What a shame! Hang in there… 
I bet as you looked outside at the stars tonight you saw Pegasus rising. ( looks like a large box) Fall is such a glorious time for stars.
Wish I had arms long enough to reach you.
Sweet dreams
You know, I feel very sorry for Musical_Jumper now. As horrible as this whole situation has been and as disgusted and angry as it made me to think someone was unable to recongize a pathetically skinny and sick horse in their care, I still feel sorry that out there is this 16 year old girl who is dealing with the knowledge that she contributed to the death of the animal that she did indeed love in her own way.
I agree with everything that has been posted above, and yet I still feel for her. I do not understand, nor can comprehend, how she was unable to recognize what she was doing to her own horse, (or her parents lack of intervention either!! 
) it makes me suspect that all is not right with her in more than one way, and it is saddening that a girl so young has had such negative influences in her life that lead her to an inability to either accept truth and reality or to recognize suffering. I for one hope that Tiffany gets the counseling she so obviously needs.
I still feel sorry for Seger though
i have been following your stories for a while and feel like i actually met your horses.
this is heartbreaking…
I haven’t been on the BB for a while and am not “in the know” about all the allegations. I do know that my 16 year old would be devastated by the loss of her horse and I assume MJ is very upset by all this.
But- I think that her parents must have been insane to think that a 16 year old can handle the expenses of a horse singlehandedly and it is way too much to expect a child to shoulder all the responsibility for an ailing pet, regardless of the diagnosis. I think adult intervention earlier on would have only helped matters.
Lastly, as one who has dealt with equine ulcers, it is not that big a deal when diagnosed and treated promptly. It will put a performance horse off his game and make him lose condition, but unless there is some other ailment - recovery can be quick and total. Been there, done that- very recently.
So, my condolences to MJ and Seger’s pony companion as they both come to terms with their loss.
I certainly hope there is some “shocked horror” on the part of MJ and her parents, although frankly I am not getting that impression based upon the information in Touche’s posts…
“Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.” - Dennis Miller
UCLA football RULES…Undefeated and #3 in the nation, baby!!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Waterwatch:
Someone close this thread and put it out of it’s misery. There just can’t be anything more to be said.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I personally think that if it were physically possible that one poster would reach through the screen and rip off a body part of someone else. I won’t post on this because I want to keep my arms and legs.
This thread has definately morphed into the other thread that was previously closed. Erin, Portia, Weatherford, anyone please lock this madness.
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I’m so, so sorry, Musical Jumper. I can’t add much to what the others have already said.
The vet’s judgement as to whether or not he should have come earlier or not is mute–we don’t know how early on he was called; MJ did receive advice to call a vet asap on several threads awhile back; we don’t know whether she even had a regular vet or how much attention a vet would pay to a call from a kid if he didn’t know the girl already. To repeat what has already been said is not constructive, and to speculate about the situation is not constructive–but continued recriminations may indeed prove to be very destructive, and I’m sure no one wants further damage to be caused. We may never know the outcome of this situation, and that is for sure the only thing that we know for certain at this point.
Easy Natty, down girl, its OK. I wasn’t flaming or picking on anybody, just making an observation.
First, I didn’t mention in my post what my feelings on this given incident are–and I won’t here, but don’t presume to know how I’m feeling about all of this.
Second, I almost didn’t post the bit about the money, because I knew it would get a reaction like yours. But, I think its a point–many, many people own and love animals for whom they cannot finacially provide emergency care–watch Emergency Vets on Animal Planet and see how many people cannot afford treatment. While I personally would not do this, I don’t think I have a right to tell someone that they don’t have enough money to have a dog, cat, or horse. And while no one has said “You must be rich to have a horse” there have been many comments made that someone in her dire financial straights should not have taken the horse on. Again, in this specific case, that may be true, however, I think it is mistake to start setting generlaized finacial limits on horse ownership.
Please understand that I am attempting to somewhat steer this thread in a more general direction–provoke thoughts (as many other posters have done nicely) on what can be done now and in the future, and how we think of horses all around us.
I live in a pretty rural area–I’ve had a long professional career with horses (as in I’ve worked and ridden in professional barns on several occaisions), and though my horses get what to my perception is approapriate care, I am surrounded by horses (three across the road in one direction and one across the road in another) that get very different care. Now, I would step in if they looked emaciated (in truth they are all tick-fat), however, its not my business that they don’t have stalls/run-ins, or blankets, or three-board fencing, or attention on a conistennt basis. Their feet aren’t what I would call ideal, but they are walking sound. Their teeth probably don’t get floated. They probably don’t get shots. I would hazrd there are far more horses living in these sorts of conditions than live like the ones in my barns or yours. So I don;t think its my place to judge right and wrong.
but who’d have known? yes I picked up the odd vibe, but just put it down to the garbled communications of a teenager…One lives and learns. Now that doing so has been discussed ad infinitum, I vote for moving on…
all of your comforting messages are greatly appreciated… tonight i beleive will be very hard… but at least i will always be able to visit my dear friend, and no matter what he will always be home… he will always be able to watch thunder and i canter around our paddocks liek he used to, and he’ll always be able to watch over me when ive had a bad day…
the poems are beautiful everyone. thank you…
Musical_Jumper
“Event riders leave no ring unrode, no jump over turned, and no ditch filled in.”
“Your competition just got better today, did you…”
http://accopmanyme.tripod.com/tiffanyswebwonderland/ ~~ Come check out my site!!
How horrible for you to have had to see that.
Heidi - good post!
Just because a person is a teenager and going through “teenage times” does not absolve them from the acts they commit.
I feel quite strongly on this subject…just last night a teenager neighbor planted a bomb in his condo right next to ours…many hours of police, bomb squad, fire company…a complete nightmare. I hardly doubt he will be held less responsible for his acts because of his age.
I will probably get flamed for this comparison, but I am amazed at what even children and teenagers are capable of somedays…whether there was intent involved or not.
Quote: “It’s very easy to say mean or hurtful things when you don’t have to stand in front of someone and look into their eyes to say it…”
I think that the majority of the members of this board would be able to say what they’ve posted to MJ’s face. I know I would.
Okay, two things…
If this thread does not get away from nasty mudslinging, and does not move on to the “issues, not individuals” variety, IT WILL BE CLOSED.
I know people are feeling very emotional about this, and you’re welcome to share your emotions.
You are not welcome to make personal attacks, even against MJ.
I mean it. I know people are pissed off and venting, but that needs to STOP NOW, as far as the BB is concerned.
As I said way back when, MJ’s situation is being addressed by someone who was actually there (Touche). NO, we should NOT be doing something about the pony, NO we should NOT be notifying her employer.
The only facts we know are that the horse appeared, by Touche’s account, to be emaciated, and that, by her account, the vet could have been called sooner.
Those are the facts. Obviously people have drawn a conclusion from that. But please leave it up to the people who are actually in a position to do so, to “do something.”
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.
Not much more I can say. I have been there many times.
Crying is not a sign of weakness.
I am a very strong woman, and when I lose a friend, I cry and I don’t care who in the world sees.
Touche- since you had the “courage” to post that, I was wondering why you didn’t bother posting the stuff you said about her being “so self centered, not caring what her parents though, everything was about ‘her her her’, she was so lazy and was only good for a day and a half of work” and the rest of the BS you wrote in your e-mail? You’ve already shot her down enough. 
I must be the only one who still doesn’t believe it…
Makes me sick. She’s not coming back here guys- give it up.
Touche- I just read your post…this thread has sure gotten huge since I last looked here. I am so sorry you had to see your gift to MJ turn out like that. It must have made you sick…I know it makes me sick, and I’m hundreds of miles away, and didn’t actually see the horse.
That said, I think this whole situation should be a lesson to all of us on the BB- no matter how much you care or how hard you try, someone else’s horse is ultimately that- someone else’s horse. As my dad once told me when I was very young and crying over an obviously starved horse in a field, “You can’t save them all.” It is tragic and sad, especially when it is briught to the forefront of a community dedicated to horse care, but never forget that as we are crying over Seger, some other nameless horse is most likely suffering a similar fate.
I applaud all of you who offered MJ blankets and vet care…you are all a wonderful community, and I am proud to belong to such a great group. It is saddening and sickening to think of one of our own being so negligent that a horse died because of it. Still, what we have to remember is that although this is a largely online community- most of us will never meet- we are still a community of horse-lovers who have joined this BB in hopes of furthering our knowledge about horses. I think that in the end, Seger’s death, while tragic and terrible, was not totally in vain because we as an equestrian community have all learned some valuable lessons from it. This isn’t to say that Seger needed to die for us to learn, I’m just trying to say that if we can learn, and if MJ can learn, we can reduce the possibility of this ever happening again.
Personally, the one thing I have learned is how much events happening across the country can affect not only myself but also numerous other people. It truly is a small world, made even smaller by the internet.
In the end, no matter how much we flame MJ and tell her to get counseling, the decision to change is entirely in her hands. An alcoholic cannot become sober until he admits he has a problem. Likewise, MJ cannot change until she admits she had a problem caring for her horse. That is something that none of us can do for her. All we can do now is support her in her efforts to become a more careful, conscientious horse owner like we did when she asked us for help with Seger. We are all used to rising to the occasion to help a horse in need. We need the same attitude now to help a fellow human.
MJ, if you are lurking, please know that I don’t hate you; I pity you. I know what it is like to want a horse of my own more than anything in the world. I also know what it’s like to look at a horse and realize that there are things about him that I have yet to learn. Learning something from your mistakes isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of maturity.
COTH is doing a fine job moderating this thread, yet also giving us a chance to vent and share. Kudos!
