Behind the scenes at the Nevada Department of Corrections looking at the wild horse training program in Carson City. This is part 2 of 4. View part I here.

Among a few short films to be screened today and tomorrow at the Independence Film Festival in Pueblo is "Chasing Tail," a 7-minute “trailer” for a long-form documentary by filmmaker and pack-burro racer Curtis Imrie. The film stands out as the only film made in the Arkansas Valley region, and features not only Imrie but other area residents as well.

I’ve known Imrie well enough to have watched this film being made over the past three decades. It contains footage from his early adulthood, on through to this past year, when a donkey he owns, Mordecai, was selcted as the mascot for the Democratic National Convention in Denver. It was this latest chapter that struck the imagination of videographer Viviana Madronero-Rivero of Gato Productions, who helped him sort through an ice chest full of footage about his life.

“Curtis spent literally years of his life collecting video to eventually make a film that could vividly demonstrate the evolution of a human life, from the early years and the youthful mistakes all of us make, to the choices along the way that seem mundane at the time, but end up defining who we are long-term,” Viviana says.

"To many people, racing donkeys in remote mountain towns might seem like a joke. In the context of a human life, it is the direct antithesis of an average American life with a house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids and an all-consuming career aimed at financial and material acquisition. But for people like Curtis, it is a way of life that provides joy, clarity and happiness,” Viviana says.

For those unable to attend the 7 p.m. today or 2:30 Saturday screenings in Pueblo click here.

Gold Butte's burros need your voice. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed a new Herd Management Area (HMA) Plan for Gold Butte's burros in Nevada, effective for the next 10-20 years. The Gold Butte HMA is the last of three HMAs in the Lake Mead Conservation Area BLM has not yet zeroed out: the area used to be the third largest concentration of wild burros in the West with an estimated population of 800, with 600 in Gold Butte alone. The plan authorizes round-ups every 4-5 years with a population target of just 22 burros. When the herd grows to 49, BLM intends to remove them again, even though the established appropriate management level allows up to 98 burros throughout the 271,000 acres of the HMA. BLM is only offering two options: the new plan or 'No Action.' Please support the No Action Alternative until an option is presented for responsible management of viable herds. This should at least include:

1. Allowing the burro herd to reach its high AML range of 98 before any round-up can take place, not 49 as the current plan is written.
2. Providing for maintenance of existing water developments and requiring water be provided if any new springs are fenced off.
3. Allowing the burros' forage measurements to still extend 10 miles around water. The new plan only allows 1-3 miles to be used, a very short distance for burros!
4. Establishing a rangeland recovery plan for those portions of the HMA that were burned by wildfires. Currently, BLM has no plan in place to help the burros survive for the next 20 years.
5. Not continuing to allow the National Park Service to remove or dispose of this last remaining burro herd. Any removals should be done by BLM through normal procedures.

Comments must be postmarked by September 19, 2008:
BLM Las Vegas Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89130
Phone: (702) 515-5000, Fax: (702) 515-5023
Patrick Putnam/Assistant Field Manager pputnam@nv.blm.gov or
Jerrie Bertola, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Jerrie_Bertola@nv.blm.gov
Be sure to include EA # NV052-2008-435, Gold Butte HMAP in your subject line.

This is an issue I know only a small bit about. I learned of it only because of my writing and researching about the Kofa Mountain Lions.

It is an issue that frustrates me because it highlights the vast number of ways that animals are being exploited and exterminated. Why can't we just let these animals live?

As if it isn't enough that 10 billion land animals are killed each year for the food people put on their plates, wild animals on public land are being exterminated because they are taking up land that the hunters and ranchers prefer to use for themselves.

If you can, take a second to email the BLM and support the "No Action" option.

We keep a small herd of Angus-composite beef cattle on a 640-acre "school section" lease here in the Wet Mountains. These cattle are raised to very high standards using no antibiotics or growth hormones. They live on high-altitude grass and forage, mountain spring water, natural sea salt and minerals and nothing else. They are not fed grain and not kept in close confinement. This year we are in the position to offer some of these cattle for sale. We have animals available for pasture-harvesting by the local meat shop, as well as certified calves and cows and heifers bred to our certified Angus bull. Contact me through the comments on this blog for more information.

In recent years I’ve been playing with using my large-breed “saddle” donkeys to help me with the cattle, convinced they can do some types of work just as well as a horse. For the most part we’ve done pretty well.

Recently two of our heifers got through the fence onto Bear Basin Ranch so today I saddled Laredo and went over there to move these two strays back where they belong. I opened the gate on the upper end of our pasture, then rode around until I located the heifers, one solid red and the other solid black. They were downhill from the gate and against the fenceline. I figured between Laredo and my dog Sam it would be a cinch to keep them pinned against the fence and drive them uphill to the gate. The only problem was, these heifers wouldn’t budge.

Laredo actually bumped both of them and they would hardly move. Finally I drove Laredo harder toward the black heifer. We were both surprised when she turned, lowered her head and drove it into Laredo’s shoulder. There was a feeling of being off-balance, then he spun out of it and bolted downhill. I managed to get him under control in short order and avoided getting tossed.

We did eventually get the heifers moved back through the gate, but I have to admit the unexpected shove did get my attention. As I rode away the heifers were headed back toward the main herd.

The stands were packed, spectators spilled over into the surrounding streets, neighbouring balconies looked like sardine tins... and only five donkeys turned out for the race. But everyone knew we would have a good laugh, and so we did. El Chino Manolín must have packed a mini-racehorse under his donkey: it raced round the track well ahead of all the others. Morales, on the other hand, had something more akin to a recalcitrant mule under there, though. There was no way that burro was going to go round a all. But it was fun, and better organized than last year. If you missed all the fun, here's a slide show.

Un burro hechor es un asno semental utilizado en la producción de mulas cubriendo yeguas. En Venezuela el burro criollo sin mayor selección que la natural y excesiva consanguinidad es todavía el más utilizado, lo que en el tiempo ha resultado en el desmejoramiento de la cría mular que se observa.

De allí que el creciente interés y demanda de burros reproductores de raza Mammoth Americano - el auténtico Jack Ass, en la producción de mulas de silla y trabajo, sea de lo más acertado. Además de su excelente temperamento, mejor conformación, alzada y fortaleza, son mundiamente reconocidos por su resistencia y longevidad. Todos estos deseables caracteres que se transmiten a su descendencia.

No por casualidad fueron burros Mammoth Gigante los que engendraron las mulas que hicieron posible la Conquista del Oeste Americano hasta que el automóvil y el camión las desplazaran. Esto mientras aquí para el trabajo del Llano o de la montaña, las mulas no tienen no tendrán reemplazo.

Sin embargo el reto está en producirlas y buenas, para lo cual los burros hechores Mammoth Gigante Americano son acertada selección para aparear la yeguada. Ciertamente, cualquier burro no es buen hechor. Hay que saber escogerlo y adquirirlo de la mejor fuente, tal como consta son los que se importan desde Texas.

- Quem não vive para servir, não serve para viver.

ORRA, que conclusão eih!
Sei lá deonde veio a frase, se foi alguma religião e tals.... Masssss que frase de pobre!

Se você quer viver para servir, seja garçom...

Todos querem ser SERVIDOS algum dia, alguns o são sempre... E ainda assim servem para viver.

É revoltante como crentes e fanáticos acham que tem obrigação de servir aos outros e um Deus. Eu não o faço e sou feliz... E ainda sirvo para muitas coisas, resolver problemas financeiros, calculos lógicos, enganar pessoas menos capacitadas, digo, negociar com ética. MAS COBRAMOS POR ISTO!

É.... normal uma frase destas vir de um povo que DOA 10% das economias para um ser invisível que vive no céu...

Gastem estes 10% com comida, educação, saneamento, roupas... Depois as coisas faltam em casa, e a culpa é "nossa" que temos mais condições e não ajudamos ninguém....

Ha ha, quer servir a vida toda? Ótimo, mas cobre por isto ao invés de pagar!

I've noticed from the "stats" provided by Wordpress, that some people have been coming to my site looking for basic information about burros and pack-saddles and other burro gear. I would like to provide answers to these types of questions, so if you have any just ask them in the comments and I will answer them based on my experience.

For the person googling the difference between a donkey and a burro, there is none. The word "burro" is Spanish for donkey. Out West we almost always refer to these animals as burros. Of course, a cross between a donkey/burro and a horse would be a mule.

Quite often people will refer to my larger donks as mules, and I've given up on correcting them.

As far as gear goes, when I first got into pack-burro racing back in 1980, one of the first things I realized I needed to buy was a pack-saddle. I bought a Colorado Saddlery Burro Pack Saddle for $175 in 1981, and it is the same one I've used in countless races over 27 years. I've also used it on a lot of training runs and pack trips on animals of various sizes. All the leather is still original and in good shape, and I don't think a person can go wrong with one of these saddles for basic packing or pack-burro racing.

One problem in saddling donkeys/burros and mules is that these animals generally have a less pronounced withers than a horse, and thus the saddle tends to slide forward, especially on a downhill.

Pack saddles usually come with a "britchin' " (breeching) which is the rigging used to keep the saddle from sliding forward. While this style of rigging is the only way to go when packing a heavy load, many pack-burro racers instead use a crupper, which runs under the tail to keep the saddle from sliding forward.

While a crupper allows more freedom of movement in the rear end, and eliminates the chaffing that can be caused by a britchin', some say it can put undue pressure under the tail at a point where a lot of nerve endings come together.

I've run a number of tests using both a crupper and a britchin' and I've decided a britchin' is the only way to go for packing heavy loads, and also on a riding saddle.

However, in pack-burro racing, where the animal must trot for very long distances and the burro is only carrying 33 pounds, it's nearly impossible to get a britchin' rigged exactly right so it doesn't chaff the rear flanks. I've gone back to the crupper for training and racing, and have not noticed any ill effects. It is important that the crupper not be adjusted too tightly, and that it be made of good quality leather. The better ones contain flaxseed as a stuffing.

Dizem que não é bom pensar, falar ou (re)agir de “cabeça quente”, mas considero esse o melhor momento para se saber o que se passa nas entranhas intelectuais de cada um. E, claro, para revelar a essência dos seus pensamentos também.

Sexta-feira, contrariamente ao usual, é o dia mais estressante da semana, pelo menos aqui no escritório. Em dias de fechamento de edição de material, é sempre assim. E sempre na sexta. Meu final de semana depende inteiramente da minha desenvoltura hoje, mesmo meu trabalho estando intimamente ligado aos de outras pessoas.

É justamente aí onde mora o meu problema: nas outras pessoas. Por toda a vida, ou ao menos desde quando tenho consciência individual, sempre fui facilmente sociável, com um potencial absurdo para gostar de alguém, mesmo depois do primeiro encontro. Vantajoso ou não, esse potencial anda me revelando outros lados, avessos até.

Sem mais delongas, o fato é que a facilidade que tenho para gostar de determinado alguém é diretamente proporcional à facilidade para detestá-lo, transformar a admiração em antipatia, aversão e o diabo-a-quatro. Na sexta-feira.

Como disse, fechamento de edição, excesso de informações, curto prazo e pessoas. Ah, como tudo seria melhor se não existissem as pessoas, ao menos me enchendo o saco enquanto trabalho! A pior coisa em ambientes corporativos é o excesso e, claro, excesso de gente também é nocivo a qualquer profissional. Palpites, censuras, restrições e questionamentos fazem parte do meu afã e, de acordo com o provérbio, obedece quem tem juízo. Mas o grande xis da questão reside em ouvir tanta coisa desnecessária, tanta imbecilidade de uma vez só e o que é pior: ser censurado por leigos num assunto que você tem pleno domínio.

Como sempre, as pessoas! Elas me irritam, mesmo sem querer e, quando querem, conseguem me tirar de órbita. Todas elas deveriam manter-se caladas ou abrir a boca somente para relinchar o estritamente necessário. Para não parecer autista, que tal me referir somente aos estúpidos, ignorantes e burros? Raça maldita!

Aprendi no catecismo que devemos amar ao próximo, nunca desrespeitá-lo ou ofendê-lo, mas, sabe como é, a gente sempre tem alguma falha no aprendizado. Ainda no viés da religião, a ira é um dos mais graves pecados capitais, mas, também há uma falha nisso, principalmente pelo fato de que tais pecados foram invenção do homem.

Trocadilhos aparte, alguns “próximos” me irritam, quando estão próximo demais. Se permitido fosse, acrescentaria os mais lerdinhos na lista de condenados da Santa Inquisição. Não admito que eles, justo eles, venham palpitar em como devo ou não trabalhar. Não me é conveniente escutar calado tantas insanidades, tantas tolices em vão. Ninguém é perfeito, eu sei, mas eles não precisam escolher justo este defeito.

“João, você deve ter paciência com eles. Seja resistente às influências externas e aprenda a moderar a sua própria vontade.” Balela! A paciência é uma das sete virtudes e, inclusive, é a virtude opositora à ira. Mas isso nunca me foi ensinado no catecismo e, pelo que sei, ira é a vontade de destruir algo lhe desagrada e lhe deixa furioso. Já pensou? Isso sim seria paciência. Um pecado justificando o outro, para depois não pecar mais.

O BURRO DE MIRANDA

O burro de Miranda, com um reduzido número de efectivos,

constitui a única raça reconhecida de espécie asinina em Portugal.

Recomendamos:  Associação para o Estudo e Protecção do Gado Asinino 

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As Laredo and I inched toward the finish line of the Leadville International Pack Burro Race on Sunday, a voice over the loudspeaker told the crowd something to the effect that I had "finally" won the thing after all these years. All I wanted to do at that point was get Laredo's nose over the finish line, but the statement threw me back a ways into my 28-year personal history with this race. It was here that it all started for me in 1980, when Moose and I earned the "Last Ass Over the Pass" award. How soon it's forgotten that you first won the race in 1996 with Clyde, then a second time in 1998 with Spike. Spike and I won it again in 2004 and then in 2006, an exciting and memorable race in which we nosed out Tom Sobal and Mordecai right at the finish line. And here I was winning a fifth time with a third burro, Laredo.

Laredo is a super burro and a great soul, but I've had my suspicions about his health. Recently blood tests confirmed that he has equine Cushings disease, which affects the pituitary gland and the regulation of stress hormones and insulin. After consulting with my vet, adjusting his diet and adding an herbal remedy, chasteberry, the vet said to go ahead and race him. I knew that I would have to monitor his stress level and pace him accordingly. I decided there would be no sudden surges as I have used out on the course to win races in the past.

At Leadville we were able to grind away from the rest of the pack on the ascent of Mosquito Pass, reaching the 13,187-foot summit about 9 minutes in the lead. From there we stretched it out somewhat, but I was careful to pace Laredo the rest of the way back to town.

Curtis Imrie once told me that winning at pack-burro racing is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle. And it's true. You have to have everything going in your favor and then put yourself in the right position at the right time. And when you do "finally" pull it off, it's really just a flash in time. Like catching lightning in a bottle.

Bobby Lewis and Wellstone are the new World Champions of Pack-
Burro Racing. I know this because after 5 hours, 47 minutes and a few seconds of trading places with them for 30 miles up and down Mosquito Pass, through a thunderstorm at the summit, blinding sleet, rain, rushing creeks and snowfields, they got ahead coming down Front Street in Fairplay and made it back to the Prunes Monument just a few seconds ahead of Laredo and myself. I've been told the difference was 5 to 15 seconds. Some people have asked about Bobby. He's a good runner, 44 years old, and he hiked the entire Continental Divide Trail from Canada to Mexico with his family and Wellstone carrying their gear a couple summers ago. So, yeah, they are a formidable team. It can hurt a person's brain to finish second by such a close margin, but then I enjoy the competition and at this stage of the game I am just glad to be healthy and in the mix. My thanks to my crew, Tim and Shirley Van Riper, who were out there with water, dry clothes, and Hal's Jumpin' Jackass Juice (watch for the recipe). I couldn't have done it without them. Tim also took some fine photos of the race. Next race is Leadville: Sunday, Aug. 3.

No mínimo irônico, quase uma década de negociação, que tinha como foco a "liberação", foi despedaçada por medidas protecionistas (que protege os umbigos) da Índia e dos Estados Unidos, principalmente. Foi uma rodada onde o mundo inteiro rodou literalmente - "Se ferramos"

E um marciano disse:

- Mais uma vez, os humanos não percebem como são um bando de otários. Simplesmente não conseguem estabelecer comunicação entre si.

Aqui Também tem umas coisas de outro mundo.

Mack me llamó la atención porque fue la primera persona a la que le oía hablar en inglés con acento estadounidense después de cinco días en Lamu, un archipiélago situado en Kenia, a unos 200 kilómetros de la frontera con Somalia, en el que parece que el reloj se ha parado en el siglo XVI. No es broma: la esclavitud sólo se abolió aquí en 1907. En la principal isla del archipiélago, Lamu, viven 15.000 personas, que tienen como medio de transporte 3.000 burros y dos coches (en realidad, los coches no son de ellos: uno es del DC, o 'District Commissioner', es decir, el gobernador de la provincia, y el otro del Hospital de Burros, creado por una ONG británica para socorrer a los asnos con problemas de salud). Leer más

La noticia-reportaje es del periódico El Mundo. Es un interesante y breve artículo sobre actividades mercenarias de estadounidenses en Kenia. A mí, lo que me llama la atención, sin embargo, es el hecho de que el segundo de los dos únicos coches de la isla, es del Hospital de Burros, creado por una ONG británica para socorrer a los asnos con problemas de salud,

Supongo que los de la ONG prefirieron ocuparse de los suyos, antes que de las personas. Me encantaría saber cómo se llama esa oenegé. Y quien la financia. Me encantaría saber a quién votan y qué opinan sobre muchos otros temas, los directivos de esa ONG...

Muchas veces (no todas, no siempre) las ideas, los partidos, se definen por quienes les dan soporte (los sostienen). No sé si a mí me gustaría compartir ideario o, en su caso, que me votaran estos... ¡BURROS!

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Nos vemos.
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Addendum:
No me he resistido a buscarla y la Nueva Biblioteca de Alejandría (léase Internet) y su eficaz bibliotecario (léase Google) me han sacado de dudas en 0,58 segundos...
(Resultados 1 - 10 de aproximadamente 236 de Lamu ong donkeys. (0,58 segundos)
¡Me encanta Internet!

Bueno a lo que vamos... que los miembros y, seguramente, miembras de esta ONG se "agrupan" bajo el nombre de The Donkey Sanctuary... ¡ya empezamos mal con el nombre...!
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Os efeitos da pesquisa são potencializados com a bebedeira…

“Sou uma Anta!”. Se você macho leitor já disse/pensou isso ao acordar com a mulher “errada” ao lado na cama, fique tranqüilo! Uma pesquisa feita com os Britânicos aponta que os homens ao acordarem ficam temporariamente mais burros. Sim, caros leitores. Vocês, homens, ficam mais burros ao acordarem. A pesquisa afirma que mesmo se fosse a Gisele Bündchen ou até mesmo a Juliana Paes na cama vocês pensariam assim. Ao contrário de nós mulheres, que se acordássemos ao lado de Brad Pitt ou do Marcos Pasquim já ficaríamos excitadíssimas. É, mais uma vez, uma pesquisa mostra que as mulheres são estão a frente dos homens. É… ponto pras mulheres.

Anamélia da Silveira Araribá
Que ficaria excitadíssima na cama com o Marido da Angelina Jolie

Most summers I do a final longish run about 10 days before the Triple Crown pack-burro races begin. It's no big deal like some of the runs up to 4.5 hours that I've done in weeks past. It's just one last test of over two hours. It allows me to check out my burro, my gear, my own health and fitness. I decided to jog Laredo up Hermit Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Range just to get in a short, but steep and rocky climb. Now 10 days of recovery before Fairplay, July 27, 29 miles; Leadville, Aug. 3, 22 miles; and Buena Vista, Aug. 10, 12 miles. That's a lot of racing miles in three consecutive weekends. I always feel a sense of relief when this training run is over. There's nothing to do now but show up. This year I packed a digital camera along and so you get a brief 8-second glimpse of what it's like. Eight seconds is how long a bull rider rides. Of course a pack-burro race is much longer.