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The yearlong Texas drought is taking a heartbreaking toll on horses and donkeys, thousands of which have been abandoned by owners who can no longer afford the skyrocketing price of the hay needed to feed them.
Debbie Fincher / Safe Haven Equine Rescue via Reuters
An abandoned, malnourished horse is seen at the Safe Haven Equine Rescue in Gilmer, Texas, in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on Dec. 3, 2011.
"We get 20 to 40 calls a week that horses are alongside the road and left; nobody's claimed them," Richard Fincher of Safe Haven Equine Rescue in Gilmer, in east Texas, told Reuters. "Sheriffs are calling us all the time."
Before this year, he would get more like three or four calls a week, he said.
The problem, according to Dennis Sigler, a horse specialist at Texas A&M University, is that the drought has dried up the hay fields, leaving horse owners having to pay double or triple the prices they are used to paying for hay, if they can find hay at all.
Horse abandonment is a crime, and state law requires abandoned horses to be held by the local sheriff's department for 18 days, Fincher said. After that, most are sold at a sale barn for whatever prices they can bring.
"People just can't afford to feed horses anymore," Fincher said. "They're too busy trying to feed themselves." Read the full story.
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People can't afford to feed themselves and yet they still vote for the Teapublican/GOP down in the great state of Texas. Sorry were not taking Perry off your hands.
Liz, don´t be a hater.
liz...right on target. why do these people vote against their own interests? they have no self-presevation instinct nor any common sense.
This really hurts folks...to me, a horse is man's 2nd best friend...The state should help out...they are gracious and thoughtful animals, one you can actually have a cold beer with...
Got to make a political statement out of it, don't you? What could the GOP/TP possibly have to do with a drought in TX that increases the price of hay? Hate is an ugly thing, even moreso when it's off-topic and said just because there's an open text box.
Ahh yes.. more places should be run like Detroit right?
Liz-561790, this has nothing to do with politics. This story is about many deadbeat Americans that instead of handing over their "cherished" animals so they can be cared for, they much rather let them starve because it's an inconvenience for them to do anything.
These people should be tracked down and jailed for neglect.
Go figure liz...doubtful that it is the 1% or even those struggling that pay taxes who are found to be neglectful of their horses....although it doesn't matter if they are animal cruelty comes with protective measures in Texas. Unfortunately, the scoundrels who neglect their animals also try to avoid law enforcement who have laws they must follow to rescue an animal.
How can I help?
Most cities and counties offer animal shelters who ultimately care for these animals. Many will foster out the animals to ranchers who will gladly support another horse, cow or other livestock along with their own. Some fosters are will gladly work with animals toward rehabilitation. Same as any State.
Best bet is to do some homework before donating money, food or needed items.
If you are poor, you should not have a horse. You need a safety margin financially when such things as a drought occur. The least owners could do is euthanize the old ones. They are just irresponsible to abandon their animals. I bet they can still afford their cell phone and big screen TV. And slaughter is NOT the answer.
I am now considered "poor," after working for years and now on disability. I have a 16y reg. Anglo. Since his birth. Have had other horses for the past 50yrs including rescued mustangs. I have had to have some "put down" by vet when they get too old and uncomfortable with med problems (including cancer). I take issue with "if you are poor." Maybe it didn't start out that way but these horses (dogs, cats, etc.) are yours as long as you/they live. And you can take care of them...,.my four legged kids have a grocery bill ten times mine. I go without. Totally agree with the abandonment. But please. Any horse owner/lover will tell you you don't start out poor. And there is no cell service where I live, and I gave up sat. tv service to afford hay, straw, farrier, and COB. Just don't lump the poor into necessarily being irresponsible.
Horses aren't engandered. If they outlive their usefulness, then slaughter is a viable option. Why waste all that meat? Or is it better to simply dump them on animal welfare agencies instead? No one buys a horse with the intention of not being able to feed it.
Linda,
You want these animals euthanized what do you think slaughter is? Wake up girl and smell the roses. You're doogooder laws have made reasonable ways of disposing of these animals an impossible task. Where Horses are concerned we are becoming the Hindu equavilent. They deserve better than a slow hungry death.
Another one who doesn't understand that things have changed drastically for many people in this nation. Understand, people have gone from Middle Class to POOR in the matter of months. They spend their savings, retirement, unemployment trying to save the proverbial 'farm.' Began in 2007, its' now 2012 in less than a month and things have not gotten better. It must be nice not to 'see' that. Congress, and folks like you don' t understand that things have gone sideways for the majority. It has come full circle, be grateful and pray like hell that the circle doesn't encompass your world, your income, your home, your horses. Are you so insulated that you don't have a 'caring' relationship with anyone who has been affected? Do you really think 'poor' people have horses? Poor compared to what? You? How do you quantify that?
As far as I can tell, the ONLY thing Congress has done is make sure their pay and benefits were uninterrupted in the event of a government shutdown. Oh, one other thing they accomplished, they got their annual pay increase.
Have to agree with you, American. There are still some people who just don't fathom the extent of the trouble we're in right now.
You lose your job, then your house payments go up, then you have to start hitting the savings just to buy food. Then they come get your car because with no job, nothing's going to get paid on time, if at all.
Can anyone here tell me when it's going to end? When will the jobs start again? When will my retirement account come back? I planned for retirement my whole life. I never planned on the big-shots taking everything I have to pad their own nests.
I'm sorry for the horses. It kills me to see any animal suffer. But this is just a microcosm of everything that's going on right now. And there's no end in sight. Forget the newspaper stories telling you something different - LOOK AROUND! Do you see anything different? Or do you, like me, see the same old @!$%# that's been going on for the last few years?
Its not just poor vs rich, to own a horse you need land. Five acres minimum per horse. 1/2 acre for houseing and 4.5 acres for feed growth. If you depend on feed store hay then your using someone elses land....and if you dont know them that makes it undependable and you may not always have it.
If you buy a horse and stable it in the backyard with no food growth and no pasture to run, you are already behind and asking for trouble. When a crisis hits home your sunk. In some of the recent fires here in the desert southwest I have seen people with horses and no way of transporting them.
Why would you buy a horse and not have a truck and trailer to haul them in???
Lack of prior planning equals disaster.
I have operated stables and have been selling horses for over thirty years now and the biggest problem I have consistently is educating people in what goes into responsible horse ownership.
You need land, you need housing, you need a truck and trailer, you need a place to ride and exercise it. You need money for feed, money for fencing repairs (and yes there will be many repairs), you need vet money, deworming money, farrier money and equipment money. This is monies free and clear of your normal family budget. Horse ownership is expensive, time consuming and a full time dedicated job.
These animals are not family pets. Ask any professional horse owner...we have our banker and veterinarian on speed dial. :)
What you guys are failing to understand, is that the animals need land. They would eat from their land but the drought isn't allowing it to grow. So the other option is to buy hay from someone else. The problem is that since there's a drought there's more demand and less supply and that equals higher prices. In this prolonged bad economy and prolonged drought people have spent their savings and their emergency funds to buy supplies for their animals. I'm sure some of these animals probably had to be rescued but I'm sure some were turned over by their heartbroken owners too because they knew they couldn't afford to care for them any longer 4 years into this bad economy. The owner who cares for their animals as long as they can then turns them over when they can't anymore has done the right thing. Oh and hay could cost you thousandsssss of dollars for your animals over a very short time so we're not talking a little bit of money here. Be sad but don't be too fast to judge.
Okay, I have a slightly different perspective because we operate a horse rescue. But has anyone else noticed all of the green grass AROUND the paddock that poor horse is in? While I have a lot of sympathy for horse owners who are trying to do the right thing, the entire problem isn't the drought. This horse is surrounded by grass. He is just being kept by someone who won't or can't give him access to it. That particular problem is one we see all over the country- it isn't unique to Texas and it can't all be blamed on the drought.
eenkriek...look at the caption underneath the photo above; it says that horse is at an equine rescue in Gilmer, TX. In other words, the horse in the photo is NOT located at her home; she's at the horse rescue which makes your assessment based upon the photo faulty.
This is turning into a story by itself (good!). The horse could be surrounded by grass, but whose property? It could be a cranky neighbor? Who knows. Also what caught my eye was the loose twine (orange). Funny how we all learn things from posts. Someone mentioned "horse community." So sad that is diminishing in rural areas as people age...but then again there are the diehards and their human kids! And grass alone cannot provide the nutrients. Loved the question about what we can do. ? I don't love the answer because I don't have one for my area. Right now. But horse, dog, cat ..............and deer......do what you can...thank you for a good discussion.
Comment update: I just realized that the horse is in a dry lot at the rescue. That makes a lot more sense, as you need to be careful about overloading starved horses. Hats off to the rescue who picked him up.
Hilarious! Thanks for sharing;)
Even in a snowstorm in winter, or blistering heat in summer, I still take my dog out for a walk. I agree eenkriek. It's called responsibility.
What can the population of the US do? This is so very sad.
lets all adopt one horse to help these people out--get the horse back on its feet-then return that animal back to the original owner--see what happens--HOKAHEY
Obviously you have never owned a horse before and have no idea how much money it cost to own one.
If u can not stand the heat stay out of the kitchen I say.U should have found out what it cost befor getting a horse,use your head for more than a hat rack ,DuH!
Thats half the problem, professionals tatt and brand their livestock so they can be identified and traced back to the owner. Many of these horses are from back yard owners who use them as pets and then when they no longer want them they turn them loose for some one else to deal with or to just die.
it takes a creep to just abandon an animal that depends on you for food and shelter.
I see a lot of green grass all around that lot,so looks like plenty grass for it to eat ,if they will let it. I have three horses and its only costing me about $50 more to feed than normal.I see a lot of people that can not afford the feed takeing these horses and farming them out on other peoples property till they can sell them for food processing. I allso notice these same people are still smokeing a pack a day ,the last U checked that must run them about a $100 a month.So quit crying poor,these people are just no good in my book!
I hope every one of these people ends of behind bars. There are plenty of rescue organizations around that would help out. Secondly, the "horse community' is a fairly generous family and I'm sure the neighbors, friends and other horse owners would have been more than glad to help out. These people are totally irresponsible and should be charged with cruelty to animals.
And Liz 561790, what the he!! are you talking about? Pull your head out. What does Rick Perry or the TeaParty have to do with this? Step away fromt he computer and call your therapist immediately for a session, yep, just hit your speed dial and make an appoitnment.
Well, the problem is that there are too many Texans who are in bars which contributes to their addled reasoning skills. Give Texas back to the native people, instead of the loud mouth louts who stole the land from them.
your an idiot
Jim in Dallas, you have noted here how good a soul you are and how well informed, would you tell us on here the addresses and if you know the phone numbers of those horse rescue organisations?
No matter if you just one of them to know about, that is even as great.
That is how you can really help out the miseries descibed about the hardships about and to the horses.horses
this is just heartbreaking
I agree. I hope anyone who abandons or lets an animal starve should be behind bars.You have to consider shelters and the "horse community" are stretched to the limits. It would be helpful if everyone just looked within a square mile of their own homes and offered help. Whatever your own community needs. Horses. I have taken many in over the years, they stayed with me to the end, but I am getting irritated with "horse community" rhetoric. Is that horses being boarded out? Someone to feed, clean hooves, stall? Show ring? Or the nitty gritty of actually loving them, grooming them, and yes laying next to them when they colic for hours?
Sickens me this basic love and care of our "kids" gets bantered around with humans trying to score political points. Knock it off; see where you can help a horse (call your county extension service, state ag, but the best is to call a rural large animal vet near you. Of course they can't tell you specifics. ) Who delivers hay? Are "the owners" crappy people? Follow your instincts! This is going to be a rough winter for horses all over. And let's get the slaughter horse meat GONE!
One more reason to open the market for horse processing plants and save the meat for export and pet foods. Create a few jobs, thin down the population and make the older or unwanted horse worth some money again.
UGGHH!!! What is freakin' wrong with people?! It angers me so that people like this can be so cruel!! If you see any possibility that you won't be able to care for any animal, then don't have one!!! I hope they catch the ba*tards and do the same to them--put them in the middle of nowhere (i.e. the Sahara dessert) and have them starve to death. Geez, this makes me sick!!!!!!!!
My daddy has had horses when I was a kid and we have dwelled countryside, but I do not understand how horses of excessive amount in emergency cant be slaughtered instead of letting them starve to death.
By comparison, I mention cows, that has equal value to horses because of dairy we depend on, but nobody feels inferiority about slaughtering cows also for meat.
You are a human of sentience obsessing sentile, not just a good soul but more than perception and tought.
Would you explain the horse and cow antagonism here?
i agree!
The main problem that I have seen is in good times people purchase a horse or two and make them backyard pets to the family and have no way to feed or transport them. They depend on weekly purchases at the local feed store to sustain them with no contingent plan. Then when things go south wether at home or otherwise they have these 1300 pound eating machines on their hands with no clue as to whaat to do so the turn them out on the loose.
People should learn that horses are not pets, they are livestock and they require a great deal of care and support. Keeping them locked up in a 12ft by 12ft back yard corral seperated from other animals is just a bad for the horse and lack of food. Many people just have no idea about what it takes to care for a horse and want to live out a "flicka" fantasy and when it blows up on them its the horses who pay the price.
First none of the critics here have any idea of the financial status of these people. A lot of people who had good stable income are finding themselves in real serious trouble in a short amount of time and have to take care of family first. Right now it is very difficult to sell horses, there market is "flooded". It also costs a lot to euthanize a horse and have it removed or to transport an animal or multiple animals. If you feel that strongly about it head on down there and adopt a horse instead of saying a whole lot of nothing. Unfortunately this is the very thing that a lot of people predicted would happen when they made it illegal to process horses in slaughter houses. Now they can suffer and die a slow death instead. I know how slaughters houses work, and if you eat any form of meat (or sit on or wear leather or fur), that is how it gets on your plate. There is very little wasted.
You can contact your local zoo to see what their policy or program is about donated horses. Many zoo's will accept deceased horses to use as meat for big cats as long as it meets there criteria, like time of death and cause of death. It may not be pretty or politically correct but you gotta do something with them.
If the horses had someone like Temple Grandin to watch what was happening to them perhaps more people would be inclined to see horse slaughter in a new light. However, there is no one watching their fate. Cattle are processed in a whole different way than horses. Cattle are viewed as a valuable commodities; horses are viewed as hay burners. The transportation process tells us another dirty secret how horses are treated on the way and prior to slaughter. Horse slaughter is a dirty, unforgiving process with the animals involved. Don't kid yourself into believing this is quick! It is not! Anyone who knows this process and is humane would understand how out of date and how new practices need to be put in place. We need honest, good, non corrupt people doing what Temple Grandin does for cattle!