A skunk by any other name…still stinks!
Nov 02 2010
When I started getting urgent e-mails about the 62 Icelandics dumped at a feedlot in Yakima that had to be bailed out immediately because THE TRUCK WAS COMING, I just knew I’d heard that line before and the location was the same. My suspicions were confirmed when a friend called that oh-so-famous kill pen in Zillah, Washington and was told she could not buy a horse directly from the kill buyer because “he didn’t want to cut $am out.”
What do I tell you guys? A leopard does not change her spots, and our old friend $amantha Milbredt/Panayotopolus (I have no idea how bad I butchered that, it’s early and I just started drinking coffee) is back hard at work, begging for money online (this was posted on EVERY Craigslist all the way down the West coast) so that she can collect double and triple for horses, some of which will undoubtedly go back onto the truck at a later date or get shot because, fuck, she sure as hell is not gonna feed them at her expense. Call it CBER, call it Rebel’s Equine Feedlot Sales, call it Phantom Meadows, it doesn’t matter. It’s the same old partnership of $am and Chuck, sitting around drinking beer and plotting to divest every soft-hearted person with an Internet connection of their retirement savings. Chuck, not being the brightest crayon in the box, doesn’t even try to hide his business relationship with the Queen of All Faux Rescuing. And amazingly, the Internet is STILL full of people who haven’t heard the history, so let me provide it for you yet again:
Another previous blog on CBER.
Former CBER “wonderful” foster home – cruelty charges.
Now, I do not know who dumped 62 Icelandics but I am SURE someone in the Icelandic community does. I mean, they are Icelandics, not Quarter Horses. This is going to come out if it hasn’t already. I haven’t had time to read all the drama elsewhere on this topic. I am completely baffled at why this person did not try to place them privately rather than hand them off to a kill buyer. I am pretty darn sure I could find homes for 62 Icelandics, too. They are rare enough and people think they are cool enough that it would be kind of like saying, hey, who wants a Coach purse, we have a couple dozen extra?
I hear they’re all off the lot. Of course they are. Happy Halloween to $am. She must be laughing her ass off hysterically as she drives around in her NEW truck and trailer…that some of you kind-hearted folks who just don’t do your research are paying for. Think about that next time you send money to a rescue with no history, that you know nothing about, that sure as hell isn’t GFAS accredited. Hell, if you don’t care where your money goes, you can send it to me. I’d like a BMW. At least I’ll really buy a BMW with it, and I promise it will have a great home!
Remember Zoe, the very cute Arabian mare pictured in this blog entry? Her kid moved on to a Thoroughbred and her next home did not work out so she is once again available. Very nice teenaged, extremely pretty and sound Arabian mare that does drill, has been shown 4-H and rides on trails and the beach. Seattle area. E-mail Juliane for info. Adoption fee/contract applies – good home is most important! Great all-around kind of mare for a teen to do a lot of different stuff with. Papers went poof along the way but I’d bet a thousand bucks this mare is well bred and probably straight Egyptian. The picture shown today is a recent one – she’s in fabulous condition and ready to go!
151 comments to “A skunk by any other name…still stinks!”
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I thought there was a story last year about a bunch of Icelandics that ended up being surrendered. A ranch was caregiving for them and supposedly adopting them out. I can’t find anything to confirm this or details. Argh.
What is GFAS accredited?
http://www.sanctuaryfederation.org
Check it out – they started accrediting equine rescues a few years ago. It’s a slow process but once they get the GFAS seal of approval, you know for SURE they are NOT a scam, even if you are not local. It’s very, very hard to get through GFAS. You are evaluated for care, facilities AND finances.
I haven’t completely read up on CBER but if it’s anywhere near as bad as it sounds (and I’m sure it’s even worse) then UGH! Should really be fraud, but even if it is/was in some cases GL getting anything serious to stick.
BUT! I just had to comment to say Zoe is absolutely freaking gorgeous! Total Arab without having the over-typey head that gets to be a little too much for my taste a lot of the time. Sooooo glad I’m not in Seattle or I would be looking to board a horse right now XD I can totally tell she will make someone really really happy, and they will be really really lucky for it c:
Oh I want (wantwantwant) that mare. I have a soft spot for red arabs. What a cutie!! Wish I had room for one more…
http://36andsingle.blogspot.com/
There are five Icelandic breeders in Wa state, it was mentioned somewhere else that these horses were almost guaranteed to have been from out of state.
http://www.toltnews.com/farmsusa.html
I commented on the old thread. I got an alert the other day from a trusted (and all too trusting) rescuer who had no details, but sent out a paypal link believing that donations would keep them from slaughter. I thought, there’s no way I can send this to anyone without knowing more, so I tracked down her source, Valerie Young. I got a reply from someone named Samantha in Washington (macuser @ me . com). I said they sounded like a herd that was looking for homes in May – how could they have ended up in a feedlot? She said she didn’t know the history. I told my rescue friend to hold off on the donations, and I really want to know where the Iceys have been all summer .
POSTED ONLINE: NO IDEA WHETHER THIS IS ALL TRUTHFUL, BUT I’M SHARING!
From Darick, caretaker at Extreme Farms in Ellensburg:
It is with a heavy heart that i tell the club that my employer has made the biggest mistake of his life.after having some photos of the horses in Zillah sent to me I confronted him to find out that he had decided to donate some of our horses to a horse rescue unfortunately that horse rescue turns out to be Chuck Walkers sham of a rescue. I don’t know exactly what was going through my employers head when decided this I guess he thought he was doing a good thing for himself and the horses, Regardless of what he thought doesn’t exscuse him from whats happened
I have asked a couple of my contacts from back home about the rules and regs for slaughter according to them my employer has to sign off on paperwork and the horse must be a minimum of 800 lbs for the horses to cross the borders into Canada My employer has agreed not to sign the paperwork if brought to him. Most likely Chuck walker is using the threat of selling them to slaughter as a ploy to sell them quickly after doing a head count 48 of the horses are ours the remainder must be other horses chuck is trying to pass off as Icelandics
That was the first part of the bad news here is the second part after my heated discussion with the owner where many f bombs were dropped by myself. The owner wants to place an additional 50 head into new homes there will be no payment for them and he has agreed to do it over an extended period of time so as to help the horses in zillah get adopted first. and not put any more strain on the rescuers
As far as getting the horses in Zillah placed and registered i will help in any way possible They are chipped so i can can give info of the herd records, some of them were already registered those include Dagur Danna Hollur Thor i’ll send more specifics on what needs to happen to get them registered in another email since there are several hangups on that end
As for myself i will stay here only as long as it takes to get this next group adopted and then i’m calling it quits I have put three years of my life and $15,000 of my own money into this to try and keep something like this from happening and in the end i have a ruined reputation and horses in a farce of a rescue. I apologize to those people i have talked to about the events i was unaware that he had done this untill a few hours ago. To those who have spear headed the rescue my sincerest thank yous aleisha and will help in any way we can.
I googled Extreme Farms and came up with a place in Ellensburg, but it looks like it a a crop farm, not a horse farm.
http://trainingstarkayce.webs.com/forsale.htm I think this is it. 200 more head for sale.
OK, I did find an Extreme Farms registered with the United States Icelandic Horse Congress, where the regisitry was last updated Oct. 19, 2010. And there are a TON of breeders registered!
Since when do you “donate” horses to a rescue? I was under the impression you “surrendered” horses and “donated” money.
Well true but I certainly have heard of people using the term…as if they are doing the rescue a favor!
‘course if they gave $am the horses for free and she sold them for $400-$600 quickly, that would be quite the favor.
I was thinking that some of these horses simply do not look like Icelandics. I’m no expert on that breed, but some of them look like run-of-the-mill Shetlands. Maybe this is why their ad states that “some of them will act differently when you get them home?” In case you see them NOT gaiting?
LOLOLOLOL I didn’t know gaiting was BEHAVIORAL!
Nor did I! Maybe they don’t either, because it sure looks like they can’t read teeth either…that one “4 year old’ horse sure looks like a 2 1/2 year old mouth to me. How convenient to their business venture that all these horses didn’t come with papers, they can play the magic numbers game too if they want! If confronted about age, I’d bet they’d blame all those baby teeth on retained caps!
This is the ranch of which I was thinking. http://icelandicrehomingproject.blogspot.com/
I hope someone comes clean about the breeder who dumped these Icelandics!
That is a very reputable rescue and the horses are coming from Santa Barbara, CA area.
Yes, I didn’t mean to imply they might be at fault.
Their blog says the rehoming project was “doing well” in July, with adopters from several states. But why is a similar number of the same unusual breed the one I’m getting emails about needing donations now? I’m not blaming them either. I have little to go on. Did they get adopted and find themselves in trouble again? Did they get adopted to forever homes, but have their photos been used since as a ruse to get donations? Has anyone, ever, seen any of these horses?
There is no relationship. These situations are 1000 miles apart! Totally different Icey farms.
http://trainingstarkayce.webs.com/forsale.htm This Ellensburg, WA Icelandic farm has 200 head for sale. Extreme Farms Icelandics
Speaking of repeat offenders. Update, finally, on Bruno Schickedanz and his appeal to the Ontario Racing Commission after the death of Wake At Noon at Woodbine Racetrack which you covered in an earlier blog. Very intersting reading.
http://www.ontarioracingcommission.ca/uploadedFiles/2010%20COM%20TB%20020%20SCHICKEDANZ%20Bruno.pdf
AND HE DIDN’T WIN HIS APPEAL. Yahooo.
Rumour has it that he is a topic of discussion at tracks north and south of the border, as far south as Florida. Wouldn’t it be lovely if Woodbine Entertainment Groups’ (WEG) ban plays forward to other tracks who value their reputation in the public eye. Are you listening Mountainer !!!! You don’t have to keep your reputation as a last resort track before the knackers.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting about these Icelandics on your site. You would not believe how many lists have had the info about them needing to be “saved from slaughter” posted– often by innocent and gullible people. I feel I can use those words because I was once one of the innocent and gullible that donated to save a CBER horse.
I believe now that “Fugly” is on the case, “the truth will out!” I thought that Islandics were supposed to be “rare” in the USA. I can’t imagine 62 being dumped followed by 50 — all apparently from the same place– and all ending up with $am and Chuck. AND no one within the Icelandic community has come forward to explain how this has happened????
Since icelandics are a more wanted breed. Would Sam or Chuck have negoiated a cheap price with the breeder and bought the horses themselves. So they can then say they are going to slaughter to rake in a large profit?
Sure. That would be par for the course!
WAIT a minute! Did you notice that Darick used the word DONATE??!! Maybe the breeder GAVE them the horses, thinking they were a rescue! ARGHHHHHHH! I am so pissed! I am sure Chuck & Sam had NO intention of sending them to slaughter! They just struck it rich!! This is the biggest scam yet to come out of Zillah!
That sounds like exactly what happened. It sounds like the breeder did not a get a cent.
Another $cam from $am. What do you want to bet done under Phantom Meadows’ 501(c)3???
Although Phantom Meadows puts much emphasis on being a ‘non-profit corporation’ (it is actually part of their name on facebook) that is state non profit status only. They do not have a 501c3-federal non profit status. Just workin’ the non profit angle. I bet their donors will be surprised when they cannot deduct their contributions…how cber-like.
Good catch. I thought I’d seen them claim they were exempt!
Anyone with $30 can form a non-profit corporation in Washington state. It means nothing. For another $20 you can become a registered charity in WA, something that Phantom Meadow has apparently not bothered to do. But again, that means nothing. Donations to that organization are not tax deductible.
Redflower I did see that word ‘Donate’… and it would not shock me if the owner/breeder gave these animals to these people thinking they would be safe. We heard that story from other people in the past- that they gave horses to Chuck or Sam told them the only way the animal could go into the rescue was if it hit Chucks resale lot first… then they tack a nice price on the horse that they got for free, and multiply that by the number of horses, and Shazam! You have quite a nice setup! Not to mention all the items the donors coughed up $$ to buy the rescue- fencing panels, truck, trailer, sheds,…. and then you make each ‘adopter’ QT their animal with your farm at a nice board rate… you got ‘em coming and going.
I mean seriously people, if you were GIVING AWAY your large herd of horses (equating to a large sum of money) wouldn’t you first do some due diligence?? How hard is that?? I just don’t get it!!
If you are giving away a breed like this, that is less common, listing them online with breed groups etc. would make the most sense to do first… If people are tripping over themselves to get them from Chuck, would they not be interested in them direct from the breeder? I mean, yes I get that the ‘Truck is coming’ cry does tend to get more attention, but again a less common breed like this has devotees. Makes sense to contact them first.
The owner of Twin Cedars farm in Grapeview is a friend of mine. I knew her long before she even got into Icelandics. She would NEVER be in on the dumping of these horses! She breeds carefully and on a small scale and from what I can tell her horses are practically sold before they hit the ground. I hope none of those poor horses were from her farm originally. So, I can vouch for her…..
I second the “vouch for” re: Dawn Shaw in Grapeview. She is helping to sort out the mess, not causing it.
I live in Oregon and in Washington County (Western). There are some horses, I think 5 or 6, that have been put on maybe an acre lot. A couple of them look to be older. I drive by them everyday as they are right off of the highway. I have seen them all drop around 50 lbs since they have eaten the lot down to little green stubble. I never see them being fed and its hard to tell, but it doesn’t look like hay is being thrown out for them. So, who do I need to contact to have them keep an eye out? City State Police humane society? What is the first steps to notify someone?
I grew up in Hillsboro… where are they exactly? I might know who they belong to…
http://36andsingle.blogspot.com/
These horses wouldn’t happen to be off of Highway 47 in Forest Grove, would they? There’s about 5 horses in a small lot that are looking ribby lately. If it’s somewhere else, let me know. I”d be willing to go check it out and take pictures.
You can contact Washington County Animal Services. The number is 503-846-7041, and this is their website: http://www.co.washington.or.us/HHS/AnimalServices/AnimalControl/
Megan those are exactly the ones. I saw them when they were first put on there and it is obviously not enough room for one horse to be on let alone 5-7. They were in good shape when they first arrived but your right they are ribby and their toplines are dropping pretty quick. That is why I am thinking they are not getting any or not much supplement feed besides the field.
I guess I will start with the Washington County Animal Control.
First step would be to drive up and ask about them, some people need quiet education on winter care, or maybe they dont know that horses teeth need floating. If you cant get a calm answer from them, then i would contact your local humane society, if there isnt one, then the sheriff’s department. But do keep in mind that police are not trained in agricultural livestock so may not take action at all. I have seen this happen alot in rural communities without a hooved animal protection agency. But if it was me, i would stop and just ask about the horses. You dont have to accuse them of not feeding, just say you have been driving by all summer and noticed the horses, go up and see them, then say innocently, hmmm how come this one and this one look a little thin, if they get irate leave and contact the authorities, but there may be something going on where they dont need the added problem of humane society breathing down thier neck. I had a horse with ulcers that didnt effect him until late fall, every fall he would drop 200lbs, spring right back up, it was documented medically and treated but never got better. But i know from experience that its never fun to deal with allogations that arent true and nobody bothered to ask me first.
I reported a horse neglect case in Washington county 2 years ago. I contacted the sheriff via e-mail (can’t find the addy, but the phone # is (503) 846-2700), and he referred me to Corporal Mark Trost (mark_trost@co.washington.or.us). Cpl. Trost included Animal Control Officer Kent Rohweder (kent_rohweder@co.washington.or.us) when he accompanied me to the place.
Don’t get your hopes up, though. There were 7 unhandled horses on the place: two mares, two long yearling fillies, and a stallion in one pen, and two colts (3 and 4 yrs old) in another. The fillies were skin and bones, one of the mares and both colts were thin, but one mare and the stallion were in good shape.
So they all weren’t horrible, so there was nothing wrong there. Grrrrr!
It was September, and there were about 20-30 bales of STRAW in the barn. That was what they were being fed.
I was frustrated. I bought one of the fillies to get her out of there. Estimated weight 450#, and at 18 months (teeth agree with reported age) she looked about 9 months old. She was not only skinny, but anemic, and she had dependent edema (very low protein levels cause that). She was packed with worms. I was surprised when I first saw her trot – six weeks and at least 50# later. It hadn’t occurred to me until then how weak and lacking energy she was.
She’s now ~950#, and on plain valley grass hay, it’s hard to keep her from growing too fast and wrecking her legs (DDF contracture started on the right, but was caught before it became a problem). She’s not going to be started under saddle until she’s at least four because of her delayed growth.
Anyhow, personal experience says they’re not very helpful in Washington County. I did check back after a very cold snap that same year, and the Cpl said that he drove by and “things looked fine”.
I’d suggest emailing animal_services@co.washington.or.us. The horses have received at least some help with the 3 cases of horse neglect that I’ve reported using that method. I think it does seem to help if you can demonstrate that you are at least a somewhat knowledgeable horse person when you contact AC. For one of the cases I reported the owner has since provided a minimal shelter for the horse and he is holding his weight much better now since he doesn’t spend all winter soaking wet and without even a windbreak. For one of the others the owner significantly reduced the number of horses they had within a relatively short time of AC contacting them and since then the remaining horses all seem to be in decent shape. The third case had apparently been ongoing long before I contacted them and it sounds like the owners keep making the improvements required and then start backsliding.
Cute mare. You bet the picture is recent. It was obviously taken at the public arena near my house that does NOT allow horses to be turned out loose in. Grrrr. ( sorry, rant over) I do hope they find a good home for her, though.
What about Alfasaga Farms in Centerville, WA: “Beautiful Icelandic Horses, domestic and imports for sale.”
Is it possible to find out from the mare’s DNA who she really is since the AHA requires DNA samples from both parents for registering a purebred? Anyway she’s pretty and it’s a shame the kid didn’t keep her because she wanted the next bigger and better thing.
I was wondering that myself!
I would LOVE to see this mare get her history back.
And well, you know how it goes. People do tend to progress in competition and go to more competitive horses. She has never been in need or mistreated since her original rescue – she’s just in need of a new home now.
I did a quick DataSource search – there were 800 (!) chestnut mares born between 1990 and 2000 owned by people in Washington state. Quite a pile to go through one at a time, but I’ll bet she’s in there somewhere. I did try to limit by straight egyptian and there is not a match. Also tried to search on all mares with “Z” in their name with same date range and WA state and got around 80 or so and didn’t have the time to go through them all. Again, with patience, lots of patience, you could probably find her.
I so, so, SO wish AHA would let you search on markings. It would not be exact, but at least you could narrow the field down some.
I don’t know whether AHA can ID horses by DNA alone. This seems to vary from registry to registry. A phone call to them would clear that up.
She is a very nice looking horse!
Midcrest Arabians is just FAMOUS for dumping horses without papers so I would say the odds are very good she’s from there.
Fugly, Midcrest must be registering their horses under a different name. Do you have a last name for them? Or a horse that they own that I can go look up?
There is a Midcrest in Enumclaw — but they only have had a handful of horses registered to them (as part of a partnership with a doctor from Utah.
Yes, it’s the Midcrest in Enumclaw. Of course they do not have many registered – they only register the best ones! They have BLATANTLY dumped their culls on CL with no papers for $100 or $200 this year.
Do they ever dump their horses at the Sales Pavilion?
I think it is very natural for youth to grow out of a certain horse…often physically they have become too tall/ large for the smaller horses and also their skills/interest grow beyond the abilities of the horse. I wouldn’t judge that owner at all for moving on.
That’s my feeling on it. Rehoming horses isn’t bad, per se. It’s all about how you do it. This mare’s never been in any jeopardy and as you can see, her condition is fabulous.
Interesting scam. Hey you know I think I’ll run an automotive rescue. You can donate fuel, parts, time, autos, etc. I’ll check to make sure they are automobiles still and if you don’t pay me $$$ for that early 60′s chevy someone ‘donated’ I’ll sell it for scrap.
I don’t know I could not do something like that. That is why I am not preaching on the TV and asking for your life’s savings.
I know if I was a feed lot operator I would not be cutting someone in for any money unless the person buying used that person’s name as a contact. The other thing is that I would be only sending horses that people honestly did not want anymore.
I found out about a gal who picks up free horses that people are dumping and gives them a chance for rehab if injured a riding/working test if no signs of injury and works with them for about 6 weeks (sometimes longer if it was an injury that took longer to heal) to see if they can make someone happy. She will sell them if she thinks they will workout for someone and IF they will not work out, then she takes them up to the game farm as lion food and gets a 500 dollar tax write off for each horse. IF you find yourself doing this with your horse please be as kind as you can and put some Vicks Vapor Rub on the horse’s nose BEFORE you get them near the game farm.
I will keep in mind people like this Sam lady person. I did try to web search her and found that CBER thing that has been posted here. It sounded kinda hokey to me and I will stick to local rescues that I can see, touch, feel, smell, and spend some time with the horses there.
Have we figured out what really has happened… If they are indeed Icelandics? This is really scary to hear!!
I don’t know I could not do something like that. I know I could not do something like that.
The Icelandic community is busy working together to get the horses safe. Yes, we are aware of what has been posted here about CBER & all of the other names, but none of that really makes a difference at this point now, does it?
The horses appear to be with those people at this time & if that is who has them, then that is who needs to be dealt with to get the horses. It isn’t about us being “dumbasses” or enablers, or anything else one would wish to call us. It is about stepping up for our breed & doing what we can.
None of the horses came from Lone Cedar in Grapeview. The woman who owns that farm is doing her best to help these horses out, along with other Icelandic breeders in North America.
If you want to pay the ransom and get the horses to safety, fine. But if you run around believing she is a rescuer and truly wants to help the horses, and that’s why you give her the money, THEN you are a dumbass.
Go around $cam and Chuck and go direct to the breeder who’s manager says they have 50-80 more to disperse.
Why give Chuck $$ for horses he got for free? Why give $cam a cut of that either?
There are hundreds of horses I can and do help out so with these horse or ponies being affiliated with Sam, Phantom or CBER will not get my hard earned dollar. So it does make a difference who has the ponies or where they are. I think I’ll put my money where it can do some good for the horse and not line the pockets of the greedy. Same shit , different day
Princess-you are a freaking PUBLIC SERVICE! Fucking outrageous that $am is still going strong. It is unfathomable to me.
So how does one go about fraudulently taking people’s money (which is illegal) and getting away with it repeatedly (which is pathetic)? I do this weird messed up thing called “working” about 40 hours a week so I can have some money and I’d really like to find a way to use the internet to get out of it. A Nigerian Prince e-mailed me and told me he was a billionaire and if I helped him get his money he’d give me a cut of it, then someone else called and told me if I gave them my social security number it would be put into a lottery and drawn. Then I got the letter in the mail that I won a foreign lottery (it was so awesome, I didn’t realize I was even playing!). Unfortunately none of it worked out because I had to have money up front and no one wanted to take the transfer fees and costs out of my winnings.
Ever since Wall Street imploded apparently the government is “frowning” on people being allowed a mortgage that can’t afford it at ridiculous rates – so that dream job is out. Working is getting kind of old so I’d like to know the best way to scam people out of their money using the internet. I have a two-year-old Warmblood that I really want to spend more time doing groundwork with and workin’ for the man is cutting into my play time.
Thanks!
(p.s.- I know there’s no inflection in text but the sarcasm in there should have been thick enough to cut)
You have to be a wonderful con artist. I’ve never met $am but everybody assures me that if I met her, and knew nothing about her, I’d like her. She charms everybody. It wears off of course, but who cares? On to the next sucker…
People like that always do! It is what they do in the shadows that is crazy, crazy!
‘Tis true. I met her and I liked her. I loved her dogs. I was envious of her amazing horse trailer….
Katie, however, did NOT like her. When she went to pick up Chanel, a bunch of Chanel’s bail was already paid by people on the BB, but $am tried to charge Katie for the full price, anyway, and Katie had to argue with her about it.
I am a little unclear on what the allegations are about Samantha, but I don’t see any facts posted so I have to take them with a grain of salt. I’m seeing an angry mob forming. I also have to be wary before donating to an organization I can’t check out myself. So I guess I’ll pass on the information with the advice to consider adoption or foster care after doing some research since I can’t vouch for a rescue I don’t know enough about.
You have to read all of the old posts to get the whole pictures. Sam has been scamming people for years and years and years. Many, many, MANY incidents. If it ever went to court I can think of 50 people who’d testify, without even trying.
Right, there are facts out there, and firsthand accounts of people scammed and horses not only not helped but loaded up to ship to slaughter thanks to this … person [I use that term loosely].
X has the Sonya story, there’s the story of Hamlet who volunteers admitted was on the lot for weeks with a broken leg before it dawned on them that they could post that he need help, and watch the dollars roll in to buy him, euth him, and remove the body… all things the owner of the sales lot could/should have shouldered, and can write off his taxes as a business expense- HELLO. The Arab mares who were shot rather than be fed through the winter. The injured horses that Chuck got returned from Florence Packing that these compassionate animal saviors ignored.
These people are laughing all the way to the bank, as they say.
So, I have to ask, why is it not going to court?
Someone would have to sue…no one has.
Oh, and it bears noting that $am likes to make legal threats to people who talk about her shit, so that has scared off a bunch of people. She has had letters sent, etc.
As y’all know, I don’t scare.
So, if you know of at least 50 people who would testify, why are we not raising money to bring a court action?
Someone has to spearhead it. Can’t be me. I can’t prove well enough that I got screwed – I got a $525 mare from them that turned out to be mostly blind but I screwed up much of a chance to argue I lost money by riding her successfully for quite some time. And you wouldn’t bring a court action for that by yourself. This really would have to be a class action and class actions are VERY difficult to coordinate with people in different places, people who don’t respond to deadlines, etc. $am knows the legal system well…you can tell she’s made sure it’s not EASY to go after her.
Not to mention getting people to stand up and say “I was had by a con artist”. Most people feel so stupid and ashamed that they’d just rather suck it up and live with it than supposedly humiliate themselves by broadcasting to the world that someone was able to lie to them and get money from them.
I’ve had it done, a friend of mine had it done. I was lucky enough to get my money back but it was only after two months of relentless nagging and finally telling the woman I was going to call the cops AND the media. Magically she suddenly had all my money to give back because if she was outed she’d lose the rest of her racket. Most people won’t do that, and I was lucky that she didn’t just vanish off the face of the earth.
“don’t see any facts posted”?
Oh my –
A quick goggle of any of the names mentioned (sam, CBER etc) should tell you far more than you’ll ever want to know, and most of them will NOT be from this site.
Okay Lucky 66- Here’s an example. If I remember correctly in Feb of 2006 or 07 I sent in money to rescue a horse described as an aged TWH mare from the Yakama lot owned by Chuck, I believe. I made a donation via paypal so I had the paypal receipt. I just made a donation toward the original $550 “bail” that was being asked. Then at the urging of a CEBER “placement or adoption specialist” I posted about this mare needing help on all of the horse boards and lists to which I belonged. Several of my internet contacts and friends also emailed me to say they had made donations of varying amounts.
Fund raising went of for a few days. Then I noticed that the cost of “saving” Yazu as she was called was now quoted at $750. Then I was contacted by another person who identified herself as a CBER representative who said that another CBER suporter was willing to put up the final $500 needed by the next day (Friday- “The truck is coming” day) if I would agree to pay her back. I agreed. I got one email from someone purporting to be that person who sent me an address in California to send my payments to.
Then I got a phone call from a woman who identified herself as Sam Millibrant- whatever- president at CBER. She told me that the California donor had decided for me to just send the payments for the $500 I owed her directly to CBER in care of Sam instead because she had decided to give CBER that money as well so they could save more horses!!
The person who identified herself as $am told me to just send postal money orders as payment to an address– which later I found out really was one of the addresses used by $am. I was told to make the MO out to Sam because she would be depositing them to CBER’s account. I was also told to make the memo to payment CBER on YAZU acct.
Meanwhile I told $AM that I was interested in applying to adopt Yazu myself. I was told to fill out the adoption application online- and attach pictures of my pastures and provide references, etc. Then, I was contacted by an “adoption specialist” who told me Yazu had already been adopted by a wonderful lady in Oregon who was going to use her for light trail riding– she was supposed to be around 20, after all.
Sometime ater I was contacted by the California lady who wondered why I wasn’t trying to pay her back. I explained everything– She told me she had been a big CBER supporter and that she had found out that Yazu had not gone to a good home. Yazu ahd ended up with yet another rescue, but this lady had gone and gotten Yazu herself from that rescue. This was almost a year or more after I had made those “loan” payments that had allegedly been assigned by her to CBER. We thought we had $am dead to rights, but I could not find the MO receipts I had kept on the two payments I had made. I had not intended to try to get a tax deduction, and just could not put my hands on them more than a year later– I’m not the world’s best paper-pusher.
I was even put in touch with yet another woman who said she was the treasurer for CBER and that no such payments or money orders had passed through CBER’s accounts. In the end, the California lady told me not to worry about repaying the money to her because she had ended up with the horse and was making sure she had a good home for life.
If only I could have put my hands on those receipts– I, along with this other lady, would have reported $am to the USPS for scamming us. Meanwhile, my California friend said she had been raked over the coals by CBER supporters for her role in all of this and for “doubting $am’s word and honesty. We exchanged emails about Yazu and our horses for awhile, but lost touch.
So there- that’s MY experience with CBER – my own personal experience- not some friend-of-a-friend story. I did donate a few small amounts to AC4H just $10 here and there– BUt, well read about that “rescue” and its founder’s relationship with a KB. Twice bit is enough for me. I now only donate to rescues that I can see, visit, smell, and check out for myself.
OMG!!
I get it – I have read enough accounts of bad experiences with CBER or Samantha or Chuck to make me not immediately forward requests for donations to all my buddies. Just like anytime to you get something forwarded from a naive relative that says “an innocent child is missing – pass this on if you care about innocent children!” I meant no disrespect to the blogger’s friend with the actual missing child, I am just referring to the usual hoaxes. It does look like a money-making operation, not a rescue. I don’t think a for-profit business should have any reason to say it’s anything else. Nothing wrong with being a business, unless you’re a shady business.
But my friend who sent this to me is convinced this person is spending donations to rescue and rehab horses, and if she gets them from a kill buyer, well, so have many decent rescuers. Her price for adoption (or sale) and QT has raised a few flags but not many because they are (allegedly) an expensive breed. I can’t promote donating to an organization without knowing where the money’s going, but I can’t stop my friend from doing it when nobody has taken this person to court or documented something specific and illegal. Writing your experiences in detail is good documentation, but it doesn’t sway people who will believe the person or organization is honorable until they see some real dirt on the news or other public record.
Geez, I can think of at least four homes right off the top of my head for a broke Icelandic. It grinds my teeth that $cam, I mean $am and Chuck are making hand over fist with this, and that people are still falling for their crap. GRRRR….
I’m trying to remain calm cause this is not helping my concussion, so I’ll comment on the lovely Zoe. She has the same color and almost the exact same markings as my first horse, also an Arabian. I wish she could be mine, but that will not happen, so I hope someone really nice takes her home.
OT Horse Humor Moment:
The doctor examining my x-rays told me that at some time one of my sesamoid bones had been broken in half.
“Good thing I’m not a horse!” I say.
And he looked at me like I was WEIRD….
You’d think they’d have some understanding of comparative anatomy…but guess not. I have my own similar story — when I broke my navicular bone in my left foot, it was news to me that humans also had those, so my first reaction was a big chortle — and of course, they did look at me as if I were weird.
Just thought I would point out the first blog for lovely Zoe: http://fuglyblog.com/?p=373
Even though she is of decent weight in the “before” picture, she looks WAY better in the “after” picture!!
Yes! That mare is just so freaking CUTE.
long-time reader, first-time poster …
I am always amazed in reading your blog how many crooked rescues there are out there. I recently relocated to DC and would love to get involved with a rescue, but I know very few people in the horse community here. It would be wonderful to have a master list of reputable rescues (*hint hint* — another project for all your free time!), but in lieu of that, I would love to hear readers’ input on which rescues are legitimate and which are the CBERs.
Check out Traveller’s Rest in Spotsylvania. Although it’s about 50 miles south of DC is a great place.
Two recommendations:
I have heard good things about Days End Farm, although I have never been there. They tend to be the ones left dealing with the VERY bad situations…you know, the fifty plus racks of bones and the like.
You could also contact Home Again Horse Rescue, which is run by my trainer. She’s moving to a new (better, larger) property some time early in 2011 and I know she could use some help there. I can’t get out to her actual property easily to help.
Days End is a great rescue. Every once in a while they take shit for euthing some, but hell, so do I. I worry more about people that NEVER euth ANYTHING.
There are two excellent one’s I can think of off the top of my head in Maryland.
Day End Farm Equine Rescue – very, very well respected. They are currently seeking volunteers to help with the seven horses they took from the HMER implosion.
Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue – great if you like the big ones like me. They put a lot of training into their horses and run a nice program.
I agree with your two recommendations. Also, Mid-Atlantic Horse Rescue, which advertises here (look at the bottom banner, they have it every 4th blog), if you’re looking for a good racehorse rescue.
Gentle Giants is another excellent local rescue http://www.gentlegiantsdrafthorserescue.com/
I have fostered for them, and recommended people to them for horses. Honest, dedicated, and financially sound.
thanks so much! I will definitely be checking those out. I knew you guys would have the answer
If you’re ever in the southwest, there is a great rescue called Walkin In Circles in New Mexico. I volunteer there occasionally. All of the horses are well taken care of, and the property is well maintained and always being updated for the safety and comfort of the animals.
From what I knew Phantom Meadows the rescue they went to was an actual rescue… though I had some bad experience with it. I once worked for the lady who ran it and when I found that one of her friends was abusing animals they fired me. So are you saying that they are just using the horses to get money when they ask for “donations”?
My suspicion is that they are using Phantom Meadows’ 501(c)3 to solicit funds for CBER, which lost its 501, and/or Rebel’s which is CBER anyway, and never HAD one.
Have y’all seen this?
http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1618831
Apparently having a Breyer model made from you isn’t good enough to rate pasture board for retirement… they’re dumping her online…
OMG. Who owns her? And how could they even Think of doing this? Do they know what happens to free horses in FL.?
That is just sad!
What a bunch of AssHats! I’d give the ol’ gal a retirement home right now if we weren’t on complete opposite sides of the continent.
Unbelievable!!!! How awful can people be?!?!
I’ll NEVER get rid of my 24 year old retired show mare who isn’t sound to ride anymore. She MORE than paid her dues to me…and we never made it anywhere close to the levels of this old girl! Besides that – she is my friend!!! The least I can do is keep her comfortable and happy for as long as possible…
I’m kind of willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt that some horrible event happened in their life and they can’t afford the $300 for retirement board. That said, there’s a big difference between quietly finding a local person you trust to give a horse a home and putting them on Dreamhorse for free. I guess it’s better than craigslist but it’s stil disgusting. She was my favorite model too… I’d always wanted to drive a carriage. If I was in the South I would take her home in a heartbeat. Wonder when the injury happened too. Might give the owners some credibility if she’s had it for a while. If they’re dumping her because of it then there’s asshats, no way around it.
That’s so horribly sad!
The Dreamhorse post is gone now, what kind of horse was it?
Sometimes I wish I had my own property, so I could take on a horse or two that needed it… of course, knowing me, I’d end up with 20 of them and not able to afford them (epitome of good intentions gone bad…lol).
I didn’t even realize there were so many Icelandics in America that someone could have 62 of them to drop off at the killers. Poor guys.
http://www.kshai1715.wordpress.com
A Barrel Horse Learns to Jump
I didn’t either. But there you go. It’s like Gypsy Vanners. I’m just WAITING for a huge breeder trainwreck involving those.
Whatever gets trendy is, ultimately, fucked. Look at all the Dalmatians in the shelters after that damn Disney movie. Or the Chi’s in need, thank you Paris Hilton. Paris likes to say she’s such an animal lover – you know, the time to speak out very publicly about how dogs are a HUGE responsibility, a LIFETIME responsibility, was when she first started carrying one around. Go up to Bakersfield shelter and you can see 50 or 60 of them waiting to die. It’s sick.
And you know what? When that happens I will be getting a fluffy new pony!
I know washington has a few breeders already… I’m just biding my time… lol
When we were looking for a new driving pony for my husband, I considered a Vanner – something different and pretty…. so I shopped around a little and sorry to say, all I found were PIECES OF S*** with NO training for $10,000 or more (like I have that kind of money anyway). I found weanlings for $15,000 from unproven mares or studs, 2 and 3 year old for $10,000-$17,000 with zero % training. One of them was $13,000 3 year old and barely knew how to lead and couldn’t pick up his feet. I found a few 7-10 year olds, but none of them were sufficiently broke to drive and were still all priced higher than $10,000. I found a lot of Back yard Vanner breeders. Didn’t realize how rampant that particular “infection” really was. Utterly awful.
My husband was a advanced beginner at the time, and I didn’t want him to end up with a total training project because he needed to learn confidently. He needed more of a challenge, but not a trainwreck. It was really disappointing to see that it seems like Vanners are only priced so high because they’re fluffy and pretty. The only decent one I found was $35,000. Ridiculous.
We ended up buying a hackney pony for him for $600 and it was the best decision ever, lol!
He’s been a fantastic pony for us for 4 years now. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0APE3MYApho
http://www.kshai1715.wordpress.com
A Barrel Horse Learns to Jump
I just did my quickie morning skim of Seattle Craigslist horses, and saw a suspicious ad. I’ve seen CBER ads on Craigslist and even fell for one a couple years ago – figured out it was a scam when the pressure was turned on after I contacted them. So, today, I googled the phone number in the ad – 509-952-3866. YUP, it’s CBER/Phantom/Rebels/Sam etc. They are slick as Teflon. From the Phantom Meadows Facebook page it sounds like donations are pouring in. At least someone is rolling in cash in this economy. Maybe the name should be Sucker Farms.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Phantom-Meadow-Equine-A-Nonprofit-Corporation/103659559675355
Oh hell yes. I mean, come on, $am hasn’t even MOVED. Same address, same everything.
Do a little research, people.
Wait… The last time I saw $am was in a much BIGGER chair. She must have moved. Her butt was about to explode.
With her credit history and pick of molesting boyfriends, who’s going to rent a trailer to her? Even in Yakima landlords do credit & background checks.
Zoe is gorgeous… i’m a little bit blown away. I’d love nothing better than to bring her home to me. Unfortunatly I live in England. She looks just like a bigger version of my old pony though
Does anyone know what happened to the first round of Icelandics from back in May? It can’t possibly be a different group, can it?
Yes, it is a completely different group. The first group are fine, to the best of my knowledge. Falcon Ridge took over that dispersal, and they are reputable, and geld everything HOORAY.
OT, a little… Can anyone tell me anything about a rescue in Norco, California called Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue? Here is the link: http://www.sctbrescue.org/
I don’t want to pursue anything with them until I get some feedback from Fugly and the knowledgeable followers of this blog.
I have never heard a single negative word about them!
Wow! That was fast! Thank you. Their website looks great, but I know that’s an easy thing to fake.
because they also rock!
Southern California Thoroughbred Rescue is a great group. I help them out when I can- totally on the up and up. I would also recommend in So Cal- United Pegusus and TIER. All three are active rescue groups- so even if they may or may not be able to take in a horse, they are still out there looking for homes and helping owners/horses in need.
I have been sponsoring a mare for them for @ a year, and also know one person who adopted a horse from them recently, and have had/heard nothing but positive experiences. They actually have a rehab facility, and also have their adoptable horses at a second place–Norco is just the mail address. Check their website for details.
Even though they are not taking in new horses currently, (because they know their limits–imagine that!) SCTR volunteers still regularly attend auctions to track and network for OTTBs who end up there. The group has also been successful in receiving grants from most of the major animal welfare groups, as well as the racing industry’s charities.
The mare I sponsor for them was in terrible shape when they found her at auction; severely underweight, terrified, covered with fresh saddle sores and welts which suggested she had recently been beaten. Even though she was out of racing for years, SCTR took her in, and rehabbed her. If it weren’t for her distinctive blaze, she is now unrecognizable from those auction photos last year–now, she’s plump, relaxed, and has golden dapples in her coat. I am happy with how they spend my donations.
Digging in a little deeper on Phantom Meadows…
Board members Cynthia (Cindy) Dolowy- Rescue registered to 346 Twin Oaks Rd Chahalis, WA 98532 for all you google maps peeps out there. Assessors map shows she owns the triangular shaped lot behind the lot that sits next to the road. Doesn’t look setup for horse rescue, not sure if she leases a place elsewhere. The rescue also looks to have just silent board members- Jon Ford, friends of Cindy’s daughter or niece, lives in San Diego and apparently master of the english language (snark). Not much on Albert Halaway. Cindy looks like she’s pretty outspoken on the horse rescue thing (father was/is DMV) but she is not 501c3 and half the pics I could find linked to her are of Sam & Chuck origins.
If you are a rescue and trying to be legit and do the right thing- you don’t align yourself with probable negativity. Also get some legit board members not friend of friends or friend who have no connection to whatever the hell your mission is. Moving on…
As to Rebel Equine Feedlot savers… let me get this straight. Helen and Melissa Love (Mother/daughter) runt he ERFS chat board as well as their FB pages. And looking through what I can find- Helen is married to a Chuck. Is that the same Chuck who is the feedlot owner? If so that is more than F’d up…
A friend found this, Fugs; same exact photos from a year and a half ago! Wow, what scam!
http://rebelsequinefeedlotsales.myfastforum.org/Available_Horses_about36.html
Someone on another blog tried to argue against that, saying that they just edit the post when they get new horses… but at the bottom it says:
Last edited by melis on Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:01 am; edited 19 times in total
I’d say that’s pretty funny, because even if isn’t a year ago, those “Icelandics” pictures were definitely up there before recently.
Just to confirm everthing we know already, I received this from a 200% reliable source:
The farm is Extreme Icelandics in Ellensburg. They gave 50 horses to the feed lot owner. I believe those have all been placed. There are now 50-80 more horses still on the farm that the owner wants to give away.
No the owner did not even try to work through other Icelandic horse owners and breeders. His own caretaker didn’t even know that the horses had been taken.
Was not Phantom Acres the one that had said that 60 throughbreds from Golden Eagle farms were going to slaughter?
Was that not false. I wonder where the money went for those horses that were never there.
Was that just a warm-up for this .
Every time I hear that name Sam mentioned I still get a chill and know someone somewhere is getting scamed in the name of the truck is coming but then you hear it is for the horses.
That WAS fake. Golden Eagle NEVER did that…it was thoroughly debunked!
What a lovely mare! And if my memory is correct, DNA cannot be used for identification, so that would be a dead end.
But OT: free gelding clinic at Kentucky Horse Park
http://xwebapp.ustrotting.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=39814&z=35
Sorry, that wasn’t very clear.
DNA can only be used to verify proof of sire and dam, and not to identify an unknown individual. I would suspect if other information were made available to ID her, her identity could be verified by DNA.
Is anyone else disturbed by the fact that CBER is featured (or at least has a page on) petfinder.com? You would think that they would remove that particular rescue after all of the incidents…err, murders. I think we should get as many people as we can on here to POLITELY email petfinder.com and POLITELY ask them to remove CBER as a rescue from their website, providing factual, reliable sources to evidence the abuse, neglect, and intentional killing that has occurred at CBER.
Oh my gosh. That Arab mare is SO cute! (I NEVER thought I’d say that. I was “raised” to hate Arabians…it happens when you grow up with a bunch of QH snobs! Fortunately, I’ve changed to now say I evaluate each Arabian on a case-by-case basis. The three I know/ride are fabulous.) If I…well, weren’t in college, mostly broke, and in Colorado, I’d totally take her. I hope she can find an excellent home.
Yay Fugly- Someone had even forwarded the “Islandics to slaughter unlress” message to the DSLD yahoo group– but members there Quickly posted a link to Fugly to let everyone know what a scam this is. Fugly to the rescue saving uninformed horse lovers from falling for one of $am’s $cams once again!!
I swear, $am and cronies sure know how to “work” the internet crowd. By this morning the “plea to save the Islandics” had been forwarded and posted to EVERY single group list I belong to — except the one about GSDs. (German Sppherd Dogs) Hey but give it time. Really it had made it on to such diverse groups as draft horse groups, carriage driving groups and walking horse groups. I didn’t check the Baroque Horse group. The good thing is that on every list someone immediately had posted a link to today’s Fugly so people could find out the truth.
I think you are full of BS regarding talking to Chuck. Chuck does not like you or your general bitching. You have no idea what you are talking about of course it will do no good to post this since you will blow it off as some who doesnt know anything or is a follower of Rebels or even CBER. Hey how many times does it take for a person to be told there is no CBER it was closed by the BOD???? Is Rebels CBER NO check your facts since you are supposed to be a “paralegal trained” person. Is the the horses in the lot given to Chuck for free NO (WHAT A JOKE) you will take someone word just because they posted a note. WOW! You and the band of people who are so inclined to trash the works of these women are cruel and unjust. They had stated over and over again they are not a rescue they are sales they do not take donations. Look it up if you dont believe me. I dont care. I know the truth and what you are saying is crap as usual. If someone adopted a horse from CBER well gee do you think a vet check should have been done if you lived to far away to check it out yourself. Hmmm what did you want a show horse from a feedlot. Be real and come out of the clouds. Its a feedlot lot where people sell their unwanted horses or horses from a auction DUH! Maybe a better idea is contact the people in question instead of jumping on the bandwagon. There is always two sides to a story if you care to hear it.
ROTFL! ROTFL! ROTFL!
Look folks, one of them has come over to play!
Are you in on the scam or just incredibly stupid? We are all curious.
Everybody has listened to the two sides for years and $am is a crook. Sure, Rebel’s is a new NAME used by the SAME PERSON to do the SAME THING…that’s all it is and EVERYBODY KNOWS IT.
A little research shows….
They are a non profit in the state of Washington, “pending” 501(c)(3) when they can raise together the 400.00 needed to file. There’s a recommendation for ya! Here is the page with their letter: http://s2.webstarts.com/PhantomMeadowEquineRescueRespiteRehabilitationRetirement/index.html
When asked if they are affiliated either professionally or personally with Sam, they duck around the issue (and ban people who keep asking, BTW) and refuse to answer, claiming that they are in it to stop horses from going to slaughter. Any attempts to continue going with questions about Sam are, of course, gossip, and hindering the rescue effort. Apparently so was the notification that the Icelandic breeder will be having a herd dispersal soon and that people wishing to purchase an Icelandic before it ever gets to the feedlot is also diverting attention away from the rescue. I note, however, that most of the horses listed for adoption on their page are all on the Zillah feedlot, with the same rider as shown in Rebels Equine Feedlot Sales. A woman named Kat Lang posts on other pages such as Hope for Horses, attempting to get more interest in the Zillah horses–my take on it is that she is a fledgling broker, getting her wings wet under Sam. She is the first to recommend people to call Sam directly–does all of this sound familiar?
Here is their post pimping out $cam’s horses on Hope for Horses–”Good Morning!! I am with Phantom Meadow Equine out of Chehalis Washington, we have some horses in the feedlot in Zillah WA that need homes .. If you know anyone that is interested here is the site link for you, with Sams phone number. Dilly and Snip will ship to slaughter Friday..so they are a top priority, along with …Echo as she is pregnant. Dilly and Snip would be GREAT trail horses!! http://rebelsequinefeedlotsales.myfastforum.org/Available_Horses_about36.html“
I’ve read this entire thread and done all kind of internet research on my own on this subject. But no matter what I have come across I still can’t see where this is a ‘scam’. It seems pretty black and white to me. People bring/sell/donate/whatever their unwanted horse/horses to Chuck’s feedlot and he sells them. He makes money – there is no doubt about it but he is not hiding it either. He has a sign that even says he has horses for sale. I see nothing to show he is trying to portray himself as a rescuer. He doesn’t have any kind of ‘rescue’ sign. He buys and sells horses for profit. What’s wrong with that? And Samantha’s role seems to be simply to get a few of the animals photos online and in the public view – again so promote their sale. And she is reimbursed for her efforts? What’s wrong with that? Also an added bonus to those efforts is at least some of those horses do escape slaughter by the promotion of their sale – again, what is wrong with that? I have seen no ditching under a ‘rescue’ camoflage to beg for money. There is no bait and switch or other scam. Prices are posted and up front. No one is forcing anyone to buy a horse there. I have seen lots of people, ads and rescues directing traffic to the Chuck’s feedlot to buy a horse. All in the name of saving from slaughter. Nothing wrong with that either. Also, I think the former owners of the Icelandics must have known very well what they were doing and knew the animals would be placed quickly by going that route. Saving them immediately on feed costs and getting those horses placed in a week. Good move on their part especially if they are in need of a quick liquidation and not concerned about getting top dollar.
Seems to me the only one with scewed facts is this Fugly board and the followers. WAY too eager to find (make up) flaws and morph them onto some elaborate scam. Just saying!!
I really don’t have the energy to go through it all again, but I’m sure someone else will.
By all means, give $am your money. Can’t fix stupid.
Marfa – did you bother to read the earlier accounts of this ongoing scam? It does not sound like it. If you have read those earlier accounts and the issues many have had with Sam and her cronies… and you still want to send them heaps of money, well, I am speechless. I determined this was a farce long before any mention of it showed up on this blog. Concerns were being shared all over the PNW. A friend got scammed by this shady set-up – she thought she was rescuing a horse. Silly her – it was not about the horse but about her money. The fate of the horse she was supposedly “rescuing”? It disappeared. Others have had similar experiences – so I think your research is a bit faulty. But by all means, make out a fat check to Sam or CBER or whatever other aliases show up – that will just help this mess continue…
Who is sending ‘heaps of money’ to whom? What do you mean by that? Are you referring to people who buy a horse from Chucks lot? Or groups who consolidate donations to buy a horse off of Chucks lot? What is it you find so terrible about buying a feedlot horse and giving it another chance at life? The only other alternative for a horse on Chucks lot is slaughter. Would you prefer the horse be slaughterd rather than be bought by a private buyer? That is certainly what it sounds like to me. You all are so anti-buying a horse from that feedlot that you’d rather ALL the horses died. What kind of sick mentality is that?? And you consider yourselves horse-lovers? Money is everywhere – it is easy to come by and replacable when it is gone. But a life is priceless. It is a 1 shot deal and PRECIOUS!! How can you possibly believe that buying a horse off of that feedlot is a scam when everything about it is up front. Prices are clearly stated, no guarantees are given on the horse. You pay the money, you get the horse. Where is the big conspiracy in that? And DON’T give me the old CBER past history story. I am talking about NOW, these horses, next weeks horses, last months horses – NOW. Where is the problem NOW?? Nowhere because there isn’t one!!
Wow, that seems to be the general response to anyone who does not believe your grossly exaggerated and totally fabricated stories about Chuck and Sam – that the non-believer is ‘stupid’ or an ‘idiot’. That doesn’t do much to support your claim of being a knowledgeable person on this subject! Considering there are NO legal records proving there is a scam or has been has been an ongoing scam for YEARS and YEARS as you claim, NO charges of ‘scamming the public’ anywhere to be found, Chuck Walker has been conducting business in a lengthy and legal manner for years and people buy horses from there on a regular basis I tend to not belive all these stories you people have concocted. All the ‘proof’ you ever have of anything is just a referral to a past Fugly blog. That is not evidence of anything!! Anyone can write up a blog and say anything they want! I am willing to bet a million bucks each and every one of you are secretly relieved every time someone buys a horse off that lot. Unless of course you genuinely would rather they all die than be purchased from Chuck. In which case you do all have sort of personality problem. Sorry people but myself and majority of humanity believe the only scam going on here is people like you trying through lies and deceit to stop the purchase of slaughterbound horses and giving them a chance at life. I choose life!!
Are you really not able to see that these horses are being held to ransom?
Or are you just a fairly articulate Troll??
If you are not a Troll, I apologise for the inference,but, you have to admit that it is pretty strange that anyone could actually read all the information on these two and still think they are alright people.
I too came across this SCAM a long time ago, and flagged it as such. It was before this blog existed and before I knew who Sam was. I could see how wrong it is to take a horse that is untested, untried and expect people to pay WAY over the odds for it, merely because it is, purportedly, going to slaughter.
I am afraid that, given a choice between a really good, guaranteed, animal at $1,000.00 and one of the feedlot horses, well, paint me coldhearted if you will, but I shall pick the good, known to be sound, good looking horse every time.
And so will lots and lots of sensible people.
I think you will find that the majority of horse lovers, real horse lovers, not silly sentimental people who like to pretend, are actually right behind Cathy on this one.
Unfortunately, two proverbs cover this:
A fool and his money are soon parted.
There is one born every minute.
As expected you once again resort to calling me a name. (So far I’ve been called ‘stupid’ and ‘idiot’, possibly a ‘troll’- now I have been called a ‘fool’) Name calling is what one resorts to when one has no valid argument to offer. But given your statement about preferring a $1000 really good guaranteed animal, known to be sound, good looking etc. – that is totally your right and stated choice. And I have no problem with that. It is your perogative and I would not call you a nasty name for choosing a horse by those values. The point is NO ONE if forcing anyone to buy a horse from Chuck’s feedlot. They are for sale, as is, firm prices, take it or leave it. The FACT is these horses WILL be shipped to slaughter if not sold to the public – the vast majority are. It’s the TRUTH, it not ‘purported’ like you are suggesting. It is the truth and therefore it is not a scam!! And just because myself or anyone else is willing to purchase a horse based on far different standards than you would purchase a horse is no reason to be rude and call people derogatory names! That behavior is simply uncalled for. So you and all those sensible people you were referring to can go support over-breeding and horse-exploitation by purchasing your guaranteed horses while the true horse lovers care for the throw-aways and leftovers that end up in auctions, feedlots and slaughter pens.
Oh boy here we go:
Definition of Scam;
a scheme for making money by dishonest means
to obtain money or other goods from somebody by dishonest means
Some of the ways this is achieved:
1. Lying. example: “We need $500 by Friday or this horse ships to slaughter”. when the reality is the horse will probably ship anyway and might even be on the lot for weeks afterwards.
2. Cheating. example: “You can’t go directly to the auction, you have to go through me if you want to rescue the horse” thereby she makes a ‘cut’ off the sale.
3. Misleading. example: “We are a non-profit” when a search will reveal they have not been or are no longer registered with a federal and/or state designation as non-profit but still taking in donations from people who are unaware.
4. Stealing. Taking the money that someone donated for a particular rescue and putting in her pocket.
A horse neglect situation that involves people who should know better. . . And a selfless rescue effort that is actually working. Please check this out and help if you can – Horse Rescue in Texas
P.S. FHOTD – We’d love a mention as a post on this site if you have the time, need the content, or just want to make fun of someone in Texas
ROTFL…I actually love you Texans for the most part, just not the ones that just got outta prison and are gonna kick my ass.
I thought it was illegal to ship a pregnant mare for slaughter??????
Yeah but no one enforces it. We had a mare give birth on the kill floor the day we shut down the slaughterhouses. Both got rescued.
Fugs – I sent you am email regarding the Iceys still at the breeders. Please read it!
Zoe looks like an outstanding horse – I hope she finds a nice place to call home. If I didn’t live up north well, same story as everyone else here it seems lol.
On an off topic note, I would love to find out who owns the copyright on that picture of Zoe – I would love to use it for a reference for a digital painting and would like to obtain permission. My online gallery is here..
http://sunwolf29.deviantart.com/
Juliane (or her boyfriend) took all the pics you see of Zoe, so the same e-mail link that I provided to contact about Zoe will be able to help you.
Zoe’s going out on lease-to-adopt! Thanks, all!
I live in ellensburg. About a month ago i noticed a big herd of ponies show up in a field near my house. I came home from town and they weren’t there, and an hour later I went back into town and they were there when i passed.
Now i understand where they came from…
What is the current situation? are all 62 icelandics, in fact, now in good homes? Are there more being given away by Extreme Farms, and if so, are they safe or in danger of falling into similar situations as the first set?
I am more than willing to help in any way I can. I have one idea for where some of the ponies can go if there are still some needing homes. I am donating two horses that I currently own to a camp in Idaho that is starting a horse program, and if I can get my hands on a few of these icelandics and train them over the winter, i think they would be great to donate to the camp.
Oh, and what’s with the date on the post about them on the Rebel’s Equine Feedlot forum?