ICE The elephant in the room

[Bluey]

Our riding center growing up was run by a retired military officer from the cavalry.
He always insisted everyone, grooms or riders, paid attention so a horse would NOT get loose.
It was not who the horse was, but that a loose horse would cause everyone trouble, including itself.
It was up to the one on the end of the lead rope/reins to insure they always were paying attention and keeping the horse’s attention on what they were doing.

He would say, in the military, if a soldier of any level would lose a horse, it better had a great excuse, because if not, it was kitchen duty for the next week, including the highest officer.
Kitchen duty was peeling a million potatoes and making a million trips with buckets full of potato peelings to the trash pit.

Our instructor would then make sure everyone, at every time, always knew where, how to handle/tie/lead their horse properly.
He didn’t mind repeating himself a million times, always patiently explaining and demanding everyone did as told.
As he would repeat, it was in the horse’s best interest first that we had to do any we did with the horse properly, every time, every situation.

Yes, there are inevitable accidents, but even those some times are caused by inattention and that was our task, to pay attention, until it became second nature to do things right.

I think yes, you need to try to stay with your horse, but first you need to manage your horse so we are not where we are in trouble and need to stick with it and yes also, if the situation gets dangerous, do let go and try to manage catching horse before real trouble happens because of a loose horse.
Both are right, do try to stay with your horse and if you can’t, do turn loose, don’t die trying!

[endlessclimb]

I’m all for that! I’m not going to let a slightly froggy one go, but a committed one, or one that’s looking to hurt me? Heck yes I am. Now, I put darn good manners on my horses so it would be a VERY unusual thing to have happened to cause that kind of explosion - but, horses are horses and stuff happens.

[Angela_Freda]

@Impractical_Horsewoman

Amen. But the attitude that “the barn worker’s life (and health, even though they have no insurance) is worth less than the expensive horse” is a very common one I’ve seen at many barns, especially fancy show barns. And that’s yet another reason why people often don’t want to work with horses as barn workers if they have other options.

Barns and owners who do not supply the workers with the tools they need; lead ropes longer than 4’, chains, leather covered chains, properly fitted halters, etc.

Barn workers given side eye if they wear protective clothing like gloves, … even helmets for certain situations.
Gates that don’t open easily, properly, but instead need to be lifted onto/off of a rock, a piece of wood, the post, etc to open and close… that are situated such that the handler and horse are boxed into a corner when opening/closing… requiring handlers to lead two horses at a time… Driver’s traveling the driveways near turnout at excessive speeds…

I’ve got a long list of things like this that actually happened on farms I’ve worked
.

[cutter99]

@LCDR

Where I live, a city known for its equestrian activities, there is only one way into and out of the very large hispanic community where many of the horse farm workers live. ICE will not have to enter private properties at all, just set up a check point on the public road,

I don’t have any employees myself, but those in my equestrian community who have barn employees and use yard crews report many employees and other workers have gone missing from their jobs this week. Whether or not these workers are legal or not fear has set in. That I think is what Project 2025 intended to happen.

In 2014, we gut renovated a farmhouse in Tennessee. One of the contractors, who did a majority of the reframing, roofing, etc. had a workforce mainly comprised of Mexican nationals, who were here legally. All were here legally.

A year or so before they did our property, ICE raided another job they were on in a neighboring county. Took everyone into custody, and as they were doing it, the foreman, who was a naturalized citizen, told them everyone on the site was there legally and had the paperwork to prove it.

ICE wanted to hear or see nothing about it, took everyone into custody, and it required the contractor to hire an attorney, and the threat of lawsuits, to help move ICE along. It shut the job site down for the better part of a week, and there was not a single arrest or deportation because of it.

Turned out that a rival contractor had reported this crew to ICE as a means to cause issues. There was no consequence to the rival contractor for his actions.

As a side note, these were some of the nicest, most hardworking people I ever met. They would typically work 10-12 hours days during the week, and worked the occasional Saturday. If they worked on Saturday, they would grill a communal noon meal in the backyard. I lived in a camper on the property during the renovation, and on Saturdays there would be a knock on the camper door inviting me to come eat with them. Most barely spoke English, and they lived as simply as possible so they could send money home to their families.

I joked with them about teaching me to curse in Spanish, and they looked horrified, but did teach me one bad word!

I will always be thankful for my experience with that crew as they taught me to look below the surface and see and understand what is truly happening!

[Bluey]

I was new to this stable and had two to start under saddle.
Was going to ride the filly and led the colt to turnout, a beautiful 4 year old fat and sassy black TB colt.
He was handling like a real puppy dog, I was attentive, but he didn’t indicate anything at all as we walked out of the barn and all of a sudden he got stiff and reared and came close playfully, invitingly, not to paw me.
I threw arms up and was waving lead rope around instinctively, it got wrapped on a front leg, he came down and the rope tripped him and he measured his length on the gravel.
He got up with a surprised sideways look at me, that had walked over and picked the lead rope and started checking him over.
He seemed ok and we both walked over carefully to his turnout, he a real gentleman, still wondering what magic I used to do that, I think.

Later they told me he was a handful, they forgot to mention it. Really? Thanks!

Colt never again put a foot wrong with me and was a wonderful quiet colt, don’t know where that friskiness came from, never saw it again by the time I left there.
Story to show, sometimes things just happen.

[cutter99]

@MHM

@Nikki

Sorry, but they have to go home because they broke the law. This goes for all; Irish, Scottish, Polish, Russian, Italians etc.

Do you think ICE is going after the illegal immigrants from those countries?

Absolutely not because they are the “right” color!!!

[endlessclimb]

You’re fired.

[Quincy]

@CBoylen

However you feel about it, it’s the bottom line most places, whether it’s racehorses or show horses. Horse may be a stallion or worth several million dollars, the linchpin of someone’s entire career or just little Suzy’s best friend, but if you are responsible for its wellbeing you do not let it loose.

I’ve never encountered this mentality and was never instructed to never let go of a lead rope. And I’ve worked with Olympic horses.

[tabula_rashah]

I’ve never had a groom work for me but I’ve definitely worked with horses that were worth more than me lol.

[Nikki]

Oh noes. The muh native amaerican argument. You are more than welcome to give your property back to them and move back to your country.

[Nikki]

Wrong again [edit]. When I was in Boston, the illegal Irish were sent home a lot. Lots of people come here the proper way and got their citizenship. People from Ethiopia, India, England, Ireland, South America, etc.

They went through the proper channels, got spots here’s, didn’t commit crimes and became citizens.

[enjoytheride]

All current reports are that ICE is only interested in people who look Hispanic. They do not ask for documents from anyone else.

If they end up w someone who hasn’t broken the law in one of these raids they deport them too.

[Nikki]

Yes indeed. When I was in Boston, the Irish were always being deported for overstaying their visas. When I hosted students, from Ireland and Saudi Arabia, they made sure to get back once the visa expired or they would be deported and banned from entering the country for a long time.

[Edit]

[Quincy]

@Nikki

When I was in Boston, the Irish were always being deported for overstaying their visas.

How long ago was this?

[Nikki]

Educate yourself. When I lived in Boston, I worked with people from Ethiopia, India, Ireland, England, South America you name it. They went into this country, the correct way, got sponsorship and worked their way to become a citizen. When Renuka got her citizenship, we all celebrated at work for her. She was very happy. People that come here legally do have a path of citizenship. I have a friend from Belfast Ireland that came here legally and obtained sponsorship. He pays his taxes, renews his green card and stays out of trouble.

My great grandparents immigrated from Italy when Mussolini came into power to America and entered it legally.

Illegal aliens do not pay taxes. The illegal aliens Are criminals because they broke the law. And if you’re hiding any illegals from law-enforcement, you will be arrested too.

So save your virtual signing Because the laws the law.

[MHM]

Bless your heart.

[cutter99]

@Nikki

Wrong again, racist. When I was in Boston, the illegal Irish were sent home a lot. Lots of people come here the proper way and got their citizenship. People from Ethiopia, India, England, Ireland, South America, etc.

They went through the proper channels, got spots here’s, didn’t commit crimes and became citizens.

You do not know me, and don’t you dare call me a racist.

Go right ahead and stick your damn head in the sand.

If you think people are not being removed from this country due to the color of their skin, you are worse than naive. You are choosing to be willfully blind, and that is the nicest thing I can say about you!

ETA- My grandchildren are the color of skin of people being removed from this country! Born here to legal parents. But, that might not matter in the end. I have a vested interest in this!

[sascha]

@tabula_rashah

I’ve never had a groom work for me but I’ve definitely worked with horses that were worth more than me lol.

No, no, you have not. I hope the lol was the sincere part of your post.

[Nikki]

I lived there from 2013-2019. I lived in Dorechester in and Irish neighborhood. Immigration is very strict when applying for a green cards.

There’s always a joke that someone who wants to stay in America will marry an American woman or man. Some men or women will pay Americans to marry them as a form of contract. One horse trainer that wanted to stay America and propose that he would give one of his horses to anyone that would marry him. This is also illegal and if caught have dire consequences.

[tabula_rashah]

meh we are all but one drop in a vast ocean- mostly inconsequential in reality