Abandoned horses on the rise

Costs may result in abandoned horses [link]

MATT FARLEY | July 5, 2008

The sagging economy and lingering effects of the Fernley flood have increased drastically the cost of keeping livestock, leaving some local horse owners with tough choices.

"It's not just the cost of feed and supplies," said Willis Lamm, president of the nonprofit horse rescue Least Resistance Training Concepts. "It's the rising cost of everything in people's lives."

Nearly every aspect of horse ownership become more expensive in recent months, Lamm said. Costs for the rescue agency that houses about 15 wild or homeless horses in its Stagecoach facility have jumped hundreds of dollars to at least $1,500 a horse.

"It's not so dramatic that it keeps everyone from owning a horse, but for some people, it's very serious," Lamm said. "We're constantly finding people who want to get horses placed or to sell them at a loss just to get rid of the expense."

According to the American Horse Council, of the 9 million domestic horses in the United States, nearly 4 million are for recreational riding.

And, while horse racing is the sport of kings, 34 percent of horse owners have a household income of $50,000 or less a year.

The price of hay, chief among owners' expenses, has doubled, said Cyndy Oxley, manager of Green's Feed in Reno. A ton of alfalfa-and-grass feed that last summer cost about $150 might now bring $250 to $300, she said.

Record oil prices are responsible for driving up the cost of harvesting and transporting crops, but the issue is more complex, Oxley said.

"Petroleum-based fertilizer has almost quadrupled," she said. "The twine they use to tie bales is way up.

"They use oil to make tires for the tractors in the alfalfa fields, so those are more expensive. And if you have any kind of a breakdown, the cost of repairs is up. It was bad enough last year, and this year is worse."

Further complicating matters is reduced flow in Fernley's new irrigation canal, which replaced the ditch breached in January.

Because hay fields in Fernley, Yerington and Fallon share many of the same waterways, recent decisions to run less water through the replacement canal has reduced production significantly, said Sara Mercer, owner of the Hoggsmart feed store in Palomino Valley.

"More and more growers are selling their land to (home) developers, and the rest are short on water," said Mercer, who raises cattle, pigs and sheep. "(Local) hay gets expensive. Last year, (Hoggsmart) had to buy hay from a place in Idaho just to save money."

Horse market flooded

Karen Givani of Spanish Springs posted a sign on her front gate Thursday offering several of her animals for sale.

"It's just crazy," she said. "Last year I bred and sold four young horses without any problem. Now, I'm trying to get rid of as many (horses) as I can and I'm definitely not breeding any more."

Givani said she probably could continue to make ends meet if she sold one or two of her animals. But in the current flooded market, even that seems unlikely, she said.

"It seems like everybody is trying to sell right now," she said. "People are almost giving horses away."

Mercer said several longtime customers have contacted her about bartering for feed because they cannot pay cash. In one case, an elderly woman was forced to get a part-time job to raise money for her horses, Mercer said.

"A lot of people are selling horses far below their value just to get rid of the costs," she said. "It's a vicious cycle."

Some owners abandon their animals. In fiscal year 2007-08, Washoe County Regional Animal Services dealt with 33 abandoned animals, up from 15 in 2006-07. Rising costs likely played a part in the increase, Animal Services Manager Cindy Sabatoni said.

"It's no better than dumping a dog in the desert," Lamm said. "They might be OK in the spring when there's plenty of water and grass, but when the winter comes, that's it.

"They don't know how to migrate for food or how to protect themselves. It's a different social world out there for wild horses. If your little horse wanders into (wild horse) territory looking for friends, more than likely, it's going to be, 'Talk to the hoof.'"

Val, a horse living at the rescue center since being rescued from a flash flood several years ago, likely was abandoned. Rescue member Shirley Allen said Val was lame, emaciated and blind in one eye when found in a waterlogged pasture.

"Someone used and abused her and turned her out onto the range," Allen said. "It's pretty much the worst thing you can possibly do with a (domestic) horse."

Val is a surrogate mother for incoming foals. While the horse was a minor expense at the time, Allen is concerned the glut of domestic horses is making residents and sanctuaries less likely to accept more animals.

"A lot of folks are slimming down their herds and entire sanctuaries are folding up," she said. "My husband and I have been doing this for 13 years and it's by far the worst I've ever seen it."

Learn to cut costs

Experts encourage horse owners to consider making smaller changes before trying to get rid of their animals. Many owners have stopped shoeing horses and learned to administer shots and other basic veterinary procedures themselves, Givani said.

Lamm said convincing friends to split a large quantity of hay rather than buying it by the bale can mean the difference between squeaking by and losing an animal.

"You have to become smarter and more savvy about keeping your animals," he said. "If I'm careful, it costs me less per week to feed a horse than it does to take care of my wife's two guinea pigs with all their toys."

XP—Yet there is no shortage of people breeding more unwanted horses...