e-HAHS: Hooved Animal Humane Society

Updated May 4, 2005

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e-HAHS, the electronic newsletter of the Hooved Animal Humane Society
May 1, 2005
Volume 4, Issue 5

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**In the News: Wild Horse Slaughter Stirs Reaction
**Events: Summit Charts Historic Course for Unwanted Horses
**Animal of the Month: The Desperate Housewives
**Horse Health: Lush Green Grass Is Pretty, But Harmful To Horses
**Links: BLM Informational website
**How to Help: Recycle your printer cartridges for free paper for HAHS!
**FAQ: Will HAHS pick up abandoned horses?

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**In the News: Wild Horse Slaughter Stirs Reaction (excerpt)
By Whitney Royster
Jackson Hole Star-Tribune environmental reporter
With wire reports Thursday April 28, 2005

Animal rights advocates in Wyoming hope recent turmoil surrounding the
slaughter of 41 wild horses sold to private parties will be a long-term
benefit to other animals possibly awaiting similar fate.
The Bureau of Land Management, the agency in charge of managing wild horse
herds and overseeing their adoption and sale, halted the sale of horses
this week in response to the slaughterings. The first six horses sent to a slaughterhouse were originally caught in the Antelope Hills herd management area south of Lander.
Alan Shepherd, wild horse and burro program leader for the BLM in Wyoming, said the
horses were went to a corral in Colorado because Wyoming's corrals were at
capacity. From Canyon City, Colo., an Oklahoma man bought the horses and
sent them to Cavel International Inc., a commercial packing plant in
DeKalb, Ill. This week, 35 more horses coming from the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South
Dakota were bought and sent to the same plant. BLM officials, tipped off
by Agriculture Department inspectors, persuaded the plant managers to
stop. That saved the lives of 16 mustangs about to be killed, and the
plant agreed to give the horses food and water until they were picked up
by the agency.
Contact your representatives and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 297 (if they
aren't already). Also make sure your senator is a co-sponsor of S. 576.
For assistance, see the Links section below.

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**Events: Summit Charts Historic Course for Unwanted Horses

Over 25 equine industry organizations, including the Hooved Animal Humane
Society, and one United States congressman participated in the nation's
first-ever Unwanted Horse Summit on Tuesday, April 19, 2005, in
Washington, D.C. Hosted by the American Association of Equine
Practitioners, the Summit served as a catalyst for identifying long-term
solutions designed to improve the quality of life of unwanted horses.
Discussion surrounded the factors that contribute to unwanted horses as
well as the approaches to addressing the problem. Summit participants
recommended as the next step the formation of a national steering
committee dedicated to addressing issues affecting unwanted horses.
Working groups to tackle specific areas, such as horse owner education,
also will be developed as part of this effort.

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**Animal of the Month: The Desperate Housewives

Susan, Gabrielle, Lynette and Edie (along with two others) were impounded
by the Illinois State Department of Agriculture in January. Because these
quarter horse mares were so debilitated and the winter was so harsh, we
arranged for them to be taken to the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine for intensive care. Within a month, they were healthy
enough to bring to our farm in Woodstock, where they have been
recuperating ever since. They have been evaluated for "brokenness" and we
are pleased to say that Gabrielle, a teenage chestnut mare, appears to
have been trained to ride. If you are interested in any of these mares,
please contact us at 815-337-5563 or info@hahs.org

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**Horse Health: Lush Green Grass Is Pretty, But Harmful To Horses
Author: Kim Marie Labak

Spring is here, and the plants are new and fresh. The pretty, lush grasses
that green the countryside in April and May are young, tender, and very
tasty for a horse. Unfortunately, these young grasses are also low in the
fiber that horses need and are high in the soluble carbohydrates that can
upset the sensitive microbiotic balance in a horse's gut.
Dr. James Brendemuehl, equine veterinarian at the University of Illinois
Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, explains that since horses are
natural grazers, they need a diet high in fiber such as that found in
long-stemmed, mature forage grasses.
Young grasses are higher in soluble carbohydrates, and Dr. Brendemuel
explains, "Large amounts of these carbohydrates can overload the gut,
disturbing the balance of natural bacteria. As large numbers of natural
gut bacteria die, they release a surge of a bacterial toxin called
endotoxin."
Endotoxin then gets into the bloodstream, where it can travel to the
vessels of the feet and induce laminitis, especially in horses that are
predisposed, such as overweight horses, horses with a previous history of
laminitis, and horses with Cushing's disease.

To view this article online:
http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news3149.html

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**How to Help: Recycle your printer cartridges for free paper for HAHS!

OfficeMax will give a ream of paper (500 sheets) to anyone who brings in a
used printer cartridge for recycling (Hewlett-Packard is preferred). So
the next time you run out of ink and have to go buy a new cartridge,
return the used one for free paper for HAHS!

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**Links: BLM Informational website

Keep up-to-date on how the Department of Interior is handling the sales of
mustangs here: http://www.doi.gov/sales/

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**FAQ: Will HAHS pick up abandoned horses?

Q: We recently purchased land but the seller left his horses. Can you
come get them?

A: Yes, but two things have to happen first. One, you or someone else
must ensure that the horses are cared for properly. This means they must
have fresh water available at all times, approximately 10 pounds of good
quality grass hay per day per horse, shelter and veterinary care if
needed.
Second, you or your attorney must contact the seller in writing and give
him or her clear notice that you are going to have the horses removed if
the seller does not remove them by a certain date. If you can get the
seller to relinquish the horses to you so that you can relinquish them to
us, that's even better. But we cannot come and get the horses until they
are clearly abandoned or the owner signs them over to you.