RE: Dry Ground

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

Drinjim:

One of the most important points is that the horse evolved in a dryland,
steppe type environment not as a swamp dweller. We keep our horse on dry
hillside pasture (sage, rabbit brush, cheat grass, decomposed granite land)
We do not have the foot and hoof problems of those in the area that pasture
on irrigated land.

One other thing to realize. The agencies do not want to go to a condemnation
proceeding if at all possible. This can become a very long drawn out route
for them. Go to the local Farm Bureau and enlist their aid. Write letters to
the local paper on the injustice as you see it. Speak with your State Horse
Council (not sure if MT has one but it is worth looking at) As a last
resort, hold out for additional compensation for the inconvenience that the
relocated pasture will cause over a period of years.

Bob Morris

-----Original Message-----
From:	Drin & Jim Becker [mailto:rainbow@montana.com]
Sent:	Monday, October 11, 1999 2:58 PM
To:	ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject:	RC:  Dry Ground

I have a favor to ask of you guys , and it does involve endurance riding in
the long run ! We live next to a gravel road which the FS has designated a
"scenic byway" , so needless to say they are going to pave the road , the
FS and the fedral highway people are taking/condemning about 3 &1/2 acres
from us along the road , now this land is above a ditch so is basically
dryland and my only really dry horse pasture  as anything below the ditch
is creek bottom and irrigated land . My endurance horse Bo has soft soles
and if left in irrigated ground is pretty much unrideable even with pads on
unless I use easy boots . I have tried all the remedies to harden his soles
with no luck at all .After they take the roadway and right away ground
there will not be enough left there for a pasture as it will just be a long
skinny section . These "road people" are not horseman and when I tell them
why I need this land they just look at me with a blank stare , what I would
ask you guys to do for me is to just write me a letter stating why it is
not a good idea to keep a horse like mine in irrigated ground all the time
and the benifits that dry ground has for a horse like mine . If I lose this
ground then I will have to move Bo to another area of our ranch which is 2
miles away by road or a good 1/2 mile walk  and I don't need to tell you
what a pain that will be to feed and ride him every day . The more letters
the better as it will be more proof that I am not making this up . I will
be printing your letters out and giving them to the people doing the road
aquisition . So please evryone write ! Thanks
                               Drin Becker
                               Mtn. Region


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=