Press Release
For Immediate Release. Friday, May 7, 2009
Contact Ray Field, Wild Horse Foundation, Franklin, Texas
---Franklin, Texas---In less than 2 days, "Habitat For Horses" President Jerry Finch will do the most cruel and unusual event of the Alliance Nebraska Wild Horse Rescue Case that has been dominating the media. Finch has stated that all the wild horses have had toxicology tests performed and Dr. Tom Furman confirmed on DSDZFM radio last Friday, May 1st that "he did not perform toxicology tests or any other tests besides Coggins and several necropsies." No horse has been given a clean Bill of Health to state if the wild horses are Healthy. Federal Law requires that before a veterinarian can issue such, a "Certificate of Health" the horse must be in range of weight/size ration limits and disease free" at least.
Along will Jill Star, President of Lifesavers out of Lancaster, California stated "The wild horses should not have been moved until determination was made of the health condition." The wild horses were moved anyway lead by Jerry Finch and HSUS, Humane Society of the United States, Scotlund Haisley, Director of Emergency Services through out other states. State laws require that a current "health certificate" be available as they go through each state. Upon inspection of the check points if the department of Agriculture inspects and see these horses are not of healthy criteria they can turn these vehicles back around to their originating point.
Dr. Evart was out April 30 to do more test work on 6 out of 211 horses to try and come up with some degree of illness. Dr. Evart states that "there is something going on but without the necessary tests we will never know." 6 is not a proper ratio to determine health issues.
Ray Field, Executive Director and Founder of the Wild Horse Foundation, the largest wild horse adoption center in the United States, second only to the Department of Interior, notes that 53 wild horses came in with disease and he lost 23 of the wild horses before the results could determine the illness and then another 6 after. Mr. Field's states that the "wild horses were losing weight, falling from the hips to the ground, drawing in and becoming dehydrated with loose stools". You could notice the face was close to normal but when the horse looks at you and is trying to tell you something is drastically wrong. Any animal according to Field's, can tell you when something is wrong if your tuned to the animal.
Anyone can google search the Jackson Hill Palomino Valley (Nevada) information and research to know that when the BLM set its' gather up in that HMA, (herd management area), in July 2007 and the company used to gather these could not make it. The BLM knew that the horses did not have enough vegetation or water to hold them and did nothing. When many citizens started to complain about the condition of the wild horses the BLM did make notice that over a hundred or so of the wild horses out in the area died from not enough water and food sometimes eating there own stools to survive. Overgrazing was due to 160 cows to 1 wild horse ration on federal lands.
Once the BLM removed these to Palomino Valley holding in late September early October, many horses were dying in the facility. The APHIS (Veterinarians of Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) after a week or so decided it was best to close the facility for a period of several months according to the BLM statement. The wild horses were isolated away from some other areas of the facility to protect them. The APHIS determine it was "Salmonella" which is highly infectious and can be spread by contact, water and air borne. There are no known preventative measures to take other than let it run its course. If the wild horses or any horse recovers from it then they are carriers for life and can at any time regenerate the disease.
The accused did in fact receive many horses from the BLM Palomino Valley holding area in January 2008. This was at the end of the Quarantine Period, just as the BLM was opening its facility back up. It is possible to leave a facility with "no signs" and then get sick after they arrive in a different climate, or due to stress or mishandling. The BLM does not send out notices that "your new wild horses maybe infected". It's the old rule, "Don't ask - Don't tell".
While Mr. Field does not support what happened to these wild horses from anybody, he states, "That the wild horses should be given every chance to recover before they are moved." Clinical tests are crucial and must rule out other diseases like Swine Flu so it would be prudent to take every precaution here. If the veterinarians were concerned about the out break and not who's paying the bills as much but protecting the integrity of medicine in the case. Again, Mr. Field's is stating the issue that the horses should be given the opportunity to recover. If designated tests can prove they are "within limits" then move the horses to new homes and only then once all else has been ruled out.
It's important to focus on the issue and the non-profits greed for money because they took on the challenge to save the wild horses. In every context you read about, it was all about give us money. Both Habitat for Horses and the Humane Society of the United States have the financial accounts to not need the public's money.
"It's about greed and power", states Field. Moving these wild horses that are a part of our American Heritage and Legacy without regards to their health is irresponsible. Finch claims the horse are gaining weight at the rate of almost a hundred pounds in a week, while Gina Berg had overheard a conversation with Jerry Finch in which it was stated about the sick horses; These horses are not adoptable, we are going to have to euthanize them. Dr. Richard Porter of Nebraska-based KV Vet Supply, in an email statement, Porter said "I'm thankful for all those who responded so quickly to the rescue effort. I estimate my horse is at least 150 to 200 pounds underweight and will take several months to gain that weight back.
If Dr. Porter states it will take several months to regain the weight, then how can Finch claim the wild horses gained 50 - 100 pounds in a week?
The Wild Horse Foundation and other large wild horse organizations knew this was not a quick fix. Both Habitat for Horses and HSUS are running this like a Hurricane recovery drill thinking that all the owners will claim there animals. It didn't happen and they need to settle in for the long haul.
Both Jill Starr and Mr. Field were going to take 30 and 100 wild horses until HSUS moved in and upset the wild horse groups efforts, all for the sake of "cutting their teeth in on wild horses".
Field continues to request that the "right thing" be done for the wild horses health sake and for the new owners sake. "Diseases spread, kill and contaminate".
The Wild Horse Foundation is the largest wild horse adoption group in the United States. For more information visit, www.wildhorsefoundation.org Susan Calhoun, President, Ray Field, Executive Director. You can help by contacting them.
G. R. "Ray" Field
Executive Director
Wild Horse Foundation
13140 State Highway 7
P. O. Box 692
Franklin, Texas 77856
979-828-3927
713-771-5855 fax
grfield@wildhorsefoundation.org
www.wildhorsefoundation.org
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