Legally speaking.......

This past week has been a legally eventful one for Horse Haven. Two court dates in two different counties, involving a total of 8 horses. Both individuals in these cases were charged with "Cruelty to Animals". And yet, the cases are very different. The accused in the first case had the financial resources to retain an attorney. She had been in the horse business for a number of years and people in this relatively small horse community knew her. Her horses were well bred and some of them had been professionally trained and had traveled to horse shows. It should be safe to assume that she would understand what it took to care for horses. One would think that she would know that horses can't live in a small, muddy enclosure. That horses need roughage in the form of hay, especially when left outside in December without access to shelter. That horses in poor body condition would also need feed on a daily basis. She should know that some injuries need to be treated. By a veterinarian.

 Yet, when her horses were seized by Animal Control, they were standing in 6-8 inches of boot sucking mud. There was no hay anywhere. No shelter was provided to protect the horses from the icy rain. With little body fat to keep them warm, they were shivering.  There was half a bag of horse feed on the property that had not been replenished in days. She claimed that the person she was paying to feed the horses wasn't doing his job.

The accused in the second case was appointed a public defender. His financial resources are limited at best. His horses were also living in a dirt lot but had access to a shelter. As in the first case, there was no visible feed. His horses were not well bred. He claimed that they were thin because they were "wormy" and that he hadn't been able to worm one of them because he had been unable to catch her. He also claimed that one of them had a twisted intestine which made it impossible to gain weight.

While the owners of these horses come from different backgrounds with very different levels of understanding of proper horse care, is either situation defensible or acceptable? The outcome for the horses was the same in both cases. They were thin and neglected. The first case took months to resolve. Numerous court dates require everybody involved to be present. Time away from work and other obligations takes a toll on witnesses. Witness fatigue is a defense attorney's friend. If a case drags on for 12,16 or 24 months, it is unlikely that all the witnesses will still be available to testify. The second case is ongoing as a new date was set today.

All the while Horse Haven cares for the horses involved. We provide feed, hay, shelter, veterinary and farrier care. And we do attend every single court date to make sure that the prosecution has all the support needed to get justice for those that cannot speak for themselves. We truly represent the horses every time we step into a court room. We are their voice.

If you would like to find out more about Horse Haven and what we do, please visit our website and facebook page. If you would like to support our mission with a financial gift, click the pay pal button on our website or you're welcome to mail a contribution to HHT, PO Box 22841 Knoxville TN 37933.

Please stay tuned for next weeks "As the Barn turns...."