6 Comments added to this post
Barbara J. combs says:
Hi Rodney,
We saw you and your horses going up us 41 and we took pictures of you. Where are you now on your trip. Hope everything is going ok for you. I hope you make it ok to California. Keep us posted as
to where you are on your trip.
I think it is marvelous thing
you are doing. I am handicapped myself.
We live in Morriston, FL. Take care and hope to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Barb and Hack Combs
July 29th, 2008 at 8:34 AM
Coco Fernandez says:
Hello Dawn : I agree with you that cock fighting and bull fighting are awful practices.Practices I'm not involved at all.You can blame that one to the spaniards that live in Spain. In USA we have dog "pitbull" fighting and rodeos were animals get kill and cripple.Rodeos are legal.The Tevis Cup where the horses are race for 100 miles in 24 hours and a few die but is legal.We have greyhound racing to where a dozen dogs are put to sleep because they are not fast enough,is also legal.Dawn you are american but I can't blame you for all
that just because you are from here.I think you are smart and understand me here. The number of breakdowns that you see in a racetrack in Peru in one year,you see the same number in one week in any track here in USA. Regarding my Farrier business is doing find I don't need to shoe your horse to make it, I live in a beautiful home with my wife and kids on the beach in California .... fruits of a very successful career. Dawn I learned through the years that you can't stop everybody from following their dreams but sure you can be there to help and make sure he makes it.Can you topped Bush from throwing us into war ? probably not but sure you can support your neighbor's 18 year old kid that is there with an M-16 doing a job. You are not supporting war ! you are just giving this kid some moral support. This is america...can you explain me why a 18 year old kid is not old enough to have a beer legally but he is grown enough to carry an M-16 and kill people legally.Only in the USA. I'm proud of being Peruvian and I'm proud of living in the USA, my home for 20 years.
If we all think POSITIVE we can send this guy to the moon and back safely.
God bless you Dawn !
May 19th, 2008 at 9:59 PM
Dawn says:
I would have to agree with Henry. I wouldn't use this guy for a farrier. Just because a person is a horse related professional for years does not mean I have to respect everything they say. It also doesn't mean they care about the animals they work on it is a business after all. There are animal abuse cases in the news right now about horse rescue farms, state agriculture officials and long time breeders who have not done right by their animals.
His attitude that stuff happens and that his friend is not even slightly responsible is a little scary but then again Cococaballo is not a third gen. American horse person. He is a third gen. South American horse person. His culture thinks nothing of cock fighting, dog fighting, horse tripping. Bull fighting is a public passtime and he is also a part of the horseracing business which with the death of Eight belles is not in the greatest spotlight where the welfare of horses is concerned.
May 16th, 2008 at 12:50 AM
Henry says:
The people who utilized horses in America in the era the farrier is referencing used horses as tools. They did not treat them like family and many horses were used up and met untimely deaths. Smart pioneers, the ones who survived cross country treks, at least took care of their animals basic needs. From watching news releases on this matter, being a Morgan owner it is of keen interest to me, it appears that this man in the wheel chair was not capable of leaving his wagon with the frequency the horses required.
Your Amish population is well known to be extremely harsh on the modern horses that fall under their ownership and work them to near death on the roads and highways. Yours is not a good example and certainly nothing to be boastful about.
To the farrier I say that it is not only enough for you to stop when you are tired but you forget the most important factor which also played out in this tradegy. You were able to refresh your self and rehydrate at will. It does not appear that this is the same for these unfortunate animals. That you do not admit this simple fact would certainly turn me from using your services for my own animals.
Many different versions of the same story can be read and all point to the man not being organized. It was not the responsibility of the police to provide this man with an rest place that had not been already scheduled and planned for. They can not know this man's needs without prior warning. The veterinarian was asked to rehydrate the animals and to get to this point also enlightens bystanders to the fact that the wagoneer was not doing his duty.
An article references that the horses were left hitched overnight and I am curious to know just when they were relieve from thier harnesses if the horses were found balking in the middle of the day. This is not normal treatment of any carriage horse. Even in the Wild West of America horses were allowed relief.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:48 AM
Coco Fernandez says:
Hey Rodney ! Some people didn't get to read America's history in school because they were too busy playing with Barbies. ! America was conquer on horse back and the west on horse-wagons through the rockies.The Amish people still uses nothing but horses and wagons. Give this man a break. I'm a third generation horseman. I'm a full time Farrier (CocoCaballo.com)with 26 years experience pounding shoes under horses.When horses are tired, they stop; when I shod horses for 8 hours, I'm exausted and I stop. Rodney listened to his horses and got trailered the last 5 miles to a police impound lot that should've been LOCKED!.The Vet advise Rodney to unhooked the horses from the harness and Rodney did follow advice.This is a tragic accident and Rodney lost one of the members of his family. I talked to him on the phone for 2 hours and he is devastated ! A few months back 6 weanlings got loose from their handlers at the same time in a very prominent breeding farm in Ky.,somehow the gates were open, the weanlings got out onto the road and 4 of them got run over and killed. It was an accident and I never saw PETA anywhere around to complain.
God bless you and your free spirit Rodney. I hope you get the new horse soon so you can start your journey in search of helping others.
Coco Fernandez
CocoCaballo.com
Pismo Beach,CA
May 13th, 2008 at 11:55 PM
Madeline says:
I'm lost -- just found your website. I'm an avid driver and a friend is trying to organize a driving organization for the handicapped -- so like -- we really want to know what's up.
Can you email me?
May 5th, 2009 at 7:51 PM