Horse Owners Forced To Say Goodbye

CBS Evening News: Horse Abandonment Increasing As Lawmakers Consider Reopening Slaughterhouses

(CBS)  She's always owned horses, but Gayle Kaye said with cutbacks at work, she may have to give up her lifelong passion.

"Working for the state is very difficult right now," Kaye said. "So I'm losing the money to feed three of these animals."

Even worse, while her paycheck has gone down, gas and hay prices have gone up, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes.

"I don't know what more we can do," Kaye said. "I don't know how much more I can do."

Saying good-bye to thoroughbred Genny will be the hardest.

"She needs a home and I can't afford to keep her much longer," Kaye said. "She's my baby girl. "

Jill Starr runs Lifesavers Horse Rescue. She's been flooded with calls and e-mails.

"I keep taking more and I say, that's it, I can't take anymore," said Starr. "But there's another sad story."

The saddest is perhaps China, the first horse adopted from her rescue 12 years ago.

"The economy has forced China to come back," Starr said. "She's come home! I never thought I would see her again - and here she is."

But with 245 horses on her 46-acre ranch, she's reached her limit.

It's the same story across the country: animal rescues are full, so desperate owners are abandoning their prized animals. In Nevada, two horses were left on the highway, waiting for their owners to return.

In 2006, in Riverside County, Calif., 70 horses were abandoned. Last year, that number almost quadrupled to 246.

Those increases have lead 13 states to consider re-legalizing slaughterhouses, after successful animal rights campaigns shut down the last two in the United States in 2007.

In Montana, the bill is on the governor's desk.

"How is the United States, going to dispose of 150,000 excess horses each year?" asked Montana state Rep. Ed Butcher during a legislative session.

Horse lovers like Jill Starr are appalled.

"I really want people to understand that this is a temporary situation that we're in," she said.

But even temporary homes are becoming scarce.

[prhansen]

Humans are like terrorists when it comes to euthanizing or slaughtering animals. And our government allows it. Every year more and more animals are bred by rich people, to race around the track. the sypathetic take them in after the race, and more horses are bred. We have to stop horse racing if we are going to stop the inhumanity to horses. We have to stop exploiting animals in EVERY way. We have to stop eating them., beating them, torturing them. terrorizing them, racing them, stealing from them, starving them, poisoning them.

PETA recently erected a headstone at Churchill Downs race track (Kentucky Derby) to represent the 12,000 ?racehorses" who are sent to slaughter every year. PETA also placed 263 headstones to represent the known horses who have died on the track since last year's Kentucky Derby. There is one headstone for the approximately 832 other horses who have died but whose names are not known, and a special memorial to Eight Belles, who was ridden to her death from a heart attack on the track. The horse-racing industry has caused 13,095 horses to die this past year. That's enough to fill a cemetery plus some. That is just a fraction of unwanted horses.

People take in pets every day , and they think that when the time comes when they can't afford it, someone will come along to take it from them, so they can sleep at night. Well, the economy isnt going to allow that much longer, and as long as the rich can afford to breed them, (horses or dogs, cats, rabbits, cows, sheep, ect.) the rest of us are going to be running around to try to save them.

Until our government sees something wrong with the way America and AMERICANS throw away their animals, there will be no relief from our grief.

[demongirl60]

Hate to say it, but I have to agree with sero5....

[pupperdoo]

WE WANT TO SAVE SOMEBODY'S HORSE FROM ABANDONMENT OR BEING GIVEN UP AND POSSIBLY NEVER FINDING A GOOD HOME.

CAN YOU HELP US FIND A HORSE TO SAVE? PLEASE UNDERSTAND: WE ARE NOT WANTING TO BUY A HORSE. WE'RE WANTING TO HELP A HORSE OWNER WHO IS UNABLE TO KEEP THEIR HORSE.

THE HORSE WE'RE LOOKING TO SAVE:

MUST BE HEALTHY
MUST BE UP ON IT'S VET AND FEET CARE
MUST BE KID AND SCARED ADULT RIDER-PROOF.
A gentle horse, not spooky, and one that prefers to walk instead of a faster speed.

WE LIVE IN BOISE, ON A QUIET 4-ACRE RANCH. WE HAVE THREE HORSES BUT, SADLY, WILL HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE TO OUR 31 YEAR-OLD BUCKSKIN THIS FALL. THE COLD WEATHER IS JUST TOO HARD ON HER AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO KEEP WEIGHT ON HER DURING THAT TIME, EVEN WITH SENIOR FOOD, CARROT PULP AND A NICE WARM BLANKET.

IT HAS BEEN MY HEART'S DESIRE, SINCE I WAS LITTLE, TO HAVE A HORSE. THE HORSES WE HAVE NEED SOMEBODY WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO RIDE AND ENJOYS GOING AT A SPEED FASTER THAN A WALK. ALL I WANT TO DO IS BE ABLE TO RIDE THE HORSE, WITH OR WITHOUT A SADDLE, AROUND OUR RANCH AT A WALKING SPEED.

IF ANYBODY HAS A HORSE THAT WOULD MEET OUR NEED, OR IF ANYBODY CAN SUPPLY A NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS OF SOMEBODY, OR AN ORGANIZATION, I CAN CONTACT TO SAVE SOMEBODY'S HORSE THAT THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP ANY LONGER, PLEASE E-MAIL ME THE INFORMATION AT:

[e-mail]

WE'RE WELL AWARE OF PEOPLE LETTING THEIR HORSES (FAMILY PETS) LOOSE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES IN THE FOOTHILLS OF BOISE. BUT WE'RE HERE AND CAN PROVIDE A WONDERFUL FOREVER HOME FOR ONE HORSE - THE RIGHT HORSE FOR US. WE'D LIKE TO ALLOW SOMEBODY, WHO IS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, TO SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT THEIR HORSE HAS A WONDERFUL, LOVING HOME.

I HOPE TO HEAR FROM SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, SOON.

THANK YOU!

[alphy2122]

The first lady in the video, Gayle Kaye is a neighbor of mine. Almost all of her animals are rescues, many of the horses are from feed lots where they are then sent to Mexico for slaughter. She is not a "back yard breeder" by any stretch. Up here in the AV the shelters are full, the "rescues" are full. You literally can't give a horse away. So Sandra , how about a little less finger wagging - let's hear YOUR solution to the problem Animal Control will only keep a horse for a couple of months before they put it down.

[Sandra521]

You are responsible for what you have tamed. To many backyard breeders.I grit my teeth when I hear people say I want to raise a foal when the mare or stallion is only pet quality.If you are going to breed think about what you or potential buyer will be doing with the offspring .Be honest with you're self have another experienced horse person look at you're horse with a critical eye and judge their faults and confirmation.I know you think you have the worlds most wonderful beautiful horse,but do other experienced horse people see them that way, not all animals deserve to be breeding be it a horse,dog,cat.I have experienced tough times but I did without so my fourlegged friends could still be cared for in the manner they were accustom to.I brought them into my life they didnt bring me into theirs.To qoute a saying you're responsible for what you have tamed.Signed Sandra

[fdx22]

Buy ad billboard space along Montana's highways to save horses from murder.

[sero5]

Maybe Montana should legalize slaughterhouses for "excess" humans. Let us see how human beings would feel being treated the way the Montana legislature wants to treat "excess" horses.

[ma012646]

Does anyone know how to get ahold of Gayle Kaye or what foundation she has? want to help the animals, she should not have to say good bye to her horses nor should she.

[akpals]

the large part of the horse feed is FREE PASTURE GRASS Posted by Newster1

pasture grass is NOT free even if you own the land- while maintenence costs are low, nothing is ever free. The land is still taxed and if they are tillable acres used as pasture which ours are- you have a loss of crop value.
As a horse owner I can tell you that while these figures may be a little high, the cost of feeding horses is astronomical. Hay is $6 a bale right now!
$250 for routine veterinary care Posted by Newster1
This cost estimate is very low! This would be for basic vaccinations, maybe floating it's teeth and nothing else. The last time I had a horse get sick was a pretty common illness (colic) but still cost well over $250 to get him back on his feet, and speaking of feet-- unless you want the horse to suffer through shoddy shoe jobs, and uneven trimmings while the owner learns to perfect their skills- leave the foot care to the professionals!

[Newster1]

There should be a severe punishment for people who abandon animals.
Posted by tomanyt

It's already a crime, making something a crime and a big penalty never stopped anything, and in this case someone dumps a horse by the side of the road at 3 AM you tell me how anyone is going to get CAUGHT?
Even if caught, trying to PROVE abandonment would be a stretch, they can simply say the horse escaped over the fence or accidentally left open gate.

[Newster1]

The lady in the article said she works for the "state" and her pay check has gone down. Has she considered getting a second job!!!!!!!!
Posted by tomanyt"

Good gawd, did you actually WATCH the video and read the news, or just shooting from the hip there? the woman looks like she weighs about 400# and with the economy the way it is, and in the remote locale she looks to be with that big horse ranch, where the hel1 do you think she is going to get a SECOND job and who is going to hire her NOW when layoffs are massively hitting nation-wide??

[Newster1]

to jimmy neatherlin, found this - http://www.petplace.....says it'll cost about $10,000 to $11,000 a year to care for a horse. the site breaks down the cost.
Posted by juliuswillis"....Cost more than that to raise stupid kids but people still do it.
Posted by tomanyt "

No, the site fabricates and inflates that figure past a realistic $2,000 cost per year for an agenda, it's a pet insurance company front it looks like- site full of pet insurance ads. This is who owns the domain name;

Registrant:
Intelligent Content Corp.
20283 State Road 7 Suite 400 Boca Raton, FL 33498
Sales: $1M - $10M
Employess: 1 - 50

[Newster1]

There are plenty of places that will help, if they truly loved and cared for the animal they wouldn't abandon it. No excuses.
Posted by cdegolier "

Did you miss the fact that rescue places are already FULL and struggling themselves? your "plenty of places" are never available in times like this becuase they have no money and no room!

[ToolMangler1]

Posted by azulene at 11:43 PM : May 3, 2009



Spoken like a true Repug extreme right-winger!!!

[tomanyt]

to jimmy neatherlin, found this - http://www.petplace.....says it'll cost about $10,000 to $11,000 a year to care for a horse. the site breaks down the cost.
Posted by juliuswillis"....Cost more than that to raise stupid kids but people still do it.

[tomanyt]

The lady in the article said she works for the "state" and her pay check has gone down. Has she considered getting a second job!!!!!!!!

[tomanyt]

There should be a severe punishment for people who abandon animals.

[cdegolier]

I have nothing nice to say to people who would simply abandon an animal. There are plenty of places that will help, if they truly loved and cared for the animal they wouldn't abandon it. No excuses.

[Newster1]

to jimmy neatherlin, found this - http://www.petplace.....says it'll cost about $10,000 to $11,000 a year to care for a horse. the site breaks down the cost.
Posted by juliuswillis"

That's BS, same sites claim it costs thousands to keep a pet DOG a year, that is because it's biased to the ultimate maxium figures they can pump in, in order to discourage people from buying a pet on a whim.
They will include all kinds of things your average pet owner will never do, never see, or which have been priced at the most expensive places in the country.
They include boarding your horse where it says;

"Depending on the location and the services offered, boarding costs usually range from $3,000 to $12,000 annually"

They are ASSuming EVERY horse owner would have to board their horse for a YEAR!
If you had to board your horse by the year elsewhere, why bother having one? It would be like buying a $150,000 house 3 states over to use one weekend a year!

"With the addition of training, the sky is the limit, but $1,000 per month ($12,000 per year) is realistic"

Realistic? only for dolts who never trained a horse before and have no clue HOW, again, adding that cost like this in the page is a red herring.

"If the colic or lameness workup is extensive, be prepared to spend $750 to $1,000 easily"

Yeah and your wife can get cancer too, the point is anyone and any animal can become sick, for the most part it is only a percentage that do, another red herring cost.

"You'll have to pay a farrier to trim and reset the shoes on your horse's hooves every six to eight weeks. Expect to pay between $100 and $400 annually at a minimum"

Again assuming the horse owner has all these services done FOR them, a real horse owner knows how to do that stuff themselves and NOT pay $400

"You'll need grooming equipment and tack: a saddle, a bridle and a saddle pad; other supplies may include a horse blanket if you live in a chilly climate. Tack and equipment will cost you $500 at the low end and all the way up to $10,000 or more at the high end"

A one-time purchase, saddles and other stuff can be bought USED too, no one needs a $10,000 saddle and this cost assumes the person is RIDING instead of just enjoying the horse, you also cant ride a miniature horse.

" Riding gear can cost you $150 at the low end (for a pair of decent boots) to $5,000 or more if you plan on showing."

Yeah right, another red herring, if you can afford to transport and SHOW horses then the cost doesn't matter much, its also a one-time cost for the gear, not an annual cost!

"If you add this all up, you might be surprised at how expensive it can be."

Yeah, especially when it's all INFLATED to the extreme!

"The average costs would be about $11,000 per year. To recap, each year it would cost about $100 for clothes, $1,750 for riding, $7,500 for board, $250 for routine veterinary care
, $300 for farrier care and $350 for mortality and medical insurance (for a horse valued at $5,000)"

LOL, take off $7,500 for unnecessary boarding, $1750 for "riding" and $350 for insurance- no one is going to pay $350 premiums on a horse worth $5,000 whose value drops as they age. So then we come down to around $2,000 for costs, roughly $175/mo and even that is a bit high when you consider the large part of the horse feed is FREE PASTURE GRASS during the growing months.


They'll tell you to expect to pay something like $300-$400 a year to vaccinate your dog when they know the only vets who charge that kind of money have a clinic in Longbeach or Hollywood, and that the average cost can be as low as $15, or even less if you buy the vaccines and do it yourself.
Then they add in the costs for professional grooming and yada yada yada

[dragyn30]

juliuswillis that is a good link, but in many cases with a casual horse own clothing, lessons and "life"insurance would be luxuries.

The biggest hit is board, feed and vet. I live in NJ and the estimates in the link are accurate unless you have property that will allow you to have them on site, then you can cut the board down and just have barn maintenance. Planting timothy for hay or grass for grazing could help too.