Recession has taken toll on horses

A circle of help: Local horsepeople work overtime to save starving horses, By Edie Johnson Goshen — When people adopt horses, they assume an extraordinary commitment that can last 30 or 40 years. These sensitive creatures thrive in their natural environment but fail quickly in human care when any of their many needs are not met. Any variation in their routine — a shortage of hay or grain, damage to their shelter, injury while riding or with a pasture mate — and the result can be devastating. As they age, horses, like humans, require more and more care. Now add recession to the list of challenges. As horse owners lose their incomes, they can no longer afford the bills — for food, board, veterinarians, and farriers (please see sidebar). All across the Hudson Valley, many horses are suffering quietly in their stalls. But as bad as the situation is, a circle of volunteers are working hard to give horses at risk a chance for a new life. Kay Myruski of Brookfield Farm in Goshen and Colleen Segarra of Equine Rescue in Pine Bush, among others in the Lower Hudson Valley, keep in constant touch. They Twitter, they update their Facebook pages, they blog on horse Web sites. They drive for hours in the middle of the winter and in the middle of the night to save starving horses. Then the horses are put up for auction. The actual auction is cloaked in secrecy. In winter, 70 to 100 horses may be up for auction on any given month. But no pictures and little publicity precedes the sales, and no cell phones or cameras are permitted on the premises. The rescue people have joined forces to save any horse with a chance. They compile lists and keep an eye out for horses others have texted them about. They make bids on behalf of friends and transport home horses that would otherwise go to “killers.” These buyers pay $80 or $100 for a horse and send them to Canada or Mexico, where they will be slaughtered for meat (slaughter is illegal in New York). Some horses transported in this way, in giant trucks, endure the journey without food or water, or get trampled to death. A troupe of “rescue angels” follows transport rigs to document mistreatment. Auction as a last resort The recession has affected horse sales all across the region. Farmers who depend on sales find themselves with too many horses on their hands. “It’s been tough,” said Carol Seaman of Outfoxed Farm, a dressage barn in Blooming Grove. “Even if you find good horses for sale, then you have to feed them, and few have been buying.” A large barn like hers, which has a lot of boarders, can get by until the economy turns around. But smaller barns and backyard owners have not fared as well. Large barns too have had to cut back on shows, equipment, and clinics, and sale horses — the main source of income for some big barns. It’s always been the case that the horses of cash-strapped owners end up at auction. Reputable auctions of breeding stock are part and parcel of a thriving equine industry. Then then there are the sales at Unadilla, about an hour northwest of Binghamton, N.Y., and at Camelot in Cranbury, N.J. They are the last hope of horses that are starving, injured, very old, or sick. In more prosperous days, big riding establishments and summer camp owners sent trainers to fill up their stock trailers with good “finds” — horses that only needed a new home and some regular work to become good school horses. Some are young and need only guidance and training. They might even get to some shows and eventually find a permanent new owner. Now, many of these finds are either starving or about to be bought by killers. An owner who wants to avoid this heartbreaking scenario can chose euthanasia and disposal, which costs $400 to $600. But for some struggling farm families, this is not an option. Owners encountering hard times try to hang on, giving their horses short rations and skimping on veterinary care. But the horses soon lose their health, which drives up costs even higher. Over the past two years, sheriff’s offices have seized entire fields of neglected horses and moved them to rescue organizations. For this reason, many states are trying to reinstate slaughter. Bidding on a horse with a good chance for recovery takes a seasoned eye. Recovery takes months of extra grooming, feeding, handling, sheltering, and equipment. It is not an endeavor for the weak, the lazy, or anyone too proud to ask for help.

The cost of horse ownership
Stabling: Fees vary widely depending on the part of the country you live in. The cost ranges from $200 to $500-plus per month, adequate hay and feed included.
Food: $457.50 per year for hay, $165 for grain (if not stabling horses)
Bedding/shavings: $234 per year (sometimes included in stabling fees) Veterinarian and farrier (blacksmith) expenses: $300 per year for routine medical care, such immunizations, the vet call fee, and teeth floating. Farrier expenses: $100 for foot trimming, if horse is unshod; shoeing adds more to the bill. Miscellaneous costs include quarterly de-wormers, horse toys, and tack.
Source: Alpha Horse www.alphahorse.com

A horse in need
Raspberry (pictured) is a three- or four-year-old mare of unknown parentage, probably thoroughbred or thoroughbred cross. She has put on over 100 pounds since her rescue and appears to be serviceably sound. She’s got wonderful ground manners, ready to start training, and would make a wonderful junior rider project. Severely underweight at the time of her rescue, she is a typical example of horses currently seen at auctions. With a little time and care, she will make a wonderful addition to someone’s family.
Anyone interested in adopting or fostering Raspberry can call Kay Myruski of Brookfield Farm in Goshen at 294-7265; or Colleen Segarra of Equine Rescue in Pine Bush at 744-1728. Rescue horses available from these sources have been quarantined to prevent transfer of illness from the auction. Two new members were adopted from the auction last month.