Hopes for a Greener Pasture

This week has been a sad and scary week for those of us around these parts. First, Safe Haven Equine Rescue and Retirement was on the news asking for help with two horses that they had to rescue for a 2nd time. This story just breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I don’t understand how any one could be so mean.

Here’s a look at the two horses that were rescued. The black horse laying down did not make it I’m sad to report. 🙁 “Sonny” the horse on the right has a good prognosis but keep in mind this is his second time going through the rescue league for starvation.

 

 

Image Sources 

The story has caused a lot of contraversy on facebook with locals. First problem people has is that the barn caretaker would allow horses to get that bad. Why didn’t he step in and do something. Whether it was feed the horses himself or alert the rescue league before it got to the point the horses were starved. I personally would not be able to sit back and watch anyone starve a horse and would do everything in my power to help that horse. The second problem was how the owner of the rescue league said she got the horses out of the trailer by using rope and a truck to pull them out by their back legs. Now I know horses way a lot more than us humans but come on! There has to be a more human way to get the horse out then by dragging it out by its legs. I hope it doesn’t hurt her credibility with the community but based on some of the comments I’ve seen on facebook, I hate to say it probably has. That was a bad move on her part sharing that kind of information. My thoughts were she probably wanted people to know just how bad the horses were but are better ways of telling people then by saying what she did.

I just don’t get how people can let their pets get that way. There are NO EXCUSES for it and if someone can not afford to continue to care for their horse(s) they need to sell them or give them away to someone who can!

The second piece of information to hit the horse community hard this week and cause quite a scare was hearing about a local horse in Rockingham County being diagnoses with EHV-1. This is the first case of the virus to hit NC.

 

This story definately puts fear into you after hearing about the outbreak of the virus on the West Coast not that long ago. There was a barrel race last night that I was planning to attend but in light of this information I opted to keep my horses home. There has been no information released about what farm the horse was at or if the horse had traveled anywhere recently. I understand that the vets are not at liberty to say where the infected horse came from or has been in order to protect the farm’s reputation but on the other hand how can others take precautions if no information is given?! What if that horse has been at a horse show recently or on a trail ride with other who don’t board at the same farm? So many questions and no answers for them. 🙁

Have you or anyone you know experienced EHV-1? How did you protect your healthy horses from getting sick?