A Stand 4 The Horses

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A Call To Action For Immediate Release: Horse Slaughter was a dirty little secret not so long ago. While horse owners and equine lovers continued to fight for those who were dying daily at three separate slaughter houses in the U.S., countless other equines across this country have been slowly and quietly dying from neglect, starvation and brutal abuse. As the bill to end horse slaughter stalled in the house, reports of neglected horses being ignored by local law enforcement and state officials poured onto the Internet. Every day horses from every state are knowingly being starved to death by their owners. Horse rescues and private citizens try to help these voiceless victims of abuse. Finding a way out of a neglectful home into a reputable horse rescue or private home is much more difficult than most would think. You would think anyone looking at a horse with every bone sticking out under its dull coarse coat, her eyes full of larvae, drooping eye lids, skin sagging from severe dehydration, would recognize signs of abuse and neglect. This should be obvious to even the least knowledgeable horse person, right? WRONG. Every day, in every state, a horse is left with an abusive owner due to lack of man power, red tape, or outdated laws pertaining to equine welfare. Many times the state or county agent sent to investigate is not versed in proper equine care or the Henneke Scale (a known scale used to measure the condition of a horse). They don't know the hay and feed they are looking at is moldy or rotten. Many officers do not understand that a green pasture does not equal adequate nutrition.
Even if an officer knows what to look for often his/her hands are tied by outdated laws and guidelines.
The worst case scenario for a horse suffering from neglect is being in the middle of a "Good Ole Boy's Club". Many cases of neglect are ignored because the owner is a friend of the authorities or the complaint is from an outsider in the community. This week, in Florida , a Belgian mare was left in the hands of a neglectful owner because she was considered to be part of a neighbor dispute. Law Enforcement completely ignored the fact the horse was in imminent danger. Two days after offers from reputable homes willing to pay for the horse were turned down, the horse collapsed as she was being loaded onto a horse trailer. Allegedly the owner was going to move the horse to hide her from the national attention she was receiving because of her emaciated appearance. The claim was the horse was euthanized on the spot. Help never got to this horse, now it is time to make a difference for those horses not too far gone to help. I have been involved in horse rescue for several years now. During the height of slaughter I saw just as many starvation cases as I do now. Florida rescues like Pure Thoughts Inc. Horse and Foal Rescue and Beauty's Haven Ranch & Equine Rescue have taken in scores of horses from throughout the United States both on a local and national level that were suffering long before the slaughter houses were closed in Texas and Illinois. Pro-Slaughter advocates insist that this is a new trend, even when the facts are staring all of us in the face. Horses don't lose 300 or 400 pounds in short period of time. It is a matter of chronic neglect by horse owners who are either ignorant or simply malicious. It is almost 2008, and many of our state and national laws have changed regarding abuse and neglect of our nation's companion animals. Our horse, the forgotten companion animal, has not had the same luck. It is time for this country to stop and smell the hay. It's time to insist our state and national reps not only end horse slaughter for human consumption in this county but to also reclassify horses in every state as pets, not livestock. We, as a community, need to help our National Herd. Horsemanship and proper animal husbandry does NOT mean dumping horses at auction because they are the wrong color and it certainly does not mean turning our backs to a starving horse in our neighbor's backyard.
The most shocking of all is when abuse and neglect are seen in a public venue. Every week at auctions across this country neglected, abused and injured horses are sent through the ring sold to the highest bidder. The seller is left with no consequences regarding the condition of the horse. You only have to visit a horse rescue's web site to see case after case of auction horses rescued from the brink of death. They are often so weak they can not stand, some so badly starved they have forgotten how to eat. Injuries abound with exposed muscle or bone, never treated with even the simplest First Aid. Young horses as young as three months old are left to fend for themselves often sick from the stress, some will not live despite the best care money can provide. Now is the time to say enough is enough. It's time to let our lawmakers know we will not cry quietly as horses, of every age and breed in every state are lost and forgotten in dark auction houses, barns and unseen pastures. Kind Regards,
Laura Boothby
561-881-8285
A Stand 4 The Horses
Fundraising & Rescue Education
http://www.myspace.com/4thehorses
www.mymonavie.com/lauraboothby/