California: after rescue, then what?

Horses rescued from neglect still face death

Rescued Horses In Danger, Money Crunch Continues [link]
CBS13 | Aug 16, 2008

About fifty animals in El Dorado County were rescued in April after being grossly abused by their owner. Many of the horses are being nursed back to health, and most have been adopted, but seven horses still remain, and are once again in danger.

The neglected animals' owner couldn't afford to take care of them, and now The Grace Foundation may be facing the same dilemma.

"It's a very scary time for large animals and horses in particular," said Beth DeCaprio from The Grace Foundation.

Seven of the last 47 horses nursed back to health have not been adopted, and their caretakers can't afford to keep them.

"The community was wonderful in supporting us, but with the economic times the way they are, people are not in the market for horses," Beth said.

It's costing The Grace Foundation about $16,000 a year per horse to house and feed them, and the abused horses also have special medical needs.

If they can't find someone to adopt or sponsor them, the horses may have to be put down. These animals, who were once on the brink of death, may be looking death in the face again, so volunteers are reaching out.

"It would mean a lot if we could get adoptions or sponsorships for some of these horses."

XP

Slaughter: a humane option.

Long read, but a good one.

Should we send horses to slaughter? [link]
RACHEL DUFF | Aug 16, 2008

Rosy Erganian, a therapeutic riding instructor and horse owner from Rocheport, has a barn full of horses that are unwanted by their previous owners.

A couple of these horses were likely headed to slaughter had Erganian not bought them at an auction frequented by slaughter buyers. And yet, she said she thinks that a horse going to slaughter has a better fate than the unknown future many now face.

"It's a lot less humane to let a horse starve all winter than to take them to slaughter," Erganian said. "Slaughter is a necessary component of our industry, and we should establish rules to let horses going to slaughter be handled in a humane way."

This year is even scarier, she said, because the prices of hay and grain are so high. A lot of horses will be in trouble this winter because of the feed costs, the poor economy and limited places to take a horse an owner can no longer feed.

The troubling question of what to do with an unwanted horse has been exacerbated, some say, by a bill proposed in Congress that would have ended horse slaughter for human consumption. The bill didn't pass, but it prompted the only two states with slaughter plants, Illinois and Texas, to ban horse slaughter. Missouri has not banned horse slaughter in the state, but no facilities currently exist. The effect of those bans has rippled through the horse industry.

Neglected and abused

Informal research has shown that horse rescue facilities are full from the overwhelming number of unwanted horses, said Tom Lenz, a veterinarian and chairman for the Unwanted Horse Coalition. The Unwanted Horse Coalition is an organization of breed registries, rescue facilities and equine disciplines that are dedicated to decreasing the number of unwanted horses. Lenz said he thinks horses may be neglected and abused more often as a result of the limited number of options for horse owners that need a place to take their horse. He points out that there has been a drastic increase in the number of horses being hauled to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.

This trend is likely to accelerate because the prices of feed and fuel are up and are expected to continue to climb through the winter. Nearly all aspects of the equine industry are suffering financially, Lenz said.

"There is definitely a higher volume of unwanted horses and no place for them to go," said Sharon Marohl, president of the Missouri Equine Council. "The Unwanted Horse Coalition was created under the American Horse Council to help deal with this problem nationwide."

No bottom point

The unwanted horse problem has come about largely because there is no longer a base price for a horse, Marohl said. The base price is the amount for which a horse could be bought for slaughter, the price per pound. It used to be if the horse was worth 50 cents a pound, that was its base price, and if you didn't want your horse to go to slaughter, you would price your horse above that price, she said. That base price no longer exists with the shutdown of the plants in Illinois and Texas.

"We are now seeing more ads for free horses," Marohl said. "People have given up trying to sell them and are now trying to give them away. I'm afraid we've only seen the tip of the iceberg right now. It takes a 1,200-pound horse a long time to starve to death. So, you can say what you want about slaughter, but it's certainly quicker than starving to death."

The Missouri Equine Council has maintained a policy on equine welfare, Marohl said.

"We're in favor of humane, regulated slaughter," Marohl said.

The Humane Society of the United States has been promoting antislaughter legislation.

"We work so hard on this issue because it's very inhumane and traumatic for the horses," said Stacy Segal, equine protection specialist for the society. "There is no way to humanely slaughter a horse."

The method is the same as for cattle, called captive bolt, which instantly renders the horses brain-dead by a penetrating rod, Lenz said. The three methods that are deemed acceptable by the American Veterinary Medical Association's expert panel on euthanasia are captive bolt, gunshot and overdose of injectable barbiturates.

More humane

But many veterinarians say the process was humane from the beginning. Horse slaughter plants were required to adhere to the American Veterinary Medial Association and the American Association of Equine Practitioners approved method. The U.S. Department of Agriculture had also approved this method, Lenz said.

"Regardless of what the animal rights people say, the horses in the U.S. were slaughtered in a humane way," said Nat Messer, professor of veterinary medicine and surgery at MU. "Now, we've made it so the unwanted horses have to be exported for slaughter, which is much more inhumane than anything that happened in the U.S."

If the unwanted horses aren't exported for slaughter, they are sent to a rescue facility. Many of these rescue facilities are full to capacity.

"We are overwhelmed with phone calls for people that can't take care of their horses anymore, so we've started an adoption program," said Rhonda Stephens, founder and director of the Shannon Foundation in St. Clair.

Joining the rescue

In the last couple of months, Sandy Whitaker from Willow Springs has received several calls from people out of state with up to 30 horses that needed homes. Whitaker is new to rescuing horses. After looking at a couple of Web sites, she was shocked to see how many people wanted to get rid of their horses. She filled out an application and was approved to take some horses, but she said she can't afford to take more than the seven she planned to take.

Part of the problem is that it costs at least $1,825 to keep a horse per year, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners. That's not including hoof care, veterinary and health care bills. The total cost of keeping a horse easily mount to $5,000 yearly.

A major consideration in the expense of keeping a horse is the cost of hay, grain and fuel, which makes the situation worse.

"The plants being closed and the price of hay, grain and diesel fuels have created a perfect storm for the horse industry, resulting in the decrease of the horses' value and an excess of unwanted horses," Lenz said. The price of feed, hay and diesel fuel is as important as the shattered pricing structure for horses, said Lenz, who is an MU graduate and a horse owner.

But the expense of owning a horse, as variable as it may be, is a challenge any horse owner should be prepared to handle, Segal said. Right now, the economy is affecting horse owners. The Humane Society encourages horse owners to think ahead about their horses, she said.

Choices have to be made

Kent Haden, vice president of livestock operations for MFA Incorporated and a horse owner, said he became a veterinarian because he loves horses. He's had to put a lot of excellent horses down, and he doesn't like slaughter, he said. But, there are mean horses, neglected horses and crippled horses. With the prices of gas and feed up, choices have to be made. Slaughter isn't the ideal choice, but it has to be weighed against other alternatives, Haden said.

Segal said there are good and bad choices. Euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian is the Humane Society-approved method for horses that have no place to go and all other options have been exhausted.

But, having a veterinarian euthanize a horse can be costly. The lowest rate for euthanasia is $66, and that's not including the cost of the house call by the veterinarian or the cost of disposal, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

A 2007 estimate by the association showed that there are about 170,000 documented unwanted horses in the U.S. each year, including horses slaughtered in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, unadoptable wild horses and others.

"If all unwanted horses are euthanized, where do we put 100,000 bodies?" Messer said. "It's not environmentally friendly."

After a horse is euthanized, disposal options are limited. A horse can be buried, rendered or incinerated. Depending on how far away dirt work or land-clearing companies are, burial prices can reach $100 to $200, and horse owners within city limits often have limitations, according to Habitat for Horses. The price range for rendering, which is the processing of horse meat to be used as feed for other animals in zoos, for instance, is between $75 and $250. The price range for incineration is $2,000, according to the American Association of Equine Practitioners.

A solution needs to be found to the growing problem, and almost everyone has an opinion.

"Part of the problem is the public's perception of horses and how they are managed," Lenz said. "Because the average American is around three generations removed from the farm, they don't understand equine care."

XP

Wyoming: BLM mismanagement blamed for mustang surplus.

The media can't get enough of the "plight of the mustang" ...

American horses threatened [link]
Jerry Abbott, Kevin Bottrell and Tyler Richards | Aug 15, 2008

BLM currently has the responsibility for the health and management of America’s wild horses and burros. In the past few months, They have sent a distress signal that the current 33,000 wild horses in the 10 western states plus 27,000 in short and long-term holding areas are far beyond their budget capabilities and action must be taken or there will be overpopulation of existing federal land and/or lack of funds to pay for the cost of the holding areas. The BLM has several ways they control the wild horse population. They conduct roundups to remove wild horses from BLM and government land. Horses that are passed over for adoption three times or reach the age of 10 are put into long-term holding areas. Since the wild horses have very few natural predators, the herds on public lands can double in size in just four years.

“We are not at a starvation point on the government land,” said Tom Gorey, senior public affairs specialist for BLM in Washington, D.C. “Removals of 7,000-10,000 horses per year are needed to ensure sufficient forage for those that remain. We are keeping horses for 25-30 years and adoption demand is not sufficient. We have limited [success] selling horses 10 years old... In three years we have sold 2,700 of these horses.” According to the BLM, this fiscal year it is costing $26 million of their total $37 million budget to manage the wild horse program including paying for the holding areas. This level of funding is not sufficient to support summer removals from the range while maintaining lifetime holding for older unadopted horses. Aside from major funding increases to the BLM for more holding locations, there appear to be few alternatives. According to Gorey, the option of not gathering up excess horses is not viable. “The impacts on vegetation would be an ecological disaster,” Gorey said. “We are mandated to maintain healthy herds on healthy lands. There is a concern for the general welfare for animals in and off the range.” Some critics of the BLM contend that cattle are grazing and taking up forage that should be available for the wild horses. “By law cattle are authorized on public lands for grazing,” Gorey said. “Cattle grazing is authorized on 160 million acres versus 29 million acres for wild horses and burros. We regulate cattle grazing through the permitting process. Livestock grazing is half of what it (legally) could be.”

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Executive Director Jeff Ruch disagrees. “Parts of the public range in Wyoming resemble the most devastated stretches of the Sahel in Africa,“ Ruch said. “As long as ranchers can use political chits to keep the maximum number of cattle on the range even in drought-stricken areas, the downward spiral in Wyoming will continue.” On the Web site www.equineadvocates.com, is a similar view. “The truth is that there is no wild horse over-population problem. There is, however a tremendous wild greed and avarice problem.”

In 2007 Congress temporarily shut down horse processing plants in the U.S. Previously, federal inspectors monitored the plants to ensure humane killing. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the nation’s largest horse doctor group, fought this ban. According to horse welfare groups, if the BLM sells horses with no restrictions, most likely buyers will ship the horses to Canada or Mexico to processing plants. These countries do not have the monitoring for humane slaughter that is required in the U.S. With the rising cost of fuel and the rising cost of feed for horses, there is a greater reluctance for horse adoptions. The Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) and the BLM have joined forces to present several events that are meant to increase the adoption of mustangs. MHF has a goal of 1,000 mustang adoptions in 2008 resulting in estimated savings of $1.3 million. Betty Burlingame, owner of Rockn Bee Equestrienne Center in Torrington adopted a mustang. “Mustangs are very intelligent,” Burlingame said. “We just can’t let them be killed every year. These horses are our national heritage.” Burlingame said. “Euthanizing horses in the U.S. is probably the best solution for now.”

Dr. Tom Lenz has attended the Mustang Challenge, participated with mustang round ups, has visited BLM holding areas and has visited a U.S. slaughterhouse before they were shut down. “My personal opinion is that horses over age 11 or those that have been passed over for adoption three times should be dealt with at that time,” Lenz said. “They should be euthanized or sent to a processing plant. It is not practical to fund more mustang sanctuaries.” Lenz says that managing the mustangs is very political. “Most of the public has a mystical attachment to wild horses due to watching movies – that is not very accurate. It is tough because the BLM is caught between the emotional public and the practical.” Dr.Stephen Kerr, owner of Bear Creek Veterinary Services in Torrington agrees with Lenz. “Part of the problem is legal law suits from some animal rights groups,” Kerr said. “The mustangs seem to do good on the ranges but they can not eat it down to dust in drought situations. It is becoming common with no outlet for domestic horses for many of them to be dumped/abandoned due to the rising cost of feed. I don’t like to see animals euthanized just because there are too many of them but there are fewer and fewer adoptions.”

To decrease the number of mustangs, BLM is using a method of birth control called Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP). “PZP is an experimental drug approved for use by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS),” Gorey said. “The use of the drug is limited. It is administered to mares that roam 29 million acres of land. The drug has to be readministered and is only good for up to two years. The efficacy of the drug for use on a widespread basis is not a viable option for the near term.” HSUS is working with the BLM to improve the drug and the means of applying it. Since 2004 the BLM has administered this pelleted vaccine to a total of 1,808 mares on 47 of its 199 herd management areas but significant reductions in population increase has not been noted. With the need to remove 7,000-10,000 wild horses and burros from public lands every year, only around 4,700 of these are being adopted... there is a need for an additional 1,900 or more holding area spaces for wild horses each year. The BLM has said they need more funding for more holding areas. It appears the possible courses of action are to overpopulate the rangeland, pay for more holding areas, try other ways to increase adoptions, euthanize or sell horses with and without restriction (which might mean possible inhumane slaughter). “Watching a horse slowly die from starvation or disease is not only distressing, it’s cruel,” said Bonnie Beaver, former AVMA president.

XP

Michigan: arrest in alleged horse neglect case.

This is a case I formerly profiled on the Skinny Horse of the Day blog.

• No arguments here.
• Screencaps from news video.
  

Update:

Arrest made in horse cruelty case [link]
NEWSCHANNEL3 | Aug 15, 2008

Michigan State Police Troopers have arrested a 57-year-old woman from Burlington on a felony warrant for animal cruelty. State Police say that the warrant was issued from the Calhoun Co. Prosecutors office after Troopers investigated a complaint of starving, neglected horses at the woman's Burlington Township residence. During that July 25 investigation, Troopers discovered five horses on the property in poor condition. As Newschannel 3 reported on July 31, those horses were moved to a rescue shelter run by EARTH Services. Police say that the horses had been eating the bark off of trees and their own manure and were found to be in an advanced stage of starvation before being rescued. The horses are now said to be doing well, and police say that two additional arrests are pending in this case.

If I can be the devil's advocate for a moment:
• many horses with ample food available will eat tree bark
• many horses, especially young ones, eat manure at times
Neither of those factors should be used alone as an indicator of neglect.

We shall see how this case develops. In the footage, I saw one very thin (and toothless) mare, and at least three horses in good weight. I'm not sure if I agree with the procedure of taking all of one's horses if one or two are not doing well. History has shown that in some cases, these animals are sold or killed before the accused goes to trial on the neglect charges, which does not seem right at all.

XP

Missouri: Expert to speak on unwanted horse issue.

Slaughter opponents contend all of the abandoned horse stories are fabricated, made up by those "few" who want slaughter reinstated. What do you think?

Equine expert talks about unwanted horse problem, Aug. 18 [link]

Soaring costs of feed, fuel and hay have worsened the problem of unwanted and abandoned horses in Missouri and across the nation. Veterinarian Tom Lenz will explore the problem in an Aug. 18 talk at the Animal Science Research Center (ASRC) on the University of Missouri campus. "Because of the closing of horse slaughtering facilities and cost-related factors, there has been an increase in unwanted horses pretty much all over the United States," said Dee Cooper, MU Extension livestock specialist and program organizer.

Lenz, a 1975 graduate of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, will discuss the types of horse that become unwanted, the reasons they become unwanted and possible solutions. His talk will cover euthanasia, carcass disposal, rescue and retirement options, and the efforts of the Unwanted Horse Coalition.

The problem hits close to home in Missouri, which ranks third in the nation in equine numbers. "Recently, a southwest Missouri farmer went to a sale barn to collect a horse, and when he went to load, his trailer was full. Someone stuck horses in there that they didn't want," Cooper said. "It is clear that people are becoming desperate. This topic is very important for everyone to be aware of." The program also will feature Marci Jennings, MU Extension equine specialist and instructor, who will provide information and answer questions about the MU equine program.

XP

California: rescued horses may be put down.

Euthanasia considered for rescued horses.

Unless homes found, some rescued horses in El Dorado County may be euthanized [link]
Cynthia Hubert | Aug 15, 2008

It seemed like a storybook ending. Dozens of neglected animals rescued from a Somerset ranch found sanctuary at the Grace Foundation in El Dorado Hills, and most were adopted into good homes. But for seven of the rescued horses, the ending may be anything but happy. The nonprofit Grace Foundation has been unable to find permanent places for them, and now is facing the prospect of seeing them put to death. "We put so much time and energy into these animals," Grace Foundation founder Beth DeCaprio said. "It's gut-wrenching to think what might happen to them." The horses were part of a group of 47 animals seized in April by El Dorado County Animal Services. They had been living at a Somerset ranch where they apparently had been neglected for years. The county, which contracts with Grace to board livestock, transferred the animals to the foundation, where staffers and volunteers nursed them to health and found permanent homes for most of them. But seven horses remain unadopted, and neither the county nor the foundation can afford to keep them permanently, officials said. El Dorado County is being forced to consider other options for the animals, including putting them to death, said chief animal services officer Linda Haller. "Our first goal, as always, is to see the horses get adopted into loving homes," Haller said. Other options include finding horse lovers or another rescue group to "sponsor" or "foster" the animals. "Our last resort would be humane euthanasia," she said. Haller said the county already has invested thousands of dollars in the horses, though she declined to be more specific. The county wants to find a permanent solution to the dilemma by Sept. 1, she said. The seven remaining horses "are all wonderful," said DeCaprio, but two are largely "pasture pets" because of injuries, and others lack proper training. Keeping them at Grace, which currently has more than 100 horses, most of which have been abused or neglected, is not a realistic option without financial support, DeCaprio said. She said it would cost the foundation about $1,400 a month to continue caring for the horses. Grace is struggling, she said, in part because of soaring gas and hay prices. "Just two years ago, we were paying $10 a bale for hay. Now it's $20," said DeCaprio. At the same time that basic costs are soaring, she said, people appear to be abandoning horses and other livestock. "They're just opening the gates and letting them out," she said. DeCaprio regularly gets inquiries from people who no longer can afford to care for their horses, she said. "They've lost their job or their house or just had to cut back, and they don't know what to do about their horses," she said. "They are luxury items today." DeCaprio said she is "devastated" at the notion that the horses rescued from Somerset might now have to die. "It's a very dark day for horses in our economy," she said. "I never thought I would see a day when we had to think about euthanasia."

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South Carolina: starved horses update.

South Carolina case update. Slightly different versions.

Expert: More of SC ag official's horses starved [link]
MEG KINNARD | Aug 14, 2008

Remains indicate horses starved [link]
MEG KINNARD | Aug 15, 2008

Analysis of horse remains found on property managed by a former South Carolina agriculture official’s family indicates that some of the animals likely starved to death, according to a report released Thursday. Bone marrow fat levels in horse skeletons excavated from properties managed by James Trexler’s family were low enough to show the animals died of starvation, forensic veterinarian Melinda Merck said. She examined horse bones recovered earlier this year after authorities found malnourished horses on property belonging to Trexler, his mother and his brother. Bone marrow fat levels 60 percent or higher are considered normal, Merck said in her report. A horse leg bone excavated from the Trexlers’ land in Sumter measured around 31 percent, while part of another skeleton found at the family’s Richland County property measured less than 1 percent. “When the bone marrow fat is low, it indicates the animal died of end-stage starvation,” Merck wrote, adding that an animal could starve even with normal bone marrow fat levels. Remains from at least eight horses were examined from the two properties, including from several adults and a foal just a day or two old. One grave was at least 2 years old. Twenty-three malnourished horses were discovered on South Carolina properties leased by Hazelene and Terry Trexler, and five more were found on James Trexler’s property. Authorities seized an additional 17 horses linked to the Trexlers from a Richland County property. All three have been charged with multiple counts of ill treatment to animals. Hazelene and Terry Trexler also face animal-cruelty charges in Georgia, as well as charges they moved horses that had been quarantined. “Bone marrow is the last thing to go when you are starving,” Kelly Graham of the Humane Society of South Carolina said Thursday. “First weight loss, then muscle, then internal organs and then fat in bone marrow. So we know for certain by the percentages from the samples we took that these animals died from starvation.”

XP

Wild horse program funding crisis.

Long article on the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program cash crunch.

U.S. may slaughter thousands of horses [link]
Ginger D. Richardson | Aug. 15, 2008

Budget woes threaten West's wild herds

Last weekend in Show Low, 19 mud-splattered wild horses and burros found a new home. Theirs was a journey that started weeks ago on the open ranges of Nevada, California and Arizona, and ended Sunday in private trailers bound for places like Dilkon, Springerville and Snowflake. These wild animals, the ones that were adopted, are the lucky ones. Many others are facing a far more uncertain future.

The Bureau of Land Management, the federal agency charged with managing the herds of wild horses and burros that roam the western United States, announced recently that it is considering euthanizing thousands of the animals in its care.

It would mark the first time the agency has taken such action. And the proposal, which will be discussed again late next month, has ignited an emotional firestorm that has drawn in conservationists, ranchers, celebrities and politicians.

The crux of the issue: whether slaughtering healthy horses is an appropriate solution to a looming budget crisis. The cash-strapped BLM manages an estimated 33,000 wild horses and burros on public rangelands and cares for an additional 30,000 in short-term and long-term holding facilities around the country. It says it is facing problems on several fronts, including:

• A lack of space at its corrals and pastures.
• Skyrocketing hay and grain prices that have made it more expensive to feed the animals.
• An economic downturn that has prompted a sharp drop in the number of adoptions.

But one of its proposed solutions, cutting the herds by about 6,000 horses, isn't sitting well with conservationists and agency critics, who say the federal government has mismanaged the Wild Horse and Burro Program so badly that it actually created the crisis.

"They have been rounding up horses by the thousands, when they know there isn't enough of an adoption market to support it," said Virginie Parant, director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign. "They manufactured this (emergency), and they knew full well that they didn't have a long-term solution to this problem."

Rising costs

The BLM administers more than 264 million acres of public land, mostly in the 12 most Western of the states. It is responsible for everything from fire protection to wildlife management and has an aggregate annual budget of roughly $1 billion.

The agency has been in the business of protecting wild horses since 1971, when Congress passed a law declaring them the "living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West." Its current budget for the Wild Horse and Burro Program is $37 million. The agency uses that money to conduct regular roundups of the wild herds, to find suitable homes for as many of the animals as possible, and on feed and veterinary care.

The recent adoption in Show Low is one of dozens the agency will hold throughout the country this year. At each, as many as 30 or 40 animals will be auctioned for a starting bid of $125. Successful bidders can choose to take home a second "buddy" horse for $25. They generally range in age from 1 to 5 years. All have been given vaccinations, and most are social enough to come right to the edge of their pens for a pet or a treat.

Trainers volunteer their time at the weekend events, placing saddles on the animals, or showing off those previously adopted, all in an effort to persuade those who stop by to take one home. The volunteers don't like to talk much about the euthanasia proposal. To them, it's an unpleasant prospect they hope doesn't become reality.

"All I can say is that maybe if a lot of people get upset about it, then a lot of people will get on board to do something about it," said KJ Koch, a Queen Creek resident and trainer who donates his time to the agency. "We do a lot for people outside this country, so how about doing something here for something that is near and dear to our hearts?" But it's not clear what, if anything, can be done.

The BLM estimates it will have to spend more than $26 million on holding costs this fiscal year. That's more than three-fourths of the Wild Horse and Burro Program's annual budget.

Program pinch

The cost of caring for the animals has escalated to the point that there isn't enough leftover money to do all the other things essential to the program, including conducting future roundups, said Tom Gorey, a BLM spokesman in Washington, D.C.

The roundups are essential, Gorey said, because herd sizes can double every four years. If the animal population gets too large, it can lead to overgrazing, soil erosion and other long-term damage to public lands. Other methods of population management, such as birth control, are not feasible on a widespread basis, he said.

"This is the only way we can control the population," Gorey said. "And if we let the herd explode, they'd finish up foraging and then go outside that area. It would lead to an ecological disaster."

The lack of cash is causing strain in other areas too, said Roger Oyler, a specialist who works with the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program in Arizona. He says the agency would like to do follow-up "compliance" checks on everyone who adopts animals from the agency. And although the BLM still investigates any time there is a complaint about a specific adopter, routine checks have fallen off sharply to about 30 percent. "There just isn't money because we're spending too much on feed," Oyler said. Federal officials estimate that rising energy and feed prices have increased by as much as $4 million in the past year alone.

Ranchers and horse enthusiasts are feeling the pinch, too, the BLM believes, and that's likely the reason that adoptions have fallen by almost 18 percent in just two years. "Ideally, we'd like to adopt out as many as we are taking in," Gorey said. "But it's just a soft market right now."

Poor management?

BLM critics, however, say the economy and a drop in adoptions aren't the real problem. Instead, they say the government has grossly mismanaged the program and put competing interests, like cattle ranchers, ahead of the horses.

"To say that there is an overpopulation of horses on the land is wildly debatable," said Parant, who added that there are about 33,000 wild horses grazing on public lands, compared with millions of head of cattle. Parant and others believe the BLM has erred by conducting so many roundups in recent years. They say that public lands could be better managed and that the agency should be working to bring water troughs and other resources to the animals on the range, rather than putting them into holding pens.

'Short end of the stick'

"The horses really get the short end of the stick because they don't make any money for anybody," Parant said. "The problem for the BLM is that people really want the horses to be out there."

Some members of Congress, including Arizona Democrat Raul Grijalva, have expressed concern about the BLM's management of the program, as well. Grijalva, chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, co-authored a letter in July to the agency's deputy director of operations, asking that it hold off on any decision on the euthanasia proposal. "You may be aware that the BLM's inability to administer the budget of the Wild Horses and Burros Program with any trace of fiscal accountability is a long-standing concern and must not be used as a death sentence upon these celebrated symbols of the American West," the letter stated. It also asks the BLM to answer 15 questions about the program, including how much it would cost to euthanize the animals and why the agency continued to round up horses, given the softening adoption market.

Upcoming audit

The BLM says the agency has done its best to manage the program in an appropriate manner, given its budget and other federal mandates. It says it must balance the wild horses and burros with additional public-land uses, including cattle grazing, oil and gas development and recreation.

"We strongly disagree with that (mismanagement) characterization," Gorey said. "We've been diligent in exercising our responsibilities."

Gorey did say that the agency is committed to not moving forward with euthanasia or other long-term changes until after the Government Accountability Office completes an audit of the program. That report is due Sept. 22. But something needs to be done soon, Gorey said, because maintaining the status quo isn't possible without more funding. The agency doesn't have plans to ask Congress for money but has said its budget would need to increase from the current $37 million to $77 million by 2012 to keep the program as is. "Some decisions need to be made in the near future." Gorey said.

XP

California: unclaimed stray pony.

Pony apparently abandoned by owner.

Stray pony unclaimed after several weeks [link]
Peter Burke | Aug 14, 2008

A Boulder Creek woman who found a stray pony last month has yet to find the owner despite her best efforts. "If my horse got loose, I’d be freaking out," said Boulder Creek resident Diane Hamilton, who found the Bay Roan pony. "It’s like losing a kid." Hamilton found the pony, which she calls the mystery horse, on Mitchell Drive near the campus of closed Redwood Elementary School in Boulder Creek on July 18. Since then she’s posted signs, contacted local feed stores, veterinarians, stables, farriers and local horse people she knows — with no response. Hamilton also listed the pony on Craigslist, the Santa Cruz County Horsemen’s Association Web site and Bayequest.com while filing reports with three animal services agencies in the Bay Area. There have been a few inquires, but all have come up dry, leading Hamilton to believe that the pony probably was abandoned by its owner. "You don’t just lose a pony, that’s the thing," Hamilton said.

Abandoned horses are a rare occurrence, said Henry Brzezinski, general manager of Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority. However, they could become more common with the current state of the economy, he said. "Just today there was a foreclosure at a home where some animals were abandoned," Brzezinski said. Hamilton said she will not keep the pony, which is even-tempered, sweet and seems to be fully trained. She has at least one suitor lined up who wants to adopt the unnamed pony.

More...

Number of abandoned animals soars as foreclosures rise [link]
Alia Wilson | Aug 15, 2008

When Diane Hamilton and her neighbors discovered a wandering pony in their Boulder Creek neighborhood three weeks ago, they immediately put up signs with their contact information. "I've heard about dogs and cats getting lost, but a horse?" said Hamilton. "Who loses a pony? Seriously?" Hamilton said she figured she would find the owner in a day or two but no one has claimed the horse since she found it July 18. "I don't think anyone's looking for this horse," Hamilton said. She hopes to give it up for adoption to one of the stables or families that have shown interest after seeing her missing pony signs and Craigslist announcement.

It's not clear what happened to the pony's owners, but the Santa Cruz County SPCA was given three large animals in the last month because their owners' homes were foreclosed upon. In fact, officials from Santa Cruz County's SPCA say there has been a 30 percent increase in surrendered animals as a result of foreclosures in the past month. "People are losing their houses and are being forced into apartments, but a rental that allows pets is very difficult to find in Santa Cruz," said Lisa Carter, executive director of the SPCA. Despite a 20 percent drop in adoption rates, Carter was able to find homes for the three large animals, which included a miniature horse and a goat and a donkey that came from a Merced shelter due to overcrowding and foreclosures there. "It's been a tough last six months," said Carter. "The economy is hurting everyone, including the animals." Overcrowded animal shelters and rescue operations at maximum occupancy throughout the state have been contacting Carter in hopes of finding shelter for animals that run the risk of being put down. The SPCA's policy on killing animals is only to do it when they arrive too sick to be rehabilitated or are too aggressive to be safely placed in a home. Carter hopes that the new law passed last week Assembly Bill 2949, that will require anyone who encounters an abandoned pet to immediately call Animal Control, will help crack down on animal abandonment.

Jessica Kipp, barn manager of Willow Pond Ranch, a sanctuary for rescued horses, says that because their budget is so tight, the ranch cannot open up the 17 stalls that they have available. The ranch has 15 rescued horses. "We're being hit as hard as everybody," said Kipp. "We can't take any more in unless someone is willing to fully sponsor their horse but that isn't usually the case for owners." Kipp said between the price of hay doubling, farriers raising their prices, and people's homes foreclosing there's a definite theme of economic hardship.

Hamilton, who cannot afford to take care of the lost pony, can only hope that the owners will turn up or she can give it to a farm that contacted her about adopting and training the horse. "The pony is probably better off being somewhere else than where it has been," said Hamilton. "It's negligent on so many levels."

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New York: 17 horses seized.

Another case out of New York.

Horses seized from Cherry Plain stable [link]
James V. Franco | Aug 15, 2008

Authorities seized 17 malnourished and neglected horses from the Black River Stable in Cherry Plain, Wednesday, and animal cruelty charges are pending. According to Brad Shear, the executive director of the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society, his organization was working with Thelma and Mary Wadsworth for a year trying to improve the conditions of the stable to no avail. "During our investigators' first visit, we gave the Wadsworths a feeding and care plan to improve the condition of the horses," Shear said. "Conditions were poor for these horses a year ago, but over time they were deteriorating." Humane Society investigators visited the stable nearly once a month for a year and gave them a sustainable and workable feeding and care plan. The stable provides trail rides, pony rides at parties and a day camp. "Although the horses were in terrible condition, they appear to have still been in service for the owners to make money on their trail-riding business," Shear said. Animal cruelty charges are pending in the case.

Another story on this case:

Horses removed from Cherry Plain farm [link]
PAUL GRONDAHL | Aug 15, 2008

The quarter horses and ponies were allegedly so emaciated that their ribs, backbones and hips seemed almost to be poking through their hides. Some of the 17 neglected and malnourished horses seized Wednesday from the Black River Stable in Cherry Plain, Rensselaer County, had lost up to half their normal weight, said Susan Bloser, manager of Horsefeathers Farm in Canastota, Madison County, who is caring for 10 of the animals. Investigators with the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society had tried unsuccessfully to work with the owners to improve the conditions of the stable prior to the seizure. Animal cruelty charges are pending against owners Thelma and Mary Wadsworth, whose business included trail rides and pony rides at parties. "They were bad. One horse was so weak he could barely stand," Bloser said. "I think the owners were just overwhelmed." Bloser is feeding the rescue animals carefully, five times a day, with small amounts of special feed, soaked alfalfa cubes, sugar beets and a weight builder supplement. She said it will take about four months to nurse the horses and ponies back to good health and then they'll likely be put up for adoption. "This is stretching my feed and hay bill, but we believe in no horse left behind," Bloser said. Donations are being accepted for the care and feeding of the 17 seized horses being rehabilitated by horse rescue volunteers.

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