We just had our 2012 foal on May 17th! Yet to be named colt, Pond Brook tbd?
This colt is by our stallion, Pond Brook Sampson (Otterbrook Xenophon x Taproot Molly Stark)
and out of our broodmare, DM Regency's Reeses's Peace. The foal is a dark bay colt, shown in picture below at 4 days old. Again, we are very happy with the foals produced by this breeding combination.
I am always happy have visitors. Please call ahead.
Congratulations to John Lampropoulos, the Maine Morgan Horse Show
Manager!
John Lampropoulos was recognized as the Herman Miles Horse Show
Manager of the Year at the recent UPHA convention for his work on
Greater Boston Charity, Deerfield Fair and Maine Morgan horse shows. His
philosophy is, “When people leave the show we want them to feel like
they definitely want to come back next year. Shows have to be
fun. People spend too much money not to have a good time”
We agree with his
philosophy!
The Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse
Show® is pleased to announce tentative agreements with the following
eight judges for 2012:
Hunter/Western
Pierre Loiselle of Hemlock, Michigan
John Wich of Harshaw, Wisconsin
Richard Wright of McHenry, Illinois
Classic/Park/Pleasure
Shirley O'Gorman of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
Phil Price of Bellbrook, Ohio
Jay Wood of Plato, Minnesota
The entire slate of judges will be announced in the near future.
For more information on the 2012 horse show, www.morgangrandnational.com
As you know, earlier this year our former Production Manager, Matt Silva, purchased our magazine business, The Morgan Connection. His company, Silva Graphics, LLC, officially began business operations on April 1, 2011, and it was anticipated that the first issue of the magazine under Matt’s ownership would come out on June 15, 2011.
Matt has decided not to carry on with the publication of the magazine. This has been a heartbreaking development for us, as we created this publication in 1991, and have successfully nurtured it, with your help, into a thriving, lively forum for all things Morgan.
Unfortunately, Matt’s decision not to move forward with this venture resulted in litigation between us. Fortunately, it was short-lived: all of one day in court. We were adamant that, as part of the settlement that was reached, Matt and Silva Graphics, LLC agree to reimburse all advertisers and subscribers for monies they paid to Matt and/or his company. This is expected to occur sometime within the next 90 days. If a transaction was paid by credit card, the credit card will be refunded. In addition, all of the assets of the magazine, (although not the liabilities incurred while under Matt’s ownership), will revert to Hobby Horse Enterprises, Inc.
Anyone with outstanding business or invoices with Matt or Silva Graphics, LLC may contact Matt Silva, 200 Diamond Hill Road, Warwick, RI. 02886; email: mdsilva75@gmail.com; Tel. 401-390-1885.
Please know that I regret any inconvenience caused to our loyal advertisers and to the readers of The Morgan Connection, but rest assured that once the magazine was sold to Matt, effective control was taken out of our hands. Nevertheless, during this entire time, and even now, your interests and concerns remained with us.
Hobby Horse
Enterprises, Inc
Elizabeth Hobby, Its President
Pond Brook
Farm news:
Pond Brook Farm is pleased to announce the arrival of our
foal, Pond Brook Ziva.
Breeding is by Pond Brook Sampson is by Otter Brook Xenophon x Taproot Molly Stark and out of Reese is by Windhover Regency x Justamere Delight
It appears Ziva could
reach 16 h the size of her dam and two grandsire's Otter Brook Xenophon
(Sam) and Windhover Regency (Reese).
http://www.mahorse.com/MA_Horse/Massachusetts_Horse_magazine!.html
Opposition brings proposed horse slaughter
ban to halt
By
Sharon
Kiley Mack, BDN Staff
Last modified April 29, 2011, at 2:18 p.m.
A bill proposing a ban on selling and transporting horses for slaughter was withdrawn by its sponsor Friday. Hundreds of people had been expected to testify both for and against the measure at a public hearing originally scheduled for next Tuesday.
Rep. Gary Knight, R-Livermore Falls, said he will resubmit the bill next winter.
“This will now give me time to create a cleaner bill,” he said, referring to his wanting to remove language that didn’t reflect the measure’s original goal.
LD 1075 would have prevented Mainers from selling horses for slaughter. It also would have outlawed the transport of horses from meat auctions in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania through Maine to Quebec slaughterhouses.
The original bill also proposed the registration of horses for export, a registry of ownership for purposes of export, a penalty of $5,000 for failing to register, and the reclassification of horses from livestock to companion animals.
Knight said all of the registration provisions will be removed from the next bill. He said they were unacceptable to many in the equine industry.
“I must have received more than 300 angry emails and calls,” he said Friday.
Opponents of the ban, which include many horse breeders, feel they need the option available to them to dispose humanely of livestock, similar to how cows and pigs are handled, while proponents — such as Maine Friends of Animals, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and the U.S. Humane Society — feel that horses are pets and should not be considered for human consumption.
“This is a very, very emotional issue,” Donald Marean, a former member of the Legislature and a trustee with the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association, said Friday. The association objected to the bill, saying that slaughter is a viable solution for horse disposal, particularly for aging horses.
“Which is more abhorrent,” Marean said, “humane slaughter or horses dying by inches for a year or two or three?”
One of the ban’s most ardent supporters is Robert Fisk of Maine Friends of Animals, the organization that brought the bill to Knight to sponsor.
Fisk said the bill is necessary to prevent the slaughter of thousands of horses.
The meat from horses is used for human consumption and food for pets and zoo animals. Currently, no slaughterhouses in the U.S. process horses. All have been handled in either Mexico or Quebec since 2005, when the U.S. government withdrew funding for federal horse meat inspections. The nation’s last three horse slaughterhouses — all in Texas and Illinois — were effectively shut down.
Fisk estimates that between 1,000 and 1,500 horses are taken from Maine to slaughter each year. Marean said that number is grossly exaggerated and that fewer than 300 horses head to Quebec each year.
“To most horse owners in Maine, horses are pets or beloved companions,” Fisk said. “And unlike cows, goats and chickens, horses are not bred for human consumption. Maine should not be complicit in the slaughter process. It is a horrific event.”
Dr. Timothy Powers is a large- and small-animal veterinarian in Pittsfield, a horse racer and owner of horses.
He is often called on to euthanize a horse or provide information about slaughter sales.
“No one looks forward to it but there is no alternative plan,” he said Friday. “For many people, selling to the market is the only economical choice.”
Euthanizing a horse can cost more than $500 after adding the cost of an excavator to bury the animal and the veterinarian’s bill.
Between now and winter, opponents and supporters of the slaughter ban are expected to work on a compromise measure to introduce.
Fisk said that if a compromise is not reached the ban bill will be reintroduced in January 2012.
“The issue of horse slaughter for human consumption stirs emotions on both sides, but if we are both interested in the welfare of the animal we should be able to find some common ground in addressing horses in Maine that are abused, neglected and inhumanely treated,” he said.
Fisk said that while the bill is being recrafted, Maine Friends of Animals will continue to work on private solutions which include finding new homes for unwanted horses, promoting euthanasia for ill or feeble animals, and decreasing the birth rate of horses.
“We believe efforts should be made to assist rescues, help owners in caring for their horses, and to in general increase the ability to rehome unwanted horses,” Fisk said. He said that euthanasia clinics and composting facilities could be expanded and that the friends group is working on options.A bill LD 1075 "An Act To Prohibit Horse Slaughter For Human Consumption
Don't be misled by the title this bill it is more about control of the horse industry than it is about slaughter.
Rep Gary Knight of Livermore Falls put in the bill for Maine Friends of Animals an animal rights group. Rep Knight lives in rural Maine and agreed to sponsor the bill for the animal group. I have been working with Rep Knight for the past several days to get him to withdraw the bill and I think I am CLOSE.? He needs MORE PRESSURE from the horse people to withdraw the bill. Just the word slaughter will bring the media and all the animal rights folks to the hearing and that will make it extremely difficult to kill the bill in committee. If we can convenience him to withdraw the bill so that it never gets before the committee we all will be much better off.
THIS BILL HAS A HUGE EFFECT ON OWNERS OF HORSES. First it REMOVES us from the protection under livestock and puts horses under companion animals so that we are under the same rules and laws as dogs and cats. (Very Dangerous)
Second it TAKES AWAY OUR TAX EXEMPTION so we will be required to pay SALES TAX on our hay, grain and bedding.
Third it requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a horse registry which will of course let government know everything we are doing and where we are and when we move horses about.
Fourth there will be a fine of $5000 if you move your horse outside of the State of Maine without an export certificate from the Dept of Agriculture. Imagine every time you want to race or show in Mass or else where what a pain in the butt that will create.
Fifth if it can be proven that you shipped a horse for slaughter for human consumption it is a felony and has a prison sentence of 16 months to 3 years.
READ THE BILL
You need to make the effort NOW to contact Rep Knight and ask him to
withdraw the bill because it will have a hugh negative impact on our
businesses. He is very sensitive to business so let him know how much it
will hurt us all. Also he is an animal lover so stress to him that this
bill is trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist and the bill has a
huge negative impact on all of us There is already a federal law that
prohibits slaughter for human consumption.
DO IT NOW PLEASE
Rep Gary Knight
450 Moose Hill Road
Livermore Falls, Me 04254
(207) 897 2489
(LGary.Knight@usa.net)
The AMHA committee passed a registration fee discount for horses great than 24 months of age for AMHA members will be $210 instead of $410. This was done in light of a number of recent rescues and is effective immediately and valid through December 31, 2011.