Another Prison Riot...

UPDATE: (10:27PM)- Reeves Co. Detention Riot Continues 2/1/09

Yesterday afternoon Travis and Tony were working cattle up north when they received the call that the CERT Team had been activated. It took them a couple of hours to get back to Pecos, drop Coal and Oakley off at the corrals, grab their CERT gear & boots and head to the prison pulling the horse trailer.

I threw hay right before they pulled into town so they would not have to worry about feeding. As the night wore on, it became apparent that something was going on. TnT didn't call to tell me that they were safe at home. So I went online to see if there was any coverage of the riot. Sure enough, it was a repeat of the riot in December, except it involved R1 & R2, (Were the guys work) instead of R3. The prisoners have burned the commissary, booking, and the infirmary. Also, there is damage to the kitchen and some of the housing units.

Last night Tony called at 9:47pm to ask me to take care of the dogs and horses until I heard from them again. All that he told me was that the CERT Team activation was not a drill and that this time was worse than the December riot. I don't expect to hear from them until they are on their way home, so in the meantime I will pray, haunt the online newscasts, and try to go about my normal routine while my sons are in harm's way.

• UPDATE: (10:45 PM)- Prison Riot At Reeves County Detention Center 1/31/09
• LATEST: Riot in Progress at Reeves County Detention Center
• Riot continues at West Texas prison

On a brighter note: The horses are doing great! As the guys left the corrals in a hurry last night, Cahlibur jumped, kicked and trotted all over his pen. If I didn't know that he has ringbone and has been lame, I would not have been able to tell it! I didn't write to let you know that Belle hurt herself somehow on Christmas Eve. It was after dark when the guys pulled in to feed. Tony noticed that Belle was acting different and when he pulled the truck around to shine the lights on her, all he saw was blood from above her right front knee to the ground. Further inspection showed that she had somehow cut herself pretty deep. Tony left several messages with the local vet, called me and loaded her up in the trailer for the short drive to the clinic.

We were waiting for the vet when a rancher pulled in with a cow that had a prolapsed uterus. They had been able to get a hold of Doctor Box and he would be there any minute. (They were the reason we got nothing but answering machine!) Doctor Box pulled in looked at Tony holding Belle's leg and said "I didn't know about this one!" as he pulled around to work with the cow first.

By the time I got back with Triple Hamburgers, fries & Dr. Pepper's from Dairy Queen for the guys, Doctor Box had Belle stitched up and was wrapping her leg. She was so drugged that Tony rode in the horse trailer with her back to the corrals. We can only guess that she was kicked by one of the other horses (Cahlibur or Clancey), because there are no sharp areas within their corrals. There were no signs that she received this wound on the pipe fencing either.

I will share pictures of the horses in the next post...and pictures of Kate 'n' Rusty's grandpups!!!


MnC's Disclaimer: At no time is excessive force, cruelty or brutality used when training the horses pictured in this blog. Reinforcing pats and firm gentleness, along with calmness from the trainers, encourage the horses to do as they are asked.