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Discussion on A sad story
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 4:57 pm:
I decided to post this under "nutrition" as it deals with an extreme lack of nutrition.
Here's a link to another really sad story. https://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=8328
Unfortuneately, this was an Arabian breeder. I'm sure this woman had good intentions. Why don't people like this ask for help? Give horses away? Contack someone in their breed organization? Do something besides let horses starve? Is it possible people are just that unknowledgeable??
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 5:07 pm:
It seems the above case was worse than just not enough feed. Here's the report from pet-abuse.com
https://www.pet-abuse.com/cases/10242/
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 5:38 pm:
Yes, Sara, it is a very sad case . . . and right in a very traveled area . . . yet the authorities didn't even know it was happening. This is why I believe enforcement and education are the key . . . the laws against abuse are there, but the enforcement is often neglected.
I don't get the "Dozens found Dead" part. I read that they found skeletal remains of 5 horses and one of the 20 seized horses died . . . but that's not "dozens." What did I miss?
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Member:
Zarr
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 5:49 pm:
What I was sent was she thought she had 74 but the numbers didn't match with what was found! Maybe on one of their escapes some made it to freedom.What a sad thing for all! The bad part about the laws is it takes so very long to prove abuse and a great big YES to education! Cindy
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 5:58 pm:
I saw the story when it first became news and it literally made me sick. It reminded me of an incident that happened a few years ago in the midwest, Wisconsin I believe, where a farmer simply stopped feeding his cows that were inside the barn. Neighbors finally heard the cows crying and found many dead, most living ones had to be destroyed. The farmer was in his house, very depressed, mentally unable to function. I don't understand how this incident with the horses could have gone unnoticed...so many people simply don't want or are afraid to "get involved."
So terribly sad.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 6:46 pm:
Oh my gosh, Carolyn!
I have met people that I imagine are like this woman. One I remember in NV. Had always loved horses, Arabians in particular and wanted to lease one of our mares to start a breeding farm. Thank God I DrOve out to meet her in person and check out her place. It was a little ramshackle house with a tiny chicken coop/feed room,and lots of barbwire fencing on about an acre of land. So scary. Yet, this woman meant well. She just didn't have a clue.
I think some people have land, love horses, think it will be fun to breed; or maybe they got sold on breeding by some rather unscrupulous breeder who wanted to sell some mares/foals. The person was taken to shows; shown around a big farms; told how much they could sell their foals for (with details like how much they'd have to put into the foal before it sold left out!) I personally think a lot of "big name" breeders are in part guilty for the plight of some of these horses.
I don't know the woman in the article, but I bet everything started out great. Then, the costs were run up...cost of hay went up; a big vet bill came along and put her behind; she couldn't afford to have horses trained (and didn't know how to do it herself) so she couldn't sell her young horses...pretty soon she's really just barely getting by. Then, she gets sick. She probably has no one to help her, and is the only source of income. Getting sick is all that it took to put her "over the edge." Soon, she can't afford to castrate the stud colts, pay any vet bills, etc. It wouldn't take long with these circumstances for the situation to get really bad and really out of control.
Why didn't she ask for help? Pride? I don't know. Maybe she became too depressed to even see her situation clearly. The entire thing is really sad...beyond sad. I feel sorry for this woman in a way; and yet have great anger towards anyone that could allow horses to exist like this.
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 7:18 pm:
Sara, the ramshackle house with barbed wire fencing is not unusual for "breeders" here in NV.
(I live in a Reno suburb). I see things that upset me every day.
My own Arabian, Bizmarkk could have met with such a fate, but fortunately I fell in love with him, cryptorchid and very green, 4 1/2 years. He will be 14 in February. He came from a very big breeder in Santa Ynez (it interested me that Libbey is there!). His sire is Shah Azim, his grandfather Bey Shah. Bask breeding top and bottom. He's gorgeous, I got him for a very amazing price because the owner had too many horses, not enough time or money. I often wonder what would have happened to him had I not found him...he is a treasure.
I love the pics of your old gals on the other post!
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Member:
Zarr
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 7:34 pm:
Maybe one of the blessings of old age and grey hair is you can stick your nose in where others won't! The gal down the road thought since she had "pasture" she didn't need to feed....5 horses on less than 3 acres. sigh! My friend and I stopped to ask if her horses were alright ...her poor skinny kids are now much better she had no clue. Now they have one of those huge bales in the middle of their pasture! Cindy
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 8:07 pm:
Right on Cindy!
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Member:
Tasia
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 10:34 pm:
You didn't miss anything, Holly. Reporters these days seem to think it isn't important to check the facts before they write a story. I also believe that they love to sensationalize stories, with each one being more sensational than the one before.
There were only 5 dead horses. Another died either on the way to Days End Farm Horse Rescue, or died after it arrived there.
From the accounts I have been reading in the local papers and from what I have seen on the local news programs, (I don't live too far from Sharpsburg), it seems that the woman has some serious mental problems. That being said, I believe she should be charged with something, but how do you deal with someone who does not have the mental capacity to understand what they have done is wrong? Neighbors had been trying to help by offering to assist her in taking care of the horses, and to feed them, but she insisted she did not need any help.
If it helps to ease your mind, there were pictures of some of the horses in the paper. They looked undernourished, but they didn't look horrible, and there was one fat little pony.
I hope this has helped, even if just a little.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 10:39 pm:
Thank you, Cindy!
I think age does allow us more freedom or courage to speak up. I think we finally get enough self assurance that we don't care what people think. I know that's been the case with me. Of course, age also brings a different outlook to life...a more realistic outlook. For instance, you know that horse owner isn't going to "see the light" without someone telling her; and you know how much damage those kids are doing to that horse running on pavement, etc.
Carolyn, can you post a picture? I bet he's beautiful! (Bet I could name the breeder, too.) So glad you have him!
Do you mind if I ask what part of Reno you're in? Guess you know we used to live in Truckee. Really like that area, although it's growing so fast! Miss the Sierras!
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 6, 2006 - 11:00 pm:
Thanks, Diana. 5 is certainly better than "a dozen." It does sound like a tough case. I hope this woman wasn't still practicing nursing!
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Member:
Mcbizz
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 7, 2006 - 12:32 pm:
Diana, it does help to think maybe it wasn't quite as bad as first reported. I hope they took ALL of this woman's animals away from her. I have called the authorities on a few neglect situations in my area, dogs included. Have to be rather careful, as the area here is quite close, one acre lots, and one has to be aware that there can be repercussions...people can get quite defensive about "their way" of doing things, even if it is causing harm to an innocent animal.
Sara, I will post a pic of Bizmarkk soon. My mustang, McMurphy is shown with me on him in my profile. Biz is a bright chestnut, two white socks and blaze like his sire. I live in one of the valleys north of Reno, and yes, it is growing far too fast here for us...we moved to Reno in 1977. No, I didn't know you lived in Truckee! So beautiful there!
I wonder if there is a printable flier we could leave (feed stores, tack shops, front doors) for Horse Advice...perhaps that's one way we could help a few people get more educated???
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Member:
Tasia
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 7, 2006 - 1:16 pm:
Carolyn, I would say it was bad, but not AS bad. Most of the horses have been removed. The ones that are left are being cared for. The woman is not allowed back on her property. I did forget to mention that none of the horses had to be euthanized.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 7, 2006 - 1:19 pm:
Diana, that is good. I had thought a couple had been euthanized.
Carolyn, a flyer is a good idea. Now that I think about it, Purena Feeds used to put out some little booklets and feed and horse care (years ago.) I wonder if they still do. I'll try and look on their site later today.
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