By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent FRANKFORT, Ky. — Between the bad economy and a couple of years of drought, the state has seen its share of problems for many livestock owners who depend on adequate pastureland and hay supplies to feed their animals.
None of these situations have drawn more attention than the plight of the numerous horse owners who have simply not been able to care for their animals. It is all too often those instances where stray horses were discovered and others were found malnourished or abandoned that have garnished the most media attention.
But all the news isn’t bad. In fact, members of the Kentucky General Assembly have taken note of the situation and have become involved by way of legislation introduced during this current session to help alleviate some of those problems.
Vice-Chair of the Agriculture and Small Business Committee Representative Dwight Butler of Harned, Ky. introduced House Bill 418 which relates to stray horses and amends certain aspects of previous legislation. Notably the bill will give more authority to local government officials in establishing reasonable fees for keeping strays, allows whoever takes in the animal to sell them, allows the true owner to claim the proceeds from the sale less the costs for keeping the animal and raises the fee for posting the stray from $.50 to $5. The bill as it stands now would allow an owner two years to claim payment for the animal from a caregiver although Butler said that provision would be amended to 90 days.
“I have been happily surprised at the attention this bill has drawn and, even though this is a short (legislative) session, we have to start someplace and at least we have the discussion going.”
He added that the bill would give more flexibility in recovering costs and setting more reasonable fees for the taking up of animals.
The state legislature convenes for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30 days in odd-numbered years.
Butler also said that in the event the bill doesn’t make it to the floor for passage, he will re-introduce it next year hoping for a more comprehensive piece of legislation. “This is a problem that isn’t going away and it has to be addressed,” he said.
Currently there are provisions in place for the Department of Agriculture to take over stray cattle due to the fact that there is a perceived value on cattle and not on horses mostly due to the abolishment of slaughterhouses in the U.S.
Horse boarding legislation
Another piece of legislation that has been introduced is HB 331 which addresses boarding issues. The bill states that anyone providing board for horses or other animals may sell the animals in lieu of a lien if the owner is delinquent in payments for at least 45 days. Funds from the sale would go first to costs incurred due to the sale, then costs incurred due to care and upkeep with any remaining proceeds held for 12 months for the owner. In the event the owner does not claim the funds, they will be turned over to the local school district.
Both bills are a step in the right direction according to Ginny Grulke, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Council.
“My perception of the biggest problem is still the horses found in their owners’ pastures not being fed although they are less of a danger to a community. If you look at the human end of it, the loose ones are more dangerous because of getting out into roads and diseases that could affect whole horse populations,” she said.
Grulke added that her organization is trying to get a better idea of the number of strays in the state and has added a reporting mechanism on their website where people can report them.
The last two years have brought a drastic increase in the numbers of owners who could no longer care for their horses as well as those in already overcrowded horse rescue operations.
Still, Grulke encourages anyone who has found themselves lacking the resources to care for their horses to call their organization.
“Don’t let them starve, we do have people willing to donate money to help buy hay for horses that aren’t being fed. The important thing is to ask for help,” she said. “We do have a safety net program where if you have lost your job or have a medical problem, we’ll feed your horses for a month until you resolve that, which is for the short-term. Long-term, if you can’t afford them, get them to a place where they can be fed.”
Grulke also said that she thinks part of the problem stems from the fact that many owners who have fallen on hard times, are reluctant to admit it, either refusing to tell others or denying it themselves. “I think it is definitely an embarrassing situation,” she said.
Whether the economy has placed the hardship on horse owners or the drought created the problems, the outcome is still the same. Thanks to organizations like the Kentucky Horse Council and lawmakers stepping up to create solutions, a little good news can be found in the state’s horse industry.
For more information about the Kentucky Horse Council. Visit its website at www.kentuckyhorse.org/index.shtml |
