Horses
abandoned in West as feed prices rise
By Laura ZuckermanMon May 12, 8:15 PM ET
In
the classic Hollywood western, a cowboy portrayed by John Wayne
gallops across the sagebrush steppe and rocky ridges of the American
West with only his horse for a companion.
What
the films don't show is the cowboy buying and hauling hay for
his horse, or what happens to the horse when it is too aged, infirm
or irascible to ride.
Those
more mundane details are at the heart of a debate about growing
cases of mistreatment of horses in the United States, at a time
when hay and grain prices are skyrocketing and when options for
disposing of unwanted horses are dwindling.
Just
a year ago, the sale of an average horse suitable for recreation
-- one with neither prized bloodlines nor a performance record
to heighten its status -- would have fetched several thousand
dollars.
Today,
prices in some cases have dropped to just hundreds of dollars,
largely because of higher costs for their maintenance and transport.
The
situation for marginal horses -- horses whose poor physical condition
or disposition makes them targets for slaughter -- is even worse,
after a court ruling sought by animal-rights groups effectively
shut down the U.S. horse slaughter industry last year.
The
result is that a growing number of unwanted horses are being starved
or turned loose to fend for themselves in the U.S. West, according
to animal welfare advocates.
"What
concerns me is a fate worse than slaughter," said Temple
Grandin, professor of animal science at Colorado State University
and an authority on the handling of livestock such as horses.
"We've got people turning horses loose in fields, dropping
horses off in the night -- my worst nightmares are coming true."
Such
images have strong resonance in the West, the land of the rider
on the range immortalized in art by Frederic Remington and in
popular culture by actors such as the late President Ronald Reagan.
Far
from Kentucky, where thoroughbreds race the Churchill Downs, owning
a horse in the West is a middle-class occupation. The average
horse owner rides for recreation and keeps their horse on their
own land or land rented for the purpose, rather than at a commercially
run barn.
Horses
eat hay made from either grass or alfalfa, or a mix of both, and
a modest amount of grain. Prices fluctuate, but in east central
Idaho, hay prices have risen to $145 from $120 per ton a year
ago, a jump of 21 percent. In northern Idaho it costs $220 per
ton and as much as $300 per ton in parts of California. Feeding
a horse can cost $2,000 a year or more.
TURNED
LOOSE
The
West is also the region where the historic practice of releasing
domesticated horses into the wild -- first by Spanish explorers
and last by ranchers -- gave rise to the herds of Mustangs, or
feral horses, that still inhabit the vast public lands of Western
states.
But
the romantic concept of freeing a tamed horse to roam the West's
wide open spaces bears no resemblance to the reality, said Kirk
Miller, livestock investigator in Idaho and Montana for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
"They
have no survival instinct in the wild, no clue as to what's dangerous
to eat, no knowledge of how to grub for food under the snow,"
he said.
Miller
and Colorado State's Grandin are among animal experts who say
the campaign led by the Humane Society of the United States to
end domestic horse slaughter was well-intentioned but misguided.
Now
the tens of thousands of American horses marked for slaughter
are shipped to Canada and Mexico, where long, stressful journeys
end in what some horse advocates say can be unduly painful deaths.
Most
horses are slaughtered for human consumption, with Europe and
Asia providing markets for their meat.
Some
horse associations are siding with the Humane Society in its fight
to end export of horses for slaughter altogether. But others are
seeking to re-establish processing in the United States to broaden
the outlet for unwanted horses and to ensure the animals are killed
by a mechanical method approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Keith
Dane, director of equine protection for the Humane Society, said
for Americans to have their horses killed for their meat would
be akin to sending their pet dogs to slaughter for human consumption.
But
unlike its canine counterpart, a horse weighs an average of 1,000
pounds and disposal of its carcass after Humane Society-recommended
euthanasia has become burdensome. Where permitted by law and where
able, owners can bury carcasses on their own land or pay several
hundred dollars in assorted fees to deposit the remains at a local
landfill.
Those
complications may be behind what state livestock officials and
federal land managers in the West say is a spike in the number
of horses shot dead and dumped on public lands.
Scot
Dutcher, animal protection chief with the Colorado Department
of Agriculture, said the abandoned horse cases officials are addressing
now is a ripple compared to the wave that may come.
"If
it becomes illegal to export horses for slaughter, we'll be dealing
with an equine tsunami," he said.
Meanwhile,
officials at some sale barns in Montana are asking owners of especially
old or underweight horses to pay the auction house if the animals
do not bring a sufficient price.
And
horse rescues, nonprofit groups that rehabilitate and place unwanted
and often abused horses, are reporting a rise in the number of
calls they are fielding and the number of horses they turn away
for lack of resources.
"I
could have 500 horses here tomorrow," said Brent Glover,
head of Orphan Acres, an Idaho rescue operation that can maintain
a maximum of 130 horses.
(Reporting
by Laura Zuckerman; Editing by Eddie Evans)
Article
Comment
From:
IHUNTCOLO@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 11:19 PM
To: BRACY,ROBIN
Subject: Horses abandoned in West as feed prices rise
Robin
Excellent article. Unfortunately last year I was put in the "what
to do" situation with a 25 year old gelding. I exhausted
every option I could think of--Free to good home as pasture pal,
donating to a kids camp and rescue type folks.
But NO ONE wanted him. I would have liked for him to go for some
use, even if he ended up in a can of dog food. It just seems like
such a waist and it was incredibility hard to take him out to
a friends ranch and shoot him. I knew better than to just turn
him out some where " to be free " Starvation is a cold
way to go.
I understand that the people backing the no slaughter are VERY
well intended but I would bet they don't know much about geriatric
horses or horses at all.
Sad state of affaires that it's "PC" to go so far left.
If you know of any group that is fighting to repeal this law,
I'd appreciate if you would forward the info to me.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, I guess it's just a rant
at this point
Todd Smith
Castle Rock,CO
Horse owner and lover 40+ years
More
Comments
From:
Cynthia Ann Hegler
Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 10:30 AM
To: BRACY,ROBIN
Subject:
Robin:
Hi...my name is Cynthia Hegler and I operate Kimberline Animal
Sanctuary in Gunnison, CO. I was reading through craigslist this
morning and ran across your ads for affordable horses.
While looking over your website I wanted to commend you for taking
not
such great horses and really training them and using them. I love
to
see horses that were in someways rescued, be retrained and actually
worth something. Often times the biggest problem with rescue horses
is
that they are worthless. Our rescue never lets a horse go untrained
and I am glad to see that you are doing the same!
I am a bit upset by the post at the end of the sale page, that
apparently your friend wrote. He asked to inform him when you
knew of
people who were against slaughter, and since I could not find
his
contact info, I decided to contact you and you can put him right
in
touch with me.
Maybe this person should realize that if people stopped breeding
useless horses, and started training the horses they already had
there
would not be so many unwanted horses in the world. Also if you
cannot
afford to keep a horse for its whole life, then maybe he should
avoid
buying one! It does not cost that much around this area to have
an older to horse
kicked out to pasture, if you can't take on that burden then don't
take
the
horse. I have many older horses that I still ride, usually when
a
horse is well kept it's whole life it can be useable into its
thirties.
This man is wrong that we don't know about having geriatric horses,
we
know more than most people, because we house most of them.
Also, if I were him I would steer clear of advertising that he
shot
this horse in the head, while I am fine with it, I do know that
you can
get in trouble for it. I am sure that if you are in the montrose/delta
area you probably heard about the horses a month ago that were
shot,
and all I can say is when they find the person who did it he will
be
charged with animal cruelty.
Whether that be wrong or right, and I am not on a high horse,
I have
shot a horse before, but I am cautious about speaking about it,
as you
never know who thinks that is animal abuse and is willing to turn
you
in.
In closing, you seem like a wonderful person and I am completely
open
to intelligent discussion with your friend who tried to unload
a 25 yr.
old horse on rescues who are completely full right now and believes
we
should continue breeding crap and kill because it is better for
him!
Thanks so much!
Cynthia Hegler
From:
Cari Cook
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 9:14 AM
To: BRACY,ROBIN
Subject: socks
How old is Socks?
I have back problems and am looking for ideally a gaited horse
but saw Socks on your website. Am also looking for a horse preferably
under 10 years old. I have lost my riding companions in the last
2 years and am wanting something I can ride for a while before
I have to get something else.
To the person who criticized the man who shot his horse .... in
a perfect world there would be no over breading of any animals.
And everyone (like me ) would not take on horses they could not
afford to keep their whole lives. Then maybe we would not have
people turning loose their animals or having them shot as a last
resort. But peoples lives change and so do their financial situations.
No one can claim financial security their whole lives because
stuff happens. The people who so barley wanted this no kill law
should also have taken into account all the unwanted horses and
how they personally were going to provide for them. How dare they
assume that the already maxed out rescue organizations across
the country or the rest of us already struggling to get buy would
take on the extra burden.
Thanks for listening. Let me know about Socks.
cari
From:
Nancy Ebbert
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 2:05 PM
To: BRACY,ROBIN
Subject: Article comments and thoughts
Raised in the West, I came from a ranching family and have had
horses most of my life. At this time, I have three horses---one
that can be ridden and two that cannot.
When my two unsuable horses seem to no longer have a good quality
of life, I will call the vet and have them humanely euthanized.
Then, I will rent a backhoe, dig a hole and bury them.
I personally find it unconscionable to have an animal in service
to me for years then, when I deem it no longer useful, send it
to slaughter. Modern slaughter houses are cruel---many with horrific
and inhumane conditions. These animals are not cars in a salvage
yard---they are living beings with nerve endings and fear responses
similar to our own. I realize that there may have been a time
when slaughter was carried out in a better way but no longer;
the "corporate" assembly-line approach is sloppy, frightening
and painful to any thinking creature.
And to those who feel that it is too expensive to pay a vet to
euthanize a horse, etc., I can only saying that buying a horse
is the cheapest part of horse ownership. And while it takes a
certain amount of courage to shoot your animal (better than a
slaughterhouse certainly!) working a few hours to earn the money
for humane euthanasia should be a fitting reward for an animal
that spent it's life in service to you.
When animals get old or ill, we have a responsibility to do what
is right for them. When my two unrideable horses are no longer
enjoying a good quality of life, it is up to me to make the call
to the vet.
There have been numerous investigations of slaughterhouses and
the injuries/illnesses suffered during the transportation of animals
headed to slaughter. The suffering is unimaginable and, in my
opinion, just plain wrong.
For those who counter that horses at the end of their lives "should
be put to good use", I would remind you that in many countries,
people slaughter and eat dogs, too.
Nancy Ebbert
Lander, WY
Top
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