The Force of the Horse

Wild Horses, China and a Holiday called Thanksgiving

By on • ( 36 Comments )

by R.T. Fitch ~ Author and Director of HfH Advisory Council

Thanks Runs Deep for the Love of the Horse

For the purpose of security and for the element of surprise it is rare that I disclose the actual geographical location of my person.  The requirement of the income stream that pumps the life blood into my family’s survival and funds the message of the horses regularly sends me to the four corner of the world for extended periods of time.  For many years the continent of Africa was my home away from home but by the luck of the draw I now find myself behind the great wall of China, or should I rephrase that to say the great ‘Firewall’ of China.

Although excited to explore new landscapes, food and people I was quickly disappointed to find out that any internet connection to global social networks were strictly taboo…as in “there is just no way of getting there from here.”  I knew about YouTube being banned but was not aware that Facebook, Twitter and every single sort of blog or element of free speech is 100% and totayl inaccessible by a local Chinese Internet Provider.

Imagine the panic, anguish and frustration I have experienced as I struggled with terms and unfamiliar cyber components while attempting to plug back into spreading the word on the plight of the American equine, both domestic and wild.  But with the help of a few experienced expats and a whole lot of tenacity the problem of reaching the bastions of free speech has once again be established and the voice of the ‘Force of the Horse®’ is back up and running.

So what did this current dilemma have to do with Wild Horses and the Thanksgiving holiday?  Easy-Peasy; it simply reinforced the thankfulness that I feel for the honor of living in a country where I can take a public stand and not only speak out against the atrocities committed by my federal government but I can also drag their ass into court and make them squirm under the spotlight while they get caught up in their own web of lies…THAT has a lot to do with Wild Horses and being thankful this day, it’s huge.

So while all of our hearty, advocate, Alfa Mares draw their families around them, this day (and we few stallions circle the herd) let us all give thanks for not only the ability to be able to fight for what is right and just but also for the privilege of being associated with so many and talented people.

God bless America and all the fine folks that inhabit her from sea to shining sea.  We will win this fight because of your spirit, your tenacity and above all, your love.

Have a happy holiday while you share valuable time with your family and friend; you are showered with wealth by simply being together.  Enjoy and God Bless.

From China with love,

R.T.

Categories: The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs

Tagged as: , , , , , , , , ,

36 replies »

  2. RT and Terri, I’m thankful for both of you and for all of the other wonderful advocates who are speaking up and working hard to save our wild horses.

    Like

    Reply

  3. You are both so wonderful and we do appreciate everything you do to try and save these wonderful horses. Bless you and I will always pray. We need our horses as they are so beautiful and innocent and are killed in a dreadful way.

    Like

    Reply

  5. Wow, R.T. We are thankful we can still hear from you. What a loss it would be for the horses if we couldn’t be inspired by your excellent blogs. I’m thankful for everybody else too –don’t get me wrong. It’s just that it’s so easy to take free speech ffor granted.

    Like

    Reply

  6. R. T. Fitch,
    I just finished your book, your heart is big.
    One request please don’t use roundup, it is so deadly.
    To horses and other critters including us.

    Like

    Reply

  8. The beauty of a Democracy is that it is a participatory happening demanding input from the populace. The day that ends is the day that the grand experiment is over. Blessings your way and many thanks for your great heart and good words.

    Like

    Reply

  10. China, China, China….never been, would love to go. Have had family in Shanghai over the years….a work colleague there too with an open invite to come visit.

    RT, be safe, enjoy all China has to offer and thank you for maintaining your blog and fighting the good fight for our wild horses! We will do our best to hold the fort whilst you are on the road.

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Like

    Reply

  11. RT you are a very special person who actually give a hoot as to what goes on. Thank you from all of us who are now aware of what the nasty once respected government is being exposed for what truly corrupt bunch they are. Keep up the fight, with out you this fight would be much more difficult..

    Like

    Reply

  13. R.T. May the most gracious Lord behold you in his arms and present you with his finest gifts of love, grace and happiness. As we fight for the freedom of our wild holy horses everywhere, I am so grateful there are so many of us out there sharing with the world that we can make this a better world.
    My dreams and goals are to become a most giving person and help those less fortunate than I. I have been so blessed and I ask God to bless my life in bounty of love and tenderness for every person I meet. To bless every life I touch on the internet and in person. Every animal I pet and have become a part of my life, may I give them precious joy and gentle love. Oh, for the love of our graceful horses everywhere and all animals hurting, suffering pain and agony. To fight horse slaughter, to free our wild horses from roundups everywhere. Help me Lord to do thy will in your name. Bless all of you making a difference every day of your life to help another. God bless our horse families as they struggle to survive and let them remain in tact. We are their voice. May we be the angels who save them dear Lord.

    Like

    Reply

  15. R.T., I raise my glass to you and all of us.

    “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

    John Fitzgerald Kennedy

    Like

    Reply

  16. Thanks R.T. for your continuing love and support for our wild ones. You certainly continue to inspire us with your heartwarming, informative and most interesting articles. You both have given us hope and we appreciate your efforts more than you know! Take care and stay safe.

    Like

    Reply

  17. What the heck are you doing in China! Oh wait – after rereading the first paragraph I see. Well, good you are up and running and spirited as always Mr. Fitch. Thank you for your frequent posting to my email address of your thoughts of this strange meeting we have all come to from so many paths. Hey wouldn’t it nice if the ancient spirits spoke to you of the secrets we will need to forever defeat the onslaught of the horse? I’ve heard China is the home of many of those spirits. Too much turkey for me today – We wait for your safe return.

    Like

    Reply

  18. God bless and keep you in your work, RT, and in your passion for our wild ones. Goes without saying for Terry too. Thank goodness you’re reconnected now and thanks for the reminder that although we have a lot of valid complaints with our government, we still live in a country that values and protects our freedom. I’m honored to be a part of it too…

    Thinking about giving thanks the past week, I realize I’m thankful for all the strong alpha mares, the supportive sister mares, the strong wise stallions and bachelors, the raucous and determined young ones and the sassy weanlings in this worldwide band of wild horse advocates. Each brings so much passion, so much love, such unique insight and their own special energy – we need them all, they are all so important for our survival in this fight for our wild ones. Thanks to all for all you do, we need you, the horses need you….

    Like

    Reply

  20. Thanks to both you and Terry, and for the many miracles you have helped deliver! And, most importantly, I say “thank you” for the ones who cannot speak, but can only whinny their thanks…..

    Like

    Reply

  21. Bless you and your family RT !! Thank You for all you do for the Wild ones , and everyone ……. Bless everyone here also for all that they do for the Wild Ones !!!Everyone here amazes me everyday , with the true love and caring for Our Wild Mustangs, I am very proud to be able to be here with all of You!!! I also know that we will save these Wonderful Ambassadors of Freedom, we will because the Love here is Strong and Precise, Freedom for the Wild Mustangs can now only be only a heartbeat away, because of the dedication of all here !!!!!!!!!! Also God Bless Our Wild Mustangs !!!!

    Like

    Reply

  23. R.T. God Bless You. Stay safe and return to us to fight on. We are slowing seeing the BLM and its coherts say things that are slowing coming back to bite them. May it continue and continue fast. We need to: l. Stop all roundups and return all the horses in corrals to their former ranges. 2. Use monies now being used to corral these horses to set up rescues and sanctuaries until new homes for m any of these horses can be found. And, most of all: MAKE A LAW THAT WILL PROHIBIT THESE ROUNDUPS FROM EVER HAPPENING AGAIN. And, last but not least, pass a law prohibiting any trailering of our horses across our borders to Canada or Mexico to be slaughtered. When these new laws are passed, we will certainly have a GREAT THANKSGIVING. One that was well worth fighting for.

    Like

    Reply

  25. R.T,
    Thank you for reminding me of yet another thing I have to be thankful for. I thank God for you, Terry, Laura, Elise, Ginger, and all the unknown Wild Horse Advocates that have not given up but continue to “fight the good fight”. I am also so grateful for Return to Freedom and AWHPS with the good news of the reunion of Braveheart’s mare and foal. I wept tears of joy this time while reading of the renamed mare – Caliente, and foal – Hero, and the planned release to Soldier’s Meadow. I am praying daily for all of the advocates and of course the Wild Ones that we are all so thankful for. I was missing your usual daily posts and was so glad to read that you are in China. You are a blessing to many, R.T., thanks again and love to you and yours.

    Like

    Reply

  26. Hi RT I know this is off topic for here but I wanted to get your input on a blogger that I have followed since 2007. They have a working cattle ranch but also house hundreds of Mustangs. I have not followed her a lot in recent years but curiosity got the better of me today when I recalled her. I tried to find their exact location but couldnt. Here is a particular post that caught my attention

    http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2009/12/weaning_wild_colts/

    and here is a link to her horse posts in general.

    http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/category/animals/horses/

    She has become a household name it seems since I started blogging which was at about the same time as she did.

    I would be interested to gear any input u or anyone else may have on her.

    Apologies for any typos am battling with broken right hand!!!!

    Lori

    Like

    Reply

    • I followed Pioneer Woman on Facebook and wondered about the “wild horse herd” also. It appears to me that her family might have a BLM contract for long term holding or get new arrival mares that possibly might be pregnant. Wonder where those foals go? Several people asked questions in the comment section but I didn’t see any answers. Most people thought it was just wonderful to see wild horses (in pens being separated) Lots of educating needs to be done with the general public, I think–

      Like

      Reply

      • Hi Barbara, I was in interested to see her accoubnt of how they roun d up the horses in a quiet manner with the emphasis on it being a strress free thing (the BLM could learn a thin g or two!!). She did say in ths post that the foals are collected by the BLM who oput them up for adoption (Yearh right!!!!) Just seems too good to be true, but don t want to be a pessimist. (Sorry again for typoS) These mares seem to be in such good shape and from what I can glean they get new horses in every year as she says the foals were from a new “consignment”, does that mean that they ship some of them our too?? and if so where do those mares go?? So many questions!

        Like

      • When Kathleen W. showed me Pioneer Woman last winter I was intrigued but had questions. Do horses come and go?? From what I read before she had so many mares; 300 or more. Many wild mares. She has a BLM contract but we know no details; year signed and for how many horses… But have any horses left? Are these weanlings now Sale Authority? Are they for adoption? Where is their destination?? What mares go right into this system?? How many leave?? On and on… mar

        Like

    • Never leave me alone on a Sunday afternoon with little to do.

      “Pioneer Woman” is Ree Drummond, married to Ladd Drummond of the Drummond Land and Cattle Company, Pawhuska, OK. This woman didn’t just marry into a ranching family, she married into a ranching DYNASTY!

      This is a 2008 story about DL&CC – “Simple Way of Life”. Would that we ALL had a life this “simple” and PROFITABLE (without a single mention of wild horses or BLM contracts).
      http://workingranch.v1.myvirtualpaper.com/magazine/2008071101/?page=42

      According to a Federal Budget watchdog group (with lots of interesting info on BLM WH&B expenditures since 2003), DL&CC has received almost $9 million for long-term holding from 2003 through the 3rd quarter of 2009 (2009 = $1.3 million so far for about 2,000 horses).

      There’s another Drummond (F. Ford) from Pawhuska who received a contract in 2008, but NOT under the DL&CC name. 2008 through the 3rd quarter of 2009 – about $680K. Guess it pays to be connected.

      In 2004, DL&CC was sued by Jeff Ogilvie over issues pertaining to wild horses and they had to pay him a $20,000 judgement. A short synopsis of the case is on the web.

      And have FUN with this one. Apparently we aren’t the only ones with serious questions about this woman and her operation. Open “the post” first for context, and be sure to read the comments on both.
      http://www.crazycowcountryfarm.com/?p=615#more-615

      So don’t cry for this “down-home cowgirl”. Whether you choose to buy her wares or not, she won’t be hurting for “grub” any time soon. However, we could take some lessons from her approach to marketing. BTW, although others may find it “folksy”, I can’t stand her cluttered website.

      Like

      Reply

  28. R.T. no distance will weaken your determination and steady journey to help those who are the victims of our federal government – those who should be thanked and thought of for it is for those on whose back this country was built – I thank you for doing your work no matter where you are and staying connected and in touch with all of us and continuing your pounding the drums on behalf of the mustangs – thank you and all the best, always.

    Like

    Reply

Care to make a comment?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.