A Dumping Ground for Unwanted Horses

Every now and then an unwanted horse is set loose at this park.

There’s an ugly side to living in a community where horsekeeping is allowed. Sure, we have bridle paths instead of sidewalks, hitching posts outside our fast-food joints and feed stores next to grocery stores. But just a few dusty streets from my house is a wide expanse of natural beauty where a river winds its way through meadows of wild oats and sunburned poppies. It’s a haven for local trail riders. But the park, officially called the Hidden Valley Nature Preserve, has a more sullied reputation. It’s the local dumping ground for unwanted horses.

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Just a few days ago another horse was abandoned at the park, but this time the abusers were caught. According to the sheriff’s report, witnesses spotted two men riding horses into the park just after sunset. They were leading a third horse. Later the witnesses saw the two men ride out, minus the third horse. They called the sheriff and the guys were apprehended and arrested on charges of felony animal abuse. After county animal services agents searched the park on foot, aided by a police helicopter hovering overhead, the abandoned horse was found and retrieved.

It was described as being in its 20s and “malnourished and blind in one eye.”

These two guys thought it was okay to lead this skinny, half-blind equine senior citizen into the park, unfasten its halter and leave. I’m guessing they figured that there was plenty of free grass, shade and water for the horse. And I’m guessing they ignored the countless bogs and quicksand pits on the river’s edge, the rattlesnakes and the packs of coyotes.

Sadly, this is not a rare occurrence. This year alone, more than 20 horses in my area have been declared “strays” by county animal services. That means they were turned loose, left to wander and fend for themselves. Not all have been abandoned at the river park. But that’s the prime location.

While I’m well aware that horses are abused, neglected and abandoned throughout the country, when it happens so blatantly it’s time for some organized outrage. Maybe we’re too quick to encourage everyone who moves into horsekeeping property to slap together a pipe corral and buy a horse. Perhaps we put too much emphasis on all the fun aspects of horse ownership without also mentioning the less glamorous parts. We need to forewarn new horse owners about the unexpected vet bills, the rising cost of hay and the hard facts of manure disposal. Owning a horse is fun. But not always.

Responsible horse owners have a duty, I believe, to make sure newbies to our lifestyle understand that old, lame and ailing horses can’t be discarded like broken toys. They’ll be responsible for finding the horse a suitable home, surrendering it to an equine rescue facility, or paying a vet to humanely euthanize it. Turning an unwanted horse loose in the open countryside is not an option. In fact, it’s downright shameful.

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View Comments

Horselover says:
May 20, 2011 at 6:48 am
Very sad. I hope the horses will go to some good homes.
Cami says:
May 20, 2011 at 7:19 am
These people make my blood boil. Where I live there are people who take unwanted horses out to the desert and leave them. Sure, there are wild horses out there who are able to survive, but their older or lame horses that are now "useless" aren't equipped to live out there, and they die an awful death. I don't know what the answer is, but it breaks my heart to see how irresponsible and cruel some horse owners can be.
T says:
May 20, 2011 at 10:42 am
The fact that there are people out there that have no problem doing this sort of thing to such a beautiful and probably faithful animal breaks my heart.
s says:
May 20, 2011 at 4:36 pm
My boss trailered her two big warmbloods to an A circuit jumper show. While she had one out of the 2 stall trailer, she came back to untack and found a skinny QH in the empty side! Someone actually abandoned him in the trailer. After notifying the authorities, we ended up getting ownership of him. The only thing wrong was that he had an abcess, and was underweight. Now that he's all fixed up, he is a beautiful mover and is jumping 3'.
Such a shame.
Skylar says:
May 20, 2011 at 5:11 pm
I'm normally not an eye-for-an-eye kind of person. Except when it comes to animals and kids. There are not enough horrible words to call these abusers nor enough lawbooks to throw at them to satisfy my need for justice.
And before anyone chimes in with, "Well, if we hadn't closed the slaughter plants.... " NO. That is not the reason for this kind of .... California hasn't had an equine slaughter plant for decades, but still horses are sold for slaughter. These idiots are just plain old everyday abusers and they need to be in jail.
Kaitlynn says:
May 21, 2011 at 10:23 am
These are the same kind of people who take the family dog to the pound when it misbehaves or gets old or sick. The dog ends up stuck in a cage for a few days and then killed by a stranger. Horrible!
Andrea says:
May 23, 2011 at 10:12 am
AMEN!!!! we need to tell the people who think they can just buy and horse and have fun with it that there's a a serious side to owning a horse!!!! You must take be able to take care of it right or not buy one!! Don't just by a horse cause every body else is doing it, consider all the pros and cons; can i really take care of this horse, do i have enough money, or am i just going to ride it for a couple months then forget about it??? We need to take careof the wonderful horses that God has blessed us with!!!
CINDY HALE says:
May 23, 2011 at 10:12 pm
THANKS FOR ALL THE THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS.
THE NETWORK NEWS CARRIED THIS STORY ON TV, TOO. THE WITNESSES LITERALLY SAID TO THE GUYS LEADING THE OLD HORSE INTO THE PARK, "YOU AREN'T GOING TO DUMP THAT HORSE OUT THERE, ARE YOU?"
BUT THEY DID.
WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT BY THE SHERIFF THEY DENIED IT WAS THEIR OLD HORSE. BUT OOPS! LOCAL VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS HAD THEM ON TAPE, GOING INTO THE PARK WITH 3 HORSES AND COMING OUT WITH ONLY THE 2 THEY WERE RIDING.
LIKE YOU GUYS, I STRUGGLE WITH THE COSTS AND HEARTBREAKS AND STRESS OF TRYING TO KEEP MY HORSES HAPPY AND HEALTHY. IF HORSES WERE EASY AND TROUBLE-FREE WE'D CALL THEM 'BICYCLES.'
Lorie says:
June 12, 2011 at 5:56 pm
I'm in total agreement. My beautiful Paint Mare was a rescue. The former owner couldn't afford to feed her so when she did feed her it was leftover garbage and she didn't keep up with worming or shots. Thank goodness the barn owner where my daughter boards her horse rescued Shawnee and I eventually ended up with her. I've vowed never to breed my mare or my daughter's mare when there are so many horses that need good homes. My motto has become "If you can't take care of an animal, then you shouldn't own it".
Gesa says:
July 2, 2011 at 1:19 pm
I almost wish there was a license to get before you are allowed to own a horse - best with a legal agreement that unwanted horses MUST be donated through a responsible organization, and an agreement not to breed...