Posted on 01/31/2008 2:23:17 PM PST by mdittmar
Here was a local story on the hay shortage.
_________________________________________
Hay shortage hurts horse owners
Posted by The Grand Rapids Press January 25, 2008 06:23AM
Categories: Breaking News, Business
A shortage of hay is causing problems for area horse owners.
One can buy a horse at auction in Michigan for $40, which is what it costs to buy two bales of Michigan-grown hay in Florida.
Hay that is available is selling for about $6 a bale, more than double the price of a year ago. Supplies need to stretch until at least May or June, said Jan Brinn, of the Michigan State University Extension Office in Allegan County.
“They need a constant flow all day long, and when they don’t have that flow, bad things start happening,” said James Connell, Allegan veterinarian and horse owner.
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/01/hay_shortage_hurts_horse_owner.html
Are you waiting for the government to “save your horses”?
Department of Health and Horse Services?
It’s virtually impossible to get a deduction for having horses. That “loophole” was closed years ago, under Clinton, and resulted in the closing of many horse farms here in Florida (a big ranching and horse racing state).
I wonder if your fence could “fail” once in a while. I hope you can get the animal cops involved, that’s their job.
That’s true. Horses live a long time, especially if they don’t have to work (like most modern horses), and they would often be better put down than allowed to get decrepit, arthritic - and turn into candidates for shipment to a Mexican slaughterhouse.
THE ECONOMY IS “SOURING” BECAUSE OF A STUPID MORTGAGE CREDIT BUBBLE!
Argh. Some people are not in the housing market and want to afford a house someday without getting a 100-year interest-only loan to pay for it. For people like me, a housing return to mean is excellent news. Increasing the price of a 100 year old house by 400% in five years does not add to the economy.
45 posts and unless I missed it everyone is overlooking a simple solution. Create a new department under US Agriculture to oversee the care and feeding of unwanted horses in all 50 states and territories. These noble and magnificent beasts deserve to be cared for and surely everyone here can spare a few bucks a year of their tax money to see to it there’s enough grass to eat and vet care.
There are a lot of houses around here with horses and it is rare to never to see anybody doing anything with their horses. Usually two horses and an acre or two. Most have had their horses for years, so maybe they are waiting for the farm deduction to come around again, horses having a lifetime greater than a Presidential term.
very sad
I predict a big sale on Big Macs in the near future
Read Post #4
> Most people see beautiful horses running in well manicured fields of plush grasses.<
Come on out West and see the skinny Mustangs we have running wild on BLM land in Nevada. Talk about over population! Three quarters of them need to slaughtered. The BLM would rather let them starve when nobody buys them at the auctions.
(AP)WORLD TO END ON MONDAY
Women, children and horses to be hit hardest
I think W was the prime force behind the ethanol boondoggle.
Some of the horse owners put stallions and mares in the same field, not realizing that would lead to more horses.
All dying of thirst....
My thoughts precisely; horses will always be welcome in France.
How pathetic that people will let a living thing suffer to support their pretentiousness.
you want the government to handle every thing,,,,,
STARVATION OF WILD HORSES Posted: Jan 12, 2008 at 6:48 PM Read an article in the Jan 15th issue of QUARTER HORSE NEWS, page196.. how the BLM starved over 800 head of horses in Palamino Valley Nevada.. 185 died.. NO WATER, NO FEED.. and they knew about it.. but did not do anything.. I am not a wild horse fan nor a BLM fan either.. but i know that the BLM has put people in jail for not feeding one of there adopted horses.. they should ALL be fired from the top down.. this article should make its way to every desk in Washington DC.. and we as a group can bring it to the attention of a LOT of people.. IF you have a light stomach.. do not read this article.. The whole BLM Horse program should be halted and investigated... Just hold a sale and sell them.. we need to make some noise and make some heads roll.. Re: STARVATION OF WILD HORSES Posted: Jan 12, 2008 at 8:35 PM What a sad story. Unfortunately, there are way TOO many unwanted or wanted horses that are not getting the hay they need this winter. I just sat down for a quick bite before moving hay when a neighbor called to ask if two of my horses were out. All of mine were looking in the direction of these horses. I threw halters, lead ropes, and some oats in the truck and off we went. When I got the horses back to where they came from, the guy said "I was trying to stretch the hay, but I guess I can't". I agree with you totally. If these people knew what was happening, they should have done something! Post: Delete | Edit | Report .......... Re: STARVATION OF WILD HORSES Posted: Jan 13, 2008 at 11:40 AM I do not get the QH News but all other media indicates that the 180 horses that died were part of a 1000 head herd brought in from NW Nevada that were starving from drought conditions to begin with. When reintroduced to feed again, their systems went into shock. I know when living out in Nevada that BLM use to throw hay out to the mustangs when feed was short but they could never do anything about lack of water. I am sure with competition from deer and elk that the mustangs were part of the natural evolution of life in the desert. Sometimes I think we should just let nature take its course. If you think the BLM is bad, you should see what happens to the mustangs after adoption. In Vegas, my ex and I saw dozens ruined by people that wanted a cheap horse and had no business with even a domestic horse. Most got foundered from feeding too rich food. From protein boils on their bodies to hoof abcesses. Their systems are not made to metabolize grain or anything but real basic grass hay. Others were neglected and left in small pens in backyards with no vet care or hoof trimming because they became unmanagable. We rescued several mustangs from people that had just locked these animals away with next stop, slaughter house. We broke them and they have jobs. Bucky is working in the Callaway County auction house sorting cattle. We originally found him as a 3 year old stud colt in a 10 x 10 pen in Vegas. He was one of the toughest to break. So as you can tell, I think that the adoption program is the true cruelty. I still have Mr. Murphy who I saved from the slaughter floor. He was severely foundered twice from people feeding him grain and alfalfa. (And these were so called professionals). He was originally broke in the Susanville prison in CA and was a great riding horse. He is about 27 years old and has been retired to raising babies. Let the QH News follow the life of some of these adopted mustangs. Post: Delete | Edit | Report ........ Re: STARVATION OF WILD HORSES Posted: Jan 13, 2008 at 3:03 PM I have this whole article for those that do not take the quarter horse news or can not get one.. however i can not post it until it hits the newstands... which is a few more days.. i will post it then.. what you have said pbear is true.. in this instance it was the lack of water that killed most of them.. and now there about too spend another 300 thousand on another phoney adoption scheme.. instead of selling the 30 thousand they have in corrals now.. who ever knows a congress man, or newspaper owner needs to get this story out.. heads need to roll.
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