Gun Stats, Facts & Trivia - Part One

With all of this talk about gun control lately, maybe we should take a look at some facts and statistics - and yes trivia - so that we can be a little more knowledgeable about the gun industry in our culture.

The first big statistic to me, the one that really jumped out at me is that 650,000 Americans use firearms for protection on an annual basis.

Each month American Rifleman, the journal of the National Rifle Association, features about a dozen such accounts of armed citizens defending themselves against criminals.

These accounts are based on newspaper clippings submitted by N.R.A. members, the stories dramatically show how a gun can sometimes prevent a crime and perhaps even save a victim's life.

Fact is that more lives are saved than lost by firearms that Americans buy to protect themselves and their family.

I agree with the N.R.A. which emphasizes that "According to noted criminologist Dr. Gary Kleck of Florida State University, every year some 650,000 Americans use firearms to thwart criminal assault. That's 12,500 a week."

Compare the violent crime rate of 466 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the United States to the violent crime rate of Great Britian which has a rate of 2,034 violent crimes per 100,000 people, and realize that Great Britain bans gun ownership. 

And yes, beyond this single fact, there's more ...

• The are 88 guns for every 100 people in America.
• The United States is #28 in homocides: 2.87 per 100,000 people - dispite being #1 in gun-ownership in the world.
• The annual number of hunting licenses, tags, permits, stamps sold is 31,625,161
• Gross money for conservation from license sales $525,753,481
• Annual Federal tax dollars collected on firearm sales $123,000,000
• Guns and ammunition manufacturing annual revenue is $11 Billion
• The U.S. firearms industry's economic impact is $32 billion.
• American sportsmen contribute nearly $8 million every day, adding more than $2.9 billion every year for conservation.
• Hunters and target shooters have paid $6.8 billion in excise taxes since the inception of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937.
• Hunting in America is big business, generating 600,000 jobs just in the United States.
• For more than 80 years, American sportsmen have paid more than $13.7 billion for on-the-ground projects in every state, protecting our natural environment and our fish and wildlife.
• The $4.95 billion in annual federal tax money generated by hunters' spending could cover the annual paychecks of 150,000 U.S. Army Sergeants.
• $31 billion is the economic impact of the firearms industry in 2011 in dollars.
• $19 billion is the economic impact of the firearms industry in 2008 in dollars.
• $4 billion is the number of dollars spent in annual commercial gun and ammunitions sales -- a 20-year high.
• 310 million is the estimated number of guns owned by Americans. That's about one for every American citizen.
• 158 million background checks have been conducted since the FBI was mandated to do so by Congress in 1993.
• 80 million Americans own guns.
• 45 million Americans own handguns.
• In a 2011 Gallup poll, 47% of Americans reported having at least one gun in their home. Of those, most (62%) said they had more than one. The most popular reasons for owning a gun: self-defense (67%), target shooting (66%), and hunting (62%).
• 16.8 million background checks for gun sales in 2012.
• Compare that to the 8.5 million background checks for gun sales in 2002.
• 154,873 - The record number of background check calls the FBI reported receiving on Black Friday this year.
• An AR-15 style .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle cost between $700 - $2000.
• Although not true, the liberal media is trying to say that that was the type of firearm used in the attack in Newtown, Connecticut. In fact, the Police arrived and found the AR-15 rifle that the killer got from his mother in his car in the parking lot.
• There has been a 200% profit boost for gunmakers since Obama was elected in 2008.
• 96% of the $3 million that gun lobbyists donated during the 2012 election went to Republicans, which makes sense since most Democrats are anti-gun.
• 62.8% of the people in Wyoming own guns, the state with the highest rate of gun ownership in the U.S.
• 47% of Americans report owning a gun.
• 45% of U.S. households own a gun.
• There has been a 33% increase in Winchester’s ammunition sales since 2007.

After falling to a 36-year low in 2009, violent crime fell another 6% during the first half of 2010, according to the FBI.

Property crime decreased as well.

Concurrently, more Americans own more guns than at any time in U.S. history.

Have those found breaking the law under the Federal background check, the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, been brought to justice?

If you want to know how well the Federal Government does its job, Americans should understand that prosecution and conviction of violators of the Brady Act are extremely rare - if at all.

During the first 17 months of the Act, only seven individuals were convicted. In the first year of the Act, 250 cases were referred for prosecution - and 217 of them were rejected.

So what makes Obama think that things will be different now when it won't? Nothing. 

More than 58% of all Americans feel laws limiting gun ownership infringe on the public’s right to bear arms.

The FBI reports that 87.3% of very serious rape, robbery and assault during this ten year period had nothing whatsoever to do with firearms.

If there were no firearms available to criminals, common sense tells us that most of the 12.7% that does involve firearms would shift over to knives or other non-firearm weapons with no real change in the number of victims.

Common sense and real world experience also tells us that if criminals never had to worry about their intended victims being armed because of firearms bans, the rates of rape, robbery and assault would be much higher, as they are in gun-ban cities.

The U.S. firearms industry's economic impact is $32 billion.

To put that in perspective, that’s about the same size as the U.S. organic industry and more than the budget of Nigeria. It’s grown from a $19 billion business in 2008 and appears to be accelerating at a quick clip.

Background checks for gun buyers increased nearly 60% from December 2011 to December 2012.

The FBI has already recorded 16.5 million background checks from Jan. 1, 2012 to November 2012 – the most on record.

There are 51,000 gun shops in America, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives.

That’s close to four times the number of Starbucks or McDonald’s stores in this country.

Number of weapons and ammunition manufacturers in the U.S. is 465.

How many firearms were made in America since 2010, and how many gun-related jobs have been created over the past two years?

Altogether, about 5.5 million firearms were made in America in 2010 and more than 26,000 new gun-related jobs have been created over the past two years.

The largest gunmakers in the U.S. have been raking in the profits over the last several years.

Sturm, Ruger & Company stock has increased nearly 500% in five years. Shares of Smith & Wesson’s have soared more than 75% in one year.

A majority of people in the United States believe President Obama has been great for the firearms industry. Because of a justified fear that Obama may try to ban the ownership and confiscate all guns in America, gun buyers are rushing out to buy guns - so much so that firearms manufacturers can't keep up production and are backlogged.

For me, even though they are law abiding citizens, I can't help but wonder how many Americans will now report their guns stolen just to avoid being put into some Federal Database.

 

So what was the first "assault rifle"?

Developed by Nazi Germany and first deployed in 1944, the “storm rifle” fired 500-600 rounds per minute.

It was a revolutionary weapon that would have tremendous impact on future small-arms development, but it came too late to change the tide of the war.

So what is an "assault rifle"?

An assault rifle is a selective fire (either fully automatic and/or burst, and semi-automatic as well) rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine.

Assault rifles are the standard service rifles in most modern armies.

Assault rifles are categorized in terms of using an intermediate cartridge power that is between light machine guns firing full power cartridges, which are intended more for sustained automatic fire in a light support role, and sub-machine guns, which fire a lower powered pistol cartridge rather than a rifle cartridge.

Fully automatic fire refers to an ability for a rifle to fire continuously until the magazine is empty and no rounds remain; "burst-capable" fire refers to an ability of a rifle to fire a small yet fixed multiple number of rounds with but one press of the trigger.

In contrast, semi-automatic refers to an ability to fire but one round per press of a trigger.

The presence of selective fire modes on assault rifles permits more efficient use of rounds to be fired for specific military needs, versus having but a single mode of operation, such as fully automatic, thereby conserving ammunition while maximizing on-target accuracy and effectiveness.

While some today are using the term "assault rifle" to describe civilian semi-automatic versions of military "assault rifles," the only thing the civilian version and the military versions have in common is their cosmetic appearance.

The civilian versions might look like the military versions. They might have the same sights and feeding system, but the civilian versions do not have the full automatic capabilities like the military weapons have.

Is the M16 an "assault rifle" or an "assault weapon"?



The M16 is an "assault rifle" and not an "assault weapon."

The M16 first entered U.S. military service in 1964 through its use with the United States Air Force. Today, the M16 is the primary infantry service rifle.

Since the mid-1960s, more than 8 million have been produced. It fires the high velocity 5.56×45mm NATO cartridge and is the second most used "assault rifle" in the world after the AK-47.

What is an “assault weapon?”

Well, just for the books, between 1943-1984, newspapers used the slang term “assault weapon” to describe bows and arrows, Hank Aaron’s baseball bat, snow plows on pickup trucks, cobblestones used to pave roads in quaint style, the Army Air Corps’ B-26 Marauder bomber aircraft, amphibious assault machinery, military battle tanks, rocket launchers, missiles, and fully-automatic machine guns, none of which includes any gun that gun control supporters now call an “assault weapon.”

Gun control supporters began commonly referring to semi-automatic rifles as “assault weapons” in 1985.

However, semi-automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns have been commonly owned since the early 20th century, and the most common semi-automatic rifle affected by the federal “assault weapon” ban of 1994-2004, was the AR-15 which was introduced in 1963.

The 1994 ban applied to semi-automatic firearms that had more than one of their standard complement of attachments.

For example, a semi-automatic, detachable-magazine rifle was defined as an “assault weapon” if equipped with a pistol-type grip, flash suppressor and bayonet mount.

However, since 1994, gun control supporters have said that many other kinds of firearms should also be called “assault weapons,” including semi-automatic rifles and pistols having only one of those attachments, all semi-automatic shotguns regardless of their attachments, and pump-action rifles and shotguns.

Gun control supporters apparently believe that the public will go along with banning any firearm, so long as it is called an “assault weapon.".


  What's the difference between an "assault rifle" and an "assault weapon"?

"Assault rifles" should be distinguished from the US legal term "assault weapons."

"Assault rifles" have full automatic firing capabilities and semi-automatic firing capabilities - meaning "select fire" capabilites. That means the shooter can select SEMI or FULL.

Semi-auto enables a shooter to fire his rifle like any rifle in the world. Full-auto enables the shooter to fire a weapon specifically designed for military use.

A fully-automatic firearm, known under Federal Law as a “machine gun,” is the only kind of firearm that is capable of firing repeatedly while the trigger is depressed.

While some may refer to the Federal Law definition, others like myself who used the M16 while in the military understand the difference between a "machine gun" and an "asault rifle".  It is the basic difference between an M60 machine gun and an M16 rifle.

No, the M16 which has full auto capabilities is not referred to as the M16 machine gun - but is in fact referred to as the M16 rifle.

"Assault weapons" only have the capability to fire semi-automatic - meaning one shot at a time. The ability to fire one shot at a time applies to civilian hunting and sport rifles all over the world.

"Assault weapons" refers to different types of firearms, and is a term that has differing meanings and usages depending on who you listen to.

Basically, in discussions about gun laws and gun politics, an "assault weapon" is most commonly defined as a semi-automatic firearm that looks cosmetically similar to military firearms. 

Black stocks, pistol grips, "large" capacity magazines, flash suppressors, are what irritate gun control supporters.  

So, what do you think you'll have if you put a new black stock and pistol grip on an old 10 shot .22 caliber semi-automatic hunting rifle that you might use to hunt rabbits?

Well, fact is that some empty headed liberal who doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground might just call it an "assault weapon" because of the way it looks.

Below is a Ruger Model 10/22, .22 caliber rifle. Since its creation in 1962, well over 5 million of these little .22 rifles have been sold. And yes, both the "Before" rifle and the "After" rifle are the same rifle. 

The "Before" picture is how they are sold as a basic stock rifle. The "After" picture is how one can look after buying a bunch of accessories from a number of suppliers. 

So has the firing capabilities changed? No, it is still a semi-auto rifle. Just the looks, the improved sights because of the scope, and number of rimfire shots because of the "large" magazine, make them different.

Would some liberal call the "After" look an "assault weapon"? Probably, but then again you just can't always fix stupid!  

What's ironic is that if I were looking at a guy in a hoodie with gang tattoos, and I referred to him as a gang member then most liberals out there would say that I'm profiling and shouldn't do that because I would be showing a lack of tolerance for others.

Yet, they see a black stock and pistol grip on a rifle and automatically assume its an "assault weapon." Imagine that!

How often are “assault weapons” used in crime?


In imposing the 1994 “assault weapon” ban, Congress also required a study of its effect.

The resulting study, conducted for the National Institute of Justice, concluded that “the banned weapons and magazines were never used in more than a modest fraction of all gun murders."

That finding is supported by state and local police reports, which have shown that “assault weapons” have been used in about 1-2 percent of murders, and in about two percent of all violent crimes.

By comparison, over 30% of murders are committed without any type of firearm whatsoever

Are “assault weapons” more powerful than other firearms?

The short answer is, No.

Gun control supporters claim that "assault weapons" are "high powered weapons" that "should frighten the public."

However, power is a function of the ammunition that a firearm uses, and "assault weapons" use the same ammunition as any other firearms, ranging from the least-powerful rifle and pistol ammunition, to medium-powered pistol, medium-powered rifle, and shotgun ammunition—all much less powerful than ammunition used in many hunting rifles, as shown in the following chart:



Ever wonder where some words come from? Ever wonder where the term “rifle” originates from?


“Rifling” refers to cutting spiraled grooves on the inside of the barrel to give the projectile spin, thereby improving its accuracy and range. A rifle was originally known as a “rifled gun.”

What's the difference between muskets and rifles?

Musket barrels are smoothbore, meaning they are not grooved. Meaning no rifling. They are not rifles, they are muskets.

How does a “carbine” version of a rifle differ from the standard version?

Carbines were originally issued to cavalry troops. Since they are a shorter rifle than standard versions, they were easier to shoot while on horseback.

They remain popular with soldiers around the world today because they are easy to carry - though diminished range and accuracy are sometimes considered trade-offs for a carbine's smaller size.

What was the first semi-automatic rifle?

The M1 Garand officially replaced the 1903 Springfield as the standard service rifle of the U.S. military in 1936. It fired 16-24 rounds per minute from an eight-round magazine, and was in service until the mid-1960s.

Many believe that the M1 Garand was the deciding factor in beating Nazi Germany on the battlefield.

In the movie Tombstone, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) carried two different Colt pistols in this film. What were they, and which one took out the most ruthless "Cowboy"?

In the movie, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) carries two pistols. He carries a Colt Lightning in .38 Long Colt and a Nickel Colt SAA Quickdraw.

In a classic showdown, Doc and Johnny Ringo (Michael Beihn) draw on each other in the woods near the end of the film and Doc takes him down with a single shot to the head from his Quickdraw, named as such because of its short 4.7-inch barrel.

In 1861, Doctor Richard Gatling patented the Gatling Gun. But why?

It is a six-barreled weapon capable of firing a phenomenal 200 rounds per minute.

The Gatling gun was a hand-driven, crank-operated, multi-barrel, machine gun. The first machine gun with reliable loading, the Gatling gun had the ability to fire sustained multiple bursts.

Richard Gatling created his gun during the American Civil War, he sincerely believed that his invention would end war by making it unthinkable to use due to the horrific carnage possible by his weapons. Imagine that!

The Lee-Enfield No.2 Mk1 revolver and the Webley Mk IV revolver was the British service pistol for what seemed like forever. Which two pistols replaced those legendary pistols?

The answer is the Browning HP and the SIG P226

At the start of World War II, the Lee-Enfield No.2 Mk1 was the official Service revolver for Great Britain. But, with a large influx of new recruits, the government was soon in short supply of handguns.

As a solution, the Webley Mk IV revolver was handed to those without pistols, and soon became Great Britain's second official service revolver.

So how long seems like forever for a service pistol? Well, the Webley Mk IV revolver was in service from 1887 to 1963. That's 76 years of service.

To put it in another prospective, the Webley Mk IV started its service the same year Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show opened in London and Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print.

It ended its service in 1963. That was the same year of Martin Luther King, Jr. "I have a dream" speech and the March on Washington.

It was also the year that President John F Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas The same time, as result of Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon Johnson became President.

The man accused of assassinating President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, is shot and killed as he is led to jail by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby. The assassination of President Kennedy also marked the first time 24-hour coverage of a major news event by the major networks took place. 

So what is an Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifle?

The short answer is that it is the L96A1, and it is the British Armed Forces' sniper rifle of choice. It is incredibly accurate, easy to clean and maintain, and can be manually loaded if a magazine jams.

What makes the PPSh-41 such a special sub-machine gun?

The PPSh-41 is a Russian designed sub-machine gun with a magnificent rate of fire, first appearing in World War II.

During the Nazi occupation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the government wanted to quickly supply a large number of men with cheap, powerful weapons that would drive back the Germans.

The result was the PPSh-41. Besides being cost-effective, its 71-round drum magazines, incredible rate of fire, and ease to assembled and maintain made this sub-machine gun ahead of its time.

The vented barrel of the PPSh-41 allows a large number of bullets to be fired without fear of it overheating, and the 71-round drum magazine makes it an excellent weapon to use to suppress enemy troops.

Ever wonder what's a Coach Gun?

This is sort of interesting for those of us who love trivia about the Old West, a Coach Gun is a term used for a double-barreled shotgun.

As coach services, or Stage Coaches like Wells Fargo & Co., came into use during the mid-1800s, they regularly used double-barreled shotguns to fight off bandits and outlaws on the long and often dangerous journeys between towns.

And for you folks who might not know what the "M" designation on a military weapon stand for, such as the M1 Garand, M14 rifle, M16 rifle, or M9 pistol.

Once a firearm is assigned as a standard military or para-military service weapon, its original name is taken away and it is given a "M" designation.

Once the model is improved, they add an "A1" designation to the name. When the model is improved again, the A1 is changed to A2, and so fourth. For example, M16A1, M16A2, M16A4, and so on.

We all hear the terms RPG used on the news and in movies these days, so what does RPG mean?

People often confuse Rocket-Launchers and Rocket-Propelled Grenades.

Rocket-Propelled Grenades, an RPG, usually have the same effect as normal grenades - meaning that they are most effective as an Anti-Infantry weapon since shrapnel shards are released upon blast.

The difference between a normal hand grenade and an RPG? Well, RPGs are rocket-propelled. And please don't confuse Rocket-Propelled Grenades and Grenade Launchers, Rocket-Launchers usually shoot Anti-Tank Rockets and does not release shrapnel when it explodes.

What is a Anti-Materiel rifle? Have you ever heard of such a thing?

Well, an Anti-Materiel Rifle can be defined as a rifle that is mainly used against objects (as opposed to Anti-Personnel Rifles), and are primarily used as Anti-Tank rifles.

Sci-Fi movies, games, and books, however, make the Anti-Materiel rifle seem like a rifle that "dissolves" matter. And "Materiel" isn't a mis-spelling, that's just how the military spells it!

So is a silencer the same as a suppressor?

The short answer is no. The two terms should not be confused. 

A suppressor uses a series of baffles to slow the bullet to a sub-sonic speed before it leaves the barrel - this eliminates the ballistic "crack" heard by the supersonic projectile breaking the sound barrier.

A silencer simply quiets the sound of the firing cartridge by providing a larger expansion chamber for the hot gas to go instead of inside the small barrel.

And lastly, all of us gun folks have heard of the term 9mm Parabellum. But do you have any idea what Parabellum means?

Well, the word Parabellum is a noun coined by German arms maker Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken.

It is derived from the Latin saying "si vis pacem, para bellum," meaning "If you want peace, prepare for war."

Makes sense to me!

Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - January 2013 School Shooting The Media Won’t Report, and More

Obama Wants To Be King or Dictator?

 

First it was “Yes, we can!” Then it was “Pass this bill!” Now the latest slogan from President Barack Obama is “I proclaim!”

Expressing his frustration with Congress and our checks and balance system of government, Obama has now decided to declare edicts from the Executive Office instead of going through the process of going through the legislative process.

Back on October 24th of 2011, Obama declared, “We can’t wait for an increasingly dysfunctional Congress to do its job. Where they won’t act, I will.”

And with the attitude of a Dictator who really wants to be King for life, Barack Obama signed a huge list of Executive Orders to bypass Congress and the Senate and pronounce new laws for his subjects.

The list of executive actions Obama has declared are all supposedly to address anti-gun violence. The problem that Obama has is that he cannot do what he is trying to get away with.

He is trying to circumvent the Constitution of the United States, specifically the Bill of Rights, the legislative authority of the Congress - something that the Executive Branch does not have.

The following is a list, provided by the White House, of executive actions President Obama plans to take to address gun violence:

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

11. Nominate an ATF director.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

Since all of these actions are being illegally taken, I say impeachment proceedings are now a necessity.

Power has gone to his head, and for really the first time in American History, an American President is assuming power and authority that is not his. Because of his actions to willfully disregard the process of which he must undertake to try to pass a law, he is criminal in his actions and should be removed from Office.

SECOND SHOT!

One PA County Hires Armed Guards For All Schools

On January 11th, it was reported that all of the schools in Butler County, Pa., has hired Retired Pennsylvania State Troopers to serve as armed guards at all 14 of their facilities.

The move by school officials is not unlike that in several other states where school districts have looked to beef up security, reported the Washington Post.

The school board has designated $230,000 to pay for 22 armed guards — one at every school and every after-school event — and is only hiring retired troopers with at least 20 years experience who own their own gun and can pass a 60-round shooting test.

“We might not like it, but the modern reality is our kids are vulnerable, and they need our help,” said Frank Cichra, who already has been hired to patrol one of the schools. “Nobody’s doing this job for money.”

Superintendent Mike Strutt said he added the guards because he felt that security drills and lockdown plans would not be enough if an armed shooter approached one of the schools for which he is responsible.

With a similar thought, some groups in Utah are specifically training teachers to carry weapons, some in Tennessee are hiring “security specialists,” and the National Rifle Association is readying a program to help schools either train or hire armed guards across the country.

“This could happen here,” Strutt said about why he pushed the members of his school board to approve his plan. “Armed guards are the one thing that give us a fighting chance. Don’t we want that one thing?”

That leads us to our main story ...

A January 2013 School Shooting The Media Won’t Report

Early this month, Thomas Richard Cowan loaded 13 bullets into two handguns, left his German shepherd chained to the fence and drove eight miles from his home in Kingsport to Sullivan Central High School. Whatever his mission.

This was no kid, Cowen was a 62-year-old Vietnam Veteran.

For about an hour, Cowan’s armed invasion spread panic throughout the school before a burst of officers’ gunfire brought him down. No others were injured.

No one knows why Cowan pointed his Honda in the direction of the Blountville, Tennessee, high school, where his brother is a janitor.

Cowen was later described – both in court records and interviews – as a peculiar man with a history of erratic sometimes criminal behavior.

He parked his car in a handicapped space just in front of the school’s main entrance.

Second period was just getting under way at 9:10 a.m. when Ashley Thacker, a junior, arrived at the main entrance of her high school.

Thacker, 16, had been at a doctor’s appointment and was on her way to a music theory class as she approached the locked doors.

She noticed a man standing in the 10-foot waiting area between the two sets of doors, waiting to be buzzed in. His bald crown was framed with brown hair. He had a mustache, she remembered, and he was holding a cane.

He told her to go on ahead of him. But she never made it through the doors.

Instead, Melanie Riden, principal of Sullivan Central, came striding through the locked doors.

“He pulled out his gun and started pointing it at people,” Thacker said.

Cowan trained his small .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol at Riden’s face, said Sullivan County Sheriff Wayne Anderson.

Carolyn Gudger, the school resource officer, was armed. She was there and immediately drew her gun, then shielded the principal’s body with her own.

Thacker remembers Cowan shouting something – possibly including the words “10 years” – but she isn’t sure. She turned and ran out the set of public doors to the mulch pile in the front of the school, and hid behind bushes.

“He might shoot someone,” Thacker remembered thinking. “I just wanted to get out of there.”

Riden fled and Gudger inched back into the school, leading Cowan through the scattered pastel chairs in the empty cafeteria. It was a tactical move, meant to lure the gunman into a more contained place, Anderson said.

Sullivan County dispatch sent out a chilling alert: “Man with a gun at Central High School.”

Riden, reached later by phone, said she could not comment without permission from Sullivan County Director of Schools Jubal Yennie.

Gudger told him to drop his weapon; he demanded she drop hers. It was a standoff, something Cowen didn't anticipate. His plan if he had one was unraveling in front of him all because there was someone there armed and ready to defend the school.

He did not count on resistance. Like most who want to do harm to others, Cowen was thinking twice about what he wanted to do because there was someone there to stop him.

At one point, Cowen tried unsuccessfully to lunge for Gudger's gun. But no luck, all of a sudden his plan to rein terror on the school children and those working there was not that simple anymore now that he was confronted with someone with a gun that will be used for good instead of evil.

Cowan repeated one thing only, Anderson said. That he wanted to pull the fire alarms.

“I don’t know why, we can only speculate about that and I think everyone will speculate why he wanted to pull a fire alarm,” Anderson said. “Either to get the kids out of class or, I don’t know. We don’t know.”

Flattened against the bushes, Ashley Thacker waited two minutes, she thinks. “I didn’t hear anything else, so I thought Officer Gudger had arrested him.”

She was wrong. As she approached the school, two assistant principals opened a window and yelled at her to run away. Crying and shaking, Thacker ran to her car and drove a half-mile to her parents’ business.

At about 9:15 a.m., a shaken voice came over the intercom.

“Code red. Lockdown.”

There was profanity in the background. This was no drill, students realized.

With the announcement, teachers sprang into action – locking doors and papering over windows, turning off the lights and closing window blinds.

Students huddled in the corners of classrooms, sitting in the darkness and searching for information with a storm of text messages.

Casey Deel, a 17-year-old senior, was on his way to a doctor’s office when his girlfriend, Alicia Edwards, sent him a text at 9:15 a.m.

“There’s a code red lock down. im scared,” the 16-year-old junior texted from her government class.

“r u serious?” Deel texted back. He skipped his appointment.

In Kayla Nichols’ cosmetology class, students squeezed into a storage room the size of a parking space, and locked the door, the 17-year-old said.

Ryan Kendrick was in algebra class, just off the main office. The 17-year-old senior thought he heard the gunman making threats – about not leaving the building alive and taking others with him – and Gudger urging him to calm down.

Then he heard a volley of gunshots.

Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang.

Kendrick and his friend, Andrew Ray, began to pray.

Landon Sillyman was in his honors biology class, where the teacher had instructed students to put their heads on their desks in the darkened classroom. The 14-year-old freshman estimated the suspense lasted about an hour.

But it was all over in minutes, Anderson estimated.

One hundred and twenty seconds after Cowan drew his gun, two deputies, Lt. Steve Williams and Sam Matney, arrived.

They entered through separate doors and met Cowan and Gudger – still in a moving standoff – as they reached a science pod behind the cafeteria.

Cowan wavered, then he jerked his gun from Gudger to the other deputies then back again. The three officers told him, again, to drop his weapon. Cowen should have, but didn't.

So they opened fire. Some students counted five shots, others counted six. Sheriff Anderson would not say how many rounds hit the gunman.

Cowan fell to the ground, his shoes just feet from door to the library full of teenagers.

The pistol in his hand had seven bullets in the magazine and another in the chamber. He had a second handgun in his back pocket, loaded with five rounds.

“That’s how close he was,” Anderson said. “We all know this could have been much more dangerous.”
In a file at the Kingsport General Sessions courthouse, there is a handwritten note by a police detective:

“This is the fellow we discussed,” it reads. “He needs a mental eval.”

The note was written in 2001, after Cowan was charged with stalking. According to court records, a newspaper carrier said that twice he followed her as she drove her route.

When she turned, he turned. When she stopped, he stopped.

“At one point, he followed [her] into a driveway and would not let her pull out,” the affidavit reads. “Both instances put [the carrier] in fear as she does not know the defendant.”

The case was later dismissed because a witness did not show up at court.

The same affidavit also recites an incident from the previous year, when Cowan produced a gun at the Kingsport Police Department.

According to court documents, he arrived at the police station in February 2000 to talk with officers about “a problem that has been discussed with him several times in the past.”

Cowan confessed that tucked in the waistband of his blue jeans, he had a loaded .380-caliber Jennings handgun – the same type of small hideaway gun used in the school standoff.

He was convicted of unlawfully carrying a concealed weapon, sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to seek a mental evaluation and counseling. But court records show, Cowen did not do either.

His brother, Rodney Cowan, a janitor at the high school, declined to elaborate on his brother’s history or character.

“Right now, I haven’t got a comment,” he said. “We’re just trying to get everything figured out.”

At an afternoon news conference at the Board of Education building in Blountville, Yennie, the director of schools, read from a prepared statement that lauded police, staff and students for following their emergency protocol.

“The students were never in any danger,” he said. “And Carolyn Gudger performed her job admirably to ensure the safety of students and staff.”

Sheriff Anderson also said the school’s protocol worked perfectly. He hailed it “textbook” and “perfect.”

“These officers saved children’s lives today,” Anderson said.

And yes, the previous story has everything to do with the NRA's proposal to put armed guards in all schools ...

Why Not Ask The Kids At Sullivan Central High School If The NRA's Proposal Wouldn't Help Keep Them Safe?

They just lived through the test that proved for fact that indeed it would!

When the NRA made the suggestion to have armed guards at all of the schools in America. President Obama instantly ruled it out.

Democrats instantly called it absurd and insane.

But what do the kids at Sullivan Central High School think about the idea now that it has been proven to work well?

Camry Collins, a 17-year-old senior, wonders about the effectiveness of the second set of locked doors. She said she does not feel safer despite the outcome of the intrusion.

“Tomorrow, the same thing could happen again,” she said.

And tomorrow, Carolyn Gudger, the school's uncontested hero, won’t be there.

“Gudger is the “bomb-diggity,” Collins said. “She goes out of her way to protect us.”

Gudger and the other two deputies involved in the shooting are now on administrative leave as the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation concludes its investigation of what took place.

So while the State investigators try to piece everything together, the school is defenseless again.

In the meanwhile ...

Utah Town Wants Every Household To Have A Gun


Officials in a Utah town want to make sure every head of household has a firearm and knows how to use it. They also want to give school teachers training with guns as well.

Spring City Councilman Neil Sorensen first proposed an ordinance requiring a gun in every household in the town of 1,000.

The rest of the council scoffed at making it a requirement, but they unanimously agreed to move forward with an ordinance "recommending" the idea.

The council also approved funding to offer concealed firearms training Friday to the 20 teachers and administrators at the local elementary school.

"It sends a statement that criminals better think twice," Sorensen told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "If a teacher would have had a concealed weapon in Sandy Hook, I think the death loss would have been fewer. If sane, trained people had guns, they could have shot back."

The measure, which will go before the full council in February for further review, seems to have the support of the council's five members and many residents in the farming community about 90 miles south of Salt Lake City.

But school administrators don't think arming teachers is wise, and they are not encouraging teachers to participate in Friday's training.

"The more guns you have in the school, the more dangerous it is," said Leslie Keisel, superintendent of the North Sanpete School District.

Councilman Noel Bertelson said making guns in every house mandatory was too much, but he agrees the town would be safer if everyone was armed. With only a part-time police force, he said, response time is not like it is in a big city.

"If a person is able to take care of themselves for a while, it would probably be a good thing," Bertelson said.

The community is still reeling from the double-murder on New Year's Eve 2011 of an elderly couple in nearby Mount Pleasant. Sorensen said what used to be a peaceful, quiet town has been sullied by increasing criminal activity.

Thefts of metal for scrap and other property also have become a problem, Councilman Boyd Mickel said.

"We are kind of tired of people breaking in and taking stuff," said Mickel, explaining why he voted to urge every house to have a gun.

Tim Thompson, a coal miner and father of four girls who lives in Spring City, backs the council's measure.

"People think small towns are a good place to live," Thompson said. "But there is more crime and drugs than you can imagine."

Thompson, who owns 78 guns he keeps locked in a safe, doesn't want teachers to act as police officers. He said some kids are "hooligans" and could overpower teachers for the guns.

Sisters Katy Harmer and Caroline Lott, however, say arming teachers would make them feel better about sending their children to the Spring City Elementary School. The co-owners of the town's coffee shop, Das Coffee, said most Spring City residents keep guns for hunting, leaving only a handful without weapons.

Angela Johnson, owner of the Sinclair gas station, said she doesn't like guns but backs the council's proposal.

"If criminals knew they would be fired against, I think it would cause pause," Johnson said.

Because the Spring City Council is stopping short of a law requiring gun ownership, elected officials won't run afoul of state law, former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told KSL.com.

Shurtleff said that when the Washington County town of Virgin enacted a local law in 2000 requiring households to keep guns, he warned them against trying to enforce the measure.

Spring City leaders say they got the idea from a city in Georgia that passed a similar law. In 1982, Kennesaw, Ga., made headlines by requiring heads of households to own a gun and ammunition. On its website, Kennesaw boasts that its burglary rate declined after the law took effect.

Teachers at Spring City Elementary School won't be required to attend Friday's concealed weapons training, but can if they wish, Principal Mark Thomas said.

"I don't think there is anything wrong about being educated how to use a gun," Thomas said.

But Thomas doesn't believe having more armed teachers would necessarily prevent or mitigate the damage in mass shootings. Utah law allows teachers to have concealed weapon in classrooms, but the district doesn't advocate for that, Thomas said.

"By bringing weapons into school, are we creating more problems than we are solving?" he asked. "It could create a new problem. We don't want to deal with that problem."

The proposed ordinance will be discussed at the Feb. 7 City Council meeting. A public hearing will be held three weeks later.

LAST SHOT!
Quentin Tarantino yells at interviewer when asked about movie violence

So now a story about those who love extreme violence ...

Hollywood's favorite son Quentin Tarantino flips out when asked about movie violence

Interviewer Krishnan Guru-Murthy found himself faced with a fuming Tarantino when he tried to discuss movie violence with the “Django Unchained” director.

Their conversation got heated when Guru-Murthy questioned Tarantino’s stance that movie violence has no impact on real-life violence.

“It’s a movie. It’s a fantasy. It’s not real life,” the director said.

“Why are you so sure there’s no link between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence? “ Guru-Murthy pressed on.

“I’m not biting. I refuse your question,” Tarrantino fired back. ““I’m not your slave and you’re not my master. You can’t make me dance to your tune. I’m not a monkey….I refuse.”

The ever-persistent Guru-Murthy tried again, citing a Jamie Foxx statement that suggests “we can’t turn our back on movie violence.” But an animated Tarantino jumped in before he could finish the question.

“Well, then you should talk to Jamie Foxx about that,” he quipped.” I don’t want to talk about the implications of violence!”

Guru-Murthy explained he wanted to “flesh out” Tarantino’s well-known stance on movie violence. But the director wasn’t having it.

“I am shutting your butt down,” Tarrantino said firmly. “It’s none of your damn business what I think about that!”

The issue of gun violence in movies and video games has been a front-burner topic since the tragic shooting of 26 people including 20 school children by a lone gunman in Newtown, Conn. in December. The Los Angeles premiere of "Django Unchained" was canceled shortly after the shooting.

Obama agrees that Hollywood has no part in promoting needless violence in our society, I just assume that since he has been so quiet on Hollywood's role in influencing people to do such horrible acts.


Story by Tom Correa

How Horse's See The World

How come we have two eyes but only see one of everything? And really, have you ever heard the phrase "two are better than one"?

Having two eyes is certainly better than having just one because two eyes provide us with stereo vision and depth perception - two things that just eye can not give us.

With 2 ½ inches separating our two eyes, each eye views an object from a slightly different angle.

For instance, if you hold up a finger and look at it with just your right eye, the image is different from the image of when you look at it with just your left eye.

The right eye sees more of the right side of your finger while the left eye sees more of the left side of your finger.

If you placed the two different images on top of one another, they would not match and our vision would be out of focus.

But, the fact is that our brain sorts out these varying visual messages from our two eyes - then it combines the images and recreates one three-dimensional image.

This is referred to as "binocular vision." Just like your look through two lenses in binoculars, humans view the world through two lenses.

The eyes of many other animals are placed differently than ours. Many birds have an eye on each side of their head. Each eye sees a completely separate area stretching out on the left or the right.

Viewing the world through two eyes provides us with depth perception. When you look at your finger through just one eye, it looks a lot flatter.

So now, have you ever wondered how your horse's vision differs from yours? How he or she sees the world?

Well, while we see in binocular vision, a horse sees in both binocular and monocular vision with a much greater percentage being monocular.

Fact is that our horses see better than us in some ways, and worse than us in others. Because our horse's eyes are positioned farther apart than ours are, he has a much wider field of vision.

Unlike our parents, a horse doesn't have eyes in the back of his head - but it sometimes seems that way. In fact, a horse can see nearly 360 degrees. Of course, with the exception of a blind spot directly behind him and one directly in front.

The equine eye is the largest of any land mammal. Its visual abilities are directly related to the animal's behavior and the fact that the horse is a flight animal.

Like most prey animals, the horse's eyes are set on the sides of its head, allowing it close to a 350° range of monocular vision.

And yes, it is true that horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal - and are lateral-eyed, meaning their eyes are positioned on the sides of their heads. This means horses have a range of vision of more than 350°, with approximately 65° of this being binocular vision and the remaining 285° monocular vision.

What this does is provide a horse with the best chance to spot predators. That's one of nature's defensive gifts to horse, of course the others being speed of flight and an ability to see at night.

While most of us know that horse have a wonderful ability to outrun those they see as predators, many might not realize that horses have superior night vision. Because of this, they also have better vision on slightly cloudy days, relative to bright, sunny days.

However, horses are less able to adjust to sudden changes of light than are humans, such as when moving from a bright day into a dark barn.

Both the strengths and weaknesses of the horse's visual abilities should be taken into consideration when training horses.

And yes, a horse's superior ability to see at night is a consideration that should be taken into account during training, as certain tasks such as loading into a trailer, may frighten a horse simply because it cannot see adequately.

It is also important in riding, as quickly moving from light to dark or vice versa will temporarily make it difficult for the animal to judge what is in front of it.

And as for color? Well, horses are not color blind. They have dichromatic vision. This means they see two of the basic three color wavelengths of visible light, compared to the three-color (trichromic vision) of most humans.

In other words, horses naturally see the blue and green colors of the spectrum and the color variations based upon them, but cannot distinguish red.

Research indicates their color vision is somewhat like red-green color blindness in humans, in which certain colors, especially red and related colors, appear more green.

The horse's limited ability to see color is sometimes taken into consideration when designing obstacles for the horse to jump, since the animal will have a harder time distinguishing between the obstacle and the ground if the two are only a few shades off.

Because of this, most people paint their jump rails a different color from the footing or the surrounding landscape so the horse may better judge the obstacle on the approach.

As for being near or far sighted? Almost all domestic horses tend to be near-sighted, with few being far-sighted. Interesting enough to note is that wild horses are usually all far-sighted.

The horse's wide range of monocular vision has two "blind spots," areas where the animal cannot see.   One is right in front of the face which comes to a point at about 3–4 ft in front of the horse, and the other is right behind its head which extends over the back and behind the tail when standing with the head facing straight forward.

And imagine this for a moment, as a horse jumps an obstacle - the object briefly disappears from sight right before the horse takes off. That is called amazing!

Most people don't realize that a horse's big nose actually gets in the way of vision.

Have you ever noticed how a horse stretches out his nose to meet another horse or to check out what you have in your hand?

Friends, he's not just acting defensively by keeping a distance from you. And he's certainly not "respecting" your space.

Fact is that he's arching his neck and pointing his nose so he can both smell the object and focus on it. Other than that blind spot directly in front of him, a horse's close-up vision is excellent.

The wide range of monocular vision has a trade-off:

The placement of the horse's eyes decreases the possible range of binocular vision to around 65° on a horizontal plane, occurring in a triangular shape primarily in front of the horse's face. Therefore, the horse has a smaller field of depth perception than we humans do.

A horse uses its binocular vision by looking straight at an object, raising its head when it looks at a distant predator or focuses on an obstacle to jump.

To use binocular vision on a closer object near the ground, such as a snake or threat to its feet, the horse drops its nose and looks downward with its neck somewhat arched.

A horse will raise or lower its head to increase its range of binocular vision.

This has everything to do with his distance vision. And yes, it is a different story from what he sees close up.

Horses depend on sound, smell, and his excellent memory for shapes and movement to help him make sense of things he sees in the distance.

A horse's visual field is lowered when their head is held perpendicular to the ground. This makes the horse's binocular vision focus less on distant objects and more on the immediate ground in front of the horse, suitable for arena distances, but less adaptive to a cross-country setting.

An example: Riders of jumpers take their horses' use of distance vision into consideration, allowing their horses to raise their heads a few strides before a jump, so the animals are able to assess the jumps and the proper take-off spots.

The horse is very sensitive to motion, as motion is usually the first alert that a predator is approaching.

Motion is usually first detected in their periphery, where they have poor visual acuity, and horses will usually act defensive and run if something suddenly moves into their peripheral field of vision.

What does that mean? Well, horses are mentalists!

It's very true. While some say horse are dumb, I've always believed the opposite in that they are much smarter than we are in most cases.

The reason I say this is because as an Instructor in the Marine Corps, I saw what it took to get Marines to preform. Repetition, memory, concentration, and an ability to react instinctively to training responses. And yes, it's tough to learn.

Fact is that horse do all of that and more. A horse can't literally see the halter you're hiding behind your back when you enter the pasture, though through experience and a keen power of observation, he can recognize your characteristic halter-hiding walk and movement.

Subsequently he responds in one of two ways: He either responds has he has been taught, or as he sees fit to avoid an unpleasantness. And friends, to discern between the two takes a great deal of intelligence.

Because the picture that each eye sees doesn't overlap as much as ours does, his depth perception - the ability to judge distances - just isn't as good as ours. So he may get frightened of something that's quite a distance from him.

Like us, a horse's visual abilities are directly related to their behavior. In their case, the fact that the horse is a flight animal.

Both the strengths and weaknesses of the horse's visual abilities should be taken into consideration when dealing with horses. An understanding of the horse's eye can help us figure out why horses behave the way they do in various situations.

When a horse sees something unfamiliar, he'll raise his head suddenly, scanning the horizon with nostrils flared and ears turned like satellite dishes trying to catch familiar sounds. And yes, we should recognize their actions to help us understand how they see the world around them.

Some folks might say that horse can't see very well, that their vision is not very good at all. But really, we should all accept the fact that seeing is not only done with our eyes. And for horses, well that's even more true.

The way I see it is that with the help of their other senses of sound, and smell, and instinct, their ability to "see" their world around them is truly excellent for their needs.


Story by Tom Correa

Horse Care In the Winter - It's Not That Tough!

When it comes to caring for horses in the winter, since I'm originally from Hawaii, the worse thing that we had to worry about during our winters was too much mud.

While mud is still a concern, it is certainly not my only worry these days.

Being attentive and caring for your horses through the winter months will help to ensure that they get through the season with relatively few problems. And yes, they do need attention and care.

Horses are reasonably hardy in cold temperatures and grow a winter coat for additional warmth. But even though that's the case, care still needs to be taken to ensure that they cool down properly after being ridden, that they're not wet and subjected to wind chill, and that they're being fed properly through the winter months.

First Things First.

As an owner, we have a responsibility to give our horses the right shelter needed to get them through the winter. Unlike where my grandpa had his ranch in Hawaii, here in Glencoe, California, it snows in this part of the Sierra Mountains.

We must provide our horses living outside, or being turned out, during heavy cold rains or snow with a simple three-sided, roofed shelter to provide them protection from the weather.

We must make sure the roof is angled away from the entrance and there is adequate drainage as muddy holes tend to develop in the front of run-in shelters as horses go in and out repeatedly. The shelter should be large enough for the horses in the pasture. If you have many horses, you may need to provide more than one shelter.

Because it snows this time of year here, my first responsibility to my horses was to focus on their shelter, their housing, first.

The first winter that I was here was tough because I didn't have my small barn built yet. The following year, with the help of my Dad and my brothers and a nephew or two, we worked very hard to prepare a stable, basically a small barn, for my horses for the coming winter.

Once it was built, I was able to get my horses in out of the weather. After that, all I had to do was make sure the barn was clean, somewhat warm, and well ventilated yet free from drafts.

We should check our barns for drafts. We want to have good ventilation in our barn, but unnecessary drafts just stir up dust and can give your horse chills.

It is just a fact of life that cold, strong winds combined with wet conditions pose the greatest danger to your horse's health in winter.

When the wind tousles your horse's hair it takes away all the heat trapped by her thick winter coat. Wind can pull surface heat away from a horse's body quicker than your horse can generate more heat. When she's wet and the wind is blowing, its even harder for her to stay warm.

Clean bedding is a priority and regular changes of the bedding should be prioritized. Remove anything that might injure or tempt the horse, such as low-hanging lights, nails sticking out, toxic cleaning substances, that sort of things.

A good example of that was a small medicine cabinet that I had in the breezeway. Bored horses will get into everything and anything, and because of such the small cabinet was on the ground after only having to keep one new horse in the breezeway for just one night.

If your horse is wintering outdoors in a temperate winter climate, be careful of rain.

Wet cold is far less tolerable than dry cold, and you should consider blanketing your horse, as well as ensuring that there is access to some form of shelter such as a shed, to allow the horse to get out of the rain.

Bring your horse in at night and turn him out during the day when the sun is up and the temperature is a little warmer.

It's Up To Us!

Someone once wrote, "Mother Nature gave horses the very best insulation available-their own thick winter coat. Under normal circumstances a horse starts to grow a thick winter coat when daylight decreases. His coat is all he needs to keep him warm. But human interference, body clipping or changing climates, can cause your horse to be unprepared for extreme weather. He may need a little extra help keeping warm."

So yes, it is recommended that we feed our horses additional hay or grain this time of year to keep up their body weight and keep them warm.

I'm a big believer in feeding our horses additional feed this time of year. For a horse, digestion generates more heat than any other body function.
  A horse typically requires 1% of his body weight in good quality roughage per day to function. Up this amount to help keep your horse warm as the weather becomes more severe.
I always try to make sure that our horses are getting enough grain. In the winter, horses burn additional calories. Although you have upped his hay, it may not be enough to keep him warm.

Though I don't blanket our horses, some should consider blanketing your horse if he is clipped, has recently been relocated from a warmer climate, does not deal well with cold or your area's weather is particularly frigid.

For horses in temperate winter zones, ensure that there is still access to a shelter even when they're left outside, such as a lean-to shed or a grove of trees.

Be sure to give horses kept in stables or barns plenty of outdoor time during winter. This helps to keep them healthier because they breathe fresh air and can adjust to the temperature changes on a regular basis.

Encourage lots of movement and exercise to keep warm; this is how horses keep warm in the wild.

Be aware of possible winter ills. Just like us, horses get sick during winter and it's important to know what to be on the lookout for, and how to manage the problems that human intervention can cause.

Horses are susceptible to respiratory illnesses during winter. The ammonia build-up, mold, and dust inside barns and stables can bring on a variety of respiratory illnesses.

Do your best to prevent this by ensuring adequate ventilation and giving your horse plenty of outdoor opportunities to breathe in fresh air. Clean out stalls regularly.

Horses are also susceptible to skin conditions during winter, such as rain-rot, bed itch, ringworm, lice, and infected scratches. Keep the horse clean, groomed, and medicated appropriately.

I do have a blanket. It was a blanket that I bought for an ol' Mac two years ago. He was pushing 40 years old and I had a horrible time keeping weight on him. Older horses or horses that have been ill may require blanketing. Layer your horse's blankets adding and removing them as the weather changes.

Young, fit, sheltered horses probably don't need blanketing. But if your horse is blanketed, please don't forget to remove it daily and check him over for any cuts, rubs or scratches.

For horses with heavy winter coats, it is very important to be sure to check them over every few days for cuts and scrapes that may be hidden by their long hair. This is also a good time to check their body condition - long hair can make it hard to tell when a horse is losing weight.

And yes, winter is the time of year that a horse will burn off a great deal of weight.

Now I know that some folks have written to ask why water is so important in the winter when they are not sweating as much? Well, when horses drink water they reduce their risk of colic brought on by dehydration. 

I always try to make sure that our horses have water available to them. If water is there and not frozen, then a horse will drink.

When the water gets cold, some horses don't like to drink. A water tank heater can help keep the water warm enough so that horses will drink.

If your horse still doesn't drink enough, you might want to feed soaked beet pulp or soaked alfalfa cubes. Remember, horses need to drink to reduce their risk of colic brought on by dehydration.

Be careful not to blanket a wet horse or to use blankets that do not breathe but cause moisture build-up.

Clean out your horse's hooves well. Thrush is a serious problem this time of year.

I've read where some folks who want to ride no matter what will actually add a layer of non-stick cooking spray or petroleum jelly to your horse's hooves so that it will prevent balls of ice and snow from forming in the hooves.And remember, clean hooves have a better grip on icy surfaces than neglected hooves do!

But whether riding or not, it is extremely important to take good care of your horse's hooves in the winter. Mud can cause serious thrush, and clean hooves help prevent it. Besides, if your horse has thrush, the only way to find out is by cleaning its hooves.

See your Vet promptly for treatment of things that you know you can't doctor. Pride and stubbornness has stopped many a person from calling a Vet sooner than the finally did.

So OK, You Want To Ride!

Of course knowing how to care for a horse that is ridden during winter is very important. Riding in winter brings up two issues. First, preparing the horse adequately for the ride, and second, cooling the hot horse down safely in the cold after the ride.

Some will say that there is no temperature bar to riding a horse, providing that your horse has adapted to the temperature - which of course means that your horse is used to regular rides.

My rule of thumb is this: if it's too cold for me, its too cold for my horse.

My recommendation for any horse owner is to be aware of the weather and use common sense. Why put your horse or yourself through horrible weather conditions, and maybe getting sick, just to do it.

It's obviously different on a working ranch where you need to be out in the worse of conditions, but if you don't have to put your horse or yourself through bone chilling conditions - then why do it?

Whether we like it or not, fierce cold winds are not ideal for riding. And honestly, neither are severe thunderstorms or blizzards. So use your common sense when judging the riding conditions.

Winter means longer driving times, longer preparation times, and shorter days. Be aware of the time constraints affecting your ability to ride your horse and care for him.

First rule of riding in the winter is this: If you ride throughout the winter, make sure to warm your horse up slowly and cool him out slowly and thoroughly before putting him away.

Riding is especially important if you're a competition rider, as well as ensuring that young horses get used to the work required of them.

So if you must ride, plan well ahead. it is recommended that a competitive rider should aim for four to six hours weekly of riding during winter months.

Prepare your horse for riding. Even before you get your horse ready for riding, check the terrain and pasture where you plan to ride your horse. Look for ice or deep mud hazards that could cause your horse to slip or trip or fall.

If you see that the terrain looks bad, make plans to avoid those areas or scratch the ride.

In terms of caring for the barn, well I've heard about folks who use de-icing agents such as salt or sawdust to help eliminate slippery areas around a stable and hitching posts, gateways and doorways, and such.

For me, it seems that like everyone else, I fight mud everywhere during the winter months. What do I use? I use gravel.

When there is a break in the weather - such as right now - I go down and get a truckload of gravel to spread around. For example, tomorrow I'm going to town to get a load of gravel so that I can take care of the walking area around my barn - and the entrance to the breezeway. Anything left can be used around the house.

I find my wife is a lot more understanding when I don't track in mud into the house. Gravel will help that.

In terms of the horse? Well, I've heard some say they warm a horse's bit before they put on the bridle. Some say they use hot water and others say they just keep it rolled up in a towel until it's time.

One ol' Cowboy that I knew some 35 years ago used to keep his bridle and bit up on the dashboard of his truck where the truck's heater defroster would blow hot air on it until he was ready for it.

Another ol' Timer that I knew back when used to say, "If it's that damn cold, than I'll use a hackamore! And if that don't work, then my horse can join me inside in front of the fire out of the weather! Some weather just ain't smart to ride in!"

During riding, take care about where you choose to ride. Pitfalls for riding during winter are varied depending on whether you're riding in snow or in more temperate muddy, cold temperatures.

Things to watch out for include:

Deep snow, especially where it conceals holes, tree wells, and crevices where your horse could slip down.
Any ice is potentially dangerous as your horse has no grip or traction. While a little mud is fine, a lot of mud can cause the horse to become bogged, or to trip.

Mud can also conceal objects that might harm your horse. Large areas of mud are best avoided.

And yes, wet slopes are no different. Take care riding a horse down a wet slope, as it is easy to lose grip, especially when going fast, and moving over wet stony or rocky areas.

Never canter or gallop your horse in snowy, muddy, icy, or slick terrain. If you do, you'll just be looking for trouble for you and your horse.

This is really important. It is the same with driving a car on roads that are wet or icy. Many drivers don't respect the ground under them. They don't slow down and take caution. Of course these are usually the people we see on the evening news or in tomorrow's paper when their crash is reported.

Post riding, cool down your horse properly. This is a time when the horse can get a chill, moving from being very hot and sweaty, to being cold.

The following procedures form an important part of sensible post-riding care during winter:

If his ears are hot, walk him around a bit. Feel his ears again. They should be cool, not cold nor hot. Cold ears mean a cold horse.

Dry your horse. A wet horse should be dried after riding in winter; there can be snow, rain, and sweat combining to make for a very wet horse.

Take a towel in each hand and rub the towels over his coat in circular motions. Roughing the hair up will help dry it faster. If your horse is used to a blow dryer, you might consider using this as well.

Any snow that has attached to your horse (especially his legs) should be brushed off. Try to do this outside to prevent taking it indoors where it can melt and become slippery.

Brush or curry your horse once he is dry. This will separate the hairs and help to keep him warm, as body heat warms the air between the coat and skin.

If you do add a blanket, just make sure it is a breathable blanket that allows water vapor to pass through.

Return your horse to his stables, barn, or field. Ensure that there is adequate food and water. Give him hay to eat, as eating roughage warms him quickly, releasing heat as it's digested.

Be sure to check that the drinking water supplied is not frozen.

And lastly, spend time with your horse during winter.

Sure it's cold and wet and the air is crisp enough to make blades of grass. But really, none of those reasons should stop any of us from spending time with our horse - or horses.

Bundle up! Put on your long johns and layer up! Grab your Carhartt coat, pull down your hat, and slip on those gloves, then get out there between those times when you have to be out there to feed.

You see even when the weather is foul and bleak, we have to be sure to go out and see our horse in its shelter. For me, I talk to them while I look them over and check them for cuts, scraps, and such.

When I go out to see my horses, I talk with them about everything under the sun. It's true. As I look them over, I talk to them about what Obama is doing to the country and how we have to fight against it.

I tell them about the world looking sort of crazy these days. And yes, I do all of that while I check their hooves and give them a little more feed to help keep them warm.

So after giving them some grain to help them make it through the cold night, I've been known to take a brush to them - but never ever do I brush so hard as to take away their winter coats.

Horses appreciate your company and it keeps you connected to them.

It will also help you to look forward to the better winter riding days, and the warmer days to come.

If you can't get to your horse as often as you'd like because of winter conditions on roads, and such, then I recommend you have someone else check in on your horse regularly to make sure he's fine.

The responsibility that goes along with owning a horse is great. As their owner, a horse is completely reliant on us.

When we got our horse, we made a deal - an unspoken agreement with our horse. We affirmed that we would not let them down. We agreed to do our part to be ready, willing, and aware of all the correct care that our horse requires.

If we don't do our jobs, hold up our end of the deal and follow through with regards to our responsibilities as horse owners, then our horse's health and overall well being will suffer.

As for this article, well I hope this information will enable folks to do what it takes to meet their horse's needs.


Story by Tom Correa