Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: Against the Wind
WE can never allow ourselves to be distracted by conventional wisdom. Rarely is wisdom found in conventional thought anyway.Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: Against the Wind: The hot topic on many equine message boards today is what is called responsible breeding. Certainly no one can be against the concept of re...
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I keep coming back to this post..it nags at me in a profound way. I have written this comment three or four times..and discarded them.
Responsible breeding. What is that?
Ok, Whatever system of beliefs one follows, whether simple acceptance of the fact that Homo Sapiens has opposable thumbs and an great big grain and meat fed brain that can do the new math, or the concept of Lorship and Dominion over all the beasts of hte land, air and sea, I shall not argue, but when is enough too much, or vice versa? Take Corn for example..up until just a few years ago we had that down pat..This country produced enough grain to feed a hungry world..aand then..IMNSHO..we went too far..bred corn designed to blow bugs guts up (sooo not feeding that to my animals). Too far? You betcha. We have bred pigs so lean there is almost no fat on them..sorta like eating an aerobic instructor..no thanks. (I will defend that statement by pointing out the compliments received on my whole hog BBQ this last July 4, my pigs are not scrawny.) Too far? probably.
I could go on down the line, suffice it to say, I won't be investing in soybean futures anytime soon..there is no future in it.
Oh yeah, Horses..Equus Caballus..been with us now for 55,000,000 million years..no interference from Man up until the last three to five thousand years..Folks they have been here longer than us..who is better adapted? But we will improve that through responsible breeding? Nah. The best analogy I have been able to dredge up is o'erweening hubris. It is hard to argue with success. Anytime man sets out to improve nature..he doesn't. Modern bred horses specialize..cutting horse (love them) Beer wagon horse (LOVE drafts) Racehorses (ok..love them too..now turn 'im out and lets ride) Roping horse, cart pony, plough horse, you name it. Very many of those categories have breeds of horses specially bred through man's intervention to perform that specific task. And they do it well..
Now the zinger. These mustangs can do it all, they can race (bring it, Snow and I are THERE!) Rope, cut stock, pull wagon (small one)blah blah..etc..These ponies are Evolved, not bred, and yet they can do many things, generally without the problems and expen$e$ incurred through generations of better breeding. Good grass, a little 2:1 mineral, clean water and lots of love..they will be there for you. I say this to the world..Quit working so hard, and causing so many problems trying to breed the perfect horse (or feed for said horse)..he already exists. (Say "hello," Holland) Quit messing with the unmessable and go out and get on Good old MK 1, Mod 0 Equus Caballus, and go find out where the wind goes, try to see the mythical white flash before each sunrise...Happy Trails, Gabby. -Lloyd
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