All About Hay For Horses

First My Story

If you've followed my blog to any extent, you already know that I'm originally from the island of Oahu in Hawaii. And you probably already know that I've talked a lot about the fact that my first exposure to horses and cattle came by way of my grandpa ranch there.

Like many kids who have had a chance to grow up on a ranch, learning new things about animals, their care and feeding, their behavior and how to handle them, always seemed to be an ongoing education. Whether it was learning to fix fences to feeding supplements to calves, I definitely learned something new every day.

Looking back on growing up around a ranch in Hawaii, I fully admit that it can be different than on the mainland (Continental United States). For one thing, I grew up on Oahu where I was told does not grow hay of any sort. And honestly, I really had no idea if hay was grown on the other islands either.

I knew that we grew pineapples, sugar cane, macadamia nuts, papayas, bananas, and even rice. In school, we were taught that the only place in the U.S that does grow sugar cane, macadamia nuts, pineapples, papayas, and coffee was the state of Hawaii. And yes, I think that still holds true.

Point is, when I came to California, one of the things that I had to learn about was hay and how to feed it to horses.

My education about hay started when I was a 19 year old Marine just back from overseas and stationed at Camp Pendleton California in the 70s.  During my off duty hours, I could be found at usually one of three places. I'd be either working on my 57' Chevy, fishing on base, or at the Base Stables.

While I was just learning about trout and bass fishing about then, which is 180 degree opposite of fishing in Hawaii, the Base Stables were like a home away from home.

It was there that I learned that hay is the basis of almost every horse diet. That there are many different types of hay, and that the decision about what kind of hay to feed your horse is not an easy one.

There are several types of hays available to choose from, so how can you possibly know which one is right for your particular horse? And really, even if you know a thing or two about what your horse needs as far as nutrition goes, there are a lot of choices of hay to choose from.

Fact is, I learned that there is no right or wrong hay to feed your horse. It's all a learning experience.

It's true, the reason that some people like alfalfa for their horses may be the fact that horses love it and leave very little waste. Alfalfa can be a good choice for finicky eaters or horses with high nutritional needs such as lactating mares, growing foals, hard working horses, and of course horses needing to gain weight.

Others may choose timothy, for example, because it is easy to cure and tends to be dust free. It is also lower in protein, so subsequently horses with lower nutritional needs such as the mature idle horse or horses in light work won’t become too fat.

This is what I mean by a learning experience. For us here in Glencoe, for example, during late spring and summer, we feed a 50/50 alfalfa and oat hay diet to our horses. But during the winter and early spring months, we feed alfalfa and pelleted hay and grain to supplement their diets.

By doing this, it works out where we can keep weight on them during the cold months when they use the extra energy to keep warm.

The Basics About Hay

Well, hay is a harvested plant that has been dried and cured after being cut in the field at various times in its growth period, depending on the type of hay. The leaves grow out first, the plant develops a bud, the bud becomes a bloom, and the bloom eventually goes to seed.

In most cases, hay is cut during the late bud or early bloom phase. This method maximizes hay’s nutritional value and extends the amount of hay that is yielded per acre.

The fiber content of hay increases as it grows,while the protein content diminishes. Most of the protein found in hay is in the leaves, while the stalks are richer in fiber.

In order to produce quality hay suitable for feeding to horses that is free of dust, mold and weeds, then it must be cut at the right age and when the weather is dry and warm. After being cut, the hay dries in the field before it is baled.

While there are many varieties of hays commonly fed to horses in the United States, including timothy, orchard, alfalfa, coastal, oat, fescue, clover and rye, to name just a few.  Most horse owners are probably familiar with only a few types of hay, depending on the part of the country in which they live. 

Quality is also an issue and horse owners should find the highest quality hay they can afford to buy within the geographical area they live in.


Feeding a poor quality protein will result in a horse that is less able to produce body proteins including muscle, bone, tendons, red blood cells, skin, hair, hooves, enzymes and antibodies.

Different Forms of Hay


Hay is not just an important part of the horse’s diet, but is also needed to maintain normal digestive health.

A minimum 1½ inch particle size is important to minimize colic and abnormal behavior. Hay can be provided in the following forms:

Small (40 to 80 pounds) square bales of hay are most commonly used by horse owners. Square bales are comparatively easy to move and store and should be stored indoors or under cover to prevent weather damage. Wet is not good.

Of course, even though they are small in comparison to large round bales, "bucking bales" is a lot easier for younger folks than it is for us older folks. I can attest to that!

Large (800 to 1,200 pounds) round bales are more efficient to produce and can be used for horses. Storage of round bales should be indoors or on a well-drained base and covered with plastic.

The use of a feeder that contains hay and controls wastage is recommended. Be sure that enough horses are consuming hay quickly enough to prevent wastage and molding to occur. Remove hay that has become moldy and in contact with the ground.

Hay cubes can be made from a variety of coarsely chopped hays, but the most common are alfalfa and timothy-alfalfa cubes.

The advantages of cubes include less storage space and handling ease, and decreased feeding waste. Cubes have adequate particle size to maintain normal digestive health and prevent wood chewing, so they can be used to totally replace baled hay.

Be careful when adapting horses to hay cubes, horses may consume them too quickly and choke.

Feed hay cubes close to the ground so horses must chew hay cubes before swallowing. If you provide hay cubes as treats or add to other feeds in above-ground feeders, break cubes into small pieces or wet or soak cubes with water to soften them first to prevent choking.

Chopped hay is usually a length of one inch or more, and it can be used to replace baled hay.

The advantages of chopped hay are similar to hay cubes, with less storage space required, ease of handling, and decreased feeding waste. Chopped hay can be dusty and should be treated with a small amount of molasses or oil to decrease dustiness.

Pelleted hay are similar to cubes and chopped hay is so far as taking up less storage space, ease of handling, and decreased feeding waste.

The benefits are many. With pellets it is easier to control the accuracy of the ration you feed your horse. You will not see hay bellies on a pellet feed horse. Young horses can be put into show shape without excessive graining.

A horse can not eat his grain and supplements selectively when pelleted together. You can eliminate the chance of colic and founder by not having hay lying around.

The life of a horse used to be measured by the life of his teeth. The hay is considered “prechewed” when pelleted – a horse need only “gum” them down and they will be thoroughly digested therefore adding years to the life of your horse.

Some do say that pelleted hay does not have adequate particle size to allow enough chewing time for normal digestive health and may lead a horse to chewing wood or trees. 
Grasses versus Legumes
Each type of hay falls into one of two categories: legumes and grasses. Commonly fed legume hays include alfalfa and clover, with most other hays falling into the grass family.


In order to make the right choice for your horse’s diet, it’s important to understand the nutritional value of legume and grass hays, and how the two types complement each other.

Grass hays have a medium to low protein content. They are low in the essential amino acid, lysine. Therefore, they are best fed as part of a feeding plan that includes a legume, or a supplemental feed, to balance out the amino acid profile.

The fiber content of most grass hays is relatively high, compared to other types of hays. For example, orchard grass, timothy and coastal Bermuda have more stalks, and hence more fiber, than leafier brome grass or fescue.

In contrast to legumes, grass hays are also low in calcium, zinc, selenium and vitamin E.

Timothy is somewhat higher in calcium than other grass hays and has a favorable calcium-to-phosphorus ratio; it also contains a substantial amount of vitamins A and D.

Timothy has long been a favorite hay for horses. It is easily cured into bright lime-green colored hay that is dust free. It’s nutrient content is well suited as a mature horse diet. Stems and leaves are large but soft. Horses find the hay very palatable.

Orchard Grass makes very palatable soft hay that is a bright green in color. It is a leafy plant with few stems. It is does well in the moister areas and is generally used as pasture grass. It combines well with alfalfa and is often grown in a mixture.

Meadow Brome is generally used as a pasture grass as it has many basal leaves, few stems and good re-growth capabilities. It's often used as a hay grass as it combines well with alfalfa, not being as aggressive as smooth brome. Meadow brome cures into soft medium green leafy hay that horses find very palatable.

Intermediate Wheatgrass is a tall growing forage with medium coarse leafy stems. It cures into medium green, dust free hay. It is palatable to horses and when harvested at later maturity. PMU operations favor it.

Crested Wheatgrass is a fine stemmed, leafy grass. It is easily cured into medium green colored hay that is dust free. When harvested in early head it is comparable in quality to other grass hays.

Harvested after heading the quality declines and makes it a hay favored by PMU (Pregnant Mares Urine) operations. Horses like crested wheatgrass but if harvested at late maturity the stems tend to be stiff and the hay is less palatable.

When it comes to prairie or wild native grasses, these hays are typically lower in protein content than other grass hays. Their vitamin and mineral content is also lower. Generally, these grasses are combined with several weeds when grown, which pull nutrients from the grass plant.

Grass and small grain hays vary greatly in nutritive value and palatability, depending on the variety, where it is grown and stage of maturity when harvested. They typically provide less protein and energy than good quality legumes.

Forage Hay is a muliti grain hay that consists of oats, wheat and barley. This hay is relatively new to the hay world, but is an excellent feed for all classes of livestock. 

It has become very popular and is an excellent feed source. Just like oat hay, forage hay is cut at the optimal time to ensure a highly palatable feed for horses, cattle, goats and sheep. 

Oat hay, like all grass hays, meets the nutritional needs of horses that need high fiber and low protein. It is great for horses, especially if you compete, or work your horse hard. I feed our horses a 50/50 oat and alfalfa hay diet.


In contrast to grasses, legumes tend to be rich in nutrients and provide more energy than grass hays.
Alfalfa is one of most commonly fed legume and is widely available in many parts of the country. Alfalfa does well in average growing conditions. And yes, besides alfalfa being very palatable, horses love it!

Alfalfa is generally higher in nutrients and energy than grass hay which makes it an ideal choice for horse owners with mares in late gestation, lactation, or growing foals.

However, some will tell you that horses with lower nutritional needs may get fat on alfalfa whereas grass hay may be a better choice.

While alfalfa hay is well accepted by horses, alfalfa hay has to be fed with some care because of its high calcium level in relation to phosphorus.

Alfalfa is an excellent source of protein and energy.

Adult horses require 10 to 11 percent crude protein in their overall diet, while growing horses require 12 to 14 percent. Pure alfalfa hay can have protein levels up to and exceeding 18 percent protein.

This high level of protein is not required for most horses.

Excess protein from both hay and grain feed sources is broken down into carbohydrates that serve as an additional source of energy.

One downside of alfalfa consumption is that it can lead to increased urination and wetter bedding. Horses on light work schedules may also develop excess energy when fed an exclusive diet of alfalfa.

Experts believe that healthy horses fed alfalfa hay are not at risk for kidney problems, and are really just an old wives tale that has no merit based on use of alfalfa hay and the healthy horse.

Like others who have fed alfalfa regularly, I believe that horses that eat alfalfa hay and get plenty of water to drink are not going to have any problems.

Clover is another commonly fed legume hay and one that is particularly enjoyed by horses.

Horses like clover and will select the highly palatable clovers from the pastures and hay. White Clover has 1/3 less fiber content than other roughages, such as brome grass and alfalfa.

White Clover, in its lush stage of growth, could contain as much as 22 to 25 percent crude protein. So yes, this hay also has a high digestible energy content.

Obviously, Clean Hay Is The Best Hay!

Horses will readily eat many types of grass and legume hay, especially if it is of high quality.

The most common problems that horse owners have when purchasing hay are finding a dependable and consistent supply and determining if it is good quality for their horses.

Cattle have a different digestive system than horses, and can break down fibrous material with greater efficiency, so they can utilize lower quality or more fibrous sources of hay.

Hay will generally make up at least 50 percent of the horse’s daily diet. So subsequently, horse owners need to make sure the hay is clean, is a desirable stage of maturity, is readily consumed by the horse, and is free of dust, weeds and mold.

Horses consuming poor quality hay cannot digest it well enough to maintain body weight and are at greater risk for impaction colic.

So as horse owners, we should make sure that we can determine if the hay you purchase is "horse quality" instead of "cow quality".

Sure it needs to meet your horse’s nutritional requirements, but the type of hay you choose should always be free of dust, mold, and foreign objects like rocks and such.

And yes, one of the biggest challenges that there is for a horse owner is to find good quality dust free hay.

Dust in hay can come from mold spores or leaf shatter. Only in rare occasions does dust come from hay cut along gravel roads or other dusty situations.

Molds form when the hay is baled too wet or the hay is improperly stored allowing moisture to enter from the top or from ground up. Dust from leaf shatter occurs when the hay is too dry, causing the hay to be brittle.

Mold dust acts as an allergen and can cause inflammation of the respiratory tract in horses. Many horses develop a chronic lung problem known as heaves, which affects the horse’s ability to breathe normally. This disease is strictly man made by the repeat feeding of dusty hay.

The second problem with moldy hay is the possible formation of mycotoxins, which are poisonous compounds produced by molds. Moldy, dusty hay simply should not be fed to horses.

It is highly recommended that folks remove hay that has become moldy. Moldy hay can make horses sick from the formation of mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by different types of fungus.

Mycotoxins can cause harm to your horse by damaging the liver, kidneys, and reproductive tissues. They can also impair immunity making your horse more susceptible to infection and disease. Additionally, their presence can cause your horse to eat less resulting in improper nutrition.

As mold grows, it feeds on the surrounding nutrients thereby lowering the feed value of the hay/grain. And there is more, moldy hay generates heat and can become combustible.

During the winter months when I tend to feed more grains, I always check for grain mold. In grain barrels or in bags, mold can appear gray and fuzzy. It can also cause the grain particles to clump together. It is fairly easy to see.

Moldy hay can poof mold spores when you open a bale. I've even seen them when I've hit it or dropped it. Moldy hay looks different than dusty hay.

Did you ever step on one of those puffballs growing on the ground? Moldy hay poofs like that.

Moldy hay can be a yellowish color, often with spots of black. It may feel damp, or heavy. The flakes may not separate as easily. It smells bad.

The dust problem associated with moldy hay can be reduced by wetting the hay. Soaking hay before feeding it might cut down on respiratory problems, but I'm sorry to say that I've been told that this will not reduce mycotoxins if they’re present.

Now as for round bales, well I've been told that botulism poisoning is more common with round bales due to the greater incidence of inclusion of dead rodents and increased contact of hay with organic material from soil contact.

So What To Feed?

Well, we know that good quality hay or pasture should make up at least half of most horse’s diets.

With all this variation in nutritional value and digestible energy, it can be difficult to determine which types of hay to feed your horse.

However, if you are like most horse owners, you’ll be limited in your decisions based on your geographic location - not all hays are available in all places.

Whatever individual hays are sold in your area, the best option is to combine legumes and grasses to keep your horse healthy.

Grass hay cannot provide all of the nutrients a horse needs to be healthy, so even the finest grass hay will require additional sources of nutrients either from other feedstuffs, such as legumes, other forages, concentrates or from supplements.

Grass hay acts as a staple to the diet by providing a continual source of roughage, which is necessary for the health of the digestive tract. Grass hays are lower in calories than legume hays and therefore are less likely to create weight gain.

In contrast alfalfa mixes and clover mixes are highly suitable for horses that require additional amino acids and calcium for growth and performance. Pregnant and lactating mares, young, growing horses, performance horses and horses with suppressed immune function will benefit from the additional nutritional value that legumes provide.

So, since this is the case, it appears that feeding both grasses and legumes are important in order to provide the right balance of nutrients and high-quality protein.

After all, experts have found that many owners will find feeding a combination of grass with alfalfa to be the best fit for their horse's needs.

How About A Few Hay Buying Tips


• Don’t buy hay with excessive dust or a musty smell. These can indicate mold formation and the presence of mycotoxins, which could be harmful to your horse.

• Purchase hay from a recommended source or supplier, preferably from someone who can provide a laboratory analysis of the hay.

• Buy as much hay as possible at one time to provide a consistent supply to minimize changes in your horse’s feed supply. See if the hay supplier will sell you a few bales that you can inspect and feed to your horses before making a larger purchase.

• For legume hay, the presence of flowers and large stems are indicative of maturity and this may not be of acceptable quality for your horse. 

• Grab a handful of the hay and give it a hard squeeze. If it hurts your hand, it is probably too stemmy and mature to be good quality horse hay.

• Look for seed heads in grass hay, if they are numerous, large and well-formed, and there are large stems present, the hay is probably too mature and fibrous to be acceptable for horses.

• Inspect the bale and if you see a bright green color, and lots of small leaves and small stems, the hay should be good quality for horses.

Keep in mind that roughage is the foundation of a safe and successful feeding program, so spending time selecting the best forage you can afford to buy is a good investment - for your horse and your wallet.

I hope this has been helpful.


Story by Tom Correa

Was An "Assault Rifle" Even Used At Sandy Hook

Many are saying there was no AR-15 "assault rifle" ever there. And yes, some are questioning if an "assault rifle" was ever used at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut.

That's right, let's talk truth for a while and state the fact that this whole discussion on a ban on guns because they were supposedly used at Sandy Hook Elementary School may be nothing but a sham, a scam, a hoax, all just a lie.

Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance, speaking at an afternoon news conference just before President Obama was to arrive, said "the weapon that was utilized most of the time during the crime was a [.223 caliber] Bushmaster rifle."


The killer, Adam Lanza, also "carried a 9mm Sig Sauer and a 10mm Glock, both handguns," he said, adding that "one of the handguns had been used by the assailant to take his own life."

Vance said the death of the shooter's mother, Nancy Lanza, had officially been ruled a homicide. She was shot and killed by her son at her suburban home before his rampage at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Vance said "all weapons had multiple magazines and ammunition," adding that "each of the magazines had a capacity of approximately 30 rounds."

When asked by reporters how many rounds there were in total, Vance replied: "hundreds."

But there seems to be a problem here, on January 18^th, NBC News released information that four handguns were found inside the school at Sandy Hook.

NBC News went on to quote Federal investigators who said the only rifle found was in the shooter’s car. As one writer put it, "In other words, this entire tragedy had nothing to do with assault-style, military-style, or any other style rifle."

So what is going on here?

FACT: Only two pistols were found with Adam Lanza after he was found dead. Both are semi-automatic handguns.

But then NBC News reported that 4 pistols were retrieved from inside the school. It's true, in a video of the NBC News coverage regarding the massacre, NBC News expert reported that 4 handguns were found inside the school.

FACT: No "assault rifle" or "assault weapon" was ever used at the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre. 

Like millions of others, I heard a reporter say that the police who arrived on scene that morning reported that they found an AR-15 in the shooter's car. Later that evening, I watch as the police opened up the trunk to the shooter's car and their found a Saiga 12 Tactical Shotgun in the trunk of the car.

The public has not seen any pictures of an AR-15 "assault weapon" that was supposedly found in the killer's car.

But a video on YouTube shows an NBC News report where an officer is ejecting the shells out of what appears to be a black Saiga 12 Tactical Shotgun. 

In the video, everyone can plainly see that he is extracting the shells from the shotgun using the bolt handle.

Since AR-15 rifles do not have bolt handles, and instead have a charging handle on top, those are shotgun shells he is ejecting.

FACT: No one has seen the AR-15 that was supposedly taken from both the backseat of the killers car and the inside of the school.

No, that wasn't an error. You see the AR-15 "assault rifle" that they keep saying they found in the school was initially reported to have been in the killer's car. So how could that one gun be in two places, found in the car and found in the school at the same time?

The problem here is two fold: First, while there is a lot of evidence that a Saiga 12 Tactical Shotgun was indeed found on the scene, there isn't any proof that a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle was even there at all.

Second, how can a gun be in two places at once? How can it be what the police say they retrieved from the shooter's car, and yet still be the same gun used by the shooter inside the school?

And honestly, since anyone can see that there was a Saiga 12 Tactical Shotgun from the trunk, why hasn't anyone seen the mysterious Bushmaster AR-15 that was supposedly taken from the car or the school - wherever they want to say it was?

For me, I can only wonder if someone reported the Saiga 12 Tactical Shotgun as being a Bushmaster AR-15? It is possible, but really unprobable.

But then again how can they report that they find an AR-15 in a car - but also report it with the shooter who had supposedly shot all of his victims in the school multiple times with an "assault rifle"?

In spite of the Sandy Hook shootings being the catalyst for liberals going off the deep end, we only know for certain that as was reported by The Washington Post, that the Sandy Hook shooter, Adam Lanza, never used a rifle of any type during his assault on the school's staff and students.

Buried towards the end of the rather lengthy article:

"He had two semi-automatic pistols and a .223-caliber rifle," law enforcement officials said. "He apparently used only the handguns, which were later found in the school. The rifle was found in the vehicle."

And by the way, after you watch that video, ask yourself how is it possible to do what that Medical Examiner is claiming?

He says that the victims were all shot multiple times ( 4 to 6 times each) with .223 caliber bullets from an AR-15 rifle.

Friends, not to be gross here, but really, with as much physical damage that that would do at close range to even a full size man, how can that Medical Examiner actually say with certainty that sort of thing? Especially, without any medical autopsies being preformed?

It just seems fishy. It is horribly fishy that a Medical Examiner would make that sort of quick judgement call without any other evidence other than what was seen in the carnage of the crime scene.

For me, I would love some real answers and not just knee jerk assertions.

I want to know why the rush to judgement be the Medical Examiner. With 29 victims, I would think he's still investigating what took place. But hey, maybe the guy is quick at his job - though I doubt it.

I want to know what sort of medications the killer was on, and why he was taking it? I want to know if any medication that he was on propelled him to act out this horror? And yes, if tests say that his meds can contribute to this behavior, then I want to know why the law doesn't ban using it?

I want to what really happen there? I would like to know how he entered? And no, not just speculation? I read where some guy said that he thought that the killer shot the entry door to pieces and charged in, and others believed it.

And yes, I want to know what anyone is doing to solve school security so that this can't happen again?

It is ironic that there was an attack on Elementary School children in China that very same day that the attack in Newtown Connecticut too place.

The attacker there used a knife to slash at kindergarten kids. Soon after that, China put Security Guards at all of its schools to stop that sort of thing from happening again. And yes, they have a great deal more schools to guard than we do.

So really, since I haven't heard of too move movement in the way of security for our children, I would really love to know what they - those who are so quick to just ban guns - are doing about real and positive actions right now?

I really can't help but wonder if the so-called Progressives, i.e. Liberals, are just using this terrible tragedy to further their Socialist Big Government Anti-Gun agenda?

The way I see it, there should be an investigation conducted by Congress as to what really took place at that school, including finding out exactly what guns were used during the crime?

Since I don't trust the Justice Department under Attorney General Eric Holder who has been convicted of contempt of Congress for withholding information of the Federal Gun Trafficking Operation Fast and Furious, and since he has a stake in furthering the Liberal agenda, I believe Congress would be more diligent about getting to the truth of what took place at that school.

A fair and non-partisan investigation may yield answers as to how to fix the problem of crazies entering and doing such horrible acts? 

We really need to find real long range solutions to help protect society from nutcases who are inspired to act out their fantasies of murder and carnage.

We need to ban extremely graphic Hollywood movies and video games. And yes, for those who have a unquenchable lust for blood on film, we need to take away their venues to which they use to expose the public to such unrealistic crap.

We need solutions, not knee jerk reactions. Especially not from people who live by the philosophy of "not letting a tragedy go to waste" to further a political agenda.

We need to find answers while ensuring that our Civil Rights provided to us by way of the Bill of Rights are not compromised. Yes, something that liberals know nothing about. 

Story by Tom Correa

As Obama Starts His Second Term

He won't dampen the hate his supporters feel!

Back before the last election, Obama supporters warned that America will erupt in violence if Mitt Romney won the election.

Some say their anger was due to Obama's divisive campaign. Some in the know say that his campaign was the most divisive in modern U.S. history. And yes, to say that Obama supporters are peace loving tolerant folks is a load of crap!

While ultra-liberal groups asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate what they called an onslaught of anti-Obama text messages.

Most of the groups saying the same thing in the there were unsolicited messages (spam), which reached an unknown number of people - and according to them were a "blatant" violation of anti-spamming rules and urged the commission to impose the maximum fine on those responsible.

The texts supposedly covered a variety of topics such as gay privilege, abortion abuse, Obama Medicare cuts, and other subjects. Things that Obama supports don't want to hear, never the less receive them.

According to the liberal groups, the messages were sent from websites rather than phone numbers. According to records on GoDaddy.com, a Web registrar, the sites belonged to ccAdvertising, a GOP advertising firm based in Virginia.

While filing complaints with the FCC is their choice, all in an effort to stop conservative organizations from doing what they are doing, these same liberal groups had nothing to say about the unacceptable death threats that were launched by Obama supporters and liberal groups.

When it comes to threatening to kill Mitt Romney, Obama supporters didn't hold back.

Twitchy has compiled a laundry list of assassination threats by Obama supporters made during and after the debates, and more continued right up to the election. Here are examples:

WARNING OBAMA SUPPORTERS USE A GREAT DEAL OF ADULT LANGUAGE WHEN THREATENING TO ASSASSINATE MITT ROMNEY IF HE WERE TO HAVE WON.

The death threats are being made by both black and white people, emphasizing that merely drawing attention to the issue has nothing to do with “race-baiting,” as the Obama front group Think Progress claimed.

It is important to stress that these Twitter accounts are genuine, they are not fakes. Many of them have thousands of previous tweets.

The following Tweets are just some of the ones compiled by Twitchy during and after the debates:

- “If Romney win this election, he might as well wear a shirt that says “Assassinate Me Bitch”.

- “Yall ready to assasinate romney?”

- “Somebody needs to asassinate This mofo Romney.”

- “Romney make me wanna hop through the tv & just assasinate his ass.”

- “I aint gone lie… Food stamps the shit! I mite assasinate romney my damn self if he get elected!”

- “If romney get elected i hope a nigga assasinate his bitchass.

- “No birth control???? Lol rlly Romney the american population is going to overflow and then we’ll have to resort to murder and you’ll be #1.”

- “At this point in time I am completely prepared to MURDER ROMNEY MYSELF!”

- “If Romney win, IM GOING TO JAIL FOR MURDER cuz imma whack his bitch ass ASAP.”

- “If Mitt Romney wins, which I doubt, someone should assassinate him before he ruins the lives of our generation & our children.”

- “IF ROMNEY GETS ELECTED AND TAKES AWAY MY FOOD STAMPS IMA SEND SOMEONE TO MURDER HIS ASS.”

After reading the above posts, you're probably thinking that Obama supporters all sound like a really classy well educated group of people? Right.

It is important to emphasize that these are just a tiny selection of the scores of threats to assassinate Mitt Romney that exploded on Twitter during the final 12 hours before the election. This is not counting what was seen on Facebook or any other social networks.

And as for the FBI, looking into threats to assassinate the president if Mitt Romney were to win?  

Well the FBI's approach to the threats to assassinate Mitt Romney is the very same approach they used toward threats to kill President George W. Bush during his 8 years in office.

I read where the FBI stated something to the effect that they were unconcerned with the threats because "those people are just letting off steam."  

They did make it very clear that all threats to President Obama will be investigated.  

Now Obama supporters are being encouraged by the Obama White House to threaten gun owners and National Rifle Association members.   

Obama supporters all over the country, even those in positions of political leadership are encouraging people to kill anyone who belongs to the NRA.

This is no joke. No kidding!  

NRA president David Keene told talk show host Ernest Istook that he has received "hundreds" of death threats since the first of the year.   Those threats, he said, reflect attempts by liberals and President Obama “to demonize and blame those who disagree with him for everything he doesn’t like.”

Keene said that even his children have also received death threats. Yes, his children.

"My son, who has the same name as I do, had someone post a death threat on his Facebook page," Keene said.

When his son said they had targeted the wrong person, "they came back and said, 'well, now that we know you're their children, we wish you'd be killed,'" Keene added.

NRA president Keene "is literally targeted by a video game that invites people to shoot him, which he calls the 'Kill David Keene' game."

The video game, probably by the same scumbags who made the Kill George W. Bush instructional video, call their hate video "Bullet to the head of the NRA." And yes, it lets players murder NRA officials by shooting them in the head.

"The good news, according to Keene, is that those who play the game are unlikely to be gun owners," Istook wrote.

"Meantime," Istook added, "much of America’s media show little concern for Keene’s safety. Instead, they attack the NRA for its video ad that asserts other schoolchildren deserve the same safety as President Obama’s daughters enjoy at school."

NRA president Keene places part of the blame on the mainstream news media.

"The national media is basically at this point a cheering section for the President, particularly on guns because the elite media has always been a part of the effort to gut the Second Amendment," he said.

Since the Newtown shootings, media personalities like Piers Morgan have targeted supporters of gun rights, while others have expressed their hatred in a variety of ways.

Some, like John Cobarruvias, a member of the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee, have openly called for supporters of the NRA to be killed.

After Obama challenged Americans to stand up to the NRA, national media outlets stepped up their attacks on the NRA, with CBS anchor Bob Schieffer comparing Obama's struggle with the pro-gun group to America's war with Nazi Germany.

Liberals on Twitter call for murder of NRA members after NRA press conference

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre held a press conference in which he blasted the Democrat liberal mainstream media and called for armed police in America's schools.

Predictably, Twitchy said Friday, liberals on Twitter responded by flooding the social media site with calls to murder member of the NRA, including LaPierre.

-"I generally don't condone gun violence, but Wayne Lapierre (sic) should do us a favor and shoot himself in the face," said "Sam Malone's wig."

-"Can...can we shoot...the NRA?" asked "Nicholas Assunto."

-"At times like this I wish that I was an American so that I can shoot the s**t out of Wayne(the w****r Lapierre (ironic Brit) (sic)," added "Elsie Assap."

-Unhinged liberals on Twitter call for murder of NRA members, including CEO Wayne LaPierre.

- "Its time to stop NRA .Kill Wayne LaPierre.They whant war?Its time to kill all NRA top members.Save the children, kill al top NRA members (sic)," tweeted "Ahlberto."

- "'The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to have a good guy with a gun,' LaPierre concluded. someone should shoot this guy," added "Max Erwin."

One person said LaPierre should "f**k himself with an assault rifle," while another suggested that someone "should shoot Wayne LaPierre in his kneecaps."

Yes, as I said before, calling Obama supporters peaceful loving tolerant folks is a load of crap!

After the tragic shooting in Connecticut, liberals, including a member of the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee, called for the murder of NRA members.

Obama supporters claim that the NRA, not Adam Lanza, killed over a dozen children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

"Good thing leftists believe in nonviolence," Twitchy said.

Liberalism is an ideology based on rage and hate. And yes, maybe during Obama's inaugural speech today he'll mention how things have gotten much worse because of his rhetoric - but I doubt it.

And not Obama supporters making threats against the NRA doesn't stop with threats against NRA officials - the bastards want to kill NRA members in general.

CSI Actress Marg Helgenberger says "One can only hope" NRA members are shot dead

CSI Las Vegas gun totting television actress Marg Helgenberger lost a few viewers recently when she let her mouth over-run her ass.

The old actress was responding to a tweet by author Joyce Carol Oates, when actress Marg Helgenberger said "one can only hope" that members of the NRA get shot, Twitchy reported Tuesday.

"If sizable numbers of NRA members become gun-victims themselves, maybe hope for legislation of firearms," Oates tweeted Friday.

"@JoyceCarolOates One can only hope, but sadly I don't think anything would change," the CSI star tweeted in response.

"@MargHelgen @JoyceCarolOates are you encouraging violence against those who dare disagree with you?" asked "Jeremy Avery."

"Congrats for becoming yet another clueless, VIOLENT, liberal 'elite' who shoved her foot in her mouth. Shame on you, lady," added "Conservative Girl."

"Bet you didn't know the NRA was started to arm Free Blacks so they could protect themselves from the Democrat-founded KKK," another person said.

Since the tragic Connecticut school shootings last Friday, liberals across the country have been busy proving that theirs is an ideology of hate and rage.

Instead of blaming the person who pulled the trigger, liberals have blamed the NRA, the Second Amendment and gun owners in general. Many, including Helgenberger, have called for the deaths of NRA members in response to the shootings.

University professor calls for beheading of NRA CEO, calls NRA a terrorist group

Professor with the University of Rhode Island calls for NRA CEO Wayne LaPierreto be decapitated.

Erik Loomis, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, went on a profanity-laced tirade on Twitter, calling the NRA a terrorist organization and saying he wanted to see the head of NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre "on a stick," Campus Reform reported.

-"I was heartbroken in the first 20 mass murders. Now I want Wayne LaPierre's head on a stick," he wrote.

Loomis continued his tirade, blaming the NRA for the school shootings in Connecticut and claiming that reports of his tweet amounts to "intimidation" adding that there is some correlation between conservative reports of his violent messages and those "who think Obama is the Kenyan usurper."

A few of the tweets highlighted by Twitchy include these gems:

-"Can we define NRA membership dues as contributing to a terrorist organization?"

-"I bet terrorist NRA head Wayne LaPierre will sleep well tonight."

-"Larry Pratt and the group Gun Owners of America are terrorists and should be dealt with as such."

Loomis also called for a repeal of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in another tweet linking the NRA to the shootings.

-"The NRA pushes for policies that make it complicit in mass murders in the US and Mexico. Repeal the 2nd Amendment," he added.

Since the shootings, unhinged liberals, including a member of the Texas Democratic Party Executive Committee, have called for the death of NRA members and those who support gun rights in extremely violent tweets.

Texas Democrat Party leader wants NRA members shot!

Yes, liberals on Twitter called for the murder of NRA members.

One of those making the calls was identified Sunday as John Cobarruvias, a blogger, Democratic precinct chairman in the Houston area and a member of the Texas Democratic Executive Committee.

-"Can we now shoot the #NRA and everyone who defends them?" he tweeted.

After reading about the tweets on another site, Yvonne Larsen noticed a familiar name.

"Among the selection of tweets advocating for the murder of NRA President Keene and all NRA members was a name familiar to me; probably familiar to many readers of Houston’s Liberal blog sites," she wrote at Big Jolly Politics.

Larsen said she "pasted a screen shot from the Freedom’s Outpost story in case NASA employee and Democrat Precinct 699 Chair John Cobarruvias of the Houstonblog Bay Area Houston tries to delete his tweet."

"You are an embarrassment to precinct chairs everywhere - and Americans. You sound like the next crazed shooter," one person tweeted in response.

And yes, this jerkweed John Cobarruvias is a NASA employee.

NASA may want to get this man an appointment to see a Psychiatrist ASAP! He sounds as unstable as some of Obama's other supporters.
Ironically, after calling for the deaths of NRA members and their defenders, Cobarruvias called the NRA domestic terrorists.

"Let's face it. The #NRA is nothing but a domestic terrorist organization. They have done NOTHING to stop this violence except make excuses," he added.

Cobarruvias has posted a comment on his Facebook page asking NRA members to "un-friend" him and issued a disturbing message:

"They [NRA members] need to [be] wiped off the face of the earth," he wrote, speaking of the NRA and those who support owning guns.

"Personsally if they were wiped off the planet it wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit," he wrote in another comment.

Liberal newsman calls for killing of NRA members, drag GOP leaders behind trucks

"I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner... to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot..."

Hard-left leaning syndicated columnist Donald Kaul temporarily came out of retirement to call for the killings of National Rifle Association (NRA) members who refused to surrender their legally owned weapons, as reported by NewsBusters.com reporter Tim Graham on Dec. 31, 2012.

The Iowa-based writer recently retired due to health problems, but in the wake of the Sandy Hook School shootings, has emerged to the spotlight of publicity to pen violent threats not only to members of the NRA, but also to torture the top Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress.

As cited by News Busters, Kaul describes his "madder-than-hell-and-I’m-not-going-to-take-it-anymore" program for ending gun violence in America:

“"Repeal the Second Amendment, the part about guns anyway. It’s badly written, confusing and more trouble than it’s worth. It offers an absolute right to gun ownership, but it puts it in the context of the need for a 'well-regulated militia.' We don’t make our militia bring their own guns to battles. And surely the Founders couldn’t have envisioned weapons like those used in the Newtown shooting when they guaranteed gun rights. Owning a gun should be a privilege, not a right."

Kaul failed to mention the constitutional process required to repeal or make changes to any given Constitutional Amendment.

Kaul also failed to remind his readership that many of the Founding Fathers were scientific and mechanical innovators themselves.

It would defy common sense to adhere to the belief that the Founders ever believed the evolution of firearms has ceased and would remain at the level of Kentucky Long Rifles and Brown Bess Muskets.

Kaul stretches his credibility when stating that "we" made membership in the Communist Party "illegal," as well as leveling a none-too-subtle threat on the lives of American who happen to be law abiding citizens:

“"Declare the NRA a terrorist organization and make membership illegal.

Hey! We did it to the Communist Party, and the NRA has led to the deaths of more of us than American Commies ever did. (I would also raze the organization’s headquarters, clear the rubble and salt the earth, but that’s optional.) Make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony."  Kaul said.

But he didn't stop there, as he went on to say, "If some people refused to give up their guns, that 'prying the guns from their cold, dead hands' thing works for me."

Not quite done, the ultra-left writer made it very clear as to what he would personally do.

“"Then I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, our esteemed Republican leaders, to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot until they saw the light on gun control,." he said.

The responsibility for the physical protection of both McConnell and Boehner falls upon the Chief of the Capitol Police in conjunction with both the Senate and House Sergeants-at-Arms.

According to 18 USC (United States Code) § 115, Kaul's threat alone could result on a 10 year prison sentence if found guilty.

If an assault as described by Kaul was carried out and should result in serious bodily injury to either Senator McConnell or Representative Boehner, the sentence could be up to a 30 year stretch in federal prison.

So will Kaul be investigated by the FBI? No, he's an Obama supporter. So yes, he like those in Hollywood or in America's Universities, or in the Democrat Party, or some how affiliated with the Democrat Party, all get a pass.

Yup, they get a pass to say anything they want. If like Obama, they too want to incite and encourage felony homicide - then so be it. They can because Obama is in power.

If Conservatives did any of the things that I have posted in this article, they would be jailed - or at least investigated.

You see, as Obama starts his second term, he is still in campaign mode. All in an effort to get his agenda passed.

He will not try to relieve the fear that more and more Americans have pertaining to his curtailing of our civil rights under the constitution. He will not stop the loose talk about killing NRA members.

He will not come out and say that he is appalled by those of his supporters who are making reference to doing harm to law abiding citizens.

He will not even come out and show himself as a leader and tell the country that there is nothing wrong with the NRA, that that organization was founded by men who wanted to give free slaves rifles to fight the terror of the Ku Klux Klan.

“A Winchester Rifle should have a place of honor in every black home, ” said by civil rights icon Ida B. Wells Barnett.

Born in the midst of the Civil War in 1862, born the daughter of slaves in Holly Springs, Mississippi, she became an early leader in the civil rights movement -  years before Dr Martin Luther King Jr was born.

On this day, the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, Obama should remember that it was the National Rifle Association who opposed gun laws that restricted black Americans from gun ownership and offered support to black Americans seeking to defend themselves with firearms. 

Even as recently as the late 1950s and 60s, retired Marine Robert Williams opened a chapter of the NAACP in Monroe, North Carolina. Monroe was also Klan country, and the KKK mounted several vicious assaults against black Americans in Monroe.  

In 1960, Williams applied for and was granted a charter to establish an NRA chapter in Monroe; the NRA provided firearms and training materials. Mr. Williams and other black NRA members in Monroe subsequently successfully defended themselves with firearms against an attack coordinated between the KKK and the local police.

Trust me when I say that this sort of history does not help Obama's case to ban guns or start a national database for law abiding gun owners.

Can you just imagine how helpful it would have been to the KKK or sympathizing local police departments if they had a database to know exactly which black American was a gun owner and which was not?

Can you imagine what it would have been like if they knew who could defend themselves and who would be completely helpless? Or who the local law had to see when wanting to confiscate their guns?

It would have been like giving Hitler all of the addresses where to find Jews, especially those armed!

Obama will keep this truth from his supporters. After all, he needs them to be angry. And yes,I feel that he will no doubt lie to his supporters - if he does not fully lie, I'm sure he will dance around and evade the truth.

Obama will not talk about how all blacks should be supporters of the NRA.

He will not tell us the fact that Dr Martin Luther King, Jr was denied a concealed weapons permit on the basis of his skin color and it was the NRA who defended him. 

He will not remind Americans that, as with slavery itself, it was the Republican Party and the NRA that were on the side of black people.

He will not mention that it was Democrats, backed by the Democrat Party, that maned the fire hoses and the dogs in Selma and other places. Yes, they were Democrats.

I believe, that as he starts his second term, he will increase the rhetoric to inflame his supporters. Instead of putting out the fires that divide us, he will fan the flames of hatred between income earners, religious groups, and political parties.

And yes, against all of the teaching of Rev Martin Luther King, President Barack Hussein Obama will not do anything to unite Americans of all colors, faiths and ideologies. Instead he will increase the racial divide, and stoke the flames of hate.

It wasn't enough to make history by being the first black man to be president. He has to remind us daily that the color of his skin is vital to who he is as a man and president.

And yes, after reading about the different presidents, I can't think of any other president who is so absorbed with his ethnicity while in office as Obama is.

While he is the first black President, that saw has really gotten old. It is now a matter of who cares. No one cares about him being a black man, only he does.

He is the first modern President who has made it his mission to get all Americans to focus more on the color of a man's skin than on the greatness of a man's character.

Because of that, I feel that on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial, that he has spit on the efforts of great men like Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

I remember as a boy, hearing the words, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

I was brought up with the belief that America wants to be a color-blind society. And yes, that was what Dr King worked so hard for.

Yet now the dream of a color-blind society that Dr King wanted so badly, has been lost on a fool like Obama who wants to make his color his priority.

It is interesting to note that 50 years ago, Malcolm X called, the famous March on Washington, the "Farce on Washington". Back then, the Nation of Islam forbade its members from attending the march.

By his actions, and not his lip service, it seems that maybe Obama has more in common with Malcolm X then he has in common with Dr Martin Luther King Jr. It is just my opinion, but like Malcolm X, I believe Obama is a hatemonger setting one American against the other.

In Dr King's effort to see an America that was truly color-blind, he marched with the hope to see positive changes in how we Americans treat each other. He preached unity.

He tried to end racial segregation in public schools, have meaningful civil rights legislation including a law prohibiting racial discrimination in employment, protection of civil rights workers from police brutality, a minimum wage for all workers, and a nation where all will not be judged by the color of their skin - but by the content of their character.

On this the 50th anniversary of the March, the second day of the beginning of his second term, I wish Obama would be concerned about unity, about something other than himself, about upholding the Civil Rights of all Americans as set fourth in our Bill of Rights.

I wish Obama were half the man that Rev King was, but he is not.

I don't say that because he is a black man. I say that because he is a divisive president.


Story by Tom Correa

Horses - All About Captain Jack

After losing my horse Murphy a little over a year ago, I didn't know if I really wanted to look for another horse for me to ride.

In a lot of ways, my closeness to Murphy was like that of a father to a son - more than just an owner for a horse. And yes, I saw him as one of a kind because he was everything that I ever wanted in a horse.

Though he was a typical American Quarter Horse in characteristics and temperament and abilities, he wasn't perfect.

He didn't like to sit still in the box when I decided to start roping again. And it is very true, he didn't like crossing water or wooden bridges. But those things were very minor when I consider all of his other attributes.

All in all, he had a great "cow sense" and he gave me a full days work when moving cows. Fact is, he didn't give me the hard time that other horses gave others - both during gatherings or on the trail.

He was never shy to go where I pointed him on our back country rides. Thick brush, unknown trails, predators in the distance, over log, up or down hillsides, rain or heat, day or night, we went everywhere for years.

And when it came to helping others move cows or gather, he had a second wind that he'd find somehow from somewhere. I thought he was all heart at times, but especially on those long days when we were out searching for cows or calves much longer than we thought.

After losing Murphy, I thought that I had no need to want another horse for me. But really, I was almost positive that I'd never find another horse like him. Yes, I really didn't think that I'd find another that would come close.

Well, that only last until just after last winter. About May, I really missed riding. And though we have other horses, I didn't trust any of them to carry me where I wanted to go. I knew I needed a bigger more able-bodied horse than what I have already.

So, it was then that I started to look for another horse again.

Over a period of months, I saw many horses. Some were very nicely built, good temperaments, great dispositions, easy to handle, calm, stood tied very well, were hoof broke, and all in all seemed like great horses. But for some reason, none were the ones that I wanted for me.

And yes, that's the way it went all spring, and summer and into the fall. But then at the beginning of last November, I was talking with a few friends over at the American Legion here in Glencoe. They told me about this strapping horse that one of the local cowboys up here owned - and was looking to sell.

The cowboy's name is Craig and he's known to be a real good hand with horses. I found out that he was getting ready to move to Wyoming to work with his brother on his cattle operation there. He was selling all of his horses that weren't making the trip with him.

The guys told me that a horse named "Captain Jack" was one that wasn't going, that he was a stout strong quarter horse, and that Craig was looking for a buyer who would give Jack a good home.

I met with Craig and talked about horses for awhile. He already knew that I have a few horses, but he didn't know that I was looking for a horse study enough to carry my weight.

Yes, thanks to steroidal medications, I have successfully put on enough weight for two average size men.

I told him about two of my bigger horses and how they both turned out to be lightweights when it came to being able to pack me around. One groaned and stepped out as if carrying the weight of the world. The other was a 16.2 hands Thoroughbred - it's hind end buckled on the first try, and on the second try he just stood there with his legs shaking.

On a visit to Old Town Sacramento, I stopped a few mounted Sheriff's Deputies who were astride some fairly sturdy looking horses. I found out that they were Belgian Quarter Horse Crosses. They were adopted PMU (Pregnant Mare Urine) horses.

I immediately wanted to know more about them, including making a few calls to adoption facilities. All in all, no luck at all.

But what this experience did do was give me an idea of what I needed in the line of breeds to search for, as I honestly never thought of a Belgian Quarter Horse Cross as an option.

Craig told me about Captain Jack.

He said he was built very strong and beefy, wide chest, straight legs, with an all around good temperament. He assured me that Captain Jack was a good riding horse trail riding and for moving cows, but was a lousy rope horse.

When Craig mentioned his name was Captain Jack, his daughter overheard it and giggled. Yes, she giggled!

So I wanted to know why? I know it's not unusual to name a horse an odd name, but I also know that it's not usually a good sign when a kid who knows the horse - knows something about the horse to make he giggle at the mention of its name.

So I wanted to know, why did they call him Captain Jack?

Craig sort of grinned and laughed a little then finally said, "We named him after Captain Jack Sparrow, the pirate!"

Now I'm not usually one for movies these days simply because they have way too much unrealistic over-exaggerated violence. Many movies have nothing to do with realism and everything to do with a sort of blood lust that movie makers seem to have these days. Many are so graphic, yet there is nothing real about them.

 But even with that being said, yes, even I know who Captain Jack Sparrow is.

Of course, for the life of me, I had no idea why anyone would pick that character to name their horse after, so I asked why Captain Jack Sparrow?       

"Because he only has one eye like a pirate," his daughter answered.

"One eye?" I asked. "No peg leg or parrot I hope?"

"No," Craig answered smiling. "But really, he does only have one eye. One is good and the other is blind. He's been that way since I've had him, and I got him when he was about three. He's now 8."

Curiosity is a double edged sword. One side enables us to learn and experience things that we may never have before, good and bad. The other may revel to us a side of us that we don't want seen, by ourselves or others.

Curiosity had me, and I wanted to see this one-eyed horse named after a movie pirate. I was just hoping that my curiosity would not have me bring home another horse that I could not use for me.

And yes, I have to admit that I was curious if this one-eyed horse only walked around in circles? I was hoping I was wrong.

There are a lot of horses looking for homes these days. More and more owners are having to get rid of their horses simply because of the times we live in.

Democrat politicians want higher taxes at every turn, and by doing this they are doing absolutely nothing to help bring down the constant rise in the cost of living. They don't care as long as they get our money, more and more of our money.

Those who may have a horse, whether it was their kid's horse or maybe a horse used for recreation riding or more, are having a harder time keeping them. People just can't keep them because of the cost of boarding or feed or both.

Today, believe it or not, horses are literally being set free instead of keeping them and finding a home for them. More and more are ending up in shelters, animal control, and rescue operations than ever before.

My wife and I have taken in a few horses who might have ended up in horrible positions. They are horse just looking for homes. All they want is a place where they can live out there days.

Looking back on how I got Murphy, and the miserable condition he was in when I bought him, he was surely a rescue horse.

In Murphy's case, because he was too much horse for the owner and she couldn't ride him, she stopped feeding him on a regular basis to save money. Imagine that if you would. You buy a horse and then realize that he is too much to handle, so you starve him and let his hooves and all go to ruin.
 
Yes, I believe it is criminal.

I didn't know what I'd find when I'd see Captain Jack. I know Craig is a good hand and cares for all of his livestock. I knew I wouldn't find a horse that wasn't being cared for. I just wanted to see if he was worth buying and giving a good home.

We arranged to meet so that I could check him out. And when my wife and I arrived, we talked awhile before going out to the pasture and seeing Captain Jack.

My first impression, what caught my eye first, was his build. He was build like the old style American Quarter Horses of years gone by.

For you folks in other countries who read my blog, the American Quarter Horse is an American breed of horse that has the ability to outdistance other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less. Some folks have clocked them at speeds of up to 55 mph (88.5 km/h).

The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States today, and the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest breed registry in the world with more than 5 million American Quarter Horses registered.

Quarter Horses are well known both as race horses and for their performance.

Their compact body is well-suited to the intricate and speedy maneuvers required in reining, cutting, as working cow horse, in barrel racing, calf roping, trail riding, gatherings, and other western riding events, especially those involving live cattle.

They are also shown in English disciplines, such as dressage, driving, and many other equestrian activities.

The modern American Quarter Horse is said to have a small, short, refined head with a straight profile, and a strong, well-muscled body, featuring a broad chest and powerful rounded hindquarters.

They usually stand between 14 and 16 hands high, although some Halter-type and English hunter-jumper type horses may grow as tall as 17 hands.

Quarter Horses usually have an innate "cow sense" and can anticipate the movement of cattle.

And yes, that's the reason that they are so popular with cattlemen and cowboys. Quarter Horses just seem to have a natural instinct for working cattle.

They usually come in one of two different body types. One is what is known as the "stock" type which is really the more old style Quarter Horses of yesteryear, and the other is the "hunter-jumper" or "racing" type that have had too much of an influx of Thoroughbred bloodlines - that tall and sleek look is fine for some, but not for me.

Captain Jack is definitely a stock type of Quarter Horse. He is a stocky, tough, all-purpose horse.

He has alert ears and a blaze that goes from his eye to his muzzle sort of diagonal down his face. Because of the blaze going diagonally down his face, at time he looks as though his head is tilted when it isn't.

His chest is wide and broad, forelegs are set wide apart. At about 15 hands, he is not too tall. He has a straight profile, short back, and a very strong well-muscled body. In fact, his shoulder muscles caught my eye first off. Then it was his disposition.

Like most Quarter Horses, he has a good disposition and is pretty gentle. Where some horses can be a pain in the rump because they're either too skittish or pushy, Captain Jack is calm and easy to be around.   

Oh, and yes, they weren't kidding me, he only has one good eye. The other is clouded over which I assume means that it is dead. Also, it is interesting to note that like with people, he has learned to compensate pretty well without the one eye.

Compensating? Well, yes, since God has given us two eyes for a reason. The reason being to see things better in stereo so to say, which enables us to have better depth perception and such.

An old Cowboy buddy Leonard lost one eye years ago. Over the years he has learned to compensate to defeat any problems with depth perception. He drives and does everything that anyone with two eyes can do. And yes, even now into his 70s, he ropes with the best of them.

So why it that such a big deal to me? Friends, I once worked in construction as a sheet metal worker and welder. During that time, especially when grinding welds, over the years now and then, very tiny pieces of metal would get pass my safety glasses and into my eyes.

After going to the Emergency Room to fish them out, they would apply some ointment and a bandage over my eye and send me on my way. I found that my depth perception was a wreck.

It was hard to drive because it was hard to tell how far I was from another car, how far I was from putting something down on a table, or even putting my front door key in its lock.

So that's why I say that learning how to compensate with having only one eye is a pretty good trick. And yes, roping can be tough enough at times, now try doing it with one eye closed and then see how hard it is?

So yes, I'm pretty proud of  my old Cowboy buddy Leonard for doing what he does.

Now as for Captain Jack, I wanted to see how he does with only one eye.

Jack is basically a Quarter Horse who looks and acts like what Quarter Horses used to be. And yes, in his case, like the greater percentage of Quarter Horses out there, he is a sorrel.

I really liked the way he was built, and his disposition was great. So the questions became how did he ride and does that eye screw him up somehow?  

Well, Craig had Jack saddled up for his teenage daughter. But before she got in the saddle, Craig lifted and trimmed all four hooves. It was good to see that Jack was calm the whole time. 

Once he was done, he gave his daughter a leg up and she moved him around their round pen with ease. It was nice to see that Jack was calm and didn't move out until she ques him.  

After being in the round pen for a few minutes, she left there and walked up the road with him. She left our sight, but finally returned about 15 minutes later . He seemed a little hoof sore, but I wrote that off to Craig trimming his hooves a little too close.  

Once back, we removed her small women's saddle and replaced it with my 42 pound Tex Tan Prescott Rancher saddle with its 17 inch seat.  

Jack stood calm and easy the whole time I saddled him. I was a little surprised that he didn't take in air like Murphy used to do when I would cinch him up on the first go.

He took my bit and bridle easy enough and wasn't head shy when I was putting his ears through the headstall. These were all real good signs.  

After I had him saddled, I climbed aboard and asked my wife how he looked?  Since she was there when I climbed atop our 16.2 hands Thoroughbred that had its hind end buckled on the first try, and on the second try he just stood there with his legs shaking, I asked again how Jack looked once I was aboard?  

Knowing what I was talking about, she laughed and said that he was just standing on three legs. Yes, he was so calm and at ease that he had one leg lifted cocked and relaxed. It was as if indicating that he'd have no problem packing me at all.   

After that, I rode him around the round pen. I was looking for his movement and sense of direction. Besides making sure he could carry me, more than anything else I wanted to see if he had problems turning in the direction of his bad eye.   

I wanted to see if his not having one eye would be a hindrance of some sort. I'm happy to report that it wasn't.   

Once I was dismounted, Craig and I talked a while. I was very happy to buy Captain Jack, And yes, I really missed not riding and I wanted to get back in the saddle.   

I'm happy to say that he is a good riding horse. He has slower movements, and a smooth gait, though he still has the powerful hindquarters characteristic of the Quarter Horse.  

At first, he has shown himself to be a little ornery with the other horses while they establish the new pecking order around here. But that was two months ago, and yes, all seems to have settled down a little more these days.

Craig seems pretty happy that Captain Jack has a good home. And honestly, I think Craig is also happy about being able to help a friend find a good horse.

So yes, Captain Jack, or One Eyed Jack as a poker buddy calls him, is a horse that I like and can ride with ease.

Jack is a great addition to our family. Since he's only 8 years old, I'm hoping to have him as my primary riding horse for awhile.

As for working cows, I really don't know how "cowy" he is, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. And maybe, just maybe before I start moving cow with him, I'll find a patch for his bad eye?

Maybe one with a skull and cross bones that would make him look more like a pirate? After all, I could have sworn that just the other day I heard him say "Arr"!

Story by Tom Correa