCUS we want. I believe that halter has been targeted because we are the most fractured and lack the unity of other disciplines. PLEASE leave the competition at the gate for once, I have been begging for years; now if we do not listen this could well be the end of our discipline.

9. It appears that RACEHORSES are to be excluded from this rule…if it is cruel and inhumane then that affects ALL horses regardless of their discipline.

10. If it is cruel and INHUMANE why is it being allowed until 01/01/2016? If we see something cruel and INHUMANE it needs to stop NOW! Is AQHA saying it is ok for something to be cruel and inhumane until x date?

11. Where are our big breeder’s and trainers to support this effort? We HAVE to lay down whatever angst, disagreement or personal feelings towards one another and FOCUS on repealing this decision in unison. We are all in this industry TOGETHER, like one another or not.

12. Insist that AQHA strengthen and enforce actions against ANY rule violations.

04/24/2015

Please sign..do NOT let them steal your joy and tell you that you abuse your animals!

https://www.change.org/p/aqha-executive-board-committee-dr-glenn-blodgett-reverse-the-aqha-lip-chain-ban-that-is-to-be-in-effect-01-01-2016?recruiter=284333661&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

12/13/2014

2009 (5 year old), Gorgeous, broke Palomino gelding. Has had professional training but will need a tune up. Has had ring work and been on trails. Double registered (AQHA and Palomino), kind and great minded. Sound and sane, a big 16 hands that is a wonderful laid back mover. Would make and incredible hunt seat horse or performance halter gelding for those interested in showing.

$3500, Count Me Grand (Count This Kid Cool x Shes An Elegant Lady), HYPP N/N

2009 (5 year old), Gorgeous, broke Palomino gelding. Has had professional training but will need a tune up. Has had ring work and been on trails.

Double registered (AQHA and Palomino), kind and great minded. Sound and sane, a big 16 hands that is a wonderful laid back mover. Would make and incredible hunt seat horse or performance halter gelding for those interested in showing.

10/26/2014

First Time being lunged and he was a Champ!

10/26/2013

You know I typed this to a friend on another post and all of you need to share in this too as you have not only brought blessings to us but to the lady that owns this place. All of us can hope if we have dementia or problems that a kindred spirit will make sure this happens to us as well : Once we get the place in a little more shape we are going to have the owner visit from her assisted living and get some of our gentlest mares in a pen (she has to go in a walker) and let her get outside, see her house in good shape and best of all, feel the warm breath of a horse on her face again!

10/26/2013

An update from Lil Bit Wild :

We are working, working, working. I found out the owner (she is in assisted living) had CHICKENS and 13 coonhounds in the house. So filthy in the house, barn, etc and we have been cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. The boys have already filled 2 @ 300 yard roll offs and we need another~ugh, so much crap and junk. Kills me and it would be impossible without all of the help you did for us. They are $500 a pop!

Horses are doing well and I think they are starting to gain weight. Had a rain/snow mix day last week and I was SO happy to know they were right here and fed. Kevin and I were delighted to be feeding them, drenched, slipping in the mud, freezing our butts off but so happy (the boys were off), yelling at the greedy girls and those trying to bully the others.

The girls with rub sores from the trailers (some had never been in a straight load, even our stock trailers are slants and we have BIG girls even when they are a bit thin) have lost the dried out skin and have healthy pink underneath with hair coming. We did have one colic pretty badly but she is now fine after a week of a special watered down diet and a healthy slug of mineral oil. One of our others that has a history of a sporadic pinched nerve in her back had an episode. Probably the nerve sheath was irritated from the rough trip down, she is right as rain now but kept us on pins and needles for a couple of days.

A week of high 60s so it has really kicked us up and in to working more. I laughed and was SO tickled when we moved some of the horses to eat the high grass along the driveway (there are gates at both ends) Jose was holding the gate and when I called them out they came towards the house where I was sweeping pigeon p**p off the porch (there is a nest in the rafters and I am hoping they will be old enough to fly off soon), so I had to go out to them and chase them with the broom (hah my vehicle of choice as they wanted to come up for scratches and skip the grass part. Made me chuckle.

I cannot tell you the relief I have to get up and watch the sun come up over the girls or to go out to the barn at night to shut off the lights and check Scooter the stallion. I know I am so overdue for checking in and getting everyone an update but I do not want to miss one minute of the warm days when we can get so much done in preparation for winter which will be here sooner than any of us think. I will try to stop and get some pics for everyone to see if they think the girls are starting to gain or if it is my imagination

Every day ALL of you are in my thoughts with enormous gratitude. I know not one minute of this would not have been possible without the heaping of positive good thoughts, prayers and help you have given us! More to come as we get this cleaned and organized. The girls at their temporary home, Lil Bit Wild :)

10/11/2013

Update 10/10/13
How does one tell of what seems a lifetime of worry and effort in one short paragraph? So much has happened and it all went so quickly and yet in slow motion. I am sorry it has taken so long to get to all of you and give you an update, but once the proverbial ball started rolling, it has been a wild ride.

We are now at “Lil Bit Wild” our temporary home (humble~hah~ they had 13 coonhounds living in the house before we got here but we have been scrubbing top to bottom), MOST important, the accommodations for the horses are great and SAFE! Every one of the horses was ponied out of the ranch (they have never been ponied in their lives) and the hands there were so awesome and patient. We have filled 2 huge roll offs with manure and junk and have just started. MOST MOST important, All of the mares and 1 stud are safe and sound :) :)

This has taken a gargantuan effort of incredible and determined folks. There have been fights (NEVER get between me and my mares), misinformation, disinformation, tiredness, long, long travels and a joyous ending. ALL of you who have arrived in our lives are now the Angels and Heroes that we could not have done without. So many I did not even get to meet; here or on the mountain that day and many a little shaken once they delivered their charges safely.

Little acts of kindness like a breakfast made, friends new and old not hesitating jumping in cars and trailers, heading in to help, dinners eaten with eyes half closed from exhaustion, people coming with a mop, broom, trailer, endless acts of help have been so sustaining, so surprising, SO important.

Still many worries and tons of things to do but none of it with the worry that I cannot attend to the issue with anyone of my girls with my hands on their necks. We did have a serious complication with one of the mares after we arrived safely as she gorged herself so much (she is really thin) and became blocked. She is now on the road to mending and they have all gained weight rapidly with feed in front of them.

Melissa Orton who met me for the first time during all of this said on the second day after the girls were down off the mountain, “You look so different”. I said, “well this is the real me” and she stuck her hand out and said nice to meet the real Laura. I have so much to tell you, so many side stories, so many JOYS and RELIEF.
There have been those that have said that we should be all set, everything a go; well we have gotten the first and most important step done because of all of YOU. As my Mom said, I will never, ever be able to thank you enough or repay you.

We still have long travels, many chores and worries but none as critical or insurmountable as we just conquered, all of US together.

Please know that NONE of this would have ever been possible unless all of us pulled in the same direction together. I Lovingly, humbly and deeply thank everyone of you. I am back to being able to laugh and Stacey Sample said it was the best thing she has heard in a long time.

Here are some additional pictures, there are videos coming and I wanted to get it all in chronological order but I find it time to eat, check on the mare, shut the barn door and sleep so I can run back at it tomorrow. HUGE HUGE Hugs and THANK YOU~OMG~THANK YOU all for your help. Laura and Kevin and the girls and boys of WBR .

10/04/2013

Quick update for everyone. First and MOST important THANK YOU a million times over. I have had no time for FB but I am aware of how hard all of you are working. I want to go to each listing and thank you personally but I am afraid I have not had the time and I apologize.

Yesterday was by far the worst of all days for me, knowing that this winter storm warning was posted. I had a moment of weakness and woke everyone in the house and said I WANT MY HORSES OFF THE MOUNTAIN NOW! There was a flurry of phone calls, activity. I came to myself (thank God for Stacey, Al and the rest of you for holding me in a steady position) and got back to the safest and original plan of NO knee jerk reactions but it was SO hard. GREAT news, I did race over to the airport and get 3 additional bags on grain on the plane. Steve being a seasoned mountain person had come down for supplies just in case this weather stalled over us.

For those of you that do not know, I also do Catastrophe work so it is very ironic and a super good distraction to keep me busy putting teams together and planning in case TS Karen has an impact on the US.

Stacey Sample and Melissa Orten arrived very early this morning. I got a call from Stacey at 4:30am because of all the road closed signs and she could not recognize where she was with all of the changes even in the dark she said she could feel it. I told her wait until she sees it in daylight and she said she would like a pass on that.

I was amazed yesterday as it was the first day in 3 weeks that I went out of my own zone of destruction on the way to the airport. I can tell you that I have not seen in all these years of the work that I do; such widespread destruction for so many miles. Travel is awful, roads are closed and detours are commonplace. Every lost home, farm and bare slab had tears springing in my eyes and I am not the weepy type.

Steve will let us know what the conditions are tomorrow, it will take us 3 hours travel in what used to be 45 minutes just to get to the start of the ranch road and if it is safe for us to get up there to build a catch pen tomorrow and get the mares out on Sunday. Hugs, Hugs and A TON of thanks! L

10/02/2013

Thanks to everyone! Had a very heightened level of worry last night as Kevin worked until 10:00pm shuttling grain, no cell service and I was just champing at the bit thinking of him running up and down those mountains in the dark on the atv. He got down safe and sound and the girls have grain for the next go round of bad weather starting tomorrow. Brooke Baldwin Robbie Noiles and the boys worked very late as well getting hay so we can have it in place when we get the girls down. They will be at it again first thing this morning. Have a long busy day today ahead today. Plans being made and since you all are so good at praying PLEASE pray that the snow does not drop 6-12" on us, just a clip and off to the east I hope. Will update as much as I can and SO many thanks for all of you shoring us up. That is the ONLY way we are getting through, your love and support have made us wonder people

10/01/2013

Sorry for the delays and only have a second for a quick update. We think we have found a place, waiting for papers. We are coming up with a plan for extracting the mares, going to be harrowing and we have more bad weather coming in. Have been in contact with Al in regard to coming up with a plan on how to get them down.
Have the guys checking fences and they are heading to the Foodbank to help out there today as well.
Has been too windy for Kevin to fly in so we are on plan B for food shuttles. Kevin is heading in as far as he can get with my Excursion, neighbor is coming to meet him with the atv and they are going to shuttle as much grain as they can get in so that the mares have more than 3 bags in case this weather front takes us by surprise.
A million and one things I am chasing and NONE of it could be done without all of you. The glee that some people get in calling and getting me distracted from my worries by assigning me tasks for the girls does make me smile (like I cannot tell what they are doing I will keep you updated as we get more definite answers but best of all I will be able to focus more knowing that there will at least be grain for the next round of cruddy weather. MANY MANY Thanks to everyone and I am sorry I have been off chasing rabbits, each of you are right there with me!

09/26/2013

Wednesday 09/25/13 Update:
So sorry for not being able to follow up on all of you as to the progess/back sliding of the last 2 days. It has been a flurry of activity here, no time for the computer, burning up the telephone lines. More snow and cold on the way for tomorrow night.

Here is what we have :
Kevin was able to fly in with our FANTASTIC neighbor Steve Smitherman and get additional grain into the mares and check everyone closely. Milkdud’s (Secrets Ofa Senorita) arthritis is really bothering her with all of the moisture (nothing that Bute will not take care of) but everyone else is doing fine though getting a wee bit tenderfooted standing in so much water. Our farriers have always said our horses have hooves of iron!

The mares that are in foal are showing their signs of pregnancy and we have noticed that the herd is very spread out as they all look for grass. The grass is still green (THANK God) but very short.

Yesterday brought the news that there would be absolutely no state or Fed assistance with doing feed drops. It was a VERY disheartening day when Kevin arrived back home late ( grumpy and tired and hungry) with the latest pictures and the road status. By the way : everyone that I talked to knew about us and the plight of the girls and that credit goes 100% to ALL of you.

We all had the uplifting news on Sunday afternoon that they had temporary repairs to Cabin Creek and we thought we would have an easier go from there. Well the pics are here and there are some very big problems in front of us. While Kevin was able to get down to the Cabin Creek fix via ATV, approx 6 miles of dirt road from the ranch; 2 of the countie’s BIG earth moving vehicles became stuck and they totally pulled back from any road repair progress. We had heard the incorrect information that we would have fixed roads and SUV access to our ranch in a few days, totally wrong

Kevin had the opportunity to also look over the buildings and the access to crucial resources for foaling and staying up this winter and it is not good. We have bridges out, roads completely gone that are now active riverbeds with tons of water and lots of work and repair in front of us.

With all of this, we have made the decision that we must get the mares out of the mountains for the winter. Our county is seriously taxed (as is the state), our facilities are either unreachable or very difficult to access and winter has not flown yet.

That being said, I have spent all day looking for a place that we could lease for 4-6 months and move everyone off the mountain. Plenty of people have graciously offered a couple here and there, that want to split the herd but we would really like to keep everyone together for vet care, foaling and feeding. I have been in touch with Al Ohms (AWESOME man) in regard to the extraction.

So the plan right now is this : secure a safe place for all of us for the next 4-6 months, move as much down as we can in regard to supplies and small equipment (water tanks, blankets, drugs, forks, wheel barrows, on and on and on), all by ATV and not sure if we could even do it with small trailers attached to the ATVs, set all of this up at wherever place we are able to find and then get the girls down.

Our immediate and biggest worry is tomorrow night and the 2 following days of weather. Cold and snow. Steve has grain for the mares and Kevin is planning on heading back up with Steve tomorrow, depending on the safety of the weather (lots of wind forecasted as the front comes in) and he will spend several days with the mares and Steve making sure they have as much feed as possible. He will also start winterizing the house since we will not be there and making sure the 4 wheelers are in shape to do more work then they have ever done.

As always ALL of you have given me hope and strength and a positive (YES STACEY I am staying positive) attitude to carry on and get this done. Will keep you posted on the next steps and NONE of this would be possible without all of our cheerleaders egging us on!

09/22/2013

09/22/13 Sunday afternoon update :

Al Ohms had plans on riding into the ranch today from Hwy 7 by way of Cabin Creek Road which we knew was washed out, in the hopes of scouting an overland trail for food delivery and road conditions. Last evening we were told that he would be stopped and arrested if any attempt across Cabin Creek was made by a non resident. A flurry of activity, letters, calls and emails ensued. I reached out to Larimer Cty who sent a person out to the checkpoint to make sure we did not have any problems (they know Al and his expertise).
In the interim, we received a text message from the Road Engineers that they had completed temporary repairs across Cabin Creek. While the contact was there, the checkpoint had been removed and they met a person coming out. We have a map of the area and it is another step forward!

Al did not attempt a ride today as we are under severe thunderstorm warnings and flash floods again today~~UGH. We are hoping to plan a ride later this week to get our own eyes on it when it is safe.

I spoke to Brandy Perkins from Boulder County Animal Control and was able to update her to this point. She had some additional resources for me to pursue which I will do once everyone is updated.

• Brandy mentioned that there may be several horses in Big Elk Meadows but she has not been contacted by owners and was unsure of their condition or if they needed assistance. Again we offered to utilize our ranch, resources and help if need be. I offered that if it was easier, we could bring them up to our ranch from the back trail, isolate them (I have strict quarantine practices with my herd) and care for them if need be. Once we get food in there of course.

We are hoping for additional updates and road repair schedules tomorrow as there are some meetings planned in regard to CR82 & SCR59 and the current plan by Larimer to utilize Johnny Park Road as access for the Big Elk Meadow and Pine Springs subdivisions. I will update everyone once we know what the plan is but this is HUGE to us because if they repair to Johnny Park, we are all willing and able to repair from there to our ranch if need be. So we are fortunate that the needs of many may serve to get our roads some priority.

We are still exploring all possibilities of delivery hay to the ranch (first choice) or extracting the mares safely (second choice). Our neighbor Steve Smitherman (with a plane) will be graining the mares with the 3 bags he flew in with my husband earlier this week, before he leaves to get a D9 for anticipated road repair. This will ensure that the mares have some protein to help with the cold snap and possibility of snow at the ranch this evening.

THANKS from the bottom of my heart to all of you for your help and concern. I will keep everyone apprised as the events unfold. Laura