Just need to vent

[babygoose]

I just have to vent a little about a situation involving a bunch of minis and ponies. I'll try and give you the condensed version. For years there has been a herd of minis running semi feral on about 60 acres in my local area. They were ocasionally fed supplemental hay but mostly lived off grass which can get pretty sparse in the desert. There were several complaints over the years of horses thin and injured. The humane society chose to look the other way. The owner lived out of state and had someone look in on the horses once in awhile. In the last few months things have been really dry, grass is gone, horses are thin and once again complaints are filed. It even made the news. But still the humane society looks the other way. In the meantime the lease runs out on the property and the horses have got to go. A local lady buys the horses (all 34 of them) and now has them for sale. She has them farmed out to several people around the area and these people are actually halter breaking them. They are getting fed bad hay and I don't know if they have had vet care. A friend of mine lives next door to one of these "foster" homes and the majority of these horses are in bad shape. Very thin, inbred, many have locking stifles and crooked legs. There was one tiny little filly, maybe 6 months old, 1 on the body condition score, bad legs. I wanted so bad to buy the filly but the lady is asking $500 a piece. For unregistered, very poor quality, unhandled horses! Not to mention my pens are full and I really can't afford to take on anymore right now. But I went and visited the horses everytime I was at my friends and a couple of them are now very friendly, still thin, but dying to be petted and scratched. I would post pictures of them but I know it is against the rules.

Well a couple days ago three of the minis sold. Including the little filly. My friend said it was awful. The people that came to get them loaded them into the trailer by having their kids whip the s****t out of them. I just wanted to cry. So today I went and visited the horses again. They have replaced the sold ones with some more to be halter broke. There are two that are really friendly and always come to see me and be petted. A very thin young grey and about a 5 year old silver black thin but not too bad. I sat and petted and scratched them and they stood there half asleep. I thought about the others that had been sold to people who beat them onto the trailer. And I just sat there and cried. I really want to get the grey and silver black out of there (heck all of them!) but I can't afford it. What will happen to them? God I hope the rest get good homes. I am just sick over this.

The worst part is that these horses were allowed to breed and inbreed for years by an irresponsible person. They are badly conformed and the lady that bought them is keeping a few to breed!

They are all stallions and mares, nothing has been gelded. The mares are probably all bred. The stallions were even trying to breed the little thin filly. She was so tiny and thin. I can't get these horses out of my head. I keep seeing the little grey and silver black watching me leave today and I hate that I can't help them.

 

[Charley]

How about getting the press involved?

 

[babygoose]

That was already done a few months ago. They had two news stories, the humane society went out, the owners (not the current owner) lawyers got involved and the humane society once again looked the other way. The lady that owns them now is at least feeding them although it is lousy hay, and getting them halter broke. I don't know if they have had vet care or not. The current owner is really not the bad guy other than she is keeping a couple to breed. It was the original owners that lived out of state and let these horses breed and run semi wild to fend for themselves. Right now it is a matter of the homes they are going to get and the first ones sold out of this bunch did not luck out. Some of the others might get good homes. But some of the horses are also small pony sized and horse tripping is common in our area.

 

[Charley]

Put a new face on an old story....maybe the press could do an update story about these horses needing homes and about all the work that is going into rehabilitating them. How far they have come, even a success story about one that has been rehomed. If you truly want to help the hoses, this would be a golden opportunity to bring this story to the attention of the press again. I bet there would be a lot of interest shown.

Other than that maybe you could come up with ways for them to increase sales....maybe you have a local fair that they could take some to as an exhibit...or maybe get a local farm store to let them bring one down for people to pet and they could pass out flyers of others for sale. No better place to find horse people.

Do this not for the sellers but in an effort to find good pet homes for these horses.