Greener pastures

David and Anita Hasbury-Snogles / Culpeper Star Exponent
Published: March 11, 2008

The other week I talked about the Rappahannock Hunt's annual Point-to-Point meet at the Bleu Rock Inn in Washington, Va., and invited you all to come down and join in the fun -  and, believe you me, it was great fun indeed, despite the very strong, very cold wind that blasted around the place. There were some good races, and some great tailgate parties on the course and, best of all, it didn't rain or snow. It was cold without a doubt, but sheltered behind a truck or trailer, a good drop of something warming in your cup, and you soon forgot about the cold.

In fact the weekend turned out to be one long equestrian event for us, and quite an exhausting time it proved to be. We knew about the Point-to-Point on Saturday, but the "Pairs Racing" that our Friends Donna Martin and Julie Williamson were riding in on Sunday was kind of thrown in at the last minute. They were riding as guests of the Casanova Hunt up near New Baltimore, about an hour's drive from home.

Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem for us, after all what is an hour's drive to those of us in America- Of course, the answer is nothing at all. It's equivalent really to popping down to the local store for a gallon of milk - just a shame it costs a gallon of gas to do it, and as we all know, that is not getting any cheaper! I have to say that without a doubt someone out there is making a lot of money off the back of us ordinary folk, who, let's face it, have no option but to use our cars/trucks to live our daily lives! But that is another story altogether, and I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest just yet (well, actually I do, but let's wait until the Green Card comes through first shall we-).

I was sort of digressing there, but it is a valid point because in the equine world, the cost of gas or diesel greatly affects everyone - not just those who travel from show to show, or go trail riding in different parts of the country towing their trailers behind them, but also in the knock-on effects of transportation costs in general.

Truth be told, the cost of everything we buy will rise as a result of increasing fuel costs - and don't believe all the hype about "greenhouse gases" either. Governments love to tag on to fashionable "green issues" these days, as it helps divert some of the attention from their own miserable failings, and is a great excuse to raise additional revenue from "green taxes" too.

Personally, when anyone ever mentions how much pollution car drivers create and how we must change our "evil ways", I simply point out how much more pollution is generated from jet aircraft or trucks than the entire car-driving population of a city. What's worse is when we in the West are being severely berated for our selfish, inconsiderate ways, and are made to feel guilty for the very fact we dare to breathe these days.

I am frequently puzzled to hear all this babble about global warming, when I keep hearing about record low temperatures in various parts of the country this winter; surely global warming would mean the temperatures get higher, not lower, wouldn't it- 

Did you know that the years just before an ice age tend to show a few degrees increase in warmth - then the big freeze hits! Who's to say that isn't what we are experiencing nowadays, only in fast-forward format-

I'm not averse to recycling, nor do I like to see the beautiful countryside tainted with trash, and I appreciate that we don't always do what is best for the environment - just give us all a break from the preaching from time to time.

Maybe we should all start thinking seriously about reverting back to single horsepower - a very green mode of transport, if a little less controllable at times than the 160 horsepower equivalent. It may not come with heated seats, FM Stereo, power steering, electric windows or full-shock absorption, but the air conditioning is definitely thrown in, especially at speed, and you don't need to stop at a gas station every few hundred miles - just the nearest pasture!
Until next week ……….

David Snogles can be reached at david_hasbury@ yahoo.com