ReNaming Mini-Horse, Steer's Hoof Neglect and Spiteful Goat Naming

I'm pretty bothered about alot of things at this moment in time, not just Zoo related, so at another time, this post might not have happened, but one relatively small issue in the grand scheme of Zoo things, ended up being a tipping point for me.

The Zoo's Email Newsletter, Animail, came through the other night.  I try not to look at what the Zoo puts out, including Social Media, as there is always something that irritates me, and I got to limit getting hyped up.  There are those times when curiosity does pique my interest.  I always regret it.  

Some things might just be me picking at everything, because of the overall situation with things that aren't right that go on at the Zoo, and my feeling that things could just be done a whole lot better there.  Most of the time, the things that irritate me versus the ones that upset me, I don't write about, because I have main issues that are necessary that I can't even get to.  That said, some things in this current Newsletter are still bugging me, one I'm not even going to get into, but the following especially irked me after getting Twitter alerts today that related to it.

So, apparently the Male Mini-Horse has now been ReNamed.  If anyone knows me or has followed any of my blogs over the past decade, you know one of my big issues is the ReNaming of Animals that already have names.  

The Male Mini-Horse came to the Family Farm in November 2019, with the Name Viggo.  I'm brain fading on his exact age, but pretty sure he's at least Twelve years old and certainly knows his name.  Viggo is a perfectly decent name.  I really like it and I think it fits him.  There is no reason to change it.  I had heard last year that a new Keeper to the Farm wanted to ReName Viggo, ... Tonka.  For one, WHY?  And, regardless that it's wrong to rename him, renaming him after a toy truck is just plain dumb.  It's not the name, it's using it to change the name he already has.  If he was born here and given that name, I'd have no problem with it.

The Zoo posted him to Twitter during the first shutdown last year, using the name Viggo.  So I thought, thank god that Tonka name didn't happen and he could keep the name he already has.

Then the Newsletter came with this ...

Then I went to Twitter, and sure enough more Tonka's Troop posts with poor Viggo being called a name that isn't his.  As well, apparently being trained with that new name.  So disrespectful, but hey, I guess it gives them a desperate gimmick.

The other issue I have is the coloring photo in relation to Slider, doesn't even look like him.  He doesn't have horns.  As well relating him to an Ox is something I never even heard.  So, I looked it up and Ox is the term for a "working" male of his age, but Steer is used for non-working.  I guess I just don't get the whole thing, unless the two Animal graphics match.  I guess they were desperate to make the Lunar New Year connection. 

It even bugged me that the prize was Slider's hoof prints.  Slider is one of my besties.  I love this guy.  I think the paintings of his hooves is beautiful.  The use of his hooves triggered something sensitive.

There was an issue that unfolded soon after the last shutdown that I didn't document, because when it comes to the Farm,  since I have a good rapport with the people there, I choose to question things to them.  But maybe it's time to document that issue.

A member of the public contacted me and asked me to look at Slider's hooves.  When I did, I felt like crying.  His hooves were so overgrown that I couldn't believe it.  My poor friend, I felt sick that his needs had been neglected like this.  Upon further investigation, I learned that he had not had his hooves trimmed in over four years.  I was told that he needed to be trained to do so voluntarily.  While voluntary presenting for any procedure is ideal, the question will always be, Why did it take over four years to start the training??   

One of my many photos.

Overgrown dew claws

and hooves.

Monitoring the situation with Slider's hooves lasted many months.  I could write an extensive blog post dedicated to just that.  This is the synopsis, and the last question of Why was nothing done sooner, will remain unresolved for me.  I was given answers that may sound logical, but not to me.  There were also other bits of information that didn't add up. Thankfully, his hooves are in good shape now, and I hope never to see that kind of neglect again.  There is no logical reason that training him didn't start for over four years. 

While I'm on the Farm,  there was another awfulness that I never documented.  In addition to the ReNaming issue, I also don't like when Animals are named disrespectfully.  

Two years ago the Farm got three new babie LaMancha Goats.  Right before them, two babie Nubians arrived.  Of the Goat species, Nubians have the longest ears and Lamanchas have the smallest. 

These five babies were acquired after the passing of our last senior Nigerian Dwarf Goat.  I was told that the main Goat Keeper allegedly didn't want any other breed other than Nigerian Dwarf.  So, when the Lamancha's arrived, she allegedly decided to pick names in protest.  She named them after public figures associated with ear losses.  Vincent Van Gogh, the painter who cut off his ear,  Boxer Mike Tyson who bit off an opponents ear, and Evander Holyfield the opponent.  When I heard this I felt sick to my stomach and near tears.  How could anyone who supposedly cares about Animals, think to name innocent little babies, in such a spiteful way?  And, more concerning,  How could management allow this?  I will never understand either, and I continue to be disgusted by both actions.  

Well, this post snowballed into including some things that I hadn't intended.  It's these seemingly little things, that are allowed to go on, that stack up with all the rest and make me sad.  The Zoo should just be better.  It's not hard to do the right thing. 

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