Source:  various

In states as far removed as Massachusetts and Texas, animal rescue organizations are facing one crisis after another as more skinny, ill or abandoned horses are reported or discovered.  

Near Boston, the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has had three times more horses surrendered at their equine holding facility this year than in 2007 and they expect the trend to continue into 2011.  

According to an article on the Metro Desk at Boston.com, people who are personally dealing with hard times - job losses and home foreclosures - are bringing their animals to the MSPCA Nevins farm shelter .  The MSPCA is requesting that anyone who could adopt a horse or could make a donation to support the shelter visit www.mspca.org/nevins.

Meanwhile, in Galveston, Texas, prosecutors returned five healthy horses to their owners after authorities seized a total of 13 horses, a mule and a goat from a property following complaints from the public.  According to reports in the Galveston Daily News and khou.com, the horses were described as 'too skinny to ride' by one of the people who filed a complaint with the police.  The location had been advertised as a riding stable.

One of the older of the 13 seized horses died of natural causes while in custody, and the rest of the animals remained at the rescue where all had been taken after the seizure.  They will be rehabilitated and put up for adoption when they are deemed healthy again.  

The owners maintained they had only had the horses for a few months which is apparently why the healthy animals were returned to them and no charges were filed.  It is not clear who was actually responsible for the animals' poor condition, but there was no indication that any further investigation would be undertaken.  In the first reports of the seizure on December 11, the current owner was quoted as saying that he and his wife had actually rescued the animals themselves and were trying to see that they were all property cared for.

Commentary:

Unfortunately, stories such as these are being reported with devastating frequency these days.  Not only are neglected and starved horses being reported and rescued throughout the United States, but there is the ongoing  situation in Ireland which has recently garnered attention in the press.  

Equally unfortunately, the conditions that have contributed to the crisis in animal care are not going to be resolved soon and it looks like we will have a long, cold winter ahead.  

While these stories are being reported around the USA and in other countries deeply affected by the economic downturn and it is very distressing to read more headlines about animals in such dire circumstances, it is certainly most constructive to help locally or to give what you can to reputable horse rescues - all of them are in need as donations have dwindled along with the economy.