Muster Looming

Time flies doest it. in the blink of an eye, it seems, its muster time again. This means two years have gone by since the wild horses arrived. Two years surely not, i keep thinking, but yes it has defintly been two years. Thats what happens, the days just go by and before you know it years, and your back to where you started. Which right now, invovles filling out my adoption forms for the next muster. But there are problems, not just with me. The world is in recession, economies far and wide are crashing, and no one is completly immune. The horse industry, you could say is a luxury industry, its not something we need to survive, it something we have when we can already afford food and shelter. They are an expensive items, and have huge ongoing costs. So what do you think one of the first things people stop buying, or stop splurging their money on is?? yep equines. I know so many people who have downsized the amounts of horses, cut costs as much as possible, and are gritting there teeth and trying to hold on untill the recessions ends. Many people have been using savings, and those are now unfortunaltyl used up. Also its now going into winter a time where people typically tighten up there belts, get rid of excess mouths to feed, and tighten there purse strings. Where am i going with this?? Even without the recession, many mustered horses do not get adopted, there are just not enough people out there willing to take them on. So now, with the recession having hung around for a few years, and not looking to go away in the near future, there are even less people willing to put there hand up to take on the added expense of another horse to look after. So with muster so close, and 180 horses to be rounded up, i think there has been a grand total of seven applications for adoption filled out. seven people and 180 horses needing homes, that means a whole bunch of horses are unfortunatly going to be dog food. This comes after some of the greatest success and publicity the wild horses have ever had, a time when adoption could be way up. A ex wild pony, just won pony of the year, there is no bigger acheivment for a pony in this country, it was on tv, magazine and the internet, yet even with the potential of these ponies proven, there is no one putting there hands up to adopt. Back to the recession, i want to save as many as i can. But im putting on the adoption from, that i will take two horses, id love to take twenty. But i no longer have the resources, horses i used to sell within days, now to take months to sell, meaning my income is unpredicatble. With the market as it is i cannot guranttee any horses i have will sell in the future, which means i better make damn sure, i have enough feed to last winter, enough funds in the bank, for any emergancies (vet bills) that pop up. Before when i had to many horses, or winter feed to pay for, it was easy enough to sell a horse, or teach some extra lessons to cover costs, not so any more, its a scary situation to be in, and a frustrating one. Here i am wanting to help but really unable to do anything, just taking on two more horse from muster, is going to stretch my resources incredibly thin. I'm trying to help, as long time readers know, i love my wild ponies, and they hold a very special place in my heart. It does upset me to know so many are going to be shot. Ive offered to take on any Kai's anyone wants to adopt, i can do the handling and training, if a future adopter would cover the adoption costs, and the feed bill.Id be more than happy for anyone to come watch me work with there wild horse, and teach them all they need to know. Id even take on sponosored horses if that helped save a few. But it really is not looking hopeful for a lot of the horses. That i think is the saddest thing i think about the whole recession debacle. There are so many causes out there, not just the plight of the wild horses, where good people want to help, but like me are so busy just trying to survive to be able to do to much. But on the bright side at least two will be safe with me, and i will have a whole new set of horses and experiance to write about. Being the second time around with these horses and having learned a bit along the way, hopefully i can do an even better job with the next wild horses. Unfortuantly unlike these two, many horses mustered this year will never reach their full potential....