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Think You've Got it Bad? Try Being a Horse

Economy woes spur owners to abandon their steeds

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 1, 2009 12:50 PM CST

(Newser) – Humans aren't the only ones hurt by recession, as hundreds of thousands of horses could attest. While more owners are abandoning their steeds as the costs become a burden, fewer people are able to help fund horse rescue centers, reports the New York Times. The result has been some 100,000 to 150,000 horses shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.

In response to increasingly crowded rescue barns, California has established low-cost euthanasia centers—one contribution to the spike in equine abandonment is the high price of putting down old, sick, or unwanted horses. “America needs a wake-up call about this issue," says one vet. "The population has this love affair with the horse without realizing the costs and complications of owning horses in this economy.”

Farm manager Jimmy Dunn grooms Tiburon, a 6-year-old quarter horse with a bowed tendon that his owner didn't want to deal with.
Farm manager Jimmy Dunn grooms Tiburon, a 6-year-old quarter horse with a bowed tendon that his owner didn't want to deal with.   (AP Photo/ James Crisp)
Horses congregate at Denkai Animal Sanctuary April 3, 2008 in Carr, Colo. The pace of animal rescue has skyrocketed the past year, especially for horses.
Horses congregate at Denkai Animal Sanctuary April 3, 2008 in Carr, Colo. The pace of animal rescue has skyrocketed the past year, especially for horses.   (Getty Images)
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America needs a wake-up call about this issue. The general population has this love affair with the horse without realizing the costs and complications of owning horses in this economy. - Tom Lenz, a veterinarian and chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Guest
Jul 13, 2009 12:26 AM CDT
Press Release The Cloud Foundation reports documents obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) via the Freedom of Information Act by a Phoenix-based non-profit, The Conquistador Program, reveal shocking and detailed plans to destroy healthy wild horses in government holding and in the wild on public lands. BLM employees and a USDA veterinarian held weekly "Implementation Team" meetings beginning in July 2008 in which they discussed and developed strategies to rid BLM of thousands of mustangs. In October they completed a 68-page document titled "Alternative Management Options." Tactics included in this document are reminiscent of those used to wipe out Native Americans in the 1800s. The BLM team created scenarios for killing mustangs using barbiturates, gunshots, or captive bolts. Bodies would be disposed of through rendering, burial or incineration. They discussed killing 1200-2000 wild horses per year. Minutes from the Implementation Meeting state that "increased support from public relations and management staff would also be needed to insulate those doing the actual work from the public, media and Congressional scrutiny/criticism." "These meetings and the Draft Plan reveal what amounts to 'the final solution' for the American mustang," states Ginger Kathrens, filmmaker and Director of The Cloud Foundation. Division Chief, Wild Horse and Burro Program, Don Glenn told The Cloud Foundation that "no decision has been made to move forward on a large scale with this plan, yet." Meeting minutes speak for themselves: "Security at facilities and at gathers would need to be increased to combat eco-terrorism. Having the people that are willing to put down healthy horses at gather sites could be a problem." During meetings Team Members formulated ways to circumvent laws, asking "[h]ow many could be euthanized during a gather without having NEPA?" and discussing ways to avoid the federal carcass disposal law. Conversations included how many wild horses could be rendered at a Reno plant or "disposed of in pits". Kathrens has spent 15 years documenting wild mustangs, chronicling the life of the wild stallion, Cloud, for PBS. "Even Cloud and his little herd in Montana are in serious danger if BLM implements these options," she continues. "A massive round up is planned for this herd beginning August 30, 2009." The BLM will not guarantee that Cloud will remain free. More information, BLM documents and photos available. Contact: The Cloud Foundation, Inc. 107 South 7th St. Colorado Springs, CO 80905 719-633-3842 Email Contact www.thecloudfoundation.org Horse advocates suggest : Online petition to investigate and prosecute constitutional abuses of Bush administration. Here's the body of the petition: I hereby join Senator Patrick Leahy's call for the establishment of a truth and...
Guest
Mar 1, 2009 10:51 PM CST
Oh, yes he is. Without deductions, I am sorry to say, the very generous are not so generous at all and contributions drop dramatically.
Guest
Mar 1, 2009 8:18 PM CST
Uh, no he's not.

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