And I want to apologize if I'm a little TO into all this today. I'm going to take a step back...

What I've experienced today is not meant as an excuse, but more as a explanation..

I've seen the two "extremes" in horses and today I've seen the worst of both of it. Couple 5 year old horses of a former acquaintance. Sent to slaughter cause they were "done" at that age. They are grown SUPER fast with dense concentrates, pushed so they win shows very young. Usually get joint injections at 2 to 3 years old because already they are breaking down. Skeletal, ligament and joints don't hold up. But its rather normal and expected. They get replaced rapidly. I helped pull one of them out of his mother years ago..

On the way to take care of my horse I notice a emaciated horse down in a nearby field. Sadly, you see skinny ones very often around here. No one cares, no one comes out if you call it in. I turned around and drove by again, she is still down, no movement, thinking that horse is dead..I turn around again and drive by one more time (there was nowhere to stop there) and she lifts a head, gets on her chest and turns around to look at me. But she looks bad. I'm in a hurry but make a point with myself to check on her on the way back. I drive back home not 2 hours later to see a backhoe in that field, the arm of it up high and the white skinny mare HANGING IN THE AIR by her neck. I suppose they shot her, dug a hole and were moving her as I drove by, why they had to raise her up in the air rather then just to drag her, I don't know. But it keeps haunting me. The way she looked at me earlier. And then the sight as I drove by. Now I wish I had stopped, wish I had gotten someone to go check on her. Although they probably killed her shortly after I drove past and at least I wasn't there for that.

There is a lot we don't know about the snakes system. How its affected by over feeding. Under feeding is easier to see...stunted, bony, starved. Overfed and grown to fast just looks like a big snake. But to me, common sense dictates that neither extreme is a good thing for long term health and soundness.

So, apologies for going off on a tangent and apologies for going "off topic" ..