We have come down a long road with the horse, particularly in the last decade regarding slaughter and the laws that protect horses from such a fate. As a result, we have also found that banning slaughter is not the only issue to be tackled to keep the horse safe. Even prior to the economic recession we heard untold stories of horses being turned loose because the owners could not care for them, or horses being severely neglected coming on the rise. Now with hay prices high and so many people jobless, horses are getting the short end of the stick again.
What are some other options we can employ to help bring the number of unwanted horses being bred in the US to a more manageable number, as well as how to educate owners to the needs of horses before they run out and buy a horse and then realize just how much money and effort is involved.
From ChicoER.com, this article provides some insight to where people are turning to solve the over-population of horses. Also, the BLM had been proposing euthanasia of wild horses and burros to help solve the problem of over-population and under-adoption rates.
Euthanasia offers horse owners acceptable solution
Posted: 11/19/2008 10:35:05 PM PSTOROVILLE — Economic despair was brought to a new reality Wednesday, when NorCal Equine Rescue sponsored a free euthanasia clinic for horses.
The clinic, held at Look Ahead Veterinary Clinic on Clark Road, provided for 15 horses to be euthanized cost-free.
Tawnee Preisner, founder of NER, said the current economic situation sparked the need for the event, which she believes is the first in the nation.
With countless individuals facing dire financial circumstances and the price of hay ever increasing, caring for a horse can be financially challenging, Preisner said.
Since the rescue was founded in 2003 by Preisner and her husband, Jason, they have taken in more than 728 horses. This year, NER rescued 350 horses, a telling sign of the economic times, she said.
“With people losing their homes, horses are going to be the first thing to go,” Preisner said. “They can hang on to a dog or cat, but not a horse. The price of hay is literally killing horses. People can’t afford to pay that much, especially now.”
Many people are abandoning their horses, Preisner said, leaving them to starve or are forced to sell them at livestock auctions, uncertain of their futures.
Though selling horses for slaughter in California is illegal, Preisner said countless horses bought at auctions in the state eventually do become meat.
The clinic gave horse owners another option Wednesday, allowing those who could no longer care for their horses a way out.
The owners signed the ownership of their horses over to NER. Along with veterinarian Michelle Weaver, NER staff will evaluate the horses, checking them for health. The horses that have a high chance of being adopted will go to the rescue, which is located in Oroville.
The remaining horses will be euthanized.
Preisner said she anticipates the clinic to run once a month over the next few months with 15 horses taken at each event. She said NER has raised enough funding for 60 horses to be euthanized.
Though the situation is less than ideal, Preisner said euthanasia is better than the alternative.
“We wish we would never have to do this,” Preisner said. “But we’d rather see horses given love and kindness and humanely euthanized than end up at a slaughterhouse.”
And while most horse owners would agree with Preisner, they might not always be able to euthanize their horses.
Preisner estimated the costs of euthanasia to average $500.
“I had a woman come by with a horse earlier,” Preisner said. “She’s on Social Security. The cost of euthanasia would be an entire month’s paycheck for her.”
Donna Kyle, founder of Home At Last horse rescue in Yankee Hill, empathized with horse owners Wednesday, saying she knows how expensive a horse can be.
Kyle and her husband, Jim, are currently caring for 42 horses, a significant number of which were acquired in the past few months.
“The need is horrendous,” Kyle said, referring to horse rescue services. “A good part of that is because of the economy.”
Kyle estimates the yearly feeding costs of a horse to be anywhere from $1,500-$2,000.
But those costs do not include veterinary bills or any other medical expenses for a horse that has special needs, which can quickly add up.
Preisner said a number of the animals the rescue obtains need a higher level of attention, which can ultimately force the owner to get rid of the animal.
While the rescue would ideally euthanize only those horses in the worst health, the high volume of horses turned over is tapping their financial resources.
“We do not want to see any healthy horses euthanized,” Preisner said. “But it is getting harder and harder to find homes.”
“It’s the hardest decision any pet owner has to face,” Kyle said. “But they have to be willing to step out of their comfort level and do what is best for the animal. It’s better to let them have a good death than starve.”
Staff writer Toni Scott can be reached at 533-3131 or tscott@orovillemr.com.
Even European countries face issues with horse slaughter and the regulations involved, like France.
