Orphaned Babies - How does this happen to so many at one time???

One of the many emails I got today, along with many calls and text messages, asked a lot of good questions in an effort to figure out how this many babies ended up orphaned and in need of their lives being saved.  As I went through all the questions and answered them as best as I could, it seemed clear to me that many of you may have the same questions.

So I have cut and pasted those questions and answers for this blog.  Many of you will not like what you read - I don't even like telling people how they become orphans, but it is a fact of life in the current economy.  PLEASE don't let this information distract from the task at hand, which is finding homes for these babies asap.

Hi Christine,

I saw your blog today...what's the status on the 5 babies?

Right now, I have a few people that have offered foster care, but no true adopters (people who want to keep them long term), but my hopes are up that as the word spreads, people will find a little extra space for a little baby.  They are all coming to Ramona on Sunday!

 

I forwarded the website to some people hoping they respond.

Thank you so very much!!!!   We can't do this without people sharing the information.... 

 

I have some questions: What happened to the orphan's moms and where did they come from, (before the feedlot)?

Sadly they were all shipped from a breeder that went out of business (at least that is what i believe.  It is confidential so they really don't tell much), the mom's were loaded on a truck and shipped to the meat plant in Canada.   The babies, along with other young ones and pregnant mares were put in a holding pen at the feedlot and many of us did fundraising to buy "Bail" these horses from the feedlot to save their lives.   The youngest - these orphaned foals were transported to Bishop, CA where a foster family took them in for the last 60+ days and took care of the health care needs and fed them.   Now they are all healthy and no longer in need of the Foster's care.   So it is time for more permanent homes to be found.   There are no homes left up in Bishop, the residents of Bishop have already absorbed a lot of these horses into their community already. 

When a horse is fostered, what is the responsibility of the Foster?

A foster usually takes on the complete care and feeding of a horse (100% responsibility) on a temporary basis while a permanent home is being found or if they are there for a specific need - illness, quarantine, etc., unless other specific arrangements have been made because of a special circumstance.   

 

How does the adoption process work?

The same as the foster, you may complete a contract that says you will provide for the horses needs, not breed it or sell it at auction, if the horse is found to be neglected or abused it can be repossessed, if a new home is found it should be approved by us so that the horse doesn't end up in a bad place and the contract will be signed with the new people.   That is just so the horse doesn't disappear and no one know if it is being cared for or safe.   Last thing any of us want is one to fall through the cracks and end up back on a feedlot.   Not all rescues use contracts, it does vary from rescue to rescue.

 

I guess I'm curious as to how this all works. I'm also being questioned by other people and I don't know the answers. What's going on with the other 47 horses on the feedlot in Fallon?

The other 47 are off the feedlot already (it took thousands of dollars to bail them off that feedlot), but they are at a temporary holding facility in Fallon and they need to also find homes.   Right now Debra and Troy are trying to feed and care for the 47 and it is becoming an understandable financial burden.  By taking in these babies down here, it frees up some space in Bishop so the most needy of the 47 - pregnant mares and such, can get to a better place and hopefully into homes and it is 12 fewer mouths to feed.   They are trying to get adoption fees for those 47 horses so they can continue to feeding the rest of the herd while homes are being found, so every dime helps.    Pictures of those horses are shown on the Stinkin' Rose Ranch-Debra Hawk and Troy Kelly, Facebook page. 

How do you and others find out about these animals?

Through a network of horse lovers and equine rescues. 

What about the auctions.

They happen every couple weeks.  Some horse are bought by legitimate people looking for a good horse and many are bought by kill-buyers (KB) who ship them to Mexico or Canada for meat.  They make money by the pound.  The closest auction to San Diego is Mike's in Mira Loma, they advertise in the Horsetrader and other publications. Of course they don't advertise that kill-buyers purchase horses, just that horses are for sale.   There are some rescues that try to frequent the auctions to out-bid the KB's on horses, but those are mostly Thoroughbred rescues so those are mostly the horses rescued from the auctions.  Some individuals will go from time to time.  We have gone in the past.

 

What happens to the leftovers?

The KB's purchase them, they sell off the good ones to local people if they can - at a profit.   The rest are put into trailers and either shipped to Mexico or Canada (via Fallon) and are then butchered for meat.   Because of mad-cow disease and diseases of other livestock (pigs), horse meat is a needed product out side of the United States.  

In the meantime, I'm gathering pipe corral panels and trying to convince my husband that this is really a "good thing"!

This is a very good thing because you are helping to save these babies lives.  They need to go somewhere and these little babies have SO much love to offer anyone who cares for them.  They have had a very rough start to life and now is the time to help them continue to get healthy, stay healthy and grow into lovely horses.  These babies when handled regularly are so easy to train and so confident when under saddle that they are a true pleasure and safe horse for the rider.   They become best friends!   He can ask my husband if he doubts it.   They just need a chance!

So if you can offer a home, or know someone who may be interested, please have them contact me:

Christine@EquineWellBeing.com    or   760..703..4860

Thank you SO much.  

Four more horses still need homes... Probee, Rascal, Pip and Surprise....