# What is best for these horses?



## Meganh626 (Jul 30, 2011)

Ok, I'm in a bit of a pickle of what to do. The owner of my old barn has let her horses and place really go down. My friend and her mom, who still is there and leases a horse explained how bad it was. The owner of the barn is feeding the horses as little as she can get away with. The horses are stifting threw the sand trying to look for pieces of hay. The horses are almost never groomed, and are left with open gashes for days because nobody is looking closely at them let alone taking them out. Her manure is also getting out of hand. She was called on by the health deparment by a neighbor a while back which promted her to get a dumpster for the manure. Said dumpsteer is now overflowing and she has started to spread it around in deep piles right outside the barn, which no horse is in bceause she's cheap. On top of it all, she has 2 pregant mares which are both starved to death and eating alot of sand. The heat isn't helping them at all either.
The horse my friend leases was once a proud horse worth about 30k is a shell of her former self, is now worth not even 5k. She fell that much in less than 5 months, from when she was at her last show.

Now here is the real problem, what should we do? We were thinking of calling the health department on the barn owner, but would the horses just be better off here? If the health department takes the horses, what happens to them and is it possible to buy them from the health department? Who should we call? Any help is greatly appreciated.
*By the way, we are in central Florida*


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## Druydess (Jan 25, 2008)

Call the Ranger Division. These horses need intervention fast.. I had to call them when a mare in our barn whose face was rotting off was not being treated and they handled it. Rangers had to threaten the owners with arrest, but the Rangers made sure she was transported to an equine hospital.
The owner/manager will be forced to care for them or they'll be removed.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

The health department will not be who would seize the horses, if a seizure is decided on. You need to contact Animal Control (contact the non emergency police line if you are not sure who/where to contact for AC, they can direct you). The reason the Health Dept. was involved in the previous situation is that it was a human health issue, not an animal welfare issue.
All you can do is contact the proper authorities and put her on their radar - they will determine what the legally appropriate next step will be.


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## Meganh626 (Jul 30, 2011)

Do you know what will happen to the horses if they get confiscated?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Confiscated horses usually go to farms that will foster them temporarily while their health issues are dealt with.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

In Georgia, the Department of Agriculture will take neglected horses. The horse are adopted out to homes that must agree to keep them for at least a year. Since they cannot be sold for a year, so it is unlikely that they will go to slaughter. I hope Florida has a similar program. You need to call somebody fast!


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## Meganh626 (Jul 30, 2011)

Yes, I'm going to call someone tomorrow now. Thanks for the help everyone!


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## nicole25 (Jun 24, 2011)

I just read this, is there any update?


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## Meganh626 (Jul 30, 2011)

So far I haven't called anyone because my friend ids trying to buy their horse, but once they get her away, I am probably going to call...


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

I think the only thing you can do is call someone but I hope your friend can get them to sell the horse because the longer the horses have to wait the worse it's going to be. Especially if they're are two pregnant mares there. Good luck with everything. Keep us updated.


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana (Apr 10, 2011)

Subbing. I want to hear how everything goes with the horses.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

OP, Good for you!! Bless you for caring.

Your friend might be able to get the horse from a rescue farm cheaper than she could buy it. If she has the facilities, she might be able to foster it. 

Do what you need to do soon.


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