Saturday, August 6, 2011

get involved locally, and invite others to do the same

this is regarding the posts about the 52 TBs in Ohio that are going to slaughter if no one rescues them. This is not true. We believe it WAS true. Many months ago. but now this same post is showing up all over facebook again, so it makes a guy wonder. and it makes a guy wonder if other cries for help are true. In the last 5 days we have deleted this post many times from our fb page. People from all across America and other countries are posting it to any facebook pages that allow outside posters, as ours does.
We have even received reports from people in our Sioux Falls area who are concerned. Can we help these 52 TBs in another state please.
A couple of things: It is always good and right to notice these cries for help and find out if they are true and try to get help. So thank you to all who are concerned and put forth effort to find out and find help.
What we highly recommend, no matter what state or county you are in, is to find a good, legitimate horse rescue group in your area. and get involved locally. Even if your involvement is to help that organization spread the word about what they are doing, what they need, what is going on with horses in your own area, that would be helpful. Most of the legitimate horse rescue orgs, even the really small ones like ours, work on the big picture (what is happening with horses in our country) as well as the little picture (feeding and cleaning stalls for the horses we have actually saved from slaughter and starvation right here close to home). We network with the big national orgs to try to stay educated on whats going on. There are all kinds of clinics, seminars, conventions, etc., for horse rescuers to attend. Though DoubleHP has never been represented there, mainly because there is so much daily work to be done at the shelter here that it's just too hard to get away.
This may surprise some of you, and I hope it makes you mad, but in our state, South Dakota, one option authorities have in cases of horse seizures is to send the horses to slaughter. Without even trying to find them good homes. The previous State Vet, Sam Holland, told us thats what they usually did. Ten years ago, he told us that. He said they usually just take them to Musicks (a slaughter holding facility in Mitchell, SD; currently, when they get a load, they ship the horses to Mexico for slaughter). And we learned in court the other day, this was Plan A for our Shadow, Bella, Apache, those horses. We were told that Plan A was to take the horses to Musicks. But the person who was to take them there, Rhonda Loges, said they were too light (meaning there wasnt much money involved because the horses had been starved and so they were very underweight; wouldnt have brought much at the per pound of meat amount.)
So if 52 TBs possibly going to slaughter in another state bothers you, imagine how we felt when horses that we had already helped care for once (they were given back to owners who starved them again, duh), imagine how we felt when some of those horses did actually go to slaughter. and the ones we were able to save we had to pay a feedlot guy $406 for each horse. Horses we had already invested a lot of time, money, and emotions in.
So, have things changed in our area these past 10 years as far as how starved horses are treated by authorities?
Guess not.
But they would, if more people would get involved on a local level. And voice your concerns and opinions.
Why is it that it is so easy to voice opinions about things so far away. But when it's happening right here, when it involves your own community or state or officials or media, it's mouth shut. dont talk about it. dont ask questions. dont stir things up. dont get invovled. let someone else do it.
We invite you to get involved. Get involved with your local horse rescue org. Make sure its a legitimate one, because some are not. And even if all you have time for is to become aware, find out what they need, what they do, what they have done, what they would like to do, what happens to neglected horses in your own area, and make the decision to TALK ABOUT IT, SPREAD THE WORD, ASK QUESTIONS, VOICE YOUR CONCERNS AND OPINIONS.
Not saying you shouldnt help spread the word about horses needing help in other states. But, in addition, please get involved locally. Or at least become aware and invite others to do the same.
thanks.

so, to finish the point: A couple of people from our state of South Dakota were upset that our little tiny rescue couldn't help the 52 TBs in Ohio. (many months ago, when it was posted on facebook the first time). So we had to break some ne.ws to them: we have hundreds of horses every single month going to slaughter from our own state. babies, yearlings, beautiful, mostly just untrained, they go through our sale barns here in Mitchell and Corsica and St Onge and Sisseton and Worthing, etc. they go through those salebarns or they go directly to a place like Musicks in Mitchell which is like a feedlot or holding facility and then when they get a load (40 horses or so) they ship them to Mexico for slaughter. We just dont have the resources to save them. Not the 200 or so that go through as loose horses every month at Corsica SD, and not the 52 TBs in Ohio. But if we could, we would probably stay in state first. and then after we saved all of the thousands here in South Dakota, then we could start going farther away.
There are still soooooooooooo many people who dont know what's going on here.
Its not just about the 52 TBs. Its about the thousands of foals born every year that are not worth $5, because there are so many of them being produced. It's about the breeding. the overbreeding, the stupid breeding. And the breeders who dont understand that if it costs $1000 to care for the mare, you dont have a business if you sell the foal for $5. change the numbers up how ever you want. Spend $10 on mare care? still no profit if you sell the baby for $5. South Dakotans, we are smart, caring people.you just need to know that these 52 TBs would only be a little piece of the pie at some of our monthly sales here. all goes back to the beginning.
Become Aware Locally.
Its happening right in front of you.
No need to strain your eyes.
Its right here in plain sight.
It's about the irresponsible breeding.
Always has been, always will be.