This post comes on the heels of what I expect might be going on with Dexter, the new rescue gelding. While I wait to hear back from the vet about the possible ERU, I want to take a moment to clarify a few things:
I wanted to be a casual horse owner and enjoy my own personal horses and farm. I found, over a bit of time, I could not sit back and watch was happening in this area in regards to horses and do nothing, though. Thank God I’ve met a small but great group of people who feel the same, and that is where we are today with Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue, INC – named from the first chronic rescue I personally took in and had to put down 3 months later after much pain on her part, much money on ours and others and having learned a lot.
Here is where the tough language comes in.
We are not a sanctuary or retirement facility.
This is tough work: Unforgiving a lot of the time and rewarding some of the time. I have no intention of becoming a sanctuary for the unadoptable. I do not have the space or drive for it. Though I respect and applaud those who do and feel horses are deserving of it if someone can manage it, it isn’t the call any of our team feels and even if it were, it would not be feasible within our rescue in any capacity.
I get more emails and calls and texts than you can imagine about horses in need. . . in dire situations. . . neglected, starving and even abandoned. We are often full and we all refuse to take in more than we have sufficient room for. That number exists at 7-8 horses total because we have personal horses on our farms, as well. Now, in the meantime, I network and post and email and add horses in need to petfinder, our website, here and personal sites. . . so that is worth something and has allowed us to help a LOT of horses we’ve never even seen.
The sheer number of horses in need in the tri-state area of WV, Oh and Ky that we cover forces us to always pick and choose the horses we help. We can hold 7 to 8 – SEVEN or Eight – I get more emails in a week about horses in need than that number a few times over. We can help 7-8 in terms of offering full rescue. The longer we hold one with serious issues or no training, the more well trained horses that just need food die in backyards, run through auction and traded on craigslist over and over. I can’t be part of that. Will not. We hate to pick which to save, but that is the sad fact of small rescuers or any rescuer in horses these days.
Also, some cases are financially not feasible for this rescue – serious medical issues or training issues are not things our group are equipped to handle. No reason to pretend – we simply cannot handle those cases.
While we would pour all our limited space and time into cases unlikely to ever find homes, we could have helped so many highly adoptable horses that just need food and few months to find their forever homes. Holding a few horses forever isn’t the burden on the hearts of this rescue team – we want to help AS MANY as possible. . . that is what makes us feel, at the end of the day, we’ve done a good job with all this work. Help is a term we believe means giving the animal its best chance at being safe we can offer.
I know that many people want rescues to take any and all animals in need – I feel there are huge groups with almost endless resources and space that can better work on that, but we can’t, folks. We want to give the horses that truly have a great shot at a home a second chance and there are even more of those in awful situations than we can tackle – this doesn’t mean it must be a well broke, young horse of any certain breed. . .it might be a very senior but broke to ride horse with few health concerns, a young horse not undersaddle but with the right aptitude, sound and good ground manners or a mini or donkey which always find homes regardless of attitude. . . the point is, we have to see something that makes us feel the horse has a good chance of finding a home because us holding onto a horse for a year and spending rescue donations to support one seems a poor choice when there are so many that need help that have so much going for them. . . it is tragic, really.
Horses with medical issues that make us believe their chance of finding a home is essentially non-existent or serious training issues. . . these are not horses we have the financial ability with donations we typically receive to rehab or horses, with our limited help, to work with, train, etc. The reasons rescues fail so often if they fail to know their limitations and take on the cases with the best chance of adoption. This one is not going to fail because of mismanagement. Our area needs it to succeed too much
Even in the tough cases, we have been able to help by offering vetting sometimes, transport directly from a bad situation to new homes able to tack a single horse with issues, health or training related, and so forth. We’ve been able to network and spread the word and get a lot of horses help that were cases that there did not look to be much hope for, but that isn’t typical . . . help for those horses rarely comes. ..but sometimes. . .just sometimes. . .
You will find, with enough rescue. . . Rescue means safe from pain – it may not always been a life here in the world happily ever after, but it will always mean no more suffering for the animal. . . that is what I’m and we are about. If that doesn’t suit your ethics, this isn’t the rescue for you. It means hard decisions we do not like to make – someone has to. If the animals wait for most people to make their minds up, the help is always a day late, a dollar short. Someone has to be willing to make hard calls, and I will and have done that.
If you are in the area and feel you can do a better job, please feel free to tackle it because it makes our team quite weary being part of something so big and being so small. . .
Snow White, a senior Percheron mare, was a rescue we pulled from Cattletsburg, Ky’s auction. It is notorious
sale of the lowest class and in times past, it has a been a place where many horses were loaded up and shipped out for the slaughter houses over the borders.
She is on the mend now, and she already has an adoption pending when she is at a healthy weight.
We were called about this young mare ready to be sent off to auction because she was blind in one eye and very afraid, thus skittish, in her new home. The above photo is before rescue. She had been dropped off in a park and become a horse locals road each summer, and after her eye was damaged, it seems, she became a horse no one wanted. She was very thin and so nervous. This mare would have had no hope of finding a decent home at a sale barn. She would have become meat or ended up in feedlot type pen or worse.
We took her to be vet checked after finding a potential adopter and funding and onto a new home.
She was at ease from the moment she arrived there and is living happily ever after.
We received an update on the Palomino gelding that was feral in Putnam county that we caught and placed, and he is doing very well and adores human company now in his new home in Gallipolis Ferry, WV.
Niteza, a well trained former show and lesson mare, was rescued back in May 2011.
We placed her into a new home where she will continue as a show and lesson mare, her element, in February, as well.
She was placed with Sunday Stables!
Tiny and Summer were abandoned by their former owner and with some quick networking, a former adopter of ours was able to pick them up and offer Tiny a forever home and a foster situation for Summer, the grey TB cross filly. She is now up for adoption! These photos were given to me by the owner; however, they were not in this great of condition when picked up, at all.
Zane finally found his forever home, and he is the first of the trio found on 9/11/11 thanks to a caring group of Ohio residents. Patriot and Zip, from the same group, now have adoptions pending, as well. Thanks to HOP board member, Sonora, for getting this boy in the picture of health!
Starlight was fostered and found her forever home with Gena in Pritchard, WV after we were able to get her from a local pound where she was wasting away in a dog chainlink Kennel. She is now, less than 8 weeks into treatment for cushings and looking much better, as you see on the right.
We were able to help the owner of this rescued boy place him into a previously approved adopter’s farm in Beckley, WV! Isn’t he stunning?
Zip is recovering from a minor leg wound which left some proud flesh, but once she is healed up, she has a possible adoption pending, as well! click here to see Zip’s before PHOTO!
Our newest rescue member. . .
Not yet named. . . but a darling 9-10 year old 13.3hh Quarter Pony that is underweight and heavily in foal that we were able to rescue from a horse trader and a life of backyard breeders.
25 year old mare (day of rescue, first two photos – after adoption – last photo, at vet visit) with cushings disease removed from the local pound after
being seized and placed into a foster/adopter situation – Feburary 2012
10 year old TWH rescued from being sent to auction, trauma in one eye, emaciated (first photo) -
Placed into a forever home (as seen in the above photo) – Feburary 2012
Niteza, Arab mare rescued in May, and adopted in Feburary 2012
Percheron mare rescued at Auction, approx 18 years old. Adoption pending
OTTB Gelding placed after his owners left the state, leaving him and a filly behind (will is still adoptable)
TB/Arab cross filly – in foster, adoptable
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY ARABIAN RESCUE
GROUP OF 22 – ALL SAFELY PLACED as of the start of February
(THIS IS AN AFTER PHOTO AFTER RESCUE and adoption ON PART OF THIS GROUP OF 22 after a safe foaling)
(THIS IS AN AFTER PHOTO AFTER RESCUE and adoption ON PART OF THIS GROUP OF 22 after a safe foaling)
(THIS IS AN AFTER PHOTO AFTER RESCUE and adoption ON PART OF THIS GROUP OF 22 after a safe foaling)
(THIS IS AN AFTER PHOTO AFTER RESCUE and adoption ON PART OF THIS GROUP OF 22 after a safe foaling)
Adoption pending on Zane in March (rescued in Sept ’11)
Calls for a board to be formed, and without knowing what I was walking into, I went to the meeting last night. This meeting changed my view of some West Virginia farmers, but it also made the pro-horse slaughter stance far more real for me, and the dangers of that view are now all too clear to me.
The initial slideshow presentation was on body scoring cattle and was reasonable in that is presented useable information to farmers, though it hardly really addressed much for livestock welfare.
The bulk of the meeting was carried out by Holly Spooner.
She is, much to the shame of WVU, in my opinion, an Assistant Professor and Extension Equine Specialist at WVU and has an agenda, it seems.
She started her speech by explaining right off that horses are only livestock and should never be entitled to pet (read: high) standards of care, essentially. She explained that those present, she hoped, realized and agreed that they should be considered livestock, not companion animals. She stated she was pro-slaughter from the beginning.
Note: I only sat through this lecture, though I did so with a queasy stomach and much difficulty, in order to inform the readers of this blog and my facebook farm and rescue page of the misinformation that exists out there.
I heard, during this lecture, a lot of what I have found to be erroneous information concerning even some simple care guidelines of horses. Some of these thing are those in which my time in rescue has proven false, nevermind my lifetime of equine experience. She explained that a horse doesn’t have to have a shelter beyond trees, that trees alone are perfectly suitable. I’ve rescued horses with only trees as shelter and they almost always have rain rot and other skin issues and poor coat condition. I have personally witnessed horses with good feeding regimes that have no shelter beyond trees show serious skin problems from having no real shelter.
She touted the science behind commercial feeds and the reasons they will work for any horse, if a horse needs a concentrate, that is. I can tell you that doing all the rescue I have, this is not true. Each horse has different needs. She made no consolation for easy keepers, hard keepers or the horse in the middle – nutrition was presented as a cover all for all horses. This is dangerous because it is not true and leads people to believe if Mr. Fat on air lives on 10lbs of hay a day, Ms. Hard keeper can, too. Wrong. This might have been an oversight, but you know, rather than past many minutes on pro slaughter propaganda, how about one actually talk about real equine ownership matters?
She stressed that horses cannot change body scores quickly, i.e. go from 1 to a 3, in a matter of a short time – WRONG. With the RIGHT care, they not only can, they almost ALWAYS will unless there are underlying conditions. I’ve had them go from a 1 to a 3 in 2 weeks. I can only assume this was stated to give people who do not provide quality care a cushion, a grey area to make excuses for starving a horse: “I’ve been trying to get weight on this mare for 2 months, and she is still a skeleton. . . “ The local human officers were at this meeting, and now they walk away believing this garbage. That statement alone will cause countless harm to the horses those human officers see in this next year. That is ALWAYS the excuse given by those starving their animals, especially horses, “I’ve been trying to get weight on for a month, 2 months, 3 months.” They are lying, and this woman gave the animal control no reason to doubt their story. But you know what? I have many photos that disprove all of that. Look at
www.equinerescue.com.
I honestly was so upset by what I was hearing, I cannot even recall all of the information . . . but here are those I have NOT forgotten.
All of you may not be aware, but I’m not anti-slaughter in the way many rescues are, but I am a 15 year (in December) Vegetarian, 1 year of that as a Vegan (which isn’t for me, thanks), and I’m a lifelong animal advocate. I do not believe animals are people or that they are entitled to the rights of people. I believe they deserve as much kindness as is possible, though. I believe in being honest. As a whole, I do not separate the rights of a horse to not be eaten over the rights of a cow, goat or chicken, but I try to look at this as an average American and from a factual standpoint, and that is how I will argue this. My personal feelings aside, 70-90% of Americans, when asked, do not want to see America slaughter horses for food. PERIOD. A Democracy should operate for and by the people, right, but we know that is not how it works, sadly.
Ms. Spooner made it a point to stress that most people, when asked, including most horse owners, do not state they “LOVE” horses, they only “like” them. This is the biggest crock of nonsense I’ve heard in my life. America has a long standing love affair with horses, and anyone with ears willing to hear knows that when horses are brought up, the response, when you’re not in a room of hilljacks, is usually overwhelming one that has proclamations of love and adoration for these creatures. I can think of no animal more universally loved in America, actually.
(How do you REALLY ARGUE that we should eat animals capable of this above? How do you deny the love affair Americans have for horses when they pay huge sums of money to just watch them “be?”)
The Black Stallion, Misty of Chincoteague and Black Beauty – NO animal, even the dog, has such notable icons of human adoration in the States. Imagine suggesting eating one of those beloved horses. Imagine people eating Secretariat, Man O War or Seattle Slew after their careers!
I sat and listened to the arguments for slaughter, flushed and feeling a bit faint, actually. Ms. Spooner’s sincere hope is to see the glorious slaughter factories of America reopened, and at present, it looks like that will take place, and she was not short of bashing and condescending statements toward those of us that rescue and help horses in need and of the HSUS and any group seeking to give horses some protection. Oh, the professor also seemed to me in favor of seeing our Mustangs erased from American land, as well. . . at least, offered no aside to make an exception to them in her pro slaughter rhetoric. How kind.
The problem, be you pro or anti slaughter of horses, is that the data that supports these arguments are all, by and large, lies. If someone wants to state that they simply think the meat of unwanted horses should be used and not wasted, that is one thing, but that is not what this woman stated, as a whole. The supports she provided for this belief system were wholly without merit.
Might I add in here that quite a few of the farmers in the room said a few times, some loudly, things like, “I’ll eat a horse,” “I’m all for killing and eating horses,” “Yea, we need to see those factories open again,” and grumblings about how their horses aren’t worth anything anymore (likely backyard breeders).
Ms. Spooner explained that the closing of slaughter factories in the USA is the primary cause of the flooding of unwanted horses we are experiencing. Well, that is interesting since her very chart contradicts this statement.
Her chart (which was dated 2008. I believe) and the statistics above show that by 2008, the exporting of horses to Mexico and Canada has replaced the number that had gone to US slaughter houses in 2006, and this makes it impossible – 100% IMPOSSIBLE – to argue that the numbers of unwanted horses displaced by the closing of the US slaughter houses created this problem we have now. The numbers of horses being slaughtered each year are the same as the numbers that were slaughtered before the closing of the slaughter houses. What does that mean?
She made it sound as if the horses, based on her charts, going to slaughter, are old, poorly bred or have behavior issues. This is false.
While I’m providing a link to the HSUS stance that 92% of the horses going to slaughter are horses in good condition, I am backing that up, since people will discredit their link, with my word that the vast majority of rescues I’ve done or that I’ve seen go through auction and the majority of those others I trust have pulled from auction or have seen run through, have been nice, not aged and many times very well trained and bred. It is a simple matter of research online to SEE this is true.
She explained that these horses have nowhere to go. There is no way to house them in rescue, there is no place for all of the unwanted. There is no real solution except to slaughter the horses; however, since we already see that the numbers of horses being slaughter is the same as prior to the closing of the US plants, we know beyond a doubt – based on actual, real life events, slaughter IS NOT (and CANNOT) helping the unwanted horses country wide. Be it here or elsewhere, neglect and abuse is not lessened by slaughter. . . if it were, we’d not see what we do now – Slaughter is going on in the same numbers as BEFORE.
One might argue that horses have a smaller value based on the meat prices that are quite a bit lower now that horses must leave the US to be slaughtered, but I have a hard time believing that when (2007 figure http://www.avma.org/reference/marketstats/ownership.asp) over 2,080,000 million horses are in the United States and only a fraction of that number, some 90,000 to 100,000, go to slaughter a year, that this fraction of the industry is what dictates the value of the horse in America. It likely isn’t. If would make little sense that the primary value of Horses are based on the price per pound of less than 5% of its numbers in the country. That simply does not make good business sense. Meat buyers get 25 cents or a bit more per lbs now, verses a price of around $1.00 per lb, I read, but 15 years ago (though I doubt prices were ever that high), I went to auctions with my grandfather when the US slaughter plants were alive and well, and I saw horses going for a $100 a head Over and over and over again. I saw horses that went through as poor and ill kept as I do now. Why was this happening if slaughter in American solves the low prices and abuse?
So, even though this professor doesn’t want to admit it, something else that has nothing to do with slaughter effected the market for horses. It is no surprise to find that when the nation’s economy tanked (an understatement) in 2007/2008, the horse market fell apart. You see, horses are a luxury item, and they are one of the first things that many people have had to let go of. This allows the lowest dregs of society to now be able to afford, in their small minds, horses. This is where your problem of neglect and abuse comes in. The overpopulation is no more than it ever has been. Fewer people with means are keeping them: FACT. Breeders, even though the market has collapsed, refuse to breed in smaller numbers, and morons that cannot feed themselves keep collecting horses they cannot feed.
We were told that, by the way, WVU only accepts, for the most part, horses into its program that are worth a lot, say 10-20k, and I had to laugh at that. It was painted out that the “unwanted” would not be able to fill the shoes of those horses. I’ve had horses come through my rescue worth 10k in the past market, I’ve seen many worth MUCH more in a by gone era, go through other rescues, and I assure Ms. Spooner, I’ve seen and others working rescue, horses worth more than your bragging rights . . . pass through auction. Keep that in mind. I wonder if these worthless horses she says that end up slaughtered include Ferdinand, the 1986 Derby winner, who met his end in Japan? I guess he wasn’t worth as much as those high dollar WVU horses. What a joke.
Never once did this person mention the dangers of horse meat to human beings. If you’re pro-slaughter and ignore this fact, you’re misleading people in a dangerous way, and it doesn’t matter how you think about eating horses. . . feeding people tainted meat is hardly a simply matter to defend. I suppose since the companies who would open (standing by with money, she said, in hand – eager to reopen these plants) these facilities are foreign based and selling to non-USA citizens, we should not care about their food safety? Remember how we appreciate the toxic food we import from China? Oh, we don’t appreciate that, you say? Yea, that is right, and what right do we have sending meat that is full of medications we KNOW cannot be given to animals (of course, we know none of these horses were intended for food, though) intended for food, and yet, people like this woman are touting the wonderful solution of using these horses, all having medications (bute, for instance) for the most part, that would prevent any American from consuming them . . . for food for people outside of America. Wow. This isn’t JUST ABOUT animal’s rights, this IS ABOUT REAL human beings that should not be eating contaminated meat. And this woman and others sit back and laugh at us in rescue for caring too much about animals, when they are more than happy to feed men, women and children a food that cannot ever be safe. Who has the messed up priorities? Well, I’ll tell you, it isn’t me.
Never once did this “Livestock Care Standards Board” speaker mention that killing a horse by a captive bolt can never be humane. She did not discuss humane options for these unwanted horses at all. This equine “expert” (which seems a joke to me, degree or no!) NEVER explained that the reactions and nature of horses make slaughter in these plants a far more heinous than it typically is for livestock (though that process is inhumane, as well). Never did she talk about the blood volume of horses, the multiple stab wounds it often takes, the fact many have to bleed to death – alert and aware – because the slaughter process fails. Who cares? Well, this woman and those at the meeting, do not. I care. Very much, I care. Never did she discuss what is defined as negligent care, either.
How is the slaughter of horses even economical? Who does it benefit? Not Americans. The added slaughter trucks on the road, polluting the air, using fossil fuels, adding traffic to the roadways, the massive pollution added to the environment by these plants, the devaluation of the property near the plants, the morale of the areas around horse slaughter plants, the tax payer money (money tax payers do not agree with providing) spent to pay the USDA inspectors . . .how is that a benefit to a single America or a single horse? How does this provide a solution? Excuse me for not being so stupid as to not be able to see past this rhetoric. The neglect, abuse and so forth will continue, as we clearly see, and in addition, you have all the above added grief, but by golly, Holly Spooner and other pro-slaughter folks certainly love to tout this garbage to sheeple. . . err, people, that is.
She explained that she was privy to information that showed the plants in Mexico are actually stringently ran and have high Belgium standards, even more so than Canadian plants. She maligned the videos, hundreds and possibly thousands, online of these plants as showing inaccurate information. . . Really? How high of standard could Belgium have when they think nothing of feeding animals on medications that people should not consume to humans?
Last time I check, hundreds of accounts and videos rarely lie:
Yes, clearly very well carried out and humane. . .there. Hard to make That stuff up, isn’t it? Yes, I thought so to.
The government sits back and does nothing because . . . you know, they do not even care about human beings, let alone the cares of animals. If they are content to ship tainted meat overseas, logically, they aren’t going to care about the horse killed to supply it.
This assistant professor explained that slaughter, she hoped, was the only answer any of us could see, to the issue, and she expected we all would leave with that understanding and with the expectation to see plants reopened soon. She applauded the great efforts of those trying to see the plants open again, and it looks like, based on legislation just passed, we will see them open again if nothing changes.
Let me explain that IF – and only if – slaughter HAS TO continue because the government refuses to listen, as usual, to the people, then yes, I believe it would be better if it took place here in the US – not because the plants are much more humane, if at all, but at least the trip is shorter; however, I would prefer to see it abolished. I believe there are other answers. At least, the government ought to see if other options can work. I believe if more people KNEW the facts, we could see slaughter eradicated and see successful results.
I had hoped I could be a part of the “Livestock Care Standards Board” in West Virginia when I went to this meeting, but I think that their goals and mine have so little in common, they would have no desire to have a person on board that actually wants to see “STANDARDS” exist.
Yesterday I received a call from someone who was interested in rescue horses. Actually,
I have gotten calls from this number, though no messages, a few times over the past
few days and not gotten back to the person. I answered this time.
Nothing uncommon, as I get quite a few inquiries through the week from those
looking to place horses, ask questions about adoption and so forth.
I’ve gotten so many, that I am quite good at sorting out horse traders, unqualified
owners and potentially quality adopters.
This call, from the start, was suspicious.
The man had a bit of an accent. He asked about horses I had up for
adoption to “good homes.”
I asked what horse in particular he was inquiring about.
He said just some horses need adopted.
HUGE Red flag, of course, in and of its self. . .but the conversation continues. . .
I ask because of his continued odd statements where he lives.
He says he is located in South Florida.
I told him that, curious now about his motives, the cost of transporting
horses from my location in West Virginia would be prohibitive, and I explained
that is made no sense to move them from my location when many rescues were
close to his location.
He said, in a stumbling manner, that they had large semi trailers they use
for. . .”Uh, for cattle hauling” (to quote him) that would be around and
could easily pick up any horses we had to send.
Really!?
The conversation went downhill from here. . .I believe he felt he’d said too
much, and he then said, after I responded that we wouldn’t be interested,
“Well, I bet they would get cold on the trip, so thank you very much.”
The tone was not sarcastic, but almost like he did not want me to guess
his motives. He hung up.
Now, I believe there must be people in Florida that cater to the lucrative black market
for horse meat that are preying on the idea that small town rescue
people, like I am, are willing to give away horses at this time of year to anyone.
Prices are upwards, I’ve read, of $40 a pound in some cases, compared to the
prices for horses going to Mexico for slaughter that run MUCH less than $1 per
pound. I’ve heard the local meat buyer is only getting .25 cents a pound for what is
being shipped through him to Mexico.
Why else call me?
I know that if he called me, he and others like him are calling other people.
Some people are so desperate to place, so unsuspecting, so uneducated,
it is hard to say what they might do.
Also, be aware, this is why placing horses on craigslist for almost nothing or
free is beyond dangerous.
There is little question now that there must be a group of people finding enough
money in black market meat to go all over the US to find cheap and free horses
to haul down that direction.
I looked the number up, and it is a Sprint cell number out of Port St Lucie area,
and is begins with (772) 267-****
I will privately share the whole number with anyone who wants the information, especially anyone capable of finding out more about the person who made the call.
Please spread the word to rescues. I know that no legitimate rescue would entertain
this offer, but awareness that this is happening cannot be anything but helpful.
For those unaware of the black market for horse meat in Florida and the
gruesome farms of horror there, please research a couple of these links
below:
