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[RC] Comment to Maryanne's Egyptian post - Andrea DayHaving lived in Idaho most of my life and seen how truly HARD people and horses can work in the backcountry, I wasn't near as surprised as most Americans at the severe life of the horses of Turkey, which in many ways must be similar to the animals of Egypt that Maryanne described in her email. (Dot Wiggins always said to give her horses a break from working cows she took them to a 50 mile ride ;)I have almost come to blows with people who mistreat their animals .... While I did see some evidence of abuse in Turkey, and remonstrated with the owners--I'm sure a waste of (unintelligible English) words--I have to say that there is abuse everywhere. Maybe it's easier to pick it out in a Third World country, but don't kid yourself, the plethora of rescue groups in the USA indicate it occurs here way more often then it should. Americans have NO excuse; we HAVE access to the knowledge and the means. And Maryanne, I've almost come to blows at an endurance ride, too. My Bad ;) My feeling is most people treat their animals as well as they can. At most stops horses have loosened harness and are eating from a gunny sack full of barley, bran, and chopped straw. I've seen horses being watered from a 5 gallon bucket on a really hot day, stood under sunshades woven of reeds or branches (both probably rare in the desert) and sheltered under felt blankets in the winter cold, or completely swathed--horse, cart, and goods--in builder's plastic during the rainy season (no duct tape though). Those are the lucky ones, that the owner has the resources and owns a bucket, a blanket, or a sheet of plastic. One comment about watering a horse--my Idaho neighbor, and old cowman, believed that drinking water while working on a hot day simply led to more and greater thirst for man and beast. He told me that a real man and a good horse could work all day without a drink, and that watering a hot and working horse would lead to colic and founder--a fairly common, if old-fashioned, belief. I never had a chance to question the Turks on this, but wonder if that might be so in the Middle East also, as I have read that the Bedouins staked young blooded horses out all day in the sun without water to toughen them up. but the majority of the farmers are working in the complete dark of illiteracy and ignorance and are doing their best. Like camphor and poultices for galls, and motor oil on their feet (shudder)--but hey, I've seen it used here, too. It just isn't very good...not for the animals, not for themselves, not for their children. In fact, in many cases their animals get better care than the family do.....but honestly, that isn't saying much. I never could understand why the "poor horsie" contingent could never see that behind the reins of a thin horse working a 14 hour day was a thin man, and he was lucky if he had an onion, a tomato, and a bite of coarse bread for lunch. Invariably though, when my husband or I would talk to them they would offer to share what they had--their hospitality is incredible. And yes, the horse's shoes are overgrown, but they ARE shod against the pavement, while their owners use newspaper inside their shoes for the holes. A new set of horseshoes may mean NO new shoes for their kids. Which would be YOUR priority, more grain for your horse or food for your children? Imagine if that had to be your choice. Life is actually possible for the Turks--having stayed with a poor farm family in a house built of manure brick with the family cow on the first floor (fewer cockroaches than in the Base housing), eaten goat cooked over a manure fire (surprisingly tasty) and drank water from a community well (achingly cold and as good as my own home well) I know it's not the worst of all worlds. It?s cumbersome and there are few amenities, but they have wonderful homegrown fresh fruits and vegetables, laughter, song, color, dignity, faith, and an incredible sense of family and community. . But I can hardly fathom how the Kurds live. The ones I saw were migrant workers and follow the summer harvest. They have no home; they are squatters. One misty January, Dennis and I drove down to the bird sanctuary to see the flamingos. I saw people living in reed huts covered with plastic built in the mud on the salt flats of the coast. They drink brackish water from the irrigation wells--sometimes hauled for miles in olive oil cans turned buckets. Many of the children were barefoot and coatless, and there were toddlers in no pants--in the winter. There were women gleaning in the fields for enough grain to make gruel. In thinking about the people of the Middle East, I have to feel a great sorrow for the situations of the people (and livestock)in Iraq. This is NOT a political statement. Either side: Don't start! _________________________________________________________________ MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
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