The animal thread

[Baz]

Originally Posted by rockfan4

An aggressive strain of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) — including neurological cases classified as equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM) — has been confirmed by multiple equine veterinary clinics in Texas. Several cases have been traced to horses attending major events in early November, including the WPRA World Finals and Elite Barrel Race held Nov. 5–9, 2025, in Waco.

As far as I can tell, there have been no cases reported in Wisconsin, but that's not stopping my wife from freaking out. She was supposed to have a horse chiropractor come next week, and a saddle fitter the week after, but she is postponing both appointments for now. I was supposed to haul a friend's horse to a trainer tomorrow, but that is being postponed. Another friend who is a horse trainer in IL was going to do a session with our horse Cash in early December, but she has cancelled that for now. We weren't taking him to IL, her parents live near here and she was going to do some training while she was visiting.

I doxxed one of the horses that shares a pasture with Cash. I thought he was a Thoroughbred or Appendix, because he's so big. Easily over 16 hands. But I looked up his registered name and he's a Quarter Horse. His sire was 17.1 hands. Typically a Quarter horse is 14 - 16 hands, with most of them closer to 14.

Thank you....this is really good information to know, RF.

I've been following your thread here:

https://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1183804-new-family-member.html

......and was hoping to see more updates in it regarding Cash. Maybe you could copy and paste this information in it for us who are following (?)

Thanks!

[Steve Carlton]

[Baz]

Passed out on the floor next to the toilet. A lot of us have been there!

[Zeke]

There is something suspicious about the drunk racoon story. Too many things add up to consider this being staged.

[john70t]

Got an active feeder in the small back yard. Love the seasonal visitors. A half dozen squirrels the other day.

The pecking order for birds is usually the sparrows chasing the jays, who chase crows, who chase the hawks.
(It's impossible to separate the sparrows out. The doves and other finches fly with them.)

Yesterday I hear a crow. Look out and there is a Coopers Hawk in the scrub eating something fast and nervously. Puffed up bigger than a large football and looking around with every bite. Big fella. A squirrel few feet away does a few mock charges at it.

Sadly there were blue grey feathers. One less jay.

[Baz]

[Baz]

The "Topi Boys" are a famous coalition of seven young, bonded male lions (brothers) in Kenya's Masai Mara, known for their impressive numbers, strength, and recent takeover of the legendary Marsh Pride in late 2024/early 2025, marking a new era for the pride with members like Ukingo, Kiongozi, Otipo, and Nzuri, becoming significant figures in the wildlife world.

[rockfan4]

A horse rescue north of me just bought out an entire truck of horses headed for slaughter. 26 total. They didn't say where they came from, but from the few seconds you can see each horse come off the trailer, they look fairly healthy.



There's another kill pen outfit just south of me, and they will pull out the better horses and put them up on Facebook for a week to 10 days with a price. You can't PPE them, or even ride them, you put up the money, come to pick them up, and at that time you can decline the horse if it's worse off than their video showed. Lately they've had several horses with Yellowstone brands on their hips, someone asked where they were from, and the page just said "google it". I haven't been able to find anything online whether they're left over from the show, or if there's a ranch by that name that sold off their stock, or what happened.

[Baz]

Long time friend Stephen Kasper, formerly of Imagine Auto.......

[Baz]

[Baz]

[Steve Carlton]

Doris Day was the real deal as an animal welfare activist.

https://www.dorisdayanimalfoundation.org/

[john70t]

There's a ton of YT/TikTok/etc video of random humans doing kind things for animals.

Only problem is most of them are A.I. fake.
'Feel good' emotional blurbs right before a targeted advertisement.

It's getting harder to trust the internet these days.

[Steve Carlton]

[Steve Carlton]

[Baz]

Owls are very cool.......

[john70t]

[john70t]

Birds and squirrels were freaked out today. Something big happened. Raptor strike. They are back in the area. Bald Eagles. Black Turkey Vultures.
They didn't return until the afternoon with coaxing.

No feathers. Nothing.
I was hoping to get rid of some English Sparrows. Darn.

It might have been a squirrel. Must have been a big raptor. But the squirrels don't climb the feeder these days.
Seen a few Goshawks before.


Squirrels keep their bushy tails up to protect themselves from wind and to turn and bite aggressor after attack.
The one with 2/3rds of tail fur missing was back in the yard today.



Several big spots of big blood loss.
No animal tracks at all. Or feathers. Or bleed out foot trail and pickup in the snow.
(my footprints obliterate much evidence)



But WTH is this footprint? A cougar? Way too big for a squirrel hop.
No other signs in the yard.

[Baz]

Those little hands!

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1811515366220787

[john70t]