THE HORSES are dying...and the stress on America continues.

Horses Fall Victim to Hard Times and Dry Times on the Range

The land is parched, the fields are withering and thousands of the nation’s horses are being left to fend for themselves on the dried range, abandoned by people who can no longer afford to feed them.

They have been dropping dead in the Navajo reservation in the Southwest, where neighbors are battling neighbors and livestock for water, an inherently scant resource on tribal land. They have been found stumbling through state parks in Missouri, in backyards and along country roads in Illinois, and among ranch herds in Texas where they do not belong.

...The most recent federal assessment is that parts of at least 33 states, mostly in the West and the Midwest, are experiencing drought conditions that are severe or worse. It is affecting 87 percent of the land dedicated to growing corn, 63 percent of the land for hay and 72 percent of the land used for cattle.

With water tables falling, fields are crusting and cracking, creeks are running dry. Water holes first shrink, then vanish altogether. And dozens of wildfires are consuming forests and grassland across the West.

While precise figures are hard to come by, rough estimates from the Unwanted Horse Coalition, an alliance of equine organizations based in Washington, puts the number of unwanted horses — those given up on by their owners for whatever reasons — at 170,000 to 180,000 nationwide, said Ericka Caslin, the group’s director.

Many more could be out there, though.

The article continues:

Feral horses, free-roaming animals that once were domesticated, have been jumping over fences to eat the weeds that grow by the side of the road.

... searching for water wherever they can: in mills and troughs meant to supply the families that live around them, as well as the animals they own, and in lakes the drought has turned into puddles.

Stallions fight one another for food and water, their bites drawing flesh and blood.

...carcasses dot the arid landscape.

The more I read about the effects of the drought, the more convinced I become this will be the biggest story raised during the election.

Think Obama's Katrina.

Mark my words.

That pic is enough to make me tear up.

I agree that it will probably be spoken of frequently during these "election" months and we will hear lip service from both sides.

What I really fear more than that though is that this drought will continue and we will be talking about it for years to come because the loss was so great and the road back to recovery is seemingly so long that we will never see the end of it.

I think many folks are unaware about just how many things this will set off a chain reaction to. As it stands, we are in for a long bumpy ride. Each day that it continues just makes that fact a wee bit scarier IMO.

Yeah, i can see the effects of the drought in the picture you posted. Notice the green grass in the far background of the picture. This is called animal cruelty and should be reported imediately. Where was this pic taken?

That picture is taken out of context. How many horses have you seen that walk around in a small enclosure that are that malnourished?

I am not saying that the North american continent is not in a drought condition but, this picture was taking out of context. I would venture to guess that this picture was taking by someone attempting to prove mis-treatment of an animal. Not something related to the drought.

For some one is labeled a "subject matter" expert here on ATS I expect more....

reply to post by cloaked4u

Originally posted by cloaked4u
Yeah, i can see the effects of the drought in the picture you posted. Notice the green grass in the far background of the picture. This is called animal cruelty and should be reported imediately. Where was this pic taken?

AND:

reply to post by Yeats

Originally posted by Yeats
That picture is taken out of context.

...I would venture to guess that this picture was taking by someone attempting to prove mis-treatment of an animal. Not something related to the drought.

For some one is labeled a "subject matter" expert here on ATS I expect more....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Ye of such little faith: Reuters/NBC News.


Debbie Fincher / Safe Haven Equine Rescue via Reuters

An abandoned, malnourished horse is seen at the Safe Haven Equine Rescue in Gilmer, Texas, in this undated handout image obtained by Reuters on Dec. 3, 2011.

NBC News Source

Texas drought leaves heartbreaking toll of abandoned horses.

Reuters reports from SAN ANTONIO:

The yearlong Texas drought is taking a heartbreaking toll on horses and donkeys, thousands of which have been abandoned by owners who can no longer afford the skyrocketing price of the hay needed to feed them.

...

"We get 20 to 40 calls a week that horses are alongside the road and left; nobody's claimed them," Richard Fincher of Safe Haven Equine Rescue in Gilmer, in east Texas, told Reuters. "Sheriffs are calling us all the time."

Originally posted by Yeats
That picture is taken out of context. How many horses have you seen that walk around in a small enclosure that are that malnourished?

I am not saying that the North american continent is not in a drought condition but, this picture was taking out of context. I would venture to guess that this picture was taking by someone attempting to prove mis-treatment of an animal. Not something related to the drought.

For some one is labeled a "subject matter" expert here on ATS I expect more....

edit on 19-8-2012 by Yeats because: (no reason given)

Thank you for helping explain the reason that horse is starving. You are in complete denial regarding the drought conditions in the US and it won't be until your hamburger costs $10.00 a pound that you wake up.
The article links to the New York Times so it's a pretty good bet the information is accurate.

reply to post by Trublbrwing


Oh, it's real all right... And if the drought does not improve quickly, this will be the TIDAL WAVE that hits us all in just a few more months.

It's happening to livestock all across the country.

Earlier I read that at the present slaughter rates, due to drought, it will take several years to just reach pre-drought inventory levels. I think the article was specifically related to cattle, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this in other livestock.

Think about that for a moment.

Originally posted by Trublbrwing

Originally posted by Yeats
That picture is taken out of context. How many horses have you seen that walk around in a small enclosure that are that malnourished?

I am not saying that the North american continent is not in a drought condition but, this picture was taking out of context. I would venture to guess that this picture was taking by someone attempting to prove mis-treatment of an animal. Not something related to the drought.

For some one is labeled a "subject matter" expert here on ATS I expect more....

edit on 19-8-2012 by Yeats because: (no reason given)

Thank you for helping explain the reason that horse is starving. You are in complete denial regarding the drought conditions in the US and it won't be until your hamburger costs $10.00 a pound that you wake up.
The article links to the New York Times so it's a pretty good bet the information is accurate.

I live in an area that under drought conditions (southern Colorado). I am not in denial, although my family has it own beef supply, we are seeing a lesser return on ours, we are barley breaking even on our cattle investments. We pay less than the common consumer in the area, but even with that in mind we are still only spending 3.45 per pound on hamburger. Not sure where you are paying 10.00 per pound for hamburger...but you are getting #ed.l

Not only horses are in the news vis-a-vis the water supply today....

New Scientist: Water Shortages Hit U.S. Power Supply

As the United States’ extended heat wave and drought threaten to raise global food prices, energy production is also feeling the pressure. Across the nation, power plants are becoming overheated and shutting down or running at lower capacity; drilling operations struggle to get the water they need, and crops that would become biofuel are withering.

While analysts say the US should survive this year without major blackouts, more frequent droughts and increased population size will continue to strain power generation in the future.

Power plants are a hidden casualty of droughts, says Barbara Carney of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, West Virginia, because they are completely dependent on water for cooling and make up about half the water usage in the US. That makes them vulnerable in a heat wave. If water levels in the rivers that cool them drop too low, the power plant – already overworked from the heat – won’t be able to draw in enough water. In addition, if the cooling water discharged from a plant raises already-hot river temperatures above certain thresholds, environmental regulations require the plant to shut down.

One nuclear plant in Connecticut recently had to shut down because the sea water used for cooling was too warm. Nationwide, nuclear generation is at its lowest in a decade, with the plants operating at only 93 per cent of capacity.

Nuclear is the thirstiest power source. According to NETL, the average nuclear plant that generates 12.2 million megawatt hours of electricity requires far more water to cool its turbines than other power plants. Nuclear plants need 2725 litres of water per megawatt hour for cooling. Coal or natural gas plants need, on average, only 1890 and 719 litres respectively to produce the same amount of energy.

it is nice to know that someone is taking care of this animal and i hope it gets a good home. This reminds me of all the katrina animals that were left behind due to the mishap. Alot of animals were saved. Lets hope thats what happens here. I glad to see the animal is taken care of.

reply to post by loam


A very deserving star and flag for loam.

I love to post this as a tribute to horses loam and I thank you for the opportunity to post it RIGHT HERE ON ATS !
I remember this like it was yesterday. Watch as Secretariat is called last as the field heads into the first turn. Then before Chick Earn can finish calling the first three horses out of turn two. Secretariat has already blown by 3/4 of the field. His heart was found to be 2 and 1/2 times the size of a normal heart. Indeed the horse that God built.



Good God in heaven I love horses.

Being a horseowner, I hear from owners in the US a lot on forums and such and am aware the situation has been bad- not just the drought, but even the financial crisis has been a hard hit for many horseowners, suddenly finding themselves unable to afford the care of the livestock.

I'm doing quite well where I am and have lots of land, and natural water springs on it, if I could afford the plane trip, I'd take some over here!

Here's that cattle inventory article from Bloomberg I mentioned:

U.S. Cattle Inventory Drops to Lowest Since 1952 on Drought

U.S. cattle inventories fell to the lowest in 60 years after a drought in the South scorched pastures, prompting ranchers to shrink herds.

...

In 2011, the total number of calves born fell 1.1 percent to 35.31 million from a year earlier, the lowest since 1950, according to the USDA.

“Fewer calves being born means ultimately fewer cattle will be slaughtered,” said Ron Plain, a livestock economist at the University of Missouri at Columbia, who has studied the industry for three decades, said in a telephone interview. “That means the tight beef supply is going to get tighter as we go through 2012 and 2013 and 2014.”

Once the herd starts to expand, it will take more than two years before beef supplies increase, Plain said. Calves have nine-month gestation periods and take about 20 months to reach slaughter weight, he said.

reply to post by Yeats

Originally posted by Yeats
...but even with that in mind we are still only spending 3.45 per pound on hamburger. Not sure where you are paying 10.00 per pound for hamburger...but you are getting #ed.l

But so are you apparently:

Price of Ground Beef Hits Record High

The average price of ground beef hit a record high in the United States in July, according to data released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The BLS has been tracking the average price of a pound of 100% ground beef since 1984. In July, it cost $3.085, up from $3.007 in June.

Prior to June, the average cost of 100% ground beef in the United States had never topped $3.00.

But doing a quick check online at my local store, it's $3.49/lb for the worst quality ground beef.

Clearly the numbers vary widely...but they are all going up.

$10/lb?

Anything is possible if the drought continues.

MORE:

I hate to see that. I am just putting out a notice here- if anyone has a horse they cannot keep,
(and it is not lame or with serious untreatable disease or injury) then PM me!

I could maybe find a way to scrape up the funds for transport. It just is too bad to watch that happen knowing I have the means to give a horse a perfectly good home and care.

I have experience, am a horseowner already, with my own land, living in the countryside of South France, and use my horses for trail riding primarily, some roping and cowhorse training, and dressage (depending upon the individual horse ).

I am especially looking for a well broke older horse that I could keep for guests to go riding with me....

reply to post by loam


I call b.s. on gilmer.tx.This is not the case at all.I live just a few miles from gilmer and we have had plenty of rain.Plenty of hey to bail and pastures to graze.
On the other hand jobs and income is a different situation for horse owners.Let's keep in mind that there is a place to sell these horses for meat that opened back up due to laws being passed. It's sad but true but keeps them from suffering like was the case in 08 here.It was a sad situation when the law said that packing houses could not destroy these animals then.
NEGLECT!


I know my post is confusing but who in the hell really needs fences anyhow?



btw mexico is where the meat is sold.
bluesma im not a horse but i am broke

reply to post by deadeyedick


Maybe you're thinking too short term and don't fully realize what's going on a larger scale in Texas.

Look it up.

I hope we are able to come out of this drought soon but it is not looking good. We raise chickens and while we normally go through a 50 pound bag of feed every 2 weeks in the summer we are having to purchase one every week. I don't know if there is not as many bugs around for them to eat this year or if it is due to certain vegetation not growing but we have talked about getting rid of some of ours to keep food prices down. We do go through a lot more feed in the winter but feed prices have risen quit a bit.

reply to post by stargate73


Your experience is partly the point I make above.

How many stories like yours are repeated across the country?

At some point the consequences will turn political...