Dying by Inches

Long Riders Guild - Full Article

by CuChullaine O’Reilly FRGS

Rise in Large Scale Equine Starvation Cases Highlights Urgent Need
for Social Change and Legal Action

What do Virginia, Oregon, Nebraska, Tennessee, Ohio, Texas, Florida, New York, South Dakota, Louisiana, Oklahoma and British Columbia all have in common? Large numbers of starving horses were recently rescued from negligent owners in each of these areas.

Because of its constant access to international equestrian developments, and thanks to a network of allied equestrian editors and journalists, the Long Riders' Guild Academic Foundation has been monitoring the alarming rise of large scale equine neglect in the United States and Canada. Thanks to the excellent on-line resources offered by the New Zealand based equestrian news service, Horse Talk, a survey of headlines revealed that the LRG's misgivings about the rise of equine neglect were not only confirmed, they were in fact far worse than we suspected.

This is not to say that other countries are not also facing similar challenges. For example in May, 2008 what was described as a "horror farm" was discovered in England. Astonished authorities seized 111 horses and ponies, then successfully brought charges in court against the owners.

Horror horse farm owners face trial May 16, 2008 111 horses and ponies
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2008/05/091.shtml

Likewise, the United States saw cases of a similar nature. The first example noticed by the LRG occurred in June, 2007 when Horse Talk reported a large-scale case of North American equine starvation.

Police raid: Up to 80 horses seized in welfare swoop - Animal welfare authorities have swooped on a Texas property, removing up to 80 horses they say appear underfed and neglected. The 80 animals were living on a property, near Greenville, which is understood to be only 40 acres in size.
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/archives/2007/06/177.shtml

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