New Mexico - starved horses.

When someone literally cannot afford to feed their horses, at what point does it become a crime?

Santa Fe Shelter Tries To Save Malnourished Horses [link]
KOAT.com | Sep 3, 2008

SANTA FE, N.M. -- A horse shelter in Santa Fe is trying to save a pair of once-starving animals.

One Santa Fe horse shelter is offering help for horses. The shelter said they are used to the phone ringing at least once a week.

"But last July and August we've been getting a call about every other day," Helen Gaussoin said.

One of the more recent calls was about four horses in need.

"By the time she called us about a week later one of them had already died," Gaussoin said.

There were two of the survivors.

"Their veins and bones stick out. This horse, Dee, is about 500 pounds underweight. Kate needs to put on at least 300 pounds," Gaussoin said.

Gaussoin said it was the worse case she had seen so far. "It was just another New Mexico owner who couldn't quite keep up with their upkeep."

It is the kind of story Gaussoin said she's heard all summer long.

"It all comes down to we simply can not afford to keep this horse," Gaussoin said.

Part of the problem is the price for feed has gone way up, what use to cost about $9 a bale last summer costs more than $11 this summer.

"It is really hard to explain to people why the price is what it is," Gaussoin said.

Tom MacDonell owns San Marcos Feed and said prices are up by about 30-percent.

He said he's meeting desperate animal owners and soon expects to see more sights like this.

"I think it will become a trend. Right now, there is probably more horses for sale than I've seen in a long time," MacDonell said.

Back at the shelter, the focus is on the two new arrivals.

"We'll just try to get them as healthy as we can," Gaussoin said.

The plan is to nourish them back from the brink all while they hope no more horses hobble in -- in the same kind of condition.

The horse shelter in Santa Fe is always looking for donations and volunteers.

I feel for these horses, but also for the owners who have little recourse ... if you can't sell them, can't feed them and can't afford to have them euthanized, what do you have left?