[Calvincrowe]

http://www.katu.com/news/local/82315377.html

100 Horses found starving, sick, etc. in Linn County, Oregon. Made all the news stations. Took 5 weeks of investigating and prep to arrest the owner. Sadly, she'll serve little time, but one story said they are referring her to the district attorney for more charges.

Hay prices have dropped like a rock around here. There's even a state "hay bank" for people who need help. Why can't these people ASK for help??

[FancyASB]

Fugy wrote about this on her blog today...the lady was breeding and breeding too.

[Luckydonkey]

Where have hay prices dropped? I do not condone this at all, but I do not see prices having dropped- and i am in the willamette valley...

[JCIbarra]

Hay prices are down considerably from last year. I completely see how people can get overwhelmed, but the accusations of untreated lice, mange, and strangles sadden me. As far as being in mud - what horses on pasture in the Valley aren't muddy right now?

[Calvincrowe]

Lucky- I've been tracking hay prices on Craigslist since last summer--Central Oregon hay has come down from $230/ton to $170/ton, and local hay is available now at $4/bale and under. I saw round bales for $70/each (big ones), so yes, hay has come down steadily. Last year, local was selling for $6-7 a bale--all year long. And E Or was outrageous, like $250 and above.

This lady had more issues than just hay prices. We need to stiffen the penalties for animal neglect/abuse.

[Luckydonkey]

So hay in your area is down, that is great. Orchard/alfalfa mix in our area is still $15 per bale...or more... I also know Tania- and had already posted another thread about this. I am not condoning anything she has done-it is disgusting that she has that many in these hard times- but more disgusting to me is the fact that these horses have such little value in the first place that she can readily pick them up for nothing is what needs to be addressed nationwide. I could fill my trailer at every sale near us for under $200. There are free horses on craigslist constantly. yes, I agree we should have stiffer neglect and abuse penalties, but at the same time we need to address the lack of homes available in the first place. When the meat buyer won't bid on them, and no one else will take them, and the auction yard is stuck with them- what do people expect. I used to pick up horses at the sale to rehab, retrain, etc... when I coul still rehome them after the fact in a timely manner so that I coul bring home another one. But those homes are harder to come by now- if they exist at all.

[ThatScaryChick]

Lucky- I've been tracking hay prices on Craigslist since last summer--Central Oregon hay has come down from $230/ton to $170/ton, and local hay is available now at $4/bale and under. I saw round bales for $70/each (big ones), so yes, hay has come down steadily. Last year, local was selling for $6-7 a bale--all year long. And E Or was outrageous, like $250 and above.

This lady had more issues than just hay prices. We need to stiffen the penalties for animal neglect/abuse.

I agree. It's horrible that she will probably just get a slap on the wrist. It seems that she was in no position money-wise, to even support over 100 horses. She shouldn't have let herself get that many horses or breed that many in the first place, but that seems to be a common theme among these people. I don't feel sorry for her at all, but I do for those poor horses.

[goldponies]

This is just sick.