tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post5101983048398177060..comments2024-03-08T16:13:12.521-05:00Comments on Journal of Ravenseyrie: Sorraia Mustangs on the Ravenseyrie BeachLynne Gerardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-62680153474640752892011-08-02T11:50:32.557-04:002011-08-02T11:50:32.557-04:00Eva inquired: "You will take him off the sal...Eva inquired: <i>"You will take him off the sales page, meaning: even if someone fell in love with him and offered him a home, he would not go anywhere?"</i><br /><br />Eva, I have been struggling to try to find a way to answer this question, and find I am blocked as far as what to relay...nothing seems quite adequate.<br /><br />I suppose once Kevin and I have made the decision to not sell a horse it is our commitment and intention to provide a home for this horse <i>for life</i> here at Ravenseyrie. <br /><br />As such, it wouldn't be enough to have someone approach us with an offer to purchase someone like Interessado because they have fallen in love with him...we would have to know that Interessado reciprocated that same feeling and that without a doubt he would be happier living somewhere else.<br /><br />All of your comments, Eva, are wonderfully thought provoking. Thank you for sharing them.Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-51427541806353643762011-07-29T22:37:45.674-04:002011-07-29T22:37:45.674-04:00It's the best you can do under the circumstanc...It's the best you can do under the circumstances. And I hope it will work out with the herd dynamics for Interessado's sake, so he can be a wise uncle to the foals to come and be part of the group. From what i am hearing from Shadow, being part of the group is high on the list, perhaps the most important thing in a horse's life.<br /><br />You will take him off the sales page, meaning: even if someone fell in love with him and offered him a home, he would not go anywhere?<br /><br />You wrote: "Then there is the preservation aspect to their genetics, which at first had been our main concern, but now is secondary to the overall "way of life" our horses experience."<br /><br />This shift does not surprise me. The preservation is an abstract idea ultimately, albeit a noble one. You can't live by it. Your heart will always side with the individual, whether he is black, or has white markings, or otherwise does not quite fit the plan. It is good that this is so.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see how this pans out. Given Altamiro's animosity toward Mistral and Zeus (both geldings).evahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12352450297889697710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-81166737810903724752011-07-29T12:07:54.853-04:002011-07-29T12:07:54.853-04:00June wrote: "I guess if it could be done, te...June wrote: <i>"I guess if it could be done, temporarily, with drugs, like you can with mares, my ambivalence would be less."</i><br /><br />There are actually two approaches that have been used as temporary contraceptives for stallions.<br /><br />Here is a link to an article that details the two forms of "immunocastration": <br /><br />http://www.vetcontact.com/en/art.php?a=74&t=<br /><br /> I think the GnRH contraception might prove a viable alternative for us, depending on how frequently it needs to be injected and what the long term effects of use turn out to be. I get the impression from what I've read on it, it is still a bit experimental and I'm waiting and following the studies...right now I am hesitating due to the side effects both known and unknown.Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-31040574421047786872011-07-29T11:47:09.877-04:002011-07-29T11:47:09.877-04:00Maire wrote: "Even within the horse paradise...Maire wrote: <i>"Even within the horse paradise you have created at Ravenseyrie, there are human constraints."</i><br /><br />Indeed, there are, and any decision we make that disrupts the otherwise natural flow to the horses' lives is acquired through much study and meditation on the options available and the impact our decisions have on the environment as well as the horses--we cannot come to a determination for one without consideration of the other because at this point, the horses are really part of the local ecosystem here.<br /><br />Then there is the preservation aspect to their genetics, which at first had been our main concern, but now is secondary to the overall "way of life" our horses experience.<br /><br />There is much more to this than I ever dreamed possible...challenges and benefits are ever flowing.<br /><br />Thanks for catching up on the JofR entries, Maire, and for taking time to leave your kind comments.Lynne Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107340619393934366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-39421006340297935672011-07-29T00:06:43.825-04:002011-07-29T00:06:43.825-04:00I just love that Interessado.
What you say makes ...I just love that Interessado.<br /><br />What you say makes a lot of sense, and is reassuring. When you put it like that - that the hormonal drive is seasonal and secondary to their other social and emotional needs, it makes sense to geld the horses so they can enjoy the fulfilment of those more important needs.<br /><br />I guess if it could be done, temporarily, with drugs, like you can with mares, my ambivalence would be less. The amputation aspect is perhaps what makes it particularly unsettling. <br /><br />However, I see that leaving the horses intact would in fact be even more "disfiguring." It might be a hard decision, but that doesn't make it a wrong decision. Also - not making a decision at all could be even worse.<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts - I'm glad I asked, because you did make me feel better!Junehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13428008814751524182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6572142164579536708.post-78431370694319202332011-07-28T17:31:58.195-04:002011-07-28T17:31:58.195-04:00Lynne, I am catching up with some of your posts he...Lynne, I am catching up with some of your posts here. I love your photos as always and absolutely appreciate how you have come to your decision. Even within the horse paradise you have created at Ravenseyrie, there are human constraints. That is the lot of horses today and, indeed, for a very long time, and wild, semi-wild, or domesticated they have to live within it. <br /><br />The freedom to roam is a precious, precious gift and I am sure that Interessado and Silvestre will benefit in spirit and soul from that continued freedom to roam.<br /><br />MáireMáirehttp://poniesathome.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com