Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Sep 14 2010
Do rescues become train wrecks thanks to the constant flow of money from the Alex Brown Forum, or is it just that all of the rescues that are already train wrecks are attracted to the Alex Brown Forum because it is such an easy way to collect money without ever once proving that you’re actually (a) feeding your horses; (b) vetting your horses; (c) deworming your horses; and/or that you (d) have a higher level of sanity than the average “Hoarders” subject?
Hidden Meadows Equine Rescue bites the dust
Only a few months after this begging for money piece of fluff news story!
Here is their web site.
Here is their Facebook. Had time to maintain this but not to get a fucking job and feed the horses, huh? I am totally in agreement with Jeannie Parisi, who commented “I am tired of hearing, they got in to deep. WHen you see horses starving you DO NOT CONTINUE TO JUST DO NOTHING, BUNCH OF BOLOGNA.” Yep. Exactly. Kudos also to Joe Renner, who posted “I want you to know I turned you in 9 months ago. There was no water for the horses and no hay. I do not know how you could look at them everyday and keep on with your current program. What do you think your children learned from this.”
(OF COURSE Mary O’Brien has kids. ‘Cause everyone should raise children with animals starving to death in the yard. That is how you create good, productive citizens. I’m sure they won’t have any problems at all in their adult lives. *drips sarcasm*)
It kills me, just kills me, how the NUMBER ONE HIGHEST PRIORITY to these people is Continuing To Pretend Everything Is Fine Online. She got the three year old gelding in the news story sixty days ago and he was normal weight. She fucking KNEW she was broke sixty days ago. But she could not ADMIT that. She could not even say, hey, we’re full. She knew she could not feed or care for this horse and she took him anyway.
That goes way past negligence. I hope they throw the book at her. She does not love animals. She loves herself, and looking like “an angel!!!” online.Â
Seriously, who else is watching Hoarders, partially just to try to learn more about the mindset that creates these situations? I am addicted to that show. I want to get that psychiatrist with the two-tone hair in a room with 20 faux rescue wackjobs and see what happens.
Now, back to rescues who CAN feed their horses…Shiloh got in this cutie who I think is an Araloosa. HOW CUTE IS HE? Check out Checkers on their web site. They are in Nevada and he is available for adoption now.
134 comments to “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment. Not a member? Registering is free, and you do it here!
Not only did she have kids, she posted pictures of them holding horses straight off the track (still with toe grab shoes on) BAREFOOT. She could have had several entries on here…
As for ABR… she pretty much got her start there. She had a few horses and who knows when she started picking up some to re-sell, but she only became an official “rescue” after she had been on ABR for a while (late 2008, and got her 501c3 sometime in 2009 if I remember right).
Fifty two horses is just way too many for a typical rescue in my opinion. Unless you have: (1) a dedicated staff of knowledgeable, paid, employees who can oversee and organize volunteers; (2) a serious and dependable revenue stream; and (3) a solid history of operation, you have no business taking in that many large animals. I have volunteered for both a large rescue, which fits the description above, and a small rescue. Both are well run, and both have their benefits and drawbacks.
From the news article: “The nonprofit organization’s president, Mary O’Brien, relinquished the surviving animals, including three horses that were not part of her rescue operation and were in much better health, Myers said. ”
That REALLY pisses me off. I have some sympathy for hoarders who are truly mentally ill and can’t grasp the horrific condition their animals are in. And in situations where the horses are competing for limited food, some will be in better weight than others. But when the ‘rescued’ horses are starving, and her own are healthy? I call bullshit. She knew exactly what she was doing. She put her pride and public image ahead of the animal’s well being. Now she’s been caught at it. I can only hope that West Virginia has felony animal cruelty laws and judges that will enforce them.
Does anyone know if one of the 3 personal horses was a palomino paint mare named Rain? She belonged to a friend of mine who sold her to a gal in Pa. She sold her to Mary a few years ago. I know my friend would want to help and so do I.
I find it interesting that in the “give us money” article it says that she has 8 of her own personal horses, but in the article about the seizure she has 3. Gee, what happened to the other 5? Anyone think they got skinny and she “rescued” them from herself?
I have 20 acres and 2 horses, and cannot even fathom having over 200 horses pass through my gates in a year’s time! Guess she couldn’t say “no” to a freebie? I can and do, because I have just so much money for the other necessities that a horse requires…farrier, vet, winter feed, etc, etc.
Yep, I watch “Hoarders” too. It’s sad, yet fascinating. Too bad animals have to suffer so much to help people make up for what’s missing in their sad lives.
These people need to collect things without a pulse.
OMG. I LOVE watching “Hoarders”. I think that it is because I had a very dear friend who turned out to be a hoarder and came from a family of hoarders. Seeing it in real life is even more mind-boggling than seeing it on the show. It is fascinating how delusional these people are. The one thing that always struck me the most odd about that girl was that she seemed so put together when out and about (nice clothes, hair done, makeup done, clean).. then guess what: I saw a girl on “Hoarders” who was the same way !!!!
I, too, am addicted to the show “Hoarders.” I have suffered my entire life with OCD, which some believe is related to hoarding. (I am not a hoarder, though!) For decades I limped along through life undiagnosed, until it finally became so unbearable that I sought help. All the while, I somehow maintained the facade of miss perfect, even to my own family. I can tell you that the treatment for OCD is psychologically very painful at times, and it is a lot of work. However, my desire to get better and improve my life has pushed me through those tough times.
I think the problem with some of these hoarders is that they know getting well is hard work, and in the short term it’s easier to stay sick. Plus, some of them are in complete denial. I can identify with the pain involved in getting well, but I am still floored by the people who are in denial or who won’t do the work to get better. I get so angry when I see the help being offered to these people on TV and their resistance to accepting it! BTW, love the two-toned hair lady! She was fierce with that family in Hawaii a couple weeks ago! (Is that the lady you’re talking about?)
Since I have only the cheapest satellite TV, I don’t get the channel that has Hoarders, but I do watch the various shows that have been on Animal Planet that deal with animal hoarders. The level of denial is amazing but truly these folks do see the world differently from most of us. I have had a couple of friends who definitely saw the world differently. We could be present at the same event, then later their retelling of that event just left me wondering if we really were there together. They were not lying, they really did remember and experience it differently.
Having my own alphabet soup psychiatric diagnosis (GAD), I too understand the painful and long process of the journey. I can understand the person I knew who made a conscious choice to stay in depression instead of getting professional help because it was too hard and scary. I have been compelled from within to make the changes in myself however hard they be.
Of the two, I think I prefer GAD to OCD, but we each cope better with our own known devil then with an unknown one.
Many years back, I tried to work with a hoarder. One could not reason with her or help her to see that her animals were dying. Finally, AC did take them away and forbid her from having animals again. Since her house was red tagged (no floor in the kitchen, only the 2 x 4 joists, no windows, chickens living in the bedroom, etc) and she was deemed incompetent, she was given an overseer to handle her money and watch out for her living conditions. To this day, 15 years later, she firmly believes her animals were taken just days ago and they will be coming back soon.
Wow… People never cease to amaze me with their stupidity.
I have 3 horses, all well fed pasture puffs, with all their needs met, and money set aside for emergency vet visits and training for the 4 month old when she’s old enough, and I’m looking at waiting till she’s a four year old to have her broke.
This all while working about 25 hours a week for less then $8 an hour. Granted, my boyfriend pays the household bills, but still… If he were to lose his job, I’d sell my girls before his first unemployment check came, LONG before they I had to worry about any of them starving.
Absolutely un-freaking-believable!! This woman had no business being a rescue. It just goes to show how easy it is to get that 501c3 and become a rescue and take people’s money. The poor horses are starving and she’s probably sitting up in her house counting her money. How sad. Those horses don’t deserve this kind of treatment, ever. Pretty soon even the good rescues will have problems getting money, and it’s all because of people like this. I think she deserves to be put in a small area and given no food or water! Then we’ll see how sorry she is.
I think they’re attracted to the drama and adrenaline rush of “saving the horse from the slaughterhouse”. After the horse is “bailed” or whatever they call it, it’s forgotten about and the group moves on to the next adrenaline rush and drama. Seen it time and time again, lather, rinse, repeat. The horse(s) get “bailed”, forgotten, and Ms. Mary has to take on another horse to feed her constant need for attention, nevermind actually feeding the horse. Toss in a few “we need more “sponsors” (aka: CASH) or I’m gonna have to put horses down!!!” and you have the trifecta; drama, adrenaline and women.
Baffles me how these people can pull in thousands of dollars from across the country, yet one of the best run rescues in the PNW, possibly country, operates on a modest budget and doesn’t get near the attention it deserves. Drama, it’s all about the drama.
shekaberry, I think you hit the nail on the head. It is all about the DRAMA.
It just amazes me how people will send money to just about anyone who does “the truck is coming, the horses will die unless you help” song and dance. And I absolutely agree it is about the thrill of the save. People love to think they “saved” a horse buy helping pay to pull it from the truck, but have much
less interest in paying for the care and rehab of said animal after the fact. That part just doesnt give
them the same warm fuzzy feeling that “saving” does. So they just move on to sending more money for the next “save”.
I think thats one of the big reasons the good rescues have so much trouble raising money for everyday care, rehab and training. Also, good rescues dont get on the internet crying major drama, so the bleeding
hearts dont pump money their way. Sad.
Ah yes, the difference between a true rescuer and a drama seeker. A true rescuer – even those of us who do it on a private level, no formal facility, one or two a year with our own money (maybe especially in that case) – gets the warm fuzzy feeling seeing a train wreck of a horse turned into a healthy animal that no longer in any way appears to have ever been neglected. That’s when you can pat yourself on the back for a job well done – when you can look at the before and after pictures and either not at all, or barely tell it’s the same horse.
That’s the part I love, and the part my coworkers are probably sick to death of – the part where I beam like a kid at Christmas with the “Look at this!” pictures of a healthy happy horse.
Mary is a lunatic. I’ve had dealings with her which I’d prefer to forget.
That said, there are indeed people on the ABR forum who are addicted to drama. They dwell on the morbid and live in crisis mode. They don’t take criticism very well, either. But that’s SOME, not all. I must respectfully disagree here and state that ABR did not create con artists nor did it create Mary.
Remember, ABR a huge forum with a zillion discussion threads and many good people who do not buy and never have bought into the Meduna Syndrome.
That’s why most of my horse rescue donations are monthly PayPal subscriptions to established rescues. They can count on my $30 a month or whatever to buy hay, pay the farrier (partly) or put toward any kind of needed operational expense. Other people can have my seat on the drama bandwagon.
I don’t watch Hoarders, but one lives on my street. I am no model of housekeeping – no I *wasn’t* born in a barn, but probably I *should* have been, and not because of my holy personality, either! – but the house is just, ick. I don’t let my daughter go in, because I worry about rodents. AND the owners – a doctor and an attorney. I am not kidding. High functioning professional adults with stuff piled everywhere. It boggles the mind.
Regarding faux rescues – it’s all about pride. They do something good, they get noticed, they like all the attention, and then they don’t want to lose the attention and goodwill, until it all unravels. I equate it with reality-TV stardom. Some folks will do ANYTHING to get noticed, they just want the attention. I don’t know if it’s lack of self-esteem or an ego the size of Africa, or some combination of both…
As far as I understand hoarding isn’t linked to IQ, education, or income, but it’s still startling to see behavior like that from educated adults with access to all the resources in the world. It kind of makes sense in people who have been severely deprived or are struggling to stay afloat, but I guess that’s really not what the disorder’s about. Strange little knot for the human brain to get tied in.
(Why yes, I am totally addicted to that show too.)
I don’t think any mental disturbance (is hoarding considered a mental disease or defect?) is linked to IQ or economic bracket, I only pointed out the professional status because these folks can afford a full-time housekeeper on their collective income and yet choose to live in their piles of boxes etc.
I know that the minute I can afford a cleaning service, I am SIGNING UP. I actually delayed a second horse so I can have someone clean my house twice a week starting in January. I *hate* housework, so I will use my limited economic resources to my advantage, and pay someone else to do it!
Yup, we are saying the same thing. It seems like the wealthy should have an easier time getting help with mental illness, so it’s a bit startling when they don’t. (Which is kind of the definition of mental illness, it seems. If you’ve got a problem, and know it, and deal with it as rationally as possible, you’re sane in my book.)
We just had this discussion at work…I said, I think the actual RANGE of sanity is not all that broad. Where you see the difference is the presence or absence of the ability to say “I have that thought, but I’m NOT going to do it because it is NOT a good idea…it is illegal, I can’t afford it, whatever.” For example, seriously, who has not – in the heat of the moment – wanted to kill someone? I think most people have. We have really wanted that person to die and in a horrible way. I am sure we each have at least one ex who comes to mind, LOL! But we don’t do it. We have the internal control that says “fantasize all you like, but we aren’t going to be doing anything like that in real life.”
Yeah, pretty much. IMHO sanity is all about being able to understand the difference between what’s in your head and what’s outside of it, and acting accordingly. For some people it’s pretty easy, for some people it’s a real fight. The ones that drive me nuts (metaphorically speaking) are the ones who are not conventionally ‘crazy’ but are totally self-deluded and hang on to it stubbornly despite all the wake-up calls their family and friends can deal out. No really, dude, the bottle will never love you back…
Wow, FHOTD, that is some very interesting and apt analysis. You are right, and there is also a SUCH a dichotomy between words and actions. It applies in so many situations…. There is a world of difference between saying, “Why, I’d like to kill/beat/maim/torture/wreck the life of that so-and-so!” and actually doing it, just like beating someone in between cries of “I’m doing this because I love you!” is not exactly normal.
Any form of mental illness is such a tricky bastard…Hoarding is definitely in that category, and I would venture to say is hand-and-hand with addiction. Veryveryvery hard to beat, and tragic when children or animals are the victims.
The mystery for me on this one is: why no water? Water is pretty cheap… assuming you’re not too lazy to get up off your ass and water the horses. I can imagine (though not excuse) a situation in which a rescue might run out of money and not be able to feed, but there’s no excuse for no water except straight-up not giving a shit.
1. Well ran dry. This has happened to a couple of people I know this summer,
2. Or, water purchased from town, no money to pay water bill so it was shut off.
Seems pretty unlikely given that her OWN three horses had water. Unless you’re suggesting that she toted water from offsite especially for them but not the other horses.
If she had to fill up all the 50-odd horses water buckets, she would have had to have stood there with the horses, looking at the walking skeletons rushing at the buckets and watch them as she continued to fill up the buckets they were sucking dry eagerly. She would have had a lot of time for reflection giving al of these horses water.
It would have involved going to where these dying animals were at on her farm and looking at them, SEEING what she was doing to them.
I think these situations have a lot to do with denial. It’s not like they don’t feed the animals, but collect the manure on a regular basis, either. Collecting manure is free you know.
However, seeing the extend of it and spending sooo much time even jut doing the ONE thing for them is just overwhelming It highlights how much she is in over her head, and how she can’t possibly look after all these animals.
At least if she doesn’t do anything, she can keep telling herself that she COULD if she TRIED, see?
They just don’t go near where the animals are so the don’t have to know what’s going on. I bet you those three “healthy” horses where located right near the house and in a place where she didn’t have to see all the others all the time….
I too watch hoarders, sure helps me keep from becoming one. I would have no patience for anyone who can’t throw away a moldy pizza box because someone might be able to use it someday.I want to fly thru the TV screen and tell those people no one cares about your collection of stuffed chickens, newspapes, or empty cans and no, they aren’t valuable and no one is collecting them. Remember the broke guy who thought all his Japanese “treasures” were real and worth millions and they all turned out to be fakes or copies? I did feel bad for him as he did really seem to think it all was valuable. Personally, I’d heave everything in their house out into the front yard, clean the house, and then let them sit out in the front yard and pick thru their junk later at their own speed. Or, haul all their “treasures” to a storage facility. Then, if they could not name every item in storage, or have used it in the past 3 months, I’d pitch the whole lot.
On the topic of animal hoarders, I am so tempted to take in a yearling, a pony, a training project all the time, but I know my limits and must say no to be able to take the best care of my own horses. I have 8 and know what it costs me in time, effort, and money. I can not imagine taking on truck loads of them from the auctions, esp. those who come with physical and mental issues requiring a great deal more in time and money. I feel bad, but I won’t let my own horses suffer so I can take in more. I have done it many times in the past, and found them new homes after some training and care, but in this economy, I can’t afford to get stuck with any that might not sell, or rehome easily. Maybe in the future, if things ever pick back up again.
Personally, I’d heave everything in their house out into the front yard, clean the house, and then let them sit out in the front yard and pick thru their junk later at their own speed. Or, haul all their “treasures†to a storage facility. Then, if they could not name every item in storage, or have used it in the past 3 months, I’d pitch the whole lot.
Unfortunately that only treats the symptoms, not the disease. If you take all the things away from a hoarder without having them actually process what is going on they will simply go back to hoarding the very next day. Like that lady a few weeks ago who’s house was being condemned and who pulled stuff out of her neighbors garbage. She point blank said that she was going to go find a radio or a tv when the crew left. Moving the mess somewhere else without treating the disease simply means that they’re going to fill the place back up with trash again. If you let them go through things later, they will never go through the things, and they will fill the place back up with trash.
Ponykins, I too am tempted daily to take in a training prospect. I have 2 fuglies of my own who are fat and happy and that would mean stretching things thinner than I am comfortable with. So I say NO and go to the barn and give my boys ALL that they deserve! I am pissed that she recieved donations for a truck and trailer and watched her rescues starve and thirst to death!…There is no fitting punishment for her actions…
I always thought it was some work to get a 501(c)3… but maybe I am wrong? It just seems like someone who actually went through the trouble of getting one would be a little better than just your run-of-the-mill “I’m a rescue, throw money at me” type.
Eh, just goes to show you… takes all types.
(just for you Scarletjubilee)
http://36andsingle.blogspot.com/
My blog:
It IS “some work” to get the 501 (c)(3) rating, but once gotten (all the paperwork filled out to satisfy the bureaucrats), there is no follow-up to make certain the funds are not earmarked for something (or someONE) other than the rescue for which the original documentation was intended. There is no oversight.
Wow… that part just sucks. But then again, shouldn’t be surprised… we are talking bureaucracy, after all.
Absolutely agreed.
It’s actually pretty easy to get the 501c3 status. It allows donations to be tax deductible, which is whyI got it. But, it also means that you have to provide 990s if asked for them – and if you don’t, the person asking can report your refusal to the IRS which will likely audit you. So, in that way, there is a little accountability. Most legitimate 501c3s will be registered with Guidestar, who obtain copies of their 990s from the IRS directly (so you know they were actually filed), and update their mission and accomplishments. If someone claims a 501c3 and isn’t doing this stuff, beware…
How is it that the people who start wailing that they need hay money always seems to neglect to water their horses? Every farm on know of is on a well, but even if you’re on city water, it still costs pennies (literally) to fill a huge water trough. Clearly the bigger problem is general neglect and irresponsibility, but if they cared as much as they say they do WTF is up with everybody’s lack of water for the starving horses?
I vote the chicken laid the egg and the egg was rotten
Both the donors and rescues are to blame.
To help horses you need money , to be a non profit you have to fundraise – to prove you are publicly supported to stay a non profit to fundraise you need donors.
To get donations you have to have some dramatic thing to get people’s attention. Each rescue is competing for the skinniest horse, the saddest case, biggest number of saves and of course the saved from slaughter horses are a guaranteed money maker. Each rescue trying to top the other. Its a competition for donors and donors go to the biggest drama.
Now we have
Rescues that are supposed to be anti-slaughter paying kill buyers loads for horses which means they are bankrolling the killbuyers next auction trip and making their job more profitable . Not giving anyone names of the kill buyers so they can actually be put out of business
I’m sure the killbuyers are laughing all the way to the bank about the bleeding hearts helping them buy a new house.
Rescues buying horses from feedlots, and now buying horses in bad shape that the feedlots are not legally allowed to ship and would have cost the feedlot money but now getthe kill buyers get paid to transport horses to a rescue that is miles and miles away -further than the slaughterhouse that it was too cruel to ship to. Horses that should have been put down on the spot. Exploitation and cruelty to take pictures of sad horses for money.
The first rule of animal care is do no harm first. What happened to that?
Donations to anti slaughter rescue groups are being used to clean up the” secret location” feedlots messes instead of reporting the down animals and forcing the feedlot to either put them down or pay $20,000 in fines per horse . A few fines like that a year and they would get into another line of work But who wants that becuase without villians the rescues can’t look like heroes.
Nobody seems to care about really , logically ending slaughter ,cruelty or neglect . It’s just immediate knee-jerk reactions to sad situations to get dollars and then on to the next episode for both.
I know people have short attention spans but can’t anyone see behind the sad pictures and stories that helping the slaughter guys with cash and shipping injured horses is completely counter productive? Would you try to buy up all the crack cocaine you can to keep the dealer from selling it?
I got an email the other day of a cartoon horse , and a person in a rescue t shirt with a gun . The horse’s bubble said give money or I will die.
That’s pretty much the honest version.
Oh and lets not forget the used car , oh , I mean used horse lot rescues too . New drama horse is in the showroom and when his story doesn’t sell anymore he disappears and the next big story horse comes in. You cannot tell anything from websites either . I saw some nasty stuff up close and personal .
I give up on even trying to find the logic or humanity in any of it.
Sassysmom, when you talk about rescues buying from kill-buyers are you referring to
Norcal Equine Rescue?? I know they have been doing alot of that lately. If I remember from
your previous posts, you seemed to be very supportive of Norcal (correct me if Im mistaken)..
have you had an experience or firsthand knowledge that has changed your opinion of them??
I have to admit I do have mixed feelings about them paying a kill-buyer $100 per horse, most of
which they apparently have to euth due to their horrendous conditions. Apparently these are horses
from slaughter holding/shipping areas that are too weak, sick or thin to make the trip. Norcal
buys them to keep them from dying in the feedlots although according to them some of the very thin ones
actually do ship and are slaughtered for their hides and bones.
Im really on the fence about this. At some point you have to admit you cant save everything, and while
buying the ones in awful condition to give them a peaceful death is commendable, what about the
healthy, sound, young and well trained ones that this kill buyer is actually shipping? With limited funds, which should be the focus? Im glad Im not the one facing these poor horses and having to make decisions…it cant be easy.
I assumed she was talking about Another Chance 4 Horses’ broker program or that group of rescues that gets horses out of the Camelot auction in New Jersey every week.
Hmmm, well I hope Sassysmom comes back to clarify…..
While I understand her concern about rescues “bankrolling” kill buyers the fact is that if horses are going
to be pulled from the slaughter pipeline (killpens, feedlots, or too sick to ship rejects) then the kill buyers are going to make money. There is just no way around it. Whats the alternative?, to do nothing? …let everything ship and save nothing?? The fact is alot of horses are alive and well today because someone somewhere paid off a killbuyer. Seems to me its a necessary, unavoidable evil.
It would be nice if these killbuyers would be put out of business by enforcement of current cruelty laws and fines, but thats just not happening. Joe Shelton of TB Friends has blogged in the past of how he has tried to get the law to do something about the cruelty he has witnessed, the illegals operating the feedlots and getting rich off of slaughtering American horses, as well as the abuse of Mexican Rodeo. Its like banging your head against a brick wall. Horse welfare is a low priority and laws mean nothing if there is no enforcement. He buys horses regularly from killers. He doesnt like it but saving the horses
is the priority and you do what you have to do.
I honestly doubt that Norcal Equine Rescue is the only rescue doing this kind of thing. Obviously I cannot answer for the other user, but I think she refers to many rescues, not just one, many of which wind up as wrecks.
Geeezzz! Where to begin?
“To help horses you need money , to be a non profit you have to fundraise – to prove you are publicly supported to stay a non profit to fundraise you need donors.
To get donations you have to have some dramatic thing to get people’s attention. Each rescue is competing for the skinniest horse, the saddest case, biggest number of saves and of course the saved from slaughter horses are a guaranteed money maker. Each rescue trying to top the other. Its a competition for donors and donors go to the biggest drama.â€
And this is a bad thing?
“Now we have
Rescues that are supposed to be anti-slaughter paying kill buyers loads for horses which means they are bankrolling the killbuyers next auction trip and making their job more profitable . Not giving anyone names of the kill buyers so they can actually be put out of business
I’m sure the killbuyers are laughing all the way to the bank about the bleeding hearts helping them buy a new house.â€
So the five-year old TB mare that I have now, in your world would have ended up on a european dinner table when instead, AC4H raised money to pay the broker for her last year when her only crime was she was not fast enough at the track. So here she is today going nicely under saddle and will eventually be learning to jump. She looks like she will make a fancy show hunter! Oh, and for not wanting anyone to know who the kill buyers–here is a list!

http://alexbrownracing.com/wiki/index.php/Kill_buyers
“I know people have short attention spans but can’t anyone see behind the sad pictures and stories that helping the slaughter guys with cash and shipping injured horses is completely counter productive?â€
So it is better to let the horses die? I guess you think slaughter is just humane euthanasia.
“Nobody seems to care about really , logically ending slaughter ,cruelty or neglect . It’s just immediate knee-jerk reactions to sad situations to get dollars and then on to the next episode for both.â€
Maybe no one cares in your world but on ABR they definitely to care!
Here is the Senate weekly call list to pass the prevention of equine cruelty act http://forums.delphiforums.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=51153.1
Why don’t you call?
I could go on but I just spent most of my time and energy today reschooling horses that in your world would have died a horrible death and ended up filling somebody’s stomach. Excuse me but your thinking makes me sick to my stomach!!
Hmmm, her website appears to be down, but looking through her facebook pages it appears she fundraised for a pretty nice trailer, and was attempting to get funds for a truck as well. I don`t know how this stuff works when a county seizes a bunch of animals like this (and takes on the financial burden of rehabing them) but it sure would be nice if any high dollar items, like the trailer, could be seized as well to help reimburse the county.
Oh, and why does it not surprise and piss me off that SHE does not appear to be starving???????? Now how in the crap can anyone justify THAT to themselves, their families, good lord above, and these poor animals that she`s supposed to be “rescuing.” What a crock. And yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it`s not nice to bring up the fat thing, but if you look at any pictures taken during the great depression, when money really was tight, you don`t see a bunch of overweight people standing around begging – you see starving people looking for work so they can feed themselves and their families!
ABR is nothing more than a breeding ground for this kind of shit, I swear it`s a hoarder`s paradise!
Yes, let’s do bring up the fat thing. In America fat is strongly associated with poverty, because there’s an abundance of cheap, fattening food subsidized by the government. What was your point again? Was she supposed to spend the 25 cents for the box of mac and cheese on… what exactly? It’s not expensive to get enough calories to be fat on an American diet.
Again – yeah, yeah, yeah. My point, which may have gone way over your head, is at the end of the day she can still afford to feed herself, yet the horses were left to starve. If poverty is indeed involved then she had no business running a rescue in the first place. And what the hell do you think poverty level folks during the great depression were eating, really good healthy food?
Simply put, this woman was usuing the horses to BEG online for money. And, going through a nasty divorce is also no excuse. As soon as things started going south she should have started pushing to get these horses placed instead of taking in more and begging for funds on ABR.
I have often noticed that the people starving the horses usually have no problem feeding their own faces.
My horses and my dogs eat before I do, end of story, and they usually eat better than I do, too.
If she had no money how about begging off the softies for money with which to advertise the horses, and to get training on them so they would find homes?
I could live with “please give me money just to tide me over til I have new homes for these horses”
As I said before, it is NOT the least bit evil to observe that it’s a crock of crap when you can feed yourself but you let animals starve TO DEATH. And while I agree that eating a lot of dollar store food will keep you chubbier than eating at Whole Paycheck, people who truly do not have any money at all ARE thin…if anything they have the poverty belly but are otherwise emaciated.
Whole Paycheck…LOL I hadnt heard that one before. My hubby earns well into the six figures and I cant even afford to shop there!…LOL…
Publishing this sort of vitriol does nothing to help fix this situation. Yes, it is sad for the horses, but to spew such hatred about a situation that you know nothing about beyond what you apparently read on-line is counterproductive at best. Beth of NEER posted on ABR that she had personally done an investigation of Hidden Meadows and Mary because of the rumors she had heard. She found that among people with direct experience with Hidden Meadows opinions were roughly evenly divided between those who thought she was doing a good job and those who though otherwise. Furthermore, Mary is reportedly going through a contentious divorce.
None of this is intended to deflect the criticism that she should have realized she was in trouble and asked for help long before things reached this crisis point. Nor does this excuse the naivety of those on ABR that fund “rescues” with very little if any assessment of the legitimacy of said rescues. I just find this blog entry unnecessarily hateful, particularly in light of the fact that you have no direct knowledge of the situation.
Cathy is a muckraker. She raises awareness of problems by flinging shit around, in the best tradition of early 1900s journalists. It’s not to everybody’s taste, but it plays an important role in educating the public.
But you’re suggesting we treat the woman in question with kid gloves because ‘we don’t know all the facts’? Every abuser who has shown up here EVER has tried to use that as a defense. She claimed to be a rescue. She got caught starving more than 50 horses. That’s enough facts for me. If you really think there’s other facts that would negate that (not just soften but NEGATE that), please let us know.
Where are the gallows?? Anyone who allows horses to continue in the condition they are in @ that rescue does not deserve sympathy, kindness, or benefit of the doubt.
Honestly I don’t know who Beth talked to, I wish she’d talked to us. Been warning people about this place since before they got their 501(c)3.
I don’t believe this is a typical hoarding situation, honestly. I think this person was devious, was trying to make money, and did it by lying to people from the very start. From the beginning, she would inflate her vet bills, tell blatant lies about where horses were coming from, had “emergency” fundraisers while taking more horses, etc. She once posed as a volunteer from another organization to get entrance into the racetrack, and caused some major problems in getting legitimate volunteers into the track. She didn’t just “take” horses – she actively pursued them and bought them in some cases, all while telling stories about horses being “dumped” on her property.
When I first saw her property I was gobsmacked that she had 12 horses on it. The idea that there were more than fifty is just mind boggling.
If Beth only took opinions from people who had “direct experience” with this rescue, then it was probably skewed – because most of us who were watching the situatoin would have avoided “direct experience” with them at all costs, knowing it was a train wreck in the making.
Should we be pitying her and sending money to buy new horses then?
I don’t think I need to know any more than the simple fact that horses died. A person who is able to send email messages (I am actually on a list she is on) that are coherent and do Facebook, etc. surely has the capability to grasp that dead horses are bad!
One person available (I was going to say attempting but don’t know if attempts were actually being made) to care for more than 60 horses (56 living seized, 8 dead or euthanized) is another clue. As I think someone already noted, it would be a full-time job just doing one thing (watering, say) for 60-plus head.
I watch Hoarders, Hoarders: Buried Alive and Animal Hoarders. Can’t get enough of those hoarder shows ;o)
Seriously, I am a collector and I have more dishes than I will EVER use in one lifetime (since I usually prefer to eat right out of the pan), but I don’t have to make pathways to get from one room to the other, and I do NOT keep trash. That’s the part of hoarding I do not understand, where there are wrappers and cans and bottles and just “stuff” EVERYWHERE. I also don’t have holes in my ceiling and am not living with rodents. Ew.
That said, I was a daily poster and reader on ABR until November 2008 when it became clear that if you were not a liberal and Obama-zombie, you were not welcome on that message board. The bullies on the board (not Alex himself. He just shut things down when the trolls or the bullies got going) were so positive that with a new government in place, horse slaughter would stop, among other things. Of course, the baby talk and letters to/from Barbaro in Heaven were more than I could stomach a lot of the time, but I never said anything about that nonsense one way or the other. My negative comments were about how foolish people were to believe this candidate’s promises. He was, I said, no better than any other candidate — he was saying whatever needed to be said to win the election. I was right, they didn’t like it, so I left.
THAT said, there is a thread now on the ABForum considering stopping the fundraising for rescues, that maybe with this latest HMER fraud, there needs to be a stop to the flow of money. Of course, some zealots think it’s taking funds away from the good ones by stopping ALL fundraising — but the KEY is to check, double-check and TRIPLE-check the so-called rescues to make certain they are legit.
With as many people as still visit ABR and with as far and wide as they live (world wide, both hemispheres, etc.), you’d think someone could get in the car and make a trip to a place touting itself as a rescue to see if there are things like, oh, I don’t know, maybe FOOD? WATER? decent FENCING? ??
I thought the subject was going to be about chicken hoarders!! I only just saw the show Animal Hoarders, it was very sad. Wonder if they’re going to do one on horses. Could only watch it when my partner was sleeping, he would be too disturbed by it.
OK, this is just sad…. I hope that they make it so she can’t own horses again. I’m sorry- but if there was such a problem, then you should have been man (or in this case woman) enough to own up and say “hay- I got WAY too many and I need help getting rid of some NOW!” and stopped taking more in. I am part of a group who helps assist with the gelding of horses who need it and have provided assistance to those 501′s that maybe needed a little extra money to help with a surgery or whatever. Too bad that this lady couldn’t see that what she was doing was wrong. Now my group is wondering how we tell the good ones from the bad ones. We are a small group, but we want to help… what to do…. I hope that the horses can recover and find new homes that will take care of them the way they were supposed to be in the first place.
Ugh.
You know, I love horses. If I could, I’d own a selection of fine riding horses for myself and rescue horses. That’s my little girl dream, the grown up woman has 2 horses – on 20 acres of land. I could FILL that land with horses, but while the odd pipe-dream temptation hits – it’s never serious, because my 2 horses are fed and happy, and I want them to stay that way. I donate to legit rescues.
I just don’t get how so many rescues can fall apart in the same way, every single fucking time. Ok, I’ll give benefit of the doubt that some are strings of bad luck, but a lot are just people getting in way over their head and either knowing it – or being too stupid to realise. And if you are too stupid to realise, you don’t start rescuing horses.
If I’m rich one day, I’d like to rescue horses, on a small scale. Really small scale, a set number of horses, a budget to keep well over that number and only new ones come in, when others go out. It’s not fool proof, but in my personal keeping of horses I’ve had 2 rack of thousands of pounds in bills. Maybe that should be the experience needed before you get into rescuing animals more likely to drain your pocket in vet fees, feed and care.
Seriously? I think that she went easy on this woman. Usually I don’t comment on the rescue stuff because I am a trainer by trade, not a rescuer. Similarly, I stay quiet when I personally think that a post is a bit harsh because it is Ms. Atkinson’s blog, after all, and she puts all of the time and effort into educating and entertaining us. However, on this matter I feel that I must point out that I do agree with her 100%. This Hidden Meadows woman has recently been online shilling for a new horse trailer!! Hay and grain should come before a trailer. Plus, how can anyone excuse not watering the horses? Water is pretty much free. There comes a point WAY before you accumulate 52 horses that you realize finances are tight and that is the moment when you stop taking in horses and ask for help. Lord knows, my finances are tight, and they were not tight two years ago. Shit happens. The problem is when you refuse to look at reality and animals suffer. Plus, I must again say that watering the horses is free….it only takes a person who cares enough to go to the barn AM, lunch, PM, and night check.
OOPs, this reply was to Serendip45′s post
I love Hoarders, I watch it on A&E’s website every week. It really helps me, to a certain extant the ability to even see mess and disorder is genetic I believe, some people have the cleanliness gene and some don’t. Combine that with OCD (which can also be genetic) or some other mental or physical disease and you get Hoarders. I’m a messy person, so is my dad. My mom isn’t, but she’s mildly OCD. Their house is fine because Mom makes Dad keep his rock collection neatly organized in the home and out of her way in the garage and outside. Unfortunately for me I don’t have anyone like that. I try to keep things clean, but it can be hard for me. A lot of times I simply do not see the mess and dirt! Hoarders really helps me to not only see it, but also shows me what I could become in ten year if I don’t shape up and develop better habits.
This just pisses me off to no end! She was holding a fund raiser for a truck and trailer two weeks ago……How can you watch horses starve to death and have a dime in your pocket? I would like some alone time with Mary….
I couldnt see her website but on her FB page I didnt see any successful adoptions or any kind of representation from people who had adopted from her on there. What I did see was the occasional request for money for euthing, which leads me to this conclusion……..She DOESNT adopt out her horses (I know big fat duh) she hoards them until something about them twinges in her and she decides they should be euthed and she makes up a bucket list of stuff so horrible that they are better off “going over the bridge”. Vet bills can be faked, and diagnosis can be looked up online. People want to see the good in other people, especially ones who run rescues, and so they will give what they can so they can feel better about themselves :-/
How can anyone with a eyes and a heart, honestly walk by starving horses and feed a chosen few? That is no different that the witch who had Argus.
Hey any update on who dumped that poor horse in the middle of the road?
Speaking of farms/rescues going down the drain and begging for basic necessities, I saw this ad on Craigslist today here in Wisconsin:
http://madison.craigslist.org/vol/1940582718.html
Horse farm Volunteers (Waunakee,WI)
Date: 2010-09-07, 8:15AM CDT
Reply to: comm-wpwbq-1940582718@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
If you like horses and would like to spend some time with them on a horse farm, I would like to talk with you. I am looking for Volunteers to help with the horses, with training, feeding, cleaning of stalls. Also help with other animals and fencing. Please call 608-279-8013 or email back
Thanks for your time
Please only those serious apply
* Location: Waunakee,WI
* it’s NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* it’s OK to distribute this charitable volunteerism opportunity for inclusion in 3rd party web sites that have been approved by craigslist
PostingID: 1940582718
I don’t see how this is begging at all. They are looking for volunteers to donate time, not begging for food. I don’t see what is so wrong with this ad in any way.
Technically that ad says nothing about being a rescue?
It appears they’re just looking for horse lovers to come and trade labor for riding/the chance to be around the horses.
Certainly not the -best- deal, especially if riding isn’t actually included, but it’s pretty common really, and if you want to be around horses and the person isn’t a total lunatic, why not?
Massively OT… can someone do a registry search on a half arab? The registered name would be “autumn shampain”. Thanks so much!
I would have sworn there was a post on the blog about nutrition and hard keeper feeding, could someone either hunt that down, or point me in the direction of some information? I cant seem to find exactly what im looking for online…….
You’ve probably found it by now (I’m kind of late to the game here) but if not, it’s called “Starvinghorses.com- care information” and it’s over to the right under “blogroll,” where “Safe,” “TBfriends” and some of Fugly’s other favorite links are listed. Just click on it, lots of good info there!
Parenting FAIL of the Day off Craiglist:
http://billings.craigslist.org/grd/1948648882.html
http://images.craigslist.org/3nc3m63pb5O25T65P2a9b747cb26513c91c93.jpg
Bred to run. Weanling stud colt easy catch, halter broke, leads, backs up, picks up all 4 hoofs, easy trim, loads and unloads in 4 or 2 horse trailer. Good 4H project, good with kids. On top The Ole Man, Three Bars, Man In The Money, Go Man Go and also goes back to Man of War. Please call 406-690-9205 for more information.
***
How about we let the spastic weanling stud colt freak out and break your daughter’s arm since she has wrapped that lead rope around her arm and wrist about 20 times. Oh that sounds good? Awesome.
Oh oh Oh! And if that’s not enough:
http://billings.craigslist.org/grd/1948630904.html
Sorrel/ with flaxen mane and tail
Weanling stud colt easy catch, halter broke, leads, backs up, picks up all 4 hoofs, easy trim, loads and unloads in 4 or 2 horse trailer. Good 4H project, good with kids. Breeding is 2-eyed Jack and Zan Pan Bar and goes back to Man of War on the bottom. On top The Ole Man, Three Bars, Man In The Money, Go Man Go and also goes back to Man of War. $850.00.
Red Roan/Grullo Roan Paint
Yearling stud colt halter broke, leads, backs up, picks up all 4 hoofs, easy trim, loads and unloads in 4 or 2 horse trailer. Good 4H project, good with kids. Breeding is 2-eyed Jack and Zan Pan Bar and goes back to Man of War on the bottom. On top The Ole Man, Three Bars, Man In The Money, Go Man Go and also goes back to Man of War. $1500.00
Please call 406-690-9205 for more information.
(incase it goes away pictures of weanlings bigger than the kids with no adult in sight.)
The fact that this young girl is leading a colt doesn’t bother me TOO much. Better a weanling than a full adult horse.
The fact that she has the lead rope COMPLETELY WRAPPED AROUND HER WRIST AND HAND, however, is freaking me right the fuck out. One of the FIRST things I was taught when I was learning to handle horses was to NEVER EVER EVER EVER do that!
A pedigree does not = a conformationaly correct horse. This colt is FUGLY. I have never heard of a Gurulla roan before. Now I have seen a gurulla and a roan but not both. I’m no genetic genius by any measures so I’m not sure if that can even happen. Correct me if i’m wrong.
Course it can happen.
Grulla is just Black + Dun, you can add Roan to anything, absolutely anything
JFYI I have a Grulla Roan mare at the moment.
Regardless, that colt is neither grulla nor roan.
He’s a GREY.
No dark head (as on both grulla and roan, “leaky” edges on the white markings, etc. etc. etc. GREY.
Grrrrr….same shit different day. Cards should be printed up for these people to hand to law enforcement when they show up, they would read: They got dumped here, I’ve been in the hospital for….I’m going through a divorce….they are fine, they are just old….I’ve been feeding them X pounds of grain a day, I don’t know why they are thin…you don’t know the whole story…
The list goes on. You know why we spew hatred? Because we hate them, period. They do not deserve any type of defense or protection.
As far as hoarders go, yeah they might be mentally ill, so are child molesters, doesn’t make it ok. Believe me I have had extensive experience in hoarding situations and they know what they are doing is wrong but refuse to get help. If they are sick its up to them to get the help they need, just like any other sick person.
Don’t know the whole story about Mary? Here it is, she lied, she stole money from the public, and she starved the horses. Put her in a cage.
Don’t be shy, tell us how you really feel LOL!
But seriously, well put.
This is why I donate to Habitat For Horses. They have been featured here as a great rescue, and they are local
Fugly, have you heard anything about Bluebonnet Horse Rescue?
I have never heard anything but good things about Bluebonnet.
OMG Checkers is delish. Just the kind of horse I am looking for. Old, like me, with some get up and go!!! Anyone want to sponsor him to come live with me?
Did anyone else notice that in the article it said that some inmates were helping out with moving and caring for the horses.I wonder what they think about it?I can bet that hardened criminals wouldn’t even do what that woman did, they’re probably going to be the loudest voice calling for her to have jailtime
I find it interesting that you say how “kyoot” that Araloosa is. But…if he was part of a rescue you didn’t like or still had nuts you’d be flying off the handle about how FUGLY he is…little powerless ass, ugly mule head, neck too big for his body, and he’s got something funky going on with his front legs.
(FHOTD in: Not true. I’d be saying how fugly he was if someone were standing him at stud.
If it was a rescue I didn’t like, I’d probably just be criticizing his condition. Since he’s at Shiloh, he looks great!)
Wow. So you would criticize this horses condition IF he were at a rescue you don’t like, but BECAUSE he is at a rescue you like, you will state “he looks great”. Sorry but I think he looks great PERIOD.
I think FHOTD was trying to say that Shiloh takes good care of their horses, and as a result he looks great and there’s nothing to complain about with this guy. If he were at a faux ‘rescue’ he wouldn’t be getting good care, it would show, and that would be something to complain about. But even then she’d only be criticizing the lack of care, not fuglyness (as ArcticWoman accused her of doing).
…huh? You’re like a constant downer, huh? I have a *fugly* little Mustang gelding. If anyone ever called him that I would punch that person in the face but I’ll be honest about it. He has short little legs, a hip and butt not unlike the Araloosa, a long neck, weird looking head… the list goes on. But he also is a compact little guy who doesn’t is totally sound, has no flaws that would effect that soundness, and is as sweet as the day is long. Everyone I’ve ever met adores him and thinks that he’s beautiful. And ignoring confirmation rules he is cute, just in a different kind of way.
If, in a parallel universe he had his nuts and I stood him at stud then I would find it completely understandable if someone kidnapped him, and removed his balls in a dark alley late at night. Hell, I wouldn’t blame them if they beat the snot out of me in the process because I would deserve it. A cute gelding =/= a stallion worthy of breeding. They’re completely different concepts.
That guy is absolutely adorable and looks like he’d make a great riding partner and a respectable LD prospect. He’s healthy and at a good weight from a rescue that she has seen and trusts, unlike the rescue featured today. Don’t see why you gotta be a total bitch to the cutie just because you don’t like the blog…
I feel like you have missed the point of this blog. The author of this blog admits to several of her own fuglies. There is nothing wrong with loving a horse that is not stunningly beautiful. The problem comes when people breed these horses and produce more horses to end up in rescue….. or starve them.
I am sorry, but Checkers is a doll. He’s one of the best looking appy crosses I have seen in a long time. I like appy crosses when the appy color comes out but the refinement of another breed is apparent. I think his head is nice. He’s got an Arabs ass, and can probably go all day (not sure you would want to RIDE all day, but he could go…)
I used to live in WV and I know of Natelie Tennet. I thought she was beyond this muck. Ppl never cease to amaze me. A rescue it supposed to help not hinder further. They should take the oath that doctors take (though not a guarantee either way) “First do no Harm.” Seems like a good idea to me. Another memeber of the “Loser’s are Us” club.
I am new to Fugly, and relatively new to the world of horse rescue. Over the past two weeks, with many hours to spend while my 96 year old mother recovers from surgery, I have been exploring the horse rescue world on the web. Even before the debacle of Hidden Meadows, I was struck by the contrasts of the quiet heroes with the drama queens; the apathy toward supporting a horse already in a rescue, and the urgent rush to save still more from slaughter; the real success stories and the many “returns” from the mythical forever homes. As one who does not own a farm and who cannot help in that way, I have been searching for the best ways to help financially or organizationally with the issue of unwanted horses being treated so inhumanely.
The answers lie in many quarters, of course: some curbs on overproduction could be placed by breed organizations; enforcement or strengthening of animal cruelty laws by state and local officials; funding for humane euthanasia when necessary; funding for gelding; a strong organization to certify equine rescue operations according to standards, site visits and monitoring, including unannounced visits. I have seen too many scams in my hours on the web to be willing to support in any significant way most of the rescue operations, or the individual pleas to “bail” a horse for someone who has a home, but cannot afford the fees. Many people may not realize that some of these homes are NOT approved by the rescues involved, whose role with broker-owned horses is simply to give slaughter-bound horses more exposure to possible homes. And, as we all know now, the 501(c)3 designation, in and of itself, means very little. At least check the Form 990s before you give — at least the larger rescues will have filed them to comply with IRS regulations.
So far, my response to what I have read has been to assure that the horses I own/which “own” me are provided for during my life, and after it. That is my responsibility, and I own it fully. I will assist in a meaningful effort to organize a certifying/standards body for equine rescues, regardless of breed. In the absence of such a body, I will support local efforts which I can verify myself. I will support distant efforts only when I KNOW from trustworthy sources that my dollars are going to help horses in ways that are part of a sustainable effort.
Thanks to Fugly and its contributors for being part of my continuing (and continuous) education on this topic.
There is such a body, to certify horse rescues — anyone remember what it is?
I’ll bet there are good rescues wherever it is that you are. I have run into quite a few good ones, and I donate to several on a regular basis. If you state your area I’ll bet people can offer suggestions.
Thanks, Taliesin. I am near Charlotte, NC. There is an equine rescue in China Grove, NC which I have supported and plan to visit. It has its admirers and its critics, as they all do. I would love to know about any certification body for equine rescues. It apparently is not widespread or much used to determine the worthiness of a rescue. I have chaired the boards of many non-profits, know how to use Guidestar and other tools to get basic information on 501(c)3s, but just have not seen a consistent set of basic standards for equine rescues. I’d really like to help in a systemic way to improve the lot of abused, neglected or unwanted horses. They will always exist, unfortunately, with or without slaughter, in bad economies or good ones. There seems to be a lot of energy around individual “saves,” some misguided, at least on the face of it. It would be wonderful to channel some of this toward sustainable approaches.
Does anyone know much about the Phoenix Rising sanctuary in WA? They’ve been advertising like crazy locally for a horse sale this Saturday – I’m just trying to figure out how “over 25 horses for sale!” translates into a rescue that checks buyer/adopter credentials, locations, etc. They talk about PMU rescue on their website, and for girls to come out and help. Which is great, but I was thinking about going out to look (just to look!) on Saturday, but I just suddenly heard about them and didn’t have any background.
(FHOTD in: Train wreck. Been on my blog before. Search it.)
I had seen something about the Phoenix Rising Sanctuary on another forum, but didn’t bother to look. After it was mentioned here I had to take a peek… All I can say is, Really?
I think if I was going to spend nearly $5000 for a horse, I would not be buying it from a rescue. I don’t have a problem with a rescue selling a horse at a decent price to keep the rifraff from buying it (so that they can neglect it and the rescue ends up with it again and has to start over). But the prices for these horses seemed like a LOT to me. Especially given what horses are selling for right now… Just saying…
At least they looked well fed. Some a little too well, but prefer that over skin and bones any day. I have a couple with the slightly overfed look myself
Besides just it’s a lot of money for a horse, they have very spiffy full-color glossy post cards that I’ve seen in several places for the sale. No hay/farrier money, but money for postcards like that? (no donated symbol, checked last night at my barn). Ok, better things to do on a Saturday…
Fugly said, “….She does not love animals. She loves herself….”
AMEN! My experience is that too many people who rescue don’t do it for the animals. They do it to indulge their rescue fantasies or narcissism or boost their low self esteem or all of the above. If they were doing it for the animals this type of thing would NEVER happen.
Bingo.. We have a winner.
One thing I’ve noticed in almost all these cases. The folks who do this are the ones seeking (personal) attention. If you look at what they post, they are actually speaking for themselves. Since horses don’t speak, how do they come to their conclusions? It comes from within and generally has nothing to do with the reality of the situation. Read the words carefully. It’s almost always the same/similar post containing the same (emotional driven) words. It’s really about them wanting to help the horses but their (emotional) needs truely come before the horses. Narcissism in my book.
It also certainly doesn’t help (I haven’t read through everything so don’t know if it’s been posted about yet) that there are rescues that are NOT thinly disguised hoarders who are trying to do a good job. But they also have the temerity to question how things are done at ABR and are subsequently either made extremely unwelcome by the powers that be there or are actually outright banned.
So what happens when it’s only the “bad” rescues left?
Seriously, ABR has known this lady is nuts for quite a while and banned her from fund raising on their site over a year ago as far as I am aware of. I have not kept up with the info on her for months but people were warning others about her. So how is this different than the rescues gone bad in other areas? People who are aware of it can only do so much if animal control or whoever will not go in there and do something until animals are dead. So if animal control won’t do anything should people not try to help? You make it sound like ABR totally supported this lady and that is just not the case. In the beginning she seemed like a legitimate rescue and placed a number of Charlestown horses and others but then it was apparent that she was a bit nuts and people were backing away from her. This lady dug her own hole!! ABR did not give her all those horses. She did it herself!
Sorry, but Mary was on ABR fundraising until only a few months ago.
And as several ABR members “bailed” horses to send to Mary, and in one case another ABR rescue sent her a horse. Her most recent fundraiser on ABR was in August, because she didn’t have money to euthanize a horse. A stallion she should have never taken in the first place because she doesn’t have the facilities to house one. I believe it was at the end of that thread she was finally banned.
Even then, when concerns were raised in the thread there were plenty of ABR members who accused those who asked questions of “stirring the pot” or being “hateful.”
Remember about a year ago when Joe at TBFriends got a horse (or perhaps it was several) from a rescue in Marin that “went out of business”? If people aren’t aware, Marin County (CA) is across the bay from San Francisco. It’s a VERY wealthy area, lots of rich liberals, fancy homes — if you have to ask how much something costs there, you cannot afford it.
Anyway, one horse from that rescue was a gelding named Lark. Compared to Grace, Lark was “hefty.” I sort of “connected” with that horse’s picture and was just positive Lark was going to make it. The next day he wrote that Lark had died. He said he had had enough of this and was filing a lawsuit against this rescue. Not sure if the rescue was a 501(c)(3) or what, but anyway, he was disgusted with what they had done to the animals in their care.
Whether the gullible (or otherwise) on ABR continue to support ANYONE who writes in claiming to be a rescue in need of funds is not for us to judge. ABR requires (now — they did this shortly after they discovered a few “faux” rescue folks asking for money — that every rescue have a Wiki page in place prior to being allowed to solicit funds, but that doesn’t mean much since ANYONE can write ANYTHING on Wikipedia without citing sources or providing any other proof that what is written or claimed is true. The days of verifying facts or claims through multiple and independent sources is sadly gone, and anyone can say anything these days. (If you haven’t seen “All The President’s Men” with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman playing Woodward and Bernstein verifying and cross-verifying ALL claims against those involved in the Watergate scandal under Nixon, you will to see how journalism, done right, USED to be practiced).
Sadly these days, it’s “If I write it, others will donate.”
Just to clarify, it is nothing to do with Wikipedia that ABR requires. Wiki is a generic term. To quote from said Wikipedia, which IMHO does still monitor content:
“A wiki ( /ˈwɪki/ WIK-ee) is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used to create collaborative wiki websites, to power community websites, for personal note taking, in corporate intranets, and in knowledge management systems.
“Wikis may exist to serve a specific purpose, and in such cases, users use their editorial rights to remove material that is considered “off topic.” Such is the case of the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia. In contrast, open purpose wikis accept content without firm rules as to how the content should be organized.
“Ward Cunningham, the developer of the first wiki software, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as “the simplest online database that could possibly work.” “Wiki” (pronounced [ˈwiti] or [ˈviti]) is a Hawaiian word for “fast.” “
LOL fugly–I am also TOTALLY addicted to Hoarders and Hoarders: Buried Alive. They have one on APL for animals that I haven’t watched yet. But I find that people who hoard stuff rather than animals have different motivation. Stuff hoarders are holding onto memories or place emotion on items after a tragic event. I think most hoarders of animals truly believe that no one else can take care of the animals as good as they can, and they truly believe they are giving good care to the animals. It’s by far an illness, that’s for sure.
WOW. I can’t believe the FB page is still up there with all of that trash talk on it. It’s kind of awesome, actually.
Also OT but almost amazingly as awesome is this craigslist ad I found earlier when looking at the competition in the sale market:
http://portland.craigslist.org/nco/grd/1954654665.html
The text says:
“I have a 2 year old male horse. He is Arab, Morgan and Mustang. He needs a nice loving home with someone who can train him well and give him plenty of love. He is not gelded. He needs to see a furrier since he never has. He has a lot of potential and a great attitude. He recently has been limping after fighting with another stallion and we are not sure yet what it is. I really need to get him to a better home where he can’t be harmed by the other stallions. I am going away to job corps and am going to be unable to care for him so I need to find a home for him soon. He is actually located in Rosburg WA which isn’t too far from Astoria Oregon. Please contact me if you are interested.”
What, he is unable to grow a winter coat LOL?
Hey, that’s not funny…I know a horse that can’t grow a winter coat! (Seriously…poor girl doesn’t have any more coat in December than she does in August).
Well, it was intended to be funny — that a horse would need a “furrier.”
Actually, ABR was still supporting her, whether they knew it or not. She was banned for “confusion over her fundraising threads) for only a short while- so others came on and fundraised for her, and then she was welcomed back with open arms.
By no one questioning where the NJ Killpen horses were and raising money, it allowed people like Diana Murphy to continue sending her horses–with her full consent. It even states that she took in an additional 2 heavily pregnant mares on July 29th.
In March 2010, she was fundraising for 3-4k for surgery on a horse named Green Harbor.
At the end of June she was fundraising for euthanasia funds on ABR.
Tried to raise a few hundred for a cougar attack in January.
On the 6th of August she was sending out pleas to help purchase a trailer because she said it costs them 1k a month to transport horses from auction, according to her FB. That statement alone tells me that she was planning on bringing in more!
At the end of July she was still bringing in heavily pregnant mares from Camelot fundraised for on FB. There was no getting in too deep, she kept soliciting for the funds to bring in more.
Before and after pictures of a paint horse in March 31st from Camelot and now, fundraised for as a group of 3 in March:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=a9r892&s=7
Sorry, ultra-OT, but I couldn’t resist….
In case I screwed that up, some ad text for your enjoyment:
5 years old, red roan and white paint. Very sweet little mare but is not broke. She does not bite or kick and is very gentle. She loves to be messed with. We turn her loose in our yard and she loves to wander around but is always easy to catch. She must go to a very good home. She is around 36 inches.
I’m sure she doesn’t have a kicking problem, considering it would be hard to develop one with only 3 legs, lol.
And I did….Here is the link:
http://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/1954944491.html
So much for trying out schmancy html, lol. I’m dumb.
And can’t forget this poor horse, whom she was fundraising for surgery for in the amount of 6-8,000.00 in April.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=37974.8361
And now, ironically, no one knows if the horse is still alive or dead due to starvation.
Sorry, wrong link:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/alexbrown/messages?msg=47749.1
Rhythm appears to be alive, and one of the “critical care” cases taken to Days End. (from comparing photos on their facebook with old photos taken of him at Hidden Meadows.
Remember our friend Betty Coulthard featured a while ago? The breeder who was lamenting dropping her horses off for slaughter? The one who admittedly breeds 100 horses to get 3 good ones?
Her is a link to an article she wrote back in June. http://agcanada.ironsolutions.com/Article.aspx?ID=23551
I believe she is a horse ‘farmer’, I wouldn’t call her a breeder. Any breeder who blames horse meat prices for the failure to sell their own stock…well, I just don’t know what to say about that.
Blames Horse MEAT prices? WTF?
Wow, just when you think you’ve heard it all. Jeezus.
Every time this woman opens her mouth, she spews ignorance! I don’t know about anyone else but my dressage horse’s sale price certainly WASNT impacted by slaughter prices – because he was WELL bred and trained! Maybe she should take a look at herself. The reason the livestock industry doesn’t protect horse breeders is because, for the most part, horses are treated and viewed as pleasure or even (optional) animals. They are not produced specifically to provide food for humans. If you are losing money, wouldn’t that be a sure signal to quit breeding soooo many foals? I don’t believe quality breeders are leaving the market, I think they are doing the responsible thing and breeding fewer animals!
As for the rescue, shame on them! I have two rescues and, although I don’t think either will ever be world champs like so many of the craigslist horses are, I love the he’ll out of them and the rescue I worked with has been awesome from start to finish! There are real rescues out there trying so hard to do the right thing and I salute them, for the breeders like the above and the rescues such as the one this blog is about, maybe we should let their fat asses sit in a feed lot after a nice long ride on a double decker! Might open their eyes!
Oh, blaming meat prices is part of the standard AQHA party line.
http://www.aqha.com/news/july3_slaughterrelease.html
I’ve also heard it personally from the mouths of several horsepeople.
OT (though this particular issue is never really off-topic where animal rescue/neglect/hoarding is concerned!) but I just saw the Blood Horse headline that live foals are down 14.2% from 2009. Clearly many of the Thoroughbred breeders are getting it. Are the declines in other breeds comparable, I wonder? Who’s still got their head in the sand? It’s also interesting to see it broken out in a table by state…
http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/58918/live-foals-down-142-from-2009
What is involved when “fostering” a horse for a rescue. Do you recommend doing this? I have the room now but wondering how this has worked for others (good and bad). Do Rescues generally provide medical care and/or food for fostered horses? How much freedom does the foster home have to work with the animal, etc. Thank you for your advice.
(FHOTD in: It depends on the rescue. Some pay for only vet bills, some pay for everything. You keep the horse and may be expected to work with the horse/keep it fit, too. You may be responsible for showing it to adopters. Get everything in writing and make sure each side understands what is expected of them, and it can be a great experience!)
OT, but nice update on the two horses left to die in the British Columbia back country two Christmases ago:
http://www.fallingstarranch.ca/HorseRescuePage.htm
http://www.horsejournals.com/BelleandSundance
We’re not all barbarians (like Betty Fuktard) up here in the Great White North.
Rescued mare leading town parade and looking like a million. A hallelujah moment.
So here is an article from HARPS in IL…
Abandoned horses, going to a rescue, who says she will have them put down if not adopted out…
FOALS!!!! And has a few horses that are personal horses listed as permanent residents…
We have commented on the article from IL horse online, that if she can afford to have them all
put down.. she could afford to feed them through the winter….
http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/09/08/r_xn5lpoqrmip2vbx_uxlqa/index.xml
Text in case of:
HARPS takes in 11 rescued horses
BARRINGTON HILLS – It likely will be hard to find a home for the filly who had her eye accidentally poked out.
Eleven horses were making their way to the Hooved Animal Rescue and Protection Society on Wednesday, and organization founder Donna Ewing said she was looking for homes for them.
This includes the filly, who appears to be faring well with only one eye.
There won’t be enough room for the horses this winter, and it’s possible that if they aren’t placed by winter, they may have to be euthanized, she said.
“Right now we’ve got a window of about two months where we can tolerate the outside weather,†Ewing said. “We need homes desperately.â€
An Indiana rodeo owner illegally brought the horses into Illinois after he lost his job and no longer was able to provide for them, Ewing said.
He took the horses to an empty farm in Crete that had been up for sale, but the farm’s out-of-town owner found out that the horses were on his land and said they had to be removed, Ewing said.
“They were just going to be abandoned there,†she said. “He had no money to feed them.â€
For the past two months, a HARPS investigator has been caring for the horses before they could be transferred to the Barrington Hills facility.
But HARPS already is at capacity with more than 40 animals, Ewing said. That includes some horses seized in January from a Hebron farm.
“We’re at the point where I absolutely cannot take one more animal, or we won’t be able to take care of them,†Ewing said.
Some of the horses from Indiana had been broodmares, she said.
“He was breeding them,†Ewing said. “People have got to stop breeding horses. There’s too many now.â€
Aside from being too thin, the horses appear to be healthy and have gained weight in HARPS’ care, Ewing said.
She said she would give the horses away for free – but only to a good home with owners who know how to properly care for horses.
“They’re a little bit on the wild side, but they’ve been handled and will require people who are knowledgeable horse people,†Ewing said.
(FHOTD in: search Ewing on this blog and you’ll probably find earlier discussion. I didn’t like her when she was with her previous group and I don’t like her now.)
Off Topic, but someone needs to go get these two horses.. starting to get cold up here and no way will that 2nd horse make it through winter in that condition…..I can help with hay, blankets and transport if someone can take them home!
http://alaskaslist.com/1/posts/14_Farm_Garden/80_Horses/123741_Quarter_Horse_Mare_amp_Canadian_Mtn_Gelding.html
OMG those horses and kids need rescuing, the 4 year old boy’s got the reins wound his NECK in that last picture!!!.those horses look like the kindest souls. Can any of this be reported, emailed to the local SPCA????
I saw that. Are you the one worried about them on Craigslist?
They are very skinny, but I am hoping someone goes and gets them before the owner gets their knickers in a twist.
Also, WHAT THE HELL IS IT WITH THESE PEOPLE AND NO HELMETS FOR KIDS!!!
I want to call Animal Control and Child Protective Services – criminey…
The only governing entity in the Kenai area for equines is Alaska State Troopers, no spca for equine in Alaska at all, and no animal control in that area that is capable (or has the knowledge!) for horses…. But Alaska Equine Rescue has been notified (all they can do is offer assistance and/or a home). And no, that was not me on Craigs List… but I have networked and found a great spot for these two to go, its just a matter of either convincing the gentleman to give them to her or wait him out. He has admitted he cannot afford to keep them (*CLEARLY!) and I wonder how much of his posting these pics is a cry for help or a trying to pull pity strings for $. We really need to get our laws changed up here for cruelty to animals, this is ridiculous! Even if the Troopers show up, he can say anything he wants to explain their condition to get out of it. Sad…. I am thankful thoe that he posted the pics, or however else would we even know they needed help!?
Another CL posting to look at: Training Barn in VA Starves Horse -
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/grd/1952520520.html
Bad name for a stable…. I do not know the legitimacy of this claim, but better to be safe than sorry. Granted, it seems as though the owner did not go check on their horse during those 30 days. How many times have we talked about that no-brainer issue?
OT – remember the mini starved in the pandhandle of Fla? Here’s an update article. http://www.waltonsun.com/news/day-5469-champ-court.html
Hay, just a note. I’ve been running a rescue/sanctuary for older managebly disabled horses in Southern California for 16 years. I’ve gone to ABR twice, and both times was greeted with hostility and criticism. The second time, I hid behind a volunteer, as they’d been so awful to me the first time. And they were rude to her too! I have a couple of people from that Board who have helped and even sponsored a horse here, but they’re always quiet, concerned and I suspect they actually check out who they donate to. Otherwise, the Board as a whole treated me like hell, just for asking for support. Watching them support one scam artist after another, and be so “shocked” to find their money did no good for the horses has always partly amused, and partly enraged me. Its hard to know what they want, but apparently, lots of ass kissing and willingness to take a beating …. and I’m not willing to do either. Have felt guilty for that – thought if I could take the crap, I know the horses here would benefit from donations, but ….This is hard enough without having donors who require me to drop to my knees for some help.
” … hard to know what they [ABR] want, but apparently, lots of ass kissing and willingness to take a beating … ”
My experience was that the nameless and faceless but leaders of the message posters were full of “generous heart” and empty where it really mattered (common sense, trust-but-verify) and now that they’ve had their fingers burned and bank accounts emptied again and again, everyone is suspect. You don’t go along with them (in whatever vein they are traveling), you aren’t allowed.
We are seeing that in national politics today, too, with the old guard being threatened in BOTH parties and throughout Congress because the “do as I say, don’t bother me, you peasant” attitude has finally reached the breaking point of “the peasants.”
Used to be there were hundreds and HUNDREDS of posts to ABR’s message boards daily. Now there might be 50, and that’s when traffic is heavy. Too bad, but Alex Brown monitors things and he’s the boss of his board. THIS “peasant” left the board and hasn’t looked back (other than to see what’s up when ABR is mentioned here).
I am in complete agreement with you that it was ridiculous for the latest rescue failure to have happened. There is no excuse for getting in over your head that badly. There is obviously a mental health issue with people who continue to try to rescue animals after they can no longer take care of the ones they already have.
However, I feel that it is unfair for you to label the ABR forum as a place for “drama queens” to spike their adrenalin by sending money to rescues or emergency slaughter saves. ABR has done a great amount of good for a lot of horses individually and for legitimate rescues. Just because a rescue has emergencies or asks for help does not mean that it is not a good rescue. The most conservative of us at times has a need for assistance. There are times when a leap of faith to save an individual that tugs at your heart is o.k.
Some manageto become trainwrecks without ABR money
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/eagle-hill-equine-rescue-c204231.html?sort=datea&page=8
Wow. Just Wow.
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=255251&format=html
They didn’t even see or review ANY of the mountain of evidence. Didn’t hear a word about fraud, details, the fact that she was obtaining horses while others were dying – and going out of her way to do so. Nothing.
Here’s some of the evidence they didn’t bother to look at (previously unreleased – these were supposed to be evidence at the hearing):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairweather/sets/72157624868021341/with/5007013710/
District Prosecutor’s office:
Phone: 304-264-1971
Fax: 304-263-6092
The prosecutor on this case was Kimberley Crockett.