I went to visit the horse camp on the Fonda fairgrounds today. The adults there were not authorized to actually train the horses but they did provide me with a lot of great information as to how to care for the horses properly and accurately teach the children these skills. I interviewed the mother of a young girl named Twyla who was well informed and had been in attendance at the camp for a couple years. The first question I asked her was how the camp was beneficial to the horses and the campers. The camp provides the beginning riders and experienced riders alike with the knowledge on how to respect and care for their horses as well as give them volunteer opportunities in a field favored by them and that sparks their interests. I was really glad to see that the horse camp was very well prepared for safety and precautions. All campers were required to have a good understanding on how their horses normally behave. I thought it was so great that the kids were taught about how horses have different personalities and how to familiarize with them in order to prevent pain or treat a horse that might be experiencing illness. A Vetenarian volunteered their time to come in and spend some time with the children yesterday. He presented a powerpoint presentation on how to recognize signs of danger or illness such as a horse being in fear or having a colic. A colic is a pain in the abdomen that can be fatal to a horse if not worked out of the horses abdominal region. There are different forms of colics and different ways to treat them. In accordance to the safety precations campers were required to wear helmets and a heeled boot. Their equipment was required to be customized to fit their horse and they were not allowed unsupervised riding time. It was also necessary for each camper and their horse to pass an evaluation and have the ability to transition and ride the horse quietly. Some of the children who did not pass the evalutation were given extra time with an adult. These investigations are a vital part of safety precautions because if a horse is not in good shape to participate in the camp injuries could occur for both the horse and rider. Aside from practicing with the horses it is extremely important to ensure the stalls are in good condition for the horses and there is an adequate amount of food and water provided for the horses throughout the day.
Something I was completely horrified to learn about was information I accquired from my adopted little sister Dee Dee DeRosa( who really knows her stuff!;-)) For auctions horses are drugged and sedated so that they are calm when presented to the people for purchase. This is so dangerous! Dee Dee told me about her experience with a horse she had from an auction that was given a drug that lasted 30 days. After the 30 days were over the horse had some spontaneous behaviors and ended up breaking her wrist. A lot of times the horses are sold off the auction block directly to the slaughterhouse. I strongly believe this should be put to an end and I'd like to raise awareness and make a difference regarding this issue. Its cruel to both the horse and the rider and appalling that someone could have so little a conscience.
However the horse camp is very beneficial to helping the young riders learn safety precautions, how to relate to their horses, and how to carefully care for them.
This weekend I plan to start my volunteering at the nursing home at Nathan Littauer hospital in Gloversville NY and I would also like to interview the Glove Cities veterinary hospital as well as the Johnstown Animal Clinic. Be sure to check out my blog to see my opinions and experiences!
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