Please do not feed the Geese
 

My 81 yr old mother heard that people have started to use Geese as Watch
Geese. Since she lives on a large farm next to a lake, she thought it
might be a good idea for protection and would be much easier than a dog.
(Why do I feel like I am dealing with a child.)

Since I have heard other people talk about feeding wildlife, I thought I
would post my response to her.

Mom,

If you have two Geese, before you know it you will have many more Geese
who stop by to visit your two geese and decide to stay. Once they stop
by and see that your place has great food and is close to the water, you
will have more geese than you can imagine. If you want to see how
much poop Geese can poop, visit any of the marina’s and see how much
Goose Poop they have all over.

One of the problems the marinas and parks have is the Geese pooping so
much in the coves around the parks that they have had to close the
beaches due to unsafe water.

If you want to see how severe this problem is go to Google and type in
“please do not feed the geese” (600,000 hits) and “please do not feed
the wildlife” (2,000,000 hits).

If you visit the Georgia Dept of DNR they have a link that addresses
this question and the problems for both the animals and humans:

Is it OK to feed wildlife?
Generally speaking, people feed wildlife because they enjoy viewing
wildlife or they see themselves as caretakers and are concerned about
the animal's well-being. In the case of feeding birds, this is a
practice widely accepted, and problems hardly ever arise. With other
animals, the end outcome is not always so good. When people feed
wildlife such as deer, raccoons, foxes, alligators, bears and Canada
geese, the animals are reduced to a semi-domestic state. Too often these
animals lose their instinctual fear of humans and become a pest or
nuisance. Also, many times these animals will become aggressive, which
then raises concerns about human health and safety. People often think
they are feeding one animal, but in actuality they are feeding several.
The animals take up residence close to the area where they are being
fed. The result is they are concentrated in higher numbers than what
would occur in a natural setting. When this happens, you increase the
animal's susceptibility to disease and increase the probability the
animal will die from automobile collisions or other unnatural causes.

http://georgiawildlife.dnr.state.ga....=215&txtPage=1

So I would recommend you don’t get any Guard Geese.

FOLKS REMEMBER : PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Aug 29, 7:52?pm, "Reginald P. Smithers III"
wrote:
My 81 yr old mother heard that people have started to use Geese as Watch
Geese. Since she lives on a large farm next to a lake, she thought it
might be a good idea for protection and would be much easier than a dog.
(Why do I feel like I am dealing with a child.)


Hmmmm. Were I some ne'er do well with designs on your 81-year old
mother, let me consider what sort of obstacle I'd rather face in the
front yard: Pit bull, or goose? I agree with your mom, a goose would
be "easier". :-)

Up at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island (Howe Sound, BC) they
keep a pet swan. Much classier bird than a dirty poop-pumping goose,
IMO. Also unlikely to attract freeloading room mates, unless you have
wild swans in your area.

A PO'd goose *can* be formidable, I've seen them flap and hiss a
medium size dog into submission. Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:54:34 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

Up at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island (Howe Sound, BC) they
keep a pet swan. Much classier bird than a dirty poop-pumping goose,
IMO. Also unlikely to attract freeloading room mates, unless you have
wild swans in your area.

A PO'd goose *can* be formidable, I've seen them flap and hiss a
medium size dog into submission. Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Some corporate HQ's with extensive grounds around here have retention
ponds. Geese flocking there were becoming a problem. Attacking
employees, goose crap all over the place, etc.
They now have a company bring in a pair of nesting swans in the
spring, and remove them in the fall.
Goose problem solved. Greatly reduced anyway. The swans seem to
tolerate ducks.
I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden (it's actually in Glencoe, IL)
once and was surprised to see they had brought in a Border Collie and
owner to shag geese from a lagoon. Never got to talk to him as he was
across the lagoon - the owner, that is.
The dog seemed in his element, taking short swims to make his point to
any reluctant geese, then ranging ashore again.
One time I was canoeing on the Kankakee river with my wife and she
spotted a pair of swans. "Oh, steer over there so we can see the
pretty swans," she said. We got within 50 yards and one - the male I
assume - came steaming at us. His wake was bigger than our canoe's,
and he didn't look friendly.
"Paddle faster!! Paddle faster!!" I shouted at my wife as I steered
away.
I think he got to about 10 yards of our stern, but I was too busy
paddling to be sure of that. Whew.

--Vic

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:54:34 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:
Up at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island (Howe Sound, BC) they
keep a pet swan. Much classier bird than a dirty poop-pumping goose,
IMO. Also unlikely to attract freeloading room mates, unless you have
wild swans in your area.

A PO'd goose *can* be formidable, I've seen them flap and hiss a
medium size dog into submission. Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Some corporate HQ's with extensive grounds around here have retention
ponds. Geese flocking there were becoming a problem. Attacking
employees, goose crap all over the place, etc.
They now have a company bring in a pair of nesting swans in the
spring, and remove them in the fall.
Goose problem solved. Greatly reduced anyway. The swans seem to
tolerate ducks.
I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden (it's actually in Glencoe, IL)
once and was surprised to see they had brought in a Border Collie and
owner to shag geese from a lagoon. Never got to talk to him as he was
across the lagoon - the owner, that is.
The dog seemed in his element, taking short swims to make his point to
any reluctant geese, then ranging ashore again.
One time I was canoeing on the Kankakee river with my wife and she
spotted a pair of swans. "Oh, steer over there so we can see the
pretty swans," she said. We got within 50 yards and one - the male I
assume - came steaming at us. His wake was bigger than our canoe's,
and he didn't look friendly.
"Paddle faster!! Paddle faster!!" I shouted at my wife as I steered
away.
I think he got to about 10 yards of our stern, but I was too busy
paddling to be sure of that. Whew.

--Vic




We have a lot of farms in our area, and many property owners with ponds.
The ponds attract geese and ducks and some property owners have swans.
All the critters seem to get along well enough. There's a ranchette
around the corner where the owners raise horses, ponies, and llamas.
When the crops on the fields around here are harvested, the geese move
in for a while. They're very pretty animals. We've had pheasant and wild
turkeys landing in our yard. Happily, most of the property owners around
here have banned hunters from their land.

Since we infringed on their territory, I'm glad to see some of the wild
critters making do. They're certainly better neighbors than some
ticky-tacky subdivision would be.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:54:34 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:
Up at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island (Howe Sound, BC) they
keep a pet swan. Much classier bird than a dirty poop-pumping goose,
IMO. Also unlikely to attract freeloading room mates, unless you have
wild swans in your area.

A PO'd goose *can* be formidable, I've seen them flap and hiss a
medium size dog into submission. Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Some corporate HQ's with extensive grounds around here have retention
ponds. Geese flocking there were becoming a problem. Attacking
employees, goose crap all over the place, etc.
They now have a company bring in a pair of nesting swans in the
spring, and remove them in the fall.
Goose problem solved. Greatly reduced anyway. The swans seem to
tolerate ducks. I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden (it's actually in
Glencoe, IL)
once and was surprised to see they had brought in a Border Collie and
owner to shag geese from a lagoon. Never got to talk to him as he was
across the lagoon - the owner, that is.
The dog seemed in his element, taking short swims to make his point to
any reluctant geese, then ranging ashore again.
One time I was canoeing on the Kankakee river with my wife and she
spotted a pair of swans. "Oh, steer over there so we can see the
pretty swans," she said. We got within 50 yards and one - the male I
assume - came steaming at us. His wake was bigger than our canoe's,
and he didn't look friendly. "Paddle faster!! Paddle faster!!" I shouted
at my wife as I steered
away.
I think he got to about 10 yards of our stern, but I was too busy
paddling to be sure of that. Whew.

--Vic


We have a lot of farms in our area, and many property owners with ponds.
The ponds attract geese and ducks and some property owners have swans. All
the critters seem to get along well enough. There's a ranchette around the
corner where the owners raise horses, ponies, and llamas. When the crops
on the fields around here are harvested, the geese move in for a while.
They're very pretty animals. We've had pheasant and wild turkeys landing
in our yard. Happily, most of the property owners around here have banned
hunters from their land.

Since we infringed on their territory, I'm glad to see some of the wild
critters making do. They're certainly better neighbors than some
ticky-tacky subdivision would be.

Apparently you haven't witnessed the destruction and mess made by a flock of
Canada geese.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:31:35 -0400, HK wrote:



We have a lot of farms in our area, and many property owners with ponds.
The ponds attract geese and ducks and some property owners have swans.
All the critters seem to get along well enough. There's a ranchette
around the corner where the owners raise horses, ponies, and llamas.
When the crops on the fields around here are harvested, the geese move
in for a while. They're very pretty animals. We've had pheasant and wild
turkeys landing in our yard. Happily, most of the property owners around
here have banned hunters from their land.

Out of curiosity I plugged goose control swan into google and the
first result I clicked on was this
http://www.canadiangoosecontrol.com/...e_programs.php
Not too surprised to see my area code for their phone number.
Probably the migration path is heavier here than where you are.
Looks like the swans control the algae in the ponds too.
Nothing wrong with controlling goose populations with hunting, since
the alternatives aren't pretty. Don't hunt myself.

Since we infringed on their territory, I'm glad to see some of the wild
critters making do. They're certainly better neighbors than some
ticky-tacky subdivision would be.

That's very sweet, Harry. But what about skunks?

--Vic

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Jim wrote:

"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:54:34 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:
Up at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island (Howe Sound, BC) they
keep a pet swan. Much classier bird than a dirty poop-pumping goose,
IMO. Also unlikely to attract freeloading room mates, unless you have
wild swans in your area.

A PO'd goose *can* be formidable, I've seen them flap and hiss a
medium size dog into submission. Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Some corporate HQ's with extensive grounds around here have retention
ponds. Geese flocking there were becoming a problem. Attacking
employees, goose crap all over the place, etc.
They now have a company bring in a pair of nesting swans in the
spring, and remove them in the fall.
Goose problem solved. Greatly reduced anyway. The swans seem to
tolerate ducks. I was at the Chicago Botanic Garden (it's actually in
Glencoe, IL)
once and was surprised to see they had brought in a Border Collie and
owner to shag geese from a lagoon. Never got to talk to him as he was
across the lagoon - the owner, that is.
The dog seemed in his element, taking short swims to make his point to
any reluctant geese, then ranging ashore again.
One time I was canoeing on the Kankakee river with my wife and she
spotted a pair of swans. "Oh, steer over there so we can see the
pretty swans," she said. We got within 50 yards and one - the male I
assume - came steaming at us. His wake was bigger than our canoe's,
and he didn't look friendly. "Paddle faster!! Paddle faster!!" I
shouted at my wife as I steered
away.
I think he got to about 10 yards of our stern, but I was too busy
paddling to be sure of that. Whew.

--Vic


We have a lot of farms in our area, and many property owners with
ponds. The ponds attract geese and ducks and some property owners have
swans. All the critters seem to get along well enough. There's a
ranchette around the corner where the owners raise horses, ponies, and
llamas. When the crops on the fields around here are harvested, the
geese move in for a while. They're very pretty animals. We've had
pheasant and wild turkeys landing in our yard. Happily, most of the
property owners around here have banned hunters from their land.

Since we infringed on their territory, I'm glad to see some of the
wild critters making do. They're certainly better neighbors than some
ticky-tacky subdivision would be.

Apparently you haven't witnessed the destruction and mess made by a
flock of Canada geese.




No, I haven't seen any geese destroying a field where corn or other
grains have been harvested. I'd rather have a flock of geese as
occasional visitors than have some ticky-tacky townhouses as permanent
neighbors. Hell, I'd rather have a flock of geese as neighbors than some
of the assholes who post here.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:31:35 -0400, HK wrote:


We have a lot of farms in our area, and many property owners with ponds.
The ponds attract geese and ducks and some property owners have swans.
All the critters seem to get along well enough. There's a ranchette
around the corner where the owners raise horses, ponies, and llamas.
When the crops on the fields around here are harvested, the geese move
in for a while. They're very pretty animals. We've had pheasant and wild
turkeys landing in our yard. Happily, most of the property owners around
here have banned hunters from their land.

Out of curiosity I plugged goose control swan into google and the
first result I clicked on was this
http://www.canadiangoosecontrol.com/...e_programs.php
Not too surprised to see my area code for their phone number.
Probably the migration path is heavier here than where you are.
Looks like the swans control the algae in the ponds too.
Nothing wrong with controlling goose populations with hunting, since
the alternatives aren't pretty. Don't hunt myself.

Since we infringed on their territory, I'm glad to see some of the wild
critters making do. They're certainly better neighbors than some
ticky-tacky subdivision would be.

That's very sweet, Harry. But what about skunks?

--Vic

At one time Harry actually would carry out his dinner leftovers leave
them for the wildlife to eat so him and his wife would enjoy their
company. This is known to be very negative for all wildlife so
hopefully he has stopped feeding them and are allowing them to fend for
themselves.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:31:35 -0400, HK wrote:


We have a lot of farms in our area, and many property owners with ponds.
The ponds attract geese and ducks and some property owners have swans.
All the critters seem to get along well enough. There's a ranchette
around the corner where the owners raise horses, ponies, and llamas.
When the crops on the fields around here are harvested, the geese move
in for a while. They're very pretty animals. We've had pheasant and wild
turkeys landing in our yard. Happily, most of the property owners around
here have banned hunters from their land.

Out of curiosity I plugged goose control swan into google and the
first result I clicked on was this
http://www.canadiangoosecontrol.com/...e_programs.php
Not too surprised to see my area code for their phone number.
Probably the migration path is heavier here than where you are.
Looks like the swans control the algae in the ponds too.
Nothing wrong with controlling goose populations with hunting, since
the alternatives aren't pretty. Don't hunt myself.

Since we infringed on their territory, I'm glad to see some of the wild
critters making do. They're certainly better neighbors than some
ticky-tacky subdivision would be.

That's very sweet, Harry. But what about skunks?

--Vic



We live out in the country. There are all manner of "nature aromas" out
here. There's a horse ranchette around the corner, and part of my
property adjoins a 100-acre meadow where a small herd of farm animals roam.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:23:31 -0400, HK wrote:



That's very sweet, Harry. But what about skunks?

--Vic

We live out in the country. There are all manner of "nature aromas" out
here. There's a horse ranchette around the corner, and part of my
property adjoins a 100-acre meadow where a small herd of farm animals roam.

Though I'm in a suburban environment, my 3 dogs, landscapers spreading
manure and the occasional skunk are enough for me.
What's a "horse ranchette?" Sounds a mite kinky.

--Vic

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:23:31 -0400, HK wrote:


That's very sweet, Harry. But what about skunks?

--Vic

We live out in the country. There are all manner of "nature aromas" out
here. There's a horse ranchette around the corner, and part of my
property adjoins a 100-acre meadow where a small herd of farm animals roam.

Though I'm in a suburban environment, my 3 dogs, landscapers spreading
manure and the occasional skunk are enough for me.
What's a "horse ranchette?" Sounds a mite kinky.

--Vic

A lot of people out here with five to 10 acre "spreads" keep horses. But
there's a riding stable around the corner about three quarters of a mile
away, and it is a commercial enterprise, with about 25 horses and ponies
and other critters. It's a 150 acre ranchette. Small ranch. Looks like
one, too, like right out of an old western movie.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...

What's a "horse ranchette?" Sounds a mite kinky.

--Vic

Believe me, I know *all* about horse ranchettes. Usually 5-10 acres of
land, house, barn with the land almost exclusively dedicated to grazing
land.

Eisboch

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:48:53 -0400, HK wrote:

Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:23:31 -0400, HK wrote:


That's very sweet, Harry. But what about skunks?

--Vic

We live out in the country. There are all manner of "nature aromas" out
here. There's a horse ranchette around the corner, and part of my
property adjoins a 100-acre meadow where a small herd of farm animals roam.

Though I'm in a suburban environment, my 3 dogs, landscapers spreading
manure and the occasional skunk are enough for me.
What's a "horse ranchette?" Sounds a mite kinky.

--Vic

A lot of people out here with five to 10 acre "spreads" keep horses. But
there's a riding stable around the corner about three quarters of a mile
away, and it is a commercial enterprise, with about 25 horses and ponies
and other critters. It's a 150 acre ranchette. Small ranch. Looks like
one, too, like right out of an old western movie.

Cool.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:49:39 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .

What's a "horse ranchette?" Sounds a mite kinky.

--Vic

Believe me, I know *all* about horse ranchettes. Usually 5-10 acres of
land, house, barn with the land almost exclusively dedicated to grazing
land.

Heh heh. You've mentioned that (-:
There used to be plenty of riding stables around here, but like
drive-ins, they're becoming hard to find.
My wife would enjoy going horse riding, so I'll probably find a stable
not too far away soon. She thinks horses are "cute." You know.
Last time I went horse riding in Virginia the damn thing bolted for
a couple hundred yards and damn near flattened my balls.
That was, BTW, the *only* time I went horse riding.

--Vic

Please do not feed the Geese
 

There's a pair of swans that have taken up residence in Scituate harbor for
years. (They mate for life, you know).

Those of us "in the know" appreciate their beauty as they glide by the boat
looking for handouts, but have learned *not* to feed them and advise
newcomers or guests of the same. They have lost most of their fear of
humans but are still wild creatures and will chase and attack small children
as the children try to feed them.

They also make an ungodly mess on the docks.

Eisboch

Please do not feed the Geese
 

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...


My wife would enjoy going horse riding, so I'll probably find a stable
not too far away soon. She thinks horses are "cute." You know.
Last time I went horse riding in Virginia the damn thing bolted for
a couple hundred yards and damn near flattened my balls.
That was, BTW, the *only* time I went horse riding.

--Vic


I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't ride anything that
doesn't have an on/off switch.

Eisboch

Please do not feed the Geese
 

"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote
Once they stop by and see that your place has great food and is close to
the water, you will have more geese than you can imagine.

I've found an airsoft gun to be an effective goose repellent. Doesn't kill
or injure them, but encourages them to move on.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Aug 30, 9:37 am, "Ernest Scribbler"
wrote:
"Reginald P. Smithers III" wrote

Once they stop by and see that your place has great food and is close to
the water, you will have more geese than you can imagine.

I've found an airsoft gun to be an effective goose repellent. Doesn't kill
or injure them, but encourages them to move on.

Damned Canadian geese started hanging out at the pond here, little
gator came along and goose population dropped. Idjit neighbors liked
the geese and had Game and Fish haul off the gator and now geese are
all over the place. I told my son to shoot em with his paint ball gun.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:52:55 -0400, Reginald P. Smithers III penned
the following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

My 81 yr old mother heard that people have started to use Geese as Watch
Geese. Since she lives on a large farm next to a lake, she thought it
might be a good idea for protection and would be much easier than a dog.

Actually, this is a pretty good idea. Everything but the geese, that
is. People around here tend to keep Guinea Fowl and/or Peacocks.

They make good watch birds and don't attract wild visiting relatives
nor poop like a 400 pound gorilla....

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://pamandgene.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats
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Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Aug 30, 6:00?am, Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:49:39 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .

What's a "horse ranchette?" Sounds a mite kinky.

--Vic

Believe me, I know *all* about horse ranchettes. Usually 5-10 acres of
land, house, barn with the land almost exclusively dedicated to grazing
land.

Heh heh. You've mentioned that (-:
There used to be plenty of riding stables around here, but like
drive-ins, they're becoming hard to find.
My wife would enjoy going horse riding, so I'll probably find a stable
not too far away soon. She thinks horses are "cute." You know.
Last time I went horse riding in Virginia the damn thing bolted for
a couple hundred yards and damn near flattened my balls.
That was, BTW, the *only* time I went horse riding.

--Vic

One of my few horse rides;

When the kids were little, we rented a horse from a guy with a
concession at an ocean beach. It was $20 an hour or something- and we
paid for two hours. The plan was that we would walk down the beach and
the kids could take turns riding on the horse as we went.

Things went well for about the first 30 minutes. The horse walked
along
at a nice slow pace and our kids each spent some time in the saddle.
My wife and I each took a 5-minute turn and then put the kids back on.

At the 30 minute mark, the rent-a-horse just quit. Wouldn't take
another step. No amount of "giddy up", tugging on the harness,
slapping it on the buttocks, etc would move it along. I got up in the
saddle and kicked it lightly in the ribs with my heels. Nothing. The
horse sort of sneezed and whinnied, and then would shake its head and
neck as if to say, "What part of "no" don't you understand?"

We finally managed to get the horse moving again in the one direction
he was willing to go- back down the beach toward the rental tent. In
fact the closer we got to the rental tent the more energy the old nag
seemed to find. We were walking at a fairly fast clip to keep up. When
we got back to the rental tent, the horse came to a second and final
stubborn stop. We were back at the tent in about 55 minutes from the
time we paid for a two hour horseride.

I complained to the wrangler. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "I gave you
a one-hour horse."

"A one-hour horse?"

"Yup. Folks go out for a ride and have so much fun that they lose
track of time. A lot of people rent a horse for an hour, so we train
the one-hour horses to turn around and head back to the corral after
they have been out for 30 minutes. That way we can be sure to have
horses available when there's a line forming. The horses have a good
sense of time, and after a while they know how far down the beach they
are supposed to go, at different speeds, before they come back. I gave
you a horse that we normally use for one-hour rentals, sorry."

The wrangler told us we could take the same horse out for a second
hour- but as we would simply be covering the same territoy again we
opted for a refund of the second hour's rent.

We city folk get eddycated pretty quickly when we try to match wits
with some of them country fellars....who ever heard of a one-hour
horse? :-)

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 09:04:30 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

There's a pair of swans that have taken up residence in Scituate harbor for
years. (They mate for life, you know).

Those of us "in the know" appreciate their beauty as they glide by the boat
looking for handouts, but have learned *not* to feed them and advise
newcomers or guests of the same. They have lost most of their fear of
humans but are still wild creatures and will chase and attack small children
as the children try to feed them.

They also make an ungodly mess on the docks.

Eisboch


Here's what can happen with swans, one of the big problems in the
Chesapeake Bay.

http://tinyurl.com/2jnvw3
--
John H

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:48:08 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

When the kids were little, we rented a horse from a guy with a
concession at an ocean beach. It was $20 an hour or something- and we
paid for two hours. The plan was that we would walk down the beach and
the kids could take turns riding on the horse as we went.

Things went well for about the first 30 minutes. The horse walked
along
at a nice slow pace and our kids each spent some time in the saddle.
My wife and I each took a 5-minute turn and then put the kids back on.

At the 30 minute mark, the rent-a-horse just quit. Wouldn't take
another step. No amount of "giddy up", tugging on the harness,
slapping it on the buttocks, etc would move it along. I got up in the
saddle and kicked it lightly in the ribs with my heels. Nothing. The
horse sort of sneezed and whinnied, and then would shake its head and
neck as if to say, "What part of "no" don't you understand?"

We finally managed to get the horse moving again in the one direction
he was willing to go- back down the beach toward the rental tent. In
fact the closer we got to the rental tent the more energy the old nag
seemed to find. We were walking at a fairly fast clip to keep up. When
we got back to the rental tent, the horse came to a second and final
stubborn stop. We were back at the tent in about 55 minutes from the
time we paid for a two hour horseride.

I complained to the wrangler. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "I gave you
a one-hour horse."

"A one-hour horse?"

"Yup. Folks go out for a ride and have so much fun that they lose
track of time. A lot of people rent a horse for an hour, so we train
the one-hour horses to turn around and head back to the corral after
they have been out for 30 minutes. That way we can be sure to have
horses available when there's a line forming. The horses have a good
sense of time, and after a while they know how far down the beach they
are supposed to go, at different speeds, before they come back. I gave
you a horse that we normally use for one-hour rentals, sorry."

The wrangler told us we could take the same horse out for a second
hour- but as we would simply be covering the same territoy again we
opted for a refund of the second hour's rent.

We city folk get eddycated pretty quickly when we try to match wits
with some of them country fellars....who ever heard of a one-hour
horse? :-)

That "country fellar" wasn't too sharp.
A real one-hour horse should be home in 45 minutes and a two-hour
horse in 90 minutes.
Besides that, he couldn't tell them apart.
Pretty good, Chuck. I don't know if you're pulling my leg or not.
I'm pretty wary of what former yacht brokers say.
Speaking of pulled legs, the nag that gave me a butt thumping tried
that too. That's how she started her campaign against me.
Tried rubbing me off against trees.
And the standing still stubborn trick? Yep.
But she jumped in a river first, then stood there until I was
thoroughly soaked.
My buddy stood watching on his horse, nice and dry, laughing his ass
off, commenting about what a poor cowboy I was.
Joe Cafone of Nutley, NJ, horseman.
Hell, the closest he ever came to an animal before was the pigeons
he raced.
In cowboy fashion I finally heeled - didn't bring my spurs - the horse
up the steep river embankment (although I'm not sure the horse was
aware of me) and insisted we trade horses.
Knowing pigeons as well as he did, Joe readily agreed and we swapped.
Joe lasted about ten seconds before the horse had him in the river.
He got her out, but wanted his horse back, so we swapped again.
Then the horse bolted full tilt across a big pasture. I lost my
stirrups, and the down stride had my ass a foot off the saddle, while
the up stride banged my balls back into it.
Very painful indeed..
Soon I dropped the reins and was holding on for dear life with my
arms around the nag's neck. Of course now I was getting a full
frontal banging on the saddle horn. Would have fallen off except
she stopped when we reached the tree line.
That hour was a long day, and that animal had its way with me.
Nobody would have mistaken me for Eddie Arcaro.
I gave up my jockey/cowboy/equestrian career the same day I started
it, and never whispered to another horse.

--Vic

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:48:08 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:
When the kids were little, we rented a horse from a guy with a
concession at an ocean beach. It was $20 an hour or something- and we
paid for two hours. The plan was that we would walk down the beach and
the kids could take turns riding on the horse as we went.

Things went well for about the first 30 minutes. The horse walked
along
at a nice slow pace and our kids each spent some time in the saddle.
My wife and I each took a 5-minute turn and then put the kids back on.

At the 30 minute mark, the rent-a-horse just quit. Wouldn't take
another step. No amount of "giddy up", tugging on the harness,
slapping it on the buttocks, etc would move it along. I got up in the
saddle and kicked it lightly in the ribs with my heels. Nothing. The
horse sort of sneezed and whinnied, and then would shake its head and
neck as if to say, "What part of "no" don't you understand?"

We finally managed to get the horse moving again in the one direction
he was willing to go- back down the beach toward the rental tent. In
fact the closer we got to the rental tent the more energy the old nag
seemed to find. We were walking at a fairly fast clip to keep up. When
we got back to the rental tent, the horse came to a second and final
stubborn stop. We were back at the tent in about 55 minutes from the
time we paid for a two hour horseride.

I complained to the wrangler. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "I gave you
a one-hour horse."

"A one-hour horse?"

"Yup. Folks go out for a ride and have so much fun that they lose
track of time. A lot of people rent a horse for an hour, so we train
the one-hour horses to turn around and head back to the corral after
they have been out for 30 minutes. That way we can be sure to have
horses available when there's a line forming. The horses have a good
sense of time, and after a while they know how far down the beach they
are supposed to go, at different speeds, before they come back. I gave
you a horse that we normally use for one-hour rentals, sorry."

The wrangler told us we could take the same horse out for a second
hour- but as we would simply be covering the same territoy again we
opted for a refund of the second hour's rent.

We city folk get eddycated pretty quickly when we try to match wits
with some of them country fellars....who ever heard of a one-hour
horse? :-)

That "country fellar" wasn't too sharp.
A real one-hour horse should be home in 45 minutes and a two-hour
horse in 90 minutes.
Besides that, he couldn't tell them apart.
Pretty good, Chuck. I don't know if you're pulling my leg or not.
I'm pretty wary of what former yacht brokers say.
Speaking of pulled legs, the nag that gave me a butt thumping tried
that too. That's how she started her campaign against me.
Tried rubbing me off against trees.
And the standing still stubborn trick? Yep.
But she jumped in a river first, then stood there until I was
thoroughly soaked.
My buddy stood watching on his horse, nice and dry, laughing his ass
off, commenting about what a poor cowboy I was.
Joe Cafone of Nutley, NJ, horseman.
Hell, the closest he ever came to an animal before was the pigeons
he raced.
In cowboy fashion I finally heeled - didn't bring my spurs - the horse
up the steep river embankment (although I'm not sure the horse was
aware of me) and insisted we trade horses.
Knowing pigeons as well as he did, Joe readily agreed and we swapped.
Joe lasted about ten seconds before the horse had him in the river.
He got her out, but wanted his horse back, so we swapped again.
Then the horse bolted full tilt across a big pasture. I lost my
stirrups, and the down stride had my ass a foot off the saddle, while
the up stride banged my balls back into it.
Very painful indeed..
Soon I dropped the reins and was holding on for dear life with my
arms around the nag's neck. Of course now I was getting a full
frontal banging on the saddle horn. Would have fallen off except
she stopped when we reached the tree line.
That hour was a long day, and that animal had its way with me.
Nobody would have mistaken me for Eddie Arcaro.
I gave up my jockey/cowboy/equestrian career the same day I started
it, and never whispered to another horse.

--Vic


I don't have much use for horses. They're dumber than Bush supporters.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:00:13 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

My wife would enjoy going horse riding, so I'll probably find a stable
not too far away soon. She thinks horses are "cute."

Horses are the dumbest animal on the face of the earth.

Evolutionary dead ends that should have died off like the Dodo Bird.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...

That "country fellar" wasn't too sharp.
A real one-hour horse should be home in 45 minutes and a two-hour
horse in 90 minutes.
Besides that, he couldn't tell them apart.
Pretty good, Chuck. I don't know if you're pulling my leg or not.
I'm pretty wary of what former yacht brokers say.
Speaking of pulled legs, the nag that gave me a butt thumping tried
that too. That's how she started her campaign against me.
Tried rubbing me off against trees.
And the standing still stubborn trick? Yep.
But she jumped in a river first, then stood there until I was
thoroughly soaked.
My buddy stood watching on his horse, nice and dry, laughing his ass
off, commenting about what a poor cowboy I was.
Joe Cafone of Nutley, NJ, horseman.
Hell, the closest he ever came to an animal before was the pigeons
he raced.
In cowboy fashion I finally heeled - didn't bring my spurs - the horse
up the steep river embankment (although I'm not sure the horse was
aware of me) and insisted we trade horses.
Knowing pigeons as well as he did, Joe readily agreed and we swapped.
Joe lasted about ten seconds before the horse had him in the river.
He got her out, but wanted his horse back, so we swapped again.
Then the horse bolted full tilt across a big pasture. I lost my
stirrups, and the down stride had my ass a foot off the saddle, while
the up stride banged my balls back into it.
Very painful indeed..
Soon I dropped the reins and was holding on for dear life with my
arms around the nag's neck. Of course now I was getting a full
frontal banging on the saddle horn. Would have fallen off except
she stopped when we reached the tree line.
That hour was a long day, and that animal had its way with me.
Nobody would have mistaken me for Eddie Arcaro.
I gave up my jockey/cowboy/equestrian career the same day I started
it, and never whispered to another horse.

--Vic


that's the trouble with trail rides. The horses get to know every foot and
just go through the motions. Run here, wait there etc.
The few times I went out, I was always concerned about the loose rocky
trails. Soil is very rocky here along the coast.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Aug 30, 12:29?pm, Vic Smith
wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:48:08 -0700, Chuck Gould





wrote:

When the kids were little, we rented a horse from a guy with a
concession at an ocean beach. It was $20 an hour or something- and we
paid for two hours. The plan was that we would walk down the beach and
the kids could take turns riding on the horse as we went.

Things went well for about the first 30 minutes. The horse walked
along
at a nice slow pace and our kids each spent some time in the saddle.
My wife and I each took a 5-minute turn and then put the kids back on.

At the 30 minute mark, the rent-a-horse just quit. Wouldn't take
another step. No amount of "giddy up", tugging on the harness,
slapping it on the buttocks, etc would move it along. I got up in the
saddle and kicked it lightly in the ribs with my heels. Nothing. The
horse sort of sneezed and whinnied, and then would shake its head and
neck as if to say, "What part of "no" don't you understand?"

We finally managed to get the horse moving again in the one direction
he was willing to go- back down the beach toward the rental tent. In
fact the closer we got to the rental tent the more energy the old nag
seemed to find. We were walking at a fairly fast clip to keep up. When
we got back to the rental tent, the horse came to a second and final
stubborn stop. We were back at the tent in about 55 minutes from the
time we paid for a two hour horseride.

I complained to the wrangler. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "I gave you
a one-hour horse."

"A one-hour horse?"

"Yup. Folks go out for a ride and have so much fun that they lose
track of time. A lot of people rent a horse for an hour, so we train
the one-hour horses to turn around and head back to the corral after
they have been out for 30 minutes. That way we can be sure to have
horses available when there's a line forming. The horses have a good
sense of time, and after a while they know how far down the beach they
are supposed to go, at different speeds, before they come back. I gave
you a horse that we normally use for one-hour rentals, sorry."

The wrangler told us we could take the same horse out for a second
hour- but as we would simply be covering the same territoy again we
opted for a refund of the second hour's rent.

We city folk get eddycated pretty quickly when we try to match wits
with some of them country fellars....who ever heard of a one-hour
horse? :-)

That "country fellar" wasn't too sharp.
A real one-hour horse should be home in 45 minutes and a two-hour
horse in 90 minutes.
Besides that, he couldn't tell them apart.
Pretty good, Chuck. I don't know if you're pulling my leg or not.
I'm pretty wary of what former yacht brokers say.
Speaking of pulled legs, the nag that gave me a butt thumping tried
that too. That's how she started her campaign against me.
Tried rubbing me off against trees.
And the standing still stubborn trick? Yep.
But she jumped in a river first, then stood there until I was
thoroughly soaked.
My buddy stood watching on his horse, nice and dry, laughing his ass
off, commenting about what a poor cowboy I was.
Joe Cafone of Nutley, NJ, horseman.
Hell, the closest he ever came to an animal before was the pigeons
he raced.
In cowboy fashion I finally heeled - didn't bring my spurs - the horse
up the steep river embankment (although I'm not sure the horse was
aware of me) and insisted we trade horses.
Knowing pigeons as well as he did, Joe readily agreed and we swapped.
Joe lasted about ten seconds before the horse had him in the river.
He got her out, but wanted his horse back, so we swapped again.
Then the horse bolted full tilt across a big pasture. I lost my
stirrups, and the down stride had my ass a foot off the saddle, while
the up stride banged my balls back into it.
Very painful indeed..
Soon I dropped the reins and was holding on for dear life with my
arms around the nag's neck. Of course now I was getting a full
frontal banging on the saddle horn. Would have fallen off except
she stopped when we reached the tree line.
That hour was a long day, and that animal had its way with me.
Nobody would have mistaken me for Eddie Arcaro.
I gave up my jockey/cowboy/equestrian career the same day I started
it, and never whispered to another horse.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Your ride was far more colorful than mine! :-)

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:54:34 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Swans have an even more nasty disposition than geese. We once had a
swan take a chip out of the gel coat because we decided not to feed
him. On another expedition we apparently got too close to a nesting
area with the dinghy and were dive bombed at close range. They look
like a 747 coming at you in the air.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:54:34 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

Don't know whether a swan would be as
aggressive or protective, but a swan adds a touch of class while a
goose adds a pile of poo.

Swans have an even more nasty disposition than geese. We once had a
swan take a chip out of the gel coat because we decided not to feed
him. On another expedition we apparently got too close to a nesting
area with the dinghy and were dive bombed at close range. They look
like a 747 coming at you in the air.

Give those swans a full bag of corn, or whatever they eat.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:48:08 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

We city folk get eddycated pretty quickly when we try to match wits
with some of them country fellars....who ever heard of a one-hour
horse? :-)

Reminds me of some time I spent in San Antonio back in the late 60s
courtesy of the US Army. There was a really nice park not too far
from Ft Sam Houston with a rental stable across the street. We'd go
there on weekends and play cowboys and indians on horseback. The
horses got to know us after awhile and would start playing dead as
soon as they saw us.

Please do not feed the Geese
 

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Aug 30, 12:29?pm, Vic Smith
wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:48:08 -0700, Chuck Gould





wrote:

When the kids were little, we rented a horse from a guy with a
concession at an ocean beach. It was $20 an hour or something- and we
paid for two hours. The plan was that we would walk down the beach and
the kids could take turns riding on the horse as we went.

Things went well for about the first 30 minutes. The horse walked
along
at a nice slow pace and our kids each spent some time in the saddle.
My wife and I each took a 5-minute turn and then put the kids back on.

At the 30 minute mark, the rent-a-horse just quit. Wouldn't take
another step. No amount of "giddy up", tugging on the harness,
slapping it on the buttocks, etc would move it along. I got up in the
saddle and kicked it lightly in the ribs with my heels. Nothing. The
horse sort of sneezed and whinnied, and then would shake its head and
neck as if to say, "What part of "no" don't you understand?"

We finally managed to get the horse moving again in the one direction
he was willing to go- back down the beach toward the rental tent. In
fact the closer we got to the rental tent the more energy the old nag
seemed to find. We were walking at a fairly fast clip to keep up. When
we got back to the rental tent, the horse came to a second and final
stubborn stop. We were back at the tent in about 55 minutes from the
time we paid for a two hour horseride.

I complained to the wrangler. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" he said. "I gave you
a one-hour horse."

"A one-hour horse?"

"Yup. Folks go out for a ride and have so much fun that they lose
track of time. A lot of people rent a horse for an hour, so we train
the one-hour horses to turn around and head back to the corral after
they have been out for 30 minutes. That way we can be sure to have
horses available when there's a line forming. The horses have a good
sense of time, and after a while they know how far down the beach they
are supposed to go, at different speeds, before they come back. I gave
you a horse that we normally use for one-hour rentals, sorry."

The wrangler told us we could take the same horse out for a second
hour- but as we would simply be covering the same territoy again we
opted for a refund of the second hour's rent.

We city folk get eddycated pretty quickly when we try to match wits
with some of them country fellars....who ever heard of a one-hour
horse? :-)

That "country fellar" wasn't too sharp.
A real one-hour horse should be home in 45 minutes and a two-hour
horse in 90 minutes.
Besides that, he couldn't tell them apart.
Pretty good, Chuck. I don't know if you're pulling my leg or not.
I'm pretty wary of what former yacht brokers say.
Speaking of pulled legs, the nag that gave me a butt thumping tried
that too. That's how she started her campaign against me.
Tried rubbing me off against trees.
And the standing still stubborn trick? Yep.
But she jumped in a river first, then stood there until I was
thoroughly soaked.
My buddy stood watching on his horse, nice and dry, laughing his ass
off, commenting about what a poor cowboy I was.
Joe Cafone of Nutley, NJ, horseman.
Hell, the closest he ever came to an animal before was the pigeons
he raced.
In cowboy fashion I finally heeled - didn't bring my spurs - the horse
up the steep river embankment (although I'm not sure the horse was
aware of me) and insisted we trade horses.
Knowing pigeons as well as he did, Joe readily agreed and we swapped.
Joe lasted about ten seconds before the horse had him in the river.
He got her out, but wanted his horse back, so we swapped again.
Then the horse bolted full tilt across a big pasture. I lost my
stirrups, and the down stride had my ass a foot off the saddle, while
the up stride banged my balls back into it.
Very painful indeed..
Soon I dropped the reins and was holding on for dear life with my
arms around the nag's neck. Of course now I was getting a full
frontal banging on the saddle horn. Would have fallen off except
she stopped when we reached the tree line.
That hour was a long day, and that animal had its way with me.
Nobody would have mistaken me for Eddie Arcaro.
I gave up my jockey/cowboy/equestrian career the same day I started
it, and never whispered to another horse.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Your ride was far more colorful than mine! :-)


The other problem with rental horses is they are normally a 1 hour minimum.
My ass is ready to be off at about 35 minutes.