To the poster below me, lets get some facts straight.\r
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1) It is not difficult to put weight on old horses. Yes, some have issues that can make it difficult, but 95% can easily gain weight. Do not tell me that all of the 5% end up at Sparks.\r
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2) All those horses coming in from auction that he is ""saving"" should NOT be ridden on trails until they are fit enough to do so. The horses where you see the ribs and hip bones should NOT be ridden. It puts a lot of stress on the animal. The horse is also not ready or conditioned to carry people, let alone half the people who come to Sparks, not knowing how to ride..\r
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3) Sparks should NOT HAVE 60+ HORSES IF HE CANNOT AFFORD TO PROVIDE PROPER CARE. There is absolutely NO REASON for him to have 60+ horses AT ALL. \r
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4) Just because they are trail horses does not mean their feet should wear down quickly. I have seen the trails at Sparks, a horse with properly taken care of feet do not wear down easily. Those that do, NEED SHOES.\r
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5) If Sparks is indeed a ""rescue"" as people claim, then why is he not allowing animals to be publicly adopted out? Why has he not asked for funding? \r
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I also like how those ""defending"" Sparks keep avoiding the Coggins issue...\r
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For those that need an ""eye opener"" of trail riding facilities, PLEASE look at this site so you know what to look for when going to one of these places:\r
Go to ""Fugly Horse of the Day"" and look in the Blog archive in June for ""Trail Riding for Dummies""\r
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Fugly has all the answers you need
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