Ban the 500yr Old Tradition!

Dear fellow Bloggers,

When you imagine a horse, what do you see? This perhaps?

Two months ago I was reading the paper and after I turned the page, I saw an image which struck sheer terror through me - horses fighting.

In china and the Philippines each year stallions are put together in a ring with a mare who is in season, in order to frenzy them so that they will fight to the death. It is illegal in the Philippines (however it is not policed so remains a feature of many villages) and legal in china where they class it as a 500yr old tradition and although the government has been petitioned they have refused to ban it.

The people who run these fights, who are largely organised crime networks, earn vast sums of money through betting and have a total lack of regard for the stallions welfare along with the mare, who used as bait, may be covered by "championing stallions" over thirty times in a 6hr period. even before she has to suffer the torture of being covered yet again, she will be kicked and bitten repeatedly by the duelling stallions in each fight.

In Britain people do not usually leave their colts entire and will have them gelded in the first 6 months of their life, unless the colts will be used for breeding purposes later in life. Anybody who has a stallion ( I do) will tell you that you cannot leave a stallion in a field with another gelding or stallion as the hormones take over and they fight to the death.

The people in these countries do not only watch this barbaric sport themselves, but children are also taken along- so from a very young age think that this sport is acceptable.

To read the articles which I have found please type "horse fighting" into Google where you will get the full reports from both the Philippines and china.

The WSPA Asia is running a campaign in association with the network for animals, in which it would like people to write to the Philippine bureau of animal welfare.

A Little Girl- The Genius of Tomorrow.

I would like to write about a little girl I met recently.

"Are you going to feed the baby pet lambs" she would say, "Of course, would you like to come?" I replied.

Every day this little girl would come with me to feed the lambs, and everyday it would take us 20 minutes to get her wellies and boiler suit on, but those 20 minutes were never wasted. Those 20 minutes were filled with recollections of what happened last week, things she wanted to do, and always flashes of her incredible sense of humour. I was as bad as her for getting ready, as I would tickle her a mess around, but we shared frequent moments of sheer laughter.

One day that particularly stands out in my mind was a snowy Grand Prix Sunday afternoon. After playing games with her and her dad in the kitchen, we started to fool around tickling each other. It was her turn to tickle me. I usually have the ability to resist the urge to laugh but she caught me off guard, and I flew backwards onto the floor taking the chair with me. Her and myself laughed so hard and so long, and couldn't look at each other for laughing- that moment was so pure.

The days grew longer for me lambing sheep and the weather got colder, it was fair to say that my enthusiasm was taking a beating, but things had to be done and I had to get on with it. Then the little girl came out with me, her high spirit, in turn lightened mine, and the day got much better. she really was a bright light on a cold windy day, and from that day on I knew if I was feeling down I only had to wait until the school bus came before I would be cheered up.

The sheer brilliance of this little girl never ceased to amaze me, such intelligence encased in such a young mind must be torture for her, as those who don't know her just see an 8yr old and not the mind she possesses. Fortunately for her she has a fantastic mother who sees this and encourages it.

Another day which stood out for me was when an older lady came to see the pet lambs, naturally I was there with the little girl. The lady looked on at the little girl's bursting personality and you could see the old mind in this lady was just dying to give her a smacked bottom and tell her to be quiet. The whole time I thought, perhaps you would like her to be a little quieter, but just maybe you can see her brilliance, and perhaps you should embrace what is there instead of trying to change it, after all the mind in this little girl is most probably the genius of tomorrow.

Its safe to say that this little girl is has the most enchanting spirit and has the ability to make the best of everything, if only we could all be like her!!

I didn't want to include this little fact at the start, but this Little girl is autistic. I would really like people to comment on this blog as I would like to to know just out of interest whether people would have read this blog differently if they had known right from the start.

The First of Many- I hope!!

I am new on blogspot and I'm not sure what to say. Perhaps I should start with how I found out about this site- crystaljigsaw- I love her bloggs please read them, they're great.

I am dull to many as a person I have 4 Jack Russells of whom I shall introduce later and two horses. My name Merlin's Wizard, and my new baby horse whom I adore (how I came to have him is another story!). He is only 11 months but already towers above me at a mighty 15.3hh!! That's massive I hear you say- he should be he's a pure bred clydesdale, with the most enormous feet and should be at least 18hh when fully grown!!

I also have severe anaphylaxis, and would love to help anybody who has just been diagnosed with the condition as I know how scary it can be.

So between the anaphylaxis and the country living it's no wonder I am a touch dull!! lol.

Take Care

Merlins Wizard xxxx