Althouse: "A 63-year-old man... was arrested... after police were informed he was seen touching a female horse in what appeared to be a sexual fashion.... The animal looked to be in pain during the incident."

March 9, 2011

"A 63-year-old man... was arrested... after police were informed he was seen touching a female horse in what appeared to be a sexual fashion.... The animal looked to be in pain during the incident."

For touching a horse, a man is arrested, gets his picture in the paper, and will be mocked for the rest of his life.

Some bystander reported that the horse "looked to be in pain during the incident"? I was going to ridicule the notion of expression on a horse's face, but I Googled "horse face expression pain" and didn't come up empty. I'm no horse expert, but I tend to think there's a lot of subjectivity involved when people look at an animal's face and think they perceive the animal's feelings. And do I even need to mention the difficulty of distinguishing expressions evincing sexual pleasure and those that express pain — even on human faces?

I care about cruelty to animals, but the man had his pants on. I would leave him alone, even if he had his hand somewhere that unsettled an onlooker. Don't the police have better things to do? Putting this poor guy's picture in the paper with this story is the real cruelty.

62 comments:

Triangle Man said...: He was charged with criminal trespass as well. Was this his horse that he was trying to calm down with his hand?; 3/9/11, 9:34 AM
FloridaSteve said...: Sure. And now it's nice of you to link to the story and contribute to it going international... yeah yeah I know. It's already "out there". But still...; 3/9/11, 9:36 AM
William said...: I will not be the one to make a cruel joke involving Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.; 3/9/11, 9:36 AM
AllenS said...: I've owned a horse almost my entire adult life. I can't imagine what a man could do in a sexual fashion to a female horse that would cause the animal to look like it was in pain, without the horse kicking the man.

WV: funki; 3/9/11, 9:37 AM
Anonymous said...: Palin: 'John Kerry, why the long face?'

Doh!; 3/9/11, 9:41 AM
Paddy O said...: If Trooper were awake, he'd make a joke about Matthew Broderick.; 3/9/11, 9:43 AM
Leland said...: Reading body language is the realm of thought police. Apparently people have become so good at it that they can read the thoughts of animals from body language.

For another take, somebody needs to arrest Mike Roe. I've seen video documentation of him touching cows, horses, sheep, pigs, turkeys, and camels in a sexual fashion. It looked painful to me.; 3/9/11, 9:46 AM
Clairvius Narcisse said...: certainly a new low for lieberman; 3/9/11, 9:50 AM
Palladian said...: A Lieberman joke? It's 2011!; 3/9/11, 9:53 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: If Lawrence v. Texas taught us anything, it's that human sexuality is the ultimate privacy right.

Whatever happens between two consenting adults, a young child, and a farm animal in the privacy of a public rest stop is of no concern to the rest of society.; 3/9/11, 9:53 AM
Clairvius Narcisse said...: but kerry gets a pass?
i demand to see laurence's birth certificate!; 3/9/11, 9:56 AM
Peter V. Bella said...: A horse is a horse, of course of course, and nobody can touch a horse of course. Unless of course the horse of course is name is Mr. Ed.; 3/9/11, 9:57 AM
pauls lane said...: I've owned horses and the only 'expressions' I've ever seen are fear and anger. Fear - the eyes get big and the ears go back and the horses either kick or run or kick and then run. Anger - their eyes get big and their ears go back and they kick or position themselves to kick and then kick and also they bite. When I've seen a horse with an injury and I know it hurts I see nothing in their facial expression that indicates pain; however if they are injured and you happen to touch the injured part they'll let you know it hurts and it won't be by grimacing.; 3/9/11, 9:58 AM
Richard Dolan said...: It's hard to believe that a case like this will proceed. The problems of proof (not of the touching, but of the intent and the effect) will be overwhelming. Imagine the Daubert problems (whatever the local CT version of that may be) in trying to prove that the horse felt pain, or that the intent of the 'touching' was to obtain gratification of some sort. Presumably, the local DA's office will have better things to do, even if the Shelton PD doesn't.

Perhaps there is some local history behind it -- of either the unnamed 'bystander' or the defendant. Still, it's hard to see how this case could proceed to trial.; 3/9/11, 9:58 AM
kent said...: ... and, just like that: Peter Shaffer's Equus becomes relevant again.; 3/9/11, 9:59 AM
Fred4Pres said...: We need to remember that people are presumed innocent. Which means, do not overly promote such stories until it is proven the person is guilty.

And horses are not afraid to let you know when you are doing something they do not care for. Allen S is correct.; 3/9/11, 10:04 AM
Original Mike said...: "For touching a horse, ..."

I've noticed a pattern in my life. The older I get, the stupider the world gets. Is it my fault? The correlation coefficient is unity.; 3/9/11, 10:04 AM
Hagar said...: Somebody should send the police of Shelton, Conn. a video of a rancher doing artificial insemination.; 3/9/11, 10:05 AM
garage mahal said...: Neh nuh neh nuh neh means no!; 3/9/11, 10:07 AM
Unknown said...: Reminiscent of a Colin Firth movie about 15 years old originally titled, "The Advocate", about a 14th Century lawyer in France.

A guy was found molesting a mule and they were going to hang the mule along with the guy. The lawyer is able to get the village priest to certify the mule was virtuous and was molested against its will.

Interesting flick, certainly one for Meadhouse - very sexy in places.

Without the mule, of course.; 3/9/11, 10:09 AM
Wince said...: Lesson: Don't massage the pony's yoni.

Yoni (YO-NEE) is the Sanskrit word for the vagina. Literally meaning “sacred space or temple”. In Tantra, the vagina is the worshipped sacred part of the female body, which must be treated with care and respect. The Yoni massage is a sensuous form of bodywork that can build trust between the giver and receiver as well as connect the receiver to their inner sensual nature resulting in a feeling of complete well-being, satisfaction, and contentment.

Although the Yoni massage can be extremely stimulating, the purpose is not to bring the woman to orgasm. Rather, it is to relax the receiver and to bring emotions to the surface so that she is free to express her natural, powerful, orgasmic nature. The experiences and feelings that a woman may have during the Yoni massage can be very different, ranging from anger, lust, sadness, or even indifference. Everything is possible and everything is allowed. The Yoni massage is not about focusing on a special kind of feeling or fulfilling a particular expectation. The idea is simply to witness the receiver and to honor and respect her feminine nature as a divine Goddess.; 3/9/11, 10:11 AM
MaggotAtBroad&Wall said...: I grew up on a farm. When I was a kid, I remember we once had a cow that was pregnant with twins. My dad called the vet to assist with the birthing when the time came. The "touching" the vet did is an image I will never forget. The cow definately appeared to be in pain. The vet did not get his pic plastered in the local paper. In fact, he was paid and thanked for his services.; 3/9/11, 10:15 AM
kent said...: "It's 'interspecies erotica,' fucko!"; 3/9/11, 10:15 AM
I'm a Shaaaaark said...: It wasn't actually a horse. It was the love child of John Elway and Sarah Jessica Parker.; 3/9/11, 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...: Kent, LOL!; 3/9/11, 10:24 AM
pauls lane said...: I've seen vets put on shoulder length gloves and 'touch' a horse, up to their (the vets) shoulder. The horse showed fear or perhaps anger or perhaps a little of both, not sure but I couldn't tell if it was in actual pain. My guess is as my doctor once told me, this is going to be a little uncomfortable.; 3/9/11, 10:25 AM
DADvocate said...: The farmer and his girlfriend were riding his tractor around the farm when they arrived at a pasture full of cows and a bull. The bull was giving it to one of the cows.

The farmer looks at his girlfriend and says, "Do you reckon I could do that?"

"You can do whatever you want. They're your cows," the girlfriend replies.

I once assisted a veterinarian do D&Cs to some cows. Talk about touching! He used a rubber glove that went up to his shoulder. The cow just had the "is that all you got" look.; 3/9/11, 10:36 AM
MayBee said...: Compare this to The Daily Show's camel.; 3/9/11, 10:36 AM
DADvocate said...: It wasn't actually a horse. It was the love child of John Elway and Sarah Jessica Parker.

LOL!!! Hey, Sarah, why the long face?; 3/9/11, 10:37 AM
campy said...: We need to remember that people are presumed innocent.

For males accused of sex offenses, that hasn't really been true in quite some time.; 3/9/11, 10:47 AM
Hoosier Daddy said...: I'm curious how the police could tell which horse had been 'violated'.

Does the CT police have a Special Victims Unit for horses?; 3/9/11, 10:52 AM
alan markus said...: I followed the link within the linked article.

He said this:

Wegiel stated that he may have inadvertently put his fingers inside one of the horses.

How do you "inadvertently" do something like that? I agree with Richard Dolan above - I suspect a lot of horses get nervous when this guy shows up.; 3/9/11, 10:55 AM
AllenS said...: How do you "inadvertently" do something like that?

Well, I guess the man could claim that he was tired and then put an arm out to rest on the horse, and then, wammo, you're up to your shoulder in female horse vagina.; 3/9/11, 10:59 AM
kent said...: How do you "inadvertently" do something like that?

"WHOOPS! I tripped! OOPS! Tripped again, darn it! WHOOPSIE! Jeepers, I'm just so gosh-darned clumsy, today...!"; 3/9/11, 10:59 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: DADvocate said...

The cow just had the "is that all you got" look.

Could you please describe that look? It's one I've never actually come across.; 3/9/11, 11:00 AM
Hank Rearden_WI said...: Most likely a Northwestern Alum.; 3/9/11, 11:05 AM
Trooper York said...: Leave Matthew Broderick alone.

The man suffers enough.; 3/9/11, 11:05 AM
Trooper York said...: Thanks for covering for me PaddyO.; 3/9/11, 11:06 AM
bagoh20 said...: It's not uncommon for horses to lie about such encounters. Sending a man to jail is often worth it to avoid admitting that they were up for it at the time. She was running around naked for God's sake, what did she expect?; 3/9/11, 11:29 AM
traditionalguy said...: Will the horse now be interviewed on Nancy Grace? Crime makes great programming on cable TV.; 3/9/11, 11:31 AM
Trooper York said...: Did you see the letter from the 300professors from Duke who demand that this guy go to jail.; 3/9/11, 11:36 AM
kent said...: "My Really, Really Good Friend, Flicka."; 3/9/11, 11:44 AM
Anonymous said...: I saw the vet inseminate cows on my grandfather's farm. The vet put his arm all the way in the cow's hoohah. The cow did not appear to be in pain. What could this guy do to a horse to hurt it?; 3/9/11, 11:47 AM
kent said...: What could this guy do to a horse to hurt it?

"That stall really makes your ass look fat, you know."; 3/9/11, 11:52 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "What could this guy do to a horse to hurt it?"

"That stall really makes your ass look fat, you know."

Somebody go tell the Wisconsin protest monitor.; 3/9/11, 11:55 AM
Trooper York said...: Well you have to be fair. Did you see the bridel she was wearing. She was asking for it.; 3/9/11, 11:55 AM
Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...: Maybe this guy was just doing some research. Perhaps he has an idea for a new class at Northwestern University.; 3/9/11, 12:03 PM
Trooper York said...: "What could this guy do to a horse to hurt it?"

Look I am sorry I didn't call you. But this isn't the first time somebody rode you. I mean it was a lot of fun but it was just supposed to be a casual canter, no committments. Don't be like that. I did get you that big feedbag what did you expect? Don't cry. Really this isn't the 1950's after all. What to mean you are going to call Gloria Allred? You can't do that. If I have to go to trial who is going to leak all those documents on the Internet? People would have to rely on the Racing Form. You wouldn't want that. Com'on I will call you a hansom cab. Don't cry baby.; 3/9/11, 12:05 PM
DADvocate said...: She was running around naked for God's sake, what did she expect?

The horse kept nagging him.

The cow just had the "is that all you got" look.

Could you please describe that look? It's one I've never actually come across.

Same here. I get the "you got ALL THAT" look.; 3/9/11, 12:32 PM
sonicfrog said...: To be fair, he had just moved from Enumclaw. What he did isn't even considered to be "first base" there!

- or, an old favorite lyrical distortion by my dad -

I Wonder Who's Kissing The Cow!!!!; 3/9/11, 12:45 PM
kent said...: "Cattle Prod," by Guadalcanal Diary.; 3/9/11, 1:00 PM
PJ said...: Professor, I'm surprised (and a little disappointed) that you didn't note an apt Kinks tune:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata_player&v=5xZghyIdrho; 3/9/11, 1:29 PM
DADvocate said...: PJ - word has it the guy had a habit of humming this tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUHMrGx_jG0&feature=related; 3/9/11, 1:34 PM
JAL said...: Can't say whether the horse was "in pain" or not. Proabably not, since vets do the up-to-the-armpit exam safely.

I do disagree with commenters about horses expressions.

They have expressions, and it's not just how they hold their ears. It's a whole body language, but the face can communicate a lot.

The lovely horse (my avatar) genuinely "looked in pain" before we had to put him down.

So I know of what I speak.

Other than that -- the guy is probably guilty of some CN statute against beastiality. Whether that's worth a newspaper article with picture? Not much happening in Shelton, CN. It's a pretty small city.

And large animals are from outer space to New Yorkers.; 3/9/11, 2:14 PM
Peter Hoh said...: I don't know how much authority we should accord eyewitness accounts when they stray from objective data -- you know, things that can be seen.

I know someone who had a bout of food poisoning with severe GI pain. He felt weak, sat down in a public place, and may have fainted. Somebody who called 911 reported that it looked like he had a seizure. That got added to the paramedics' report, and that was enough for the FAA to pull his pilot's license. I took him 5 years (or was it 7) to get cleared to fly again.; 3/9/11, 2:37 PM
campy said...: Just fyi, JAL, Conecticut is CT, not CN.

VW: lessequ ... and some animals are lessequ than others; 3/9/11, 2:37 PM
The Crack Emcee said...: He's a man - there's no bottom to what can be done to him.; 3/9/11, 3:00 PM
Shanna said...: I was told that you are supposed to put your hands on the horses backside when you are going around behind them so they know you are there and don't kick you.

I think the oddest thing about this story is that he was in somebody else's stable. Maybe that's why they thought he was creepy? Or maybe everybody knows this guy in town and he's got a reputation. Because this story makes no sense otherwise...; 3/9/11, 3:12 PM
Unknown said...: So, they have never seen how a cow is inseminated; 3/9/11, 5:23 PM
Unknown said...: Mare insemination from youtube. NSFW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ_Epgmv_MM&feature=related; 3/9/11, 5:28 PM
JAL said...: @ Just fyi, JAL, Conecticut is CT, not CN.

Heh. Brain fart. I remember thinking there was something funny about it when I typed it.

More funny is I put it in bing as "shelton cn" and it brought me to the Shelton CT demographics.

Internet for dummies.; 3/9/11, 5:36 PM
Snark said...: Neigh means no.; 3/9/11, 8:26 PM