Horse Seizure Follow Up – Seventh Edition

Lil'BitHi y’all it is me …Lil’ Bit, in Alvord, Texas.  I know, I know, it has been a while since you guys have heard from me, but you see I have been so busy these past couple of months that I haven’t had time to stay in touch.  Now where should I start, there have been so many things going on….

Many 8-2013-1012Do you remember when I told you that Mom kept talking about being broke, well I found out that it had nothing to do with being hurt  and it had nothing to do with being out of money.  All they wanted to do was to put this thing called a saddle on me and then they climb on top and ask me to walk around and sometimes they even want me to run.  Trust me we have had discussions about running in this Texas heat and I’ll do it for a minute, just so they can see that I know what they want.

Many 8-2013-1105Oh, oh, oh, remember my friend Lilly from Remember Me Rescue, well she came by again yesterday, to check up on me and Ransom and the lady with the camera came by also.  The lady with the camera wanted me to put my ears up and after a while I gave in and put them put.  You should have seen what Grandma was doing trying to get me to put my ears up, it was funny, but I pretended to ignore her.  Unfortunately I don’t think that we will be seeing any pictures of that.

Guess what, guess what, our friend Kipper, he’s  from that awful place we used to live also, now lives close enough to come by and visit.  He was here yesterday too.  I got to play with him and it was so much fun.

Many 8-2013-1125

As you can see, by all the pictures taken by our camera lady friend, Kipper and I have been working hard.  I think Kipper has been working hardest of all.  Look how he can just fly around those things they call barrels ; I thought they were for water, but I guess if they are blue they are to play with.

Many 8-2013-1148

Chelsea 2 WSDo you want to know a secret…..?  Ransom has a GIRLFRIEND!!!!  That’s right he has a girlfriend and I think it may be a little serious.  I keep telling him though that he needs to start working harder or else she will fall in love with me and everything that I can do.  But I think we both need to watch out for Kipper, I mean he has these barrel things down pat.

While Kipper and I were playing around he told me about the “Battle of the X’s The Trainers Challenge” and “All Thoroughbred Show that Remember Me Rescue puts on to raise money so they can save and help horses like us.  Kipper got to go to the last one and is going to the one in 2014.  I am thinking if I work real hard maybe Mom and Grandma will let me go too.  Maybe Ransom and his girlfriend will be able to go too.  Kipper said it was a lot of fun, but that there were a lot of other horses and people so I guess I will need to work on my nerves.

I guess my buddy Ransom was right when he said that everything would be alright,  I am still not as trusting as Ransom but Lilly still comes to visit and Mom and Grandma are still as loving as ever and have I gained weight, well,  we won’t have that discussion today.  Kipper found us and now gets to come by and visit. Mom doesn’t panic when those little kids are around, well maybe not as much.    So all is going good.

Many 8-2013-1065 Many 8-2013-1107 Many 8-2013-1022

Ransom, Kipper and I would like to say that we will always be so thankful to Remember Me Rescue for bringing us to Texas and letting me move to Alvord to be with Mom and Grandma.

Many 8-2013-1087

 

 

 

Natchitoches, LA Racehorse Abuse – Follow Up #2

RACEHORSE ABUSE AND COVER-UP IN NATCHITOCHES, LA…

For all of you who are following the tragedy in Natchitoches, LA – there are still horses at 1955 Williams Ave, Natchitoches, LA and at this time it appears that they will remain there.  It seems like an army of individuals have been working effortlessly trying to save these poor animals to no avail.  Calls, e-mails, texts, and twitts have gone out starting with the Animal Control Department all the way up the ladder to the Governor of Louisiana, we have contacted the national news media from ABC to NBC and CNN even the National Enquirer.  We have even sent e-mails and twits to Anderson Cooper to name a few.

One point that I would like to make is that not everyone on the LTBA Board was aware of what has been happening at the Ryder Ridge River Farm a year ago.  Some, actually, were not made aware of the matter until my original post regarding this matter.   If you look at the LTBA Board Members who are on the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association’s Board, those are the ones who knew.

What we have learned is that no one seems to have the authority to go in and seize these animals except the Sheriff’s Department who seems to find it beneficial to support Clay Ryder and to allow horses to die.  We have also found out that the DA of Natchitoches, LA lives, per Google .02 miles in other words 23 seconds away from the Ryder property.  Is there a good-old-boy cover up going on????

The Natchitoches Times reported on January 26, 2013 that Sheriff Victor Jones, Jr.  “has been investigating complaints of animal abuse at Ryder’ River Ridge Horse farm for over a year and have been working with the son of the owner to improve conditions there.”  It is further reported that “Jones said there were 150 thoroughbred horses on 60 acres at the farm, an area too small to support that number of horses.”  I have received reports from two independent sources that claim the number of horses on this property was closer to 200.

The article goes on to say that after Jones assigned Deputy Rob Walsworth to the case and after the farm was visited by a state veterinarian and representative of the LA Brand Commission “Clay Ryder began working with officials to improve the conditions and began taking some of the original 150 horses to rescue facilities.”  As I have stated in previous post we were aware that Clay Ryder had agreed to work with officials and had originally agreed to surrender 20 horses to the LHRA when in fact he only surrendered 8 of the original 20 horses.  In an e-mail dated January 19, 2013 Sunny Francois, Executive Director of LHRA stated “…Of the original 20 promised 8 were received; after which point the spring grass was coming up…”  So immediately we see that we have over populated acreage, we have an owner who didn’t even follow through with his first promise and a horse rescue that believes the spring grass from over populated acreage will be enough for now between 142 and 192 horses to survive.

The Natchitoches Times further goes on to state “ Walsworth made about 20 visits to the farm during the last year with the last on being Dec. 8.  “Some of the horses were down in weight but there was nothing alarming,”  Jones said.  “And Clay was working with Rob and did everything we asked him to do.”  Below are pictures of some of the horses as of January 15, 2013.

Canvas Spirit 1   Fast Brook 1   TooLights Treasure Side 1

Ask yourself and then ask others “is Deputy Walsworth blind, what was the Sheriff’s Department asking Clay Ryder to do and what was he doing”.  A horse does not get in this condition in thirty days.

The Natchitoches Times also states that “LA State Police then met with Jones and Walsworth and requested they arrest Ryder.  Jones said he told them he would not arrest Ryder because of his past cooperation.”  My question to Sheriff Jones is; “WHAT COOPERATION?”

Bottom line according to the Natchitoches Times, Sheriff Jones is giving Ryder “another 30 days to improve the conditions and step up the efforts to get rid of the horses, to which Ryder agreed”.   There needs to be an accounting of where the horses have gone or are going.  Ryder does not need the opportunity to just move them to a different property.

We know there were approximately 150 to 200 horses on the property in January 2012, per Jones, and that there are about 57 horses still on the property as of January 2013, per Jones.  Let recap Ryder’s cooperation:

January 2012                         150 – 200 horses on Ryder River Ridge Farm

February 2012                           8             horses turned over to LHRA 20 promised

March 2012                                0            horses turned over

April 2012                                   0            horses turned over

May 2012                                    0            horses turned over

June 2012                                   0            horses turned over

July 2012                                     0            horses turned over

August 2012                               0            horses turned over

September 2012                        0            horses turned over

October 2012                              0            horses turned over

November 2012                         0            horses turned over

December 2012                          0            horses turned over

January 5, 2013                       18            horses turned over to LHRA

January 17, 2013                       7           horses turned over to LHRA

January 19,  2013                    14            horses turned over to LHRA

Well 57 horses plus 47 horses equals 104 horses.  What happened to the remaining 46 to 96 horses?  Did they die?  DID 46 to 96 HORSES DIE DURING THE PAST 11 MONTHS?

The LSU Ag Center Research and Extension has a narrative in which the state in part:

The state’s race horse industry was made up of 1,221 breeders who owned 8,897 mares that produced 7,698 foals that were sold in 2011 for $61.6 million.  A total of 90 breeders own 832 stallions that were bred to 10,446 mares, generating income from stud fees of $26.1 million.  The total gross farm income generated from race horse production was $117.9 million.  In addition, 2,390 race horse owners had 14,329 horses with a gross farm value of $171.9 million.  Total gross farm value of the race horse sector was $259.6 million in 2011, not including receipts or fees from racing events or gaming.

 To read the entire narrative click here:  LSU Ag Center Narrative

Not being a resident of the State of Louisiana I do not understand how a state that prides itself on their thoroughbreds can allow them to die from starvation.  We are aware that the Sheriff’s Department, Police Department, Animal Control, Humane Society, District Attorney, Attorney General, Governor and many others are aware of what has been taking place for the past twelve months.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN. – 2012 Many, LA 60 horses seized unknown number dead, 2013 Natchitoches, LA 40 to 90 horses missing possibly dead.  What will we hear about in 2014.

 

Racehorse Abuse in Natchitoches, LA – Follow Up #1

RACEHORSE ABUSE IN NATCHITOCHES, LA…

There is a tragedy, ongoing, in Natchitoches, LA and there are so many people aware of the situation and nothing was being done.  You see there is a farm on 1955 Williams Ave., named Ryder River Ridge Farm and a year ago, January 31, 2012, there were about 100 to 135 horses on site and there was a report of animal abuse along with pictures of dead and dying horses.    Ryder River Ridge Farm was listed as the 2009 Leading Breeder on the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association web-site.  The original owner Firal Ryder was a beloved man in the Louisiana Horse Community, unfortunately he is in ill health and son has taken over the operations.  Unfortunately, Clay Ryder, Firal Ryder’s son is not as passionate and caring of the horses. The tragedy, I am speaking of,  is that a year later, January 15, 2013,  there are still dead and dying horses on this farm and no one seems to be able to get the owner/his son to allow an inspection of the property, file charges or seize the remaining horses.  This farm is listed with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association and The Jockey Club.

The Police Department in Natchitoches, LA along with Animal Control did not have the authority to take actions because the property is parish land and under the authority of  the Sheriff’s Department,  well all I can say is they are well aware of the situation.  Are Clay Ryder, Deputy Wadsworth, and Sheriff Victor Jones friends, probably.  News stations have been contacted, the District Attorney, Office of the Attorney General, and the General Criminal Division for the State of LA have all been contacted.

You may be asking what more could or can be done and in my opinion there is a lot that could and can be done in this matter and in future matters.  The problem is people in authority don’t want to take any action, can’t take any action or don’t want to ruffle any feather.  I am not pointing fingers at any one organization or anyone person within a specific organization, all I am trying to do is put the facts out there, as I see them.

The Board of Directors for the –

 Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association (LTBA), are

President: Dr. Dexter Gary; First Vice President: Michele Rodriguez; Second Vice President:  Jim Montgomery

Board Member:  Jay Adcock, Brett Brinkman, Charlotte Clavier,  Jeff Delhomme, Jake Delhomme, Nathan Granger, Michelle LaVoice, Keith Myers, Val Murrell, Lora Pitre, and Neal McFadden

There By-Laws read in part:

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association By-Laws

Part A, Section 4

            Upon filing of a written complaint about any member on the LTBA complaint form, an investigation will be performed by the LTBA, after which the member complained of shall be given reasonable notice of the complaint and an opportunity to be heard.  The Board of Directors, after the hearing, upon 75% vote of the directors present, may take any action against the member deemed appropriate to protect the interests of this Association, including the sanctions of expulsion from, termination of or suspension of membership.

 The first complaint that I am aware of came from an individual having direct dealings with the LTBA.  I know the complaint was made and that pictures were produced in January of 2012; was this complaint written I cannot say for sure, but I do know that at least one LTBA board member received notification of this matter.  These pictures were then forwarded to LHRA and then forwarded to me in an e-mail that says in part “…I’m sending you photos I was given from a farm at the following address:…It is another large scale TB breeding operation.  The sheriff’s office is supposed to be investigating.  I don’t get the impression they are taking it very seriously despite the other incident.  Let me know if you have any ideas on how we can push this forward.  I am not supposed to have the photos.”

My response was sure there are things that we can do and the phone lines lit up.  Calling residences that I had meet during the Many, LA seizure was easy, with one of them telling me these were the horses that she was talking about two weeks ago.  I was able to get the phone numbers and names for the Animal Control and the Police Department, both of whom informed me that they were aware of the situation but their hands were tied because the property was considered to be in the parish not in the city limits.  The Sheriff’s Department never returned any of the calls I made a year ago.   Along with making the telephone calls and contacts we worked on getting together a list of horses that should be on the property, along with markings and numbers.  We also began talking about preparing a database of local farms that may be able to help out by taking one or more of the horses.  We were preparing for a seizure twice the size of the one that had just occurred in Many, LA and we wanted to be ready.

For weeks there were calls made regarding these horses and there were even a couple of meetings held and there was information being put together to present to news media and to post on websites and social media sites.  It was finally “agreed” with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Department (and I say that lightly) that the owner would turn over approximately 20 horses over a three day period and LHRA ask  those of us working on resolving this matter to stop what we were working on since the “owner is working with us”.  So everyone involved backed off, I had a couple of follow up conversations with LHRA where I was told that if the owner did not continue to work with them they would call me and then my calls stopped being returned.  I figured that with all of the horses from the Many Rescue and now these horses, they were busy so I didn’t do any further follow up, truly believing that if the problem continued I would again be contacted.

It is now being reported that the owner did not turn over all the horses he promised to originally turn over and that the Sheriff’s Department continues to ignore the reports of abuse and neglect at this property.

Louisiana Revised Statutes. Title 14. Criminal Law. Chapter 1. Criminal Code. Part VI. Offenses Affecting The Public Generally. Subpart B. Offenses Affecting The Public Sensibility. § 102. Definitions; cruelty to animals states in part:

§ 102. Definitions; cruelty to animals

The following words, phrases, and terms as used in R.S. 14:102.1 through R.S. 14:102.4 shall be defined and construed as follows:

(1) “Cruel” means every act or failure to act whereby unjustifiable physical pain or suffering is caused or permitted.

(2) “Abandons” means to completely forsake and desert an animal previously under the custody or possession of a person without making reasonable arrangements for its proper care, sustenance, and shelter.

(3) “Proper food” means providing each animal with daily food of sufficient quality and quantity to prevent unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering by the animal.

(4) “Proper water” means providing each animal with daily water of sufficient quality and quantity to prevent unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering by the animal.

(5) “Proper shelter” means providing each animal with adequate shelter from the elements as required to prevent unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering by the animal.

(6) “Proper veterinary care” means providing each animal with veterinary care sufficient to prevent unnecessary or unjustifiable physical pain or suffering by the animal.

(7) “Livestock” means cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, burros, asses, other livestock of all ages, farm-raised cervidae species, and farm-raised ratite species.

Why hasn’t the Sheriff’s Department done their job?  He has been provided with pictures and he has been on the property!  Is he not aware of the laws of his own state?  We know for a fact that 26 of the 100 horses on this property a year ago have suffered cruel treatment, did not receive proper food, water or veterinary care and that they are horses, that is a minimum of 26 counts.

 Further, Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, By-Laws state in part:

Part C, Section 1

 (A) Foal Accreditation: In order to have a foal accredited as a Louisiana Bred Horse, the following requirements shall be fulfilled.  The foal must be born in the State of Louisiana.

1.    The foal’s dam must be domiciled in the State of Louisiana and meet the appropriate residency requirements based on her designation as an imported, a resident, sale, departing, in-foal, or barren mare. All mares entering the program must be registered with the LTBA upon entry into the State of Louisiana and upon each transfer of ownership thereafter. As set forth by the LTBA rules, failure to register a mare and her domicile in a timely manner shall result in penalties and/or in the mare’s foals being denied the status of an Accredited Louisiana Bred. All mares are subject to inspection at any time.

 and a letter on their web-site states in part:

LETTER ON Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association WEBSITE:

 March 10, 2009

Dear Member,

At the recent Board of Directors Meeting the board voted on and passed a number of adjustments to the way mares are inspected as well as amendments to forms and fees. Listed below you will find guidelines of when a mare may be inspected, as well as a list of required forms and fees associated with the failure to complete and file the required forms.

 Guidelines of when a mare may be inspected:

1. New mares; within 30 days of form being filed with the office.

2. Mares going out of state to breed with foals at their side; before leaving and after the August 1st deadline of returning.

3. Mares without foals; on their return or after August 1st.

4. Anytime there is a Change of Domicile of the Mare.

5. Mares with early breeding dates may be inspected during the last three weeks of December.

6. Complaints received on a case by case basis.

We know that these mares are being inspected on a regular basis, for domicile purposes, but unless the inspector is blind, and in this matter he was not, the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association is aware of the abuse and yet they continue to register horses from this farm and list this farm in their directory.

Is there more that could have been done, yes.  There is the Louisiana Racing Commission.   Some of the horses owned by this farm are still racing.  If the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association had reported their findings to the Louisiana Racing Commission the trainers licenses could have and should have been revoked and the horses would not have been allowed to race.   The Louisiana Racing Commission’s web-site states in part:

Louisiana Racing Commission

The Louisiana State Racing Commission was created by legislative act in 1940.   The Commission is composed of thirteen members, one representing each Congressional district plus 2 at-large and 4 representing each of the parishes where live racing is held.  All are appointed by the Governor, subject to State Senate confirmation.

The official domicile of the Commission is in New Orleans, and its’ office is currently located at 320 North Carrollton Avenue, Suite 2-B, 70119-5100.

The Racing Commission’s legal mandate is the forceful and honest statewide control of horse racing for the public health, safety, and welfare by safeguarding the citizens of Louisiana against corrupt, incompetent, dishonest and unprincipled horse racing practices.

Some of the ways the Racing Commission accomplishes its’ legal mandate is by assuring the public and horsemen of Louisiana that:

1.   each racing association conducting a race meeting is licensed and operated by responsible management, and does its utmost to provide the patrons, horses and horsemen the best possible facilities it can afford;

2.   the wagering management, clerks and equipment inspire patron confidence in the betting system;

3.   every owner and trainer seeking to enter a horse in competition is licensed, is a person of good character and is financially responsible;

4.   every horse appearing in a race is the animal it is represented to be on the program, is carrying the correct weight as assigned by the track handicapper, and is physically fit and able to participate in a race;

5.   every race run represents a true competitive effort by every participating horse and rider;

6.   during the running of any race no rider commits any act that would unfairly tend to make the race anything other than a true competitive test;

7.   no one responsible for the custody of a competing horse has administered, or allowed to be administered, any prescribed medication to it within a specified time prior to the race; nor administered, or allowed to be administered, any illegal substance to it at any time;

8.   no one who may be able to affect the outcome of a race is under the influence of any illegal substance or alcohol.

If the LTBA had notified the Louisiana Racing Commission they would have had an opportunity to more closely examine the animals coming from this farm and possibly pulled the trainer’s license then the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association could have terminated the Farms membership.

Part A, Section 8

Any member who is (1) convicted of a criminal offense which would be a felony under the laws of the United States of America or of the State of Louisiana and is not pardoned or has not completed probation or parole supervision, (2) convicted of a criminal offense which would be a misdemeanor under the laws of the State of Louisiana, which offense is related to the sport of racing or to the business of breeding, and is not pardoned or has not completed probation or parole supervision or (3) under a final order of the Louisiana State Racing Commission suspending or terminating any racing privilege or right in this State, the Board of Directors may terminate the membership of a member of this association by a 2/3 majority vote of the Board of Directors. Upon such termination, the member of this Association shall not have initiation or application fees returned or dues returned.

I am also aware that the Jockey Club could have gotten involved since they are in charge of the pre-race inspection.  Their web-site states in part:

Welcome to The Jockey Club!

The Jockey Club is the breed Registry for Thoroughbred horses in the
United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The organization is dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, and it fulfills that mandate by serving many segments of the industry through its subsidiary companies and by providing support to a wide range of industry initiatives.

 THE JOCKEY CLUB

THOROUGHBRED SAFETY COMMITTEE

RECOMMENDATIONS

AUGUST 22, 2010

Recommendation: Pre-Race Inspections

InCompass Solutions Inc. has developed a Pre-Race Veterinary Exam module offered through its Race Track Operations (RTO) system. The software enables regulatory veterinarians at racetracks to record the details of racehorses’ pre-race soundness inspections in a secure central database, and it is provided as a free service to any jurisdiction that agrees to share its pre-race exam data with association and regulatory veterinarians at other tracks that are using the system.

Sharing the results of pre-race inspections among regulatory veterinarians provides valuable insight into soundness issues that may require closer evaluation. As horses increasingly move among racetracks for competition, the regulatory veterinarians charged with evaluating racing soundness of our equine athletes can review the confidential results recorded by colleagues and obtain a more complete picture of racing soundness.

The Thoroughbred Safety Committee calls for

“The immediate use of the pre-race veterinary examination module and the sharing of inspection information by all racing jurisdictions, regulatory veterinarians and racetracks performing pre-race inspections.”

The system contains the following features to aid in the pre-race inspections:

• previous inspections are stored and saved for an inspection “past performance”

• previous inspections, past performances, and entry and program data are automatically loaded for each horse and race

• centralized location of information related to the inspections of a horse is accessible only through a secure log in and user ID for regulatory veterinarians

Further, the Thoroughbred Safety Committee calls for

• The transparency and reciprocity of all associated “lists” kept by various racing officials. The RTO system provides a mechanism for racing officials to share the following lists at no cost to the commission or racing association.

o Vets

o Bleeder

o Nerve

o Starter

o Paddock judge o Deceased

o Problem

o Ineligible

o Stewards

o Claiming

The Thoroughbred Safety Committee believes that any insights about the particular traits, behaviors and histories of racehorses that can be gained through sharing of lists among racing associations are invaluable to the health and safety of the horse, rider and all personnel involved with the handling and care of a Thoroughbred before, during and after the running of a race.

I have also been made aware of the fact that on or about May 10, 2012 the Stewards at Delta Downs fined Trainer, F.C. Ryder, the sum of $100 for failure to have Piroplasmosis test for his scheduled starter, Cee Ya Sunday.

Is there more that could have been done, I believe the answer is yes.  The Louisiana Horse Rescue Association who’s board members are:

Louisiana Horse Rescue Association (LHRA)

President:  Patrick Richmond

Board Members: Michelle Rodriguez, Theresa Arroyo, Jason Boulet, Dr. Mustajab Mirza,     Judy Agular, Sandra Salmen,

Executive Director:  Sunny Francois

could have reignited the fire a lot sooner.  Those of us who knew about this matter last year were told in March of 2012 that it appeared the owner was going to work with LHRA and would be delivering 20 horses within the next week and that we would be contacted if the agreements were not followed through with, but for now we could stand down and give the owner an opportunity.  Well here we are in January of 2013 and we are finding out that less than half of the original 20 horses that were committed to be turned over were actually turned over and the death and dying has continued.

If you look at the connection between the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association and the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association it is so muddled that they appear to be one in the same organization.  Both organizations use the same post office box and the same bookkeeper, LHRA Board Member Michelle Rodriguez is First Vice President of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association,  LHRA Board Member Theresa Arroyo is the LTBA’s bookkeeper,  LHRA Board Member Jason Boulet works for the fairgrounds,  LTBA helps LHRA out financially, and the Executive Director of the LHRA is on the payroll of the LTBA as a IT Consultant.

Earlier this week (January 15, 2013) I saw a post on Facebook from a friend regarding this farm and the death and carnage and at that time was made aware that the situation had not gotten better, the owner was not working with LHRA and the Sheriff’s Department had yet to do a formal investigation and to report what was known by so many.  After a number of individuals (mostly friends of RMR) making an untold number of phone calls, hundreds of posts on Facebook, Remember Me Rescue (out of Burelson, TX) renting a helicopter to photograph the carnage and finally contacting the Louisiana State Police access to this property was gained.

Between January 15, 2013 and January 19, 2013 LHRA made many posts to the Facebook pages, for the most part thanking people for their donations (in excess of $2,700 and $1,200 in supplements), yet few if any posts were made as to what steps people could take to rectify this matter.  There was a Facebook post which states “We hope that the organizations who have assisted in bringing this situation to a head will also be available to assist in the efforts to provide transport/homes/medical care and financial resources to the horses.” 

On January 15, 2013, I made a post regarding this matter and LHRA made facebook posts and comments regarding that blog post which in part states 3. LHRA has never had joint meetings with anyone regarding the horses in Natchitoches. We have had conversations with authorities on occasion, trying to push for investigation and seizure. We have accepted horses from the breeder as he surrendered them. We were successful in obtaining 26 horses this year.  

Sunny Francois, Executive Director of LHRA admits in an e-mail dated January 19, 2013 (7:19 PM) “…Of the original 20 promised 8 were received; after which point the spring grass was coming up…”  Well excuse me for calling foul but spring grass does not come up overnight especially when you have 100 horses grazing.  Further stated in this e-mail Ms. Francois states “that we have had the state vet visit the property three times, that we have had the Sherif’s Office to the property, that we have had the Brand Commission to the property and all have cleared it.  As a secondary measure we began to work with the farm owner…”.  Ms. Francois further states in this same e-mail “We’ve now taken 47 horses off the property, more than anyone sitting at home complaining about the situation has done.”  Of those 47, eight were received in February of 2012, eighteen were received around January 5, 2013, an additional seven were surrendered on Thursday the 17th and fourteen were received on the 19th , so 21of the 47 horses were received after the Facebook post that reignited the fuse and after those “sitting at home complaining” started complaining.  Those of us “sitting at home complaining” would have been there in a heartbeat if we had been ask at any time during the past twelve months.

LHRA further posted on Facebook on January 19, 2013 “ … We will try to put something on our website in the next day or two giving the full story. At this point we understand that the elderly gentleman who started the farm took wonderful care of it and the horses. He is now in a nursing home and his son has taken over, and the farm is in the condition we see. That really is about all we know. Horses that the founder bred are still racing and winning currently.” Further Patrick Richmond posted on LHRA Facebook Page  LHRA is having all of the new rescues, including the 14 that just arrived vetted at  Richmond Plantation on Monday, thanks to Jessica Duncan and a team of vet students from LSU School of Veterinary Medicine. … We will also be hosting the local news, State Police and the Livestock Brand Commission.

On January 21, 2013 at approximately 6:45 PM one of LHRA’s Facebook Friends posted the following on their Facebook Page:

I understand there will be a press conference this afternoon re: Ryder horses.  Please be certain to tell them why no follow up was done at this farm, why nobody bothered to walk the property.  And most of all, please give all the credit to Remember Me Rescue out of Texas.  If it were not for them all these horses would have died and nobody would be the wiser.

This is the response from LHRA:

Louisiana Horse Rescue Association Catherine, apparently you don’t understand anything. If you don’t have permission to “walk someone’s property” it is called tresspassing. If you take horses without permission it is called theft. The 38 horses LHRA saved were voluntarily turned over long before any other rescue saw a chance to make a buck slipping away and started trying to generate funds for themselves. LONG BEFORE. How many Ryder horses has LHRA rescued?? 51!!!!! How many has any other mouth-flapping rescue taken in – NONE, a big fat 0. So get off our back, we work within the law, we aren’t the animal police, and the ONLY thing we are interested in is the welfare of the horse. Instead of wasting time on facebook, why don’t you actually do something that helps a horse, like asking your congressman for better laws on this. Please unlike our page, it will save you lots of time.

They further went on to say:

 All of the horses we have were turned over to us before anyone “jumped in a helicopter”. Explain your other rescue begging for donations for these horses when they have not rescued a single one – I’ll go check the mailbox, but I think I know what I’ll find from them. I call that fraud. We work really hard to do what we do, we have been in constant contact with the local authorities – the law – to little, but some, avail. Is it an ideal situation – no, not at all. Perhaps if you knew what we have been up against you would be less critical and actually try to help us.

 Is this really how the Horse Racing Industry in Louisiana wants to be known?  Some of us sitting around complaining were trying to help a bad situation from getting worse and we were there last year and were sent away.   I personally have shed many tears this past week, because I was one of the few who had the proof a year ago, I knew who took the pictures, I knew who knew and I trusted.  I am sorry for every horse that has died during the past year on that farm.  I am Sorry.

I would like to personally thank everyone who helped out this past week making telephone calls, obtaining telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, for your support and encouragement, and for passing on this information to make sure that we could save as many of these horses as possible.  Special thanks to Donna and Dallas Keen and Remember Me Rescue for renting the helicopter and photographer and Vicki Morgan for keeping us updated.

The question remains, why was this tragedy allowed to go on for as long as it did?  There were so many people who knew what was going on and resources available where this type of behavior should have been stopped a year ago, starting with Sheriff Victor Jones.  Last year we had the Many, LA issue and this year we have the Natchitoches, LA issue.  What is wrong with this picture?  Who dropped the ball first?  The problem is that Louisiana may not be the only state that has these types of issues when it comes to abuse of horses and other animals.

 

 

Horses on Williams Road, Natchitoches, LA

I was so hoping that with the publicity of the “Many 60” incident I would not hear about another farm with those conditions for a while, but I was wrong.  The Many horses were seized on January 7, 2012 and by January 22, 2012, I was already hearing about another farm in the same vicinity, Natchitoches, LA.   My mistake was trusting that something was being done to protect these horses, after personally speaking to and reporting the incident to Animal Control, Humane Society, Sheriff’s Department and Police Department along with speaking to LHRA, and knowing that the Louisiana Horse Racing Association was aware of what was happening at this farm.

A little over two weeks after the seizure of the 60 horses in Many, LA, I was contacted regarding a Thoroughbred Horse Farm in Natchitoches, LA.  For those of you unfamiliar with Louisiana, Natchitoches is maybe a 40 minute drive from Many, Louisiana.  This first call was from a Natchitoches residence that had read my article about the Many 60 and was wondering if the horses from Natchitoches had gone to Remember Me Rescue in Texas.  Being told, by the resident that five of the horses had gone to Texas, I believed that the Natchitoches horses were being monitored and arrangements had been made for those horses safety and not knowing the severity of the situation I concentrated on the Many 60 incident.  Boy was I surprised when I received another request, on January 31, 2012,  to look into the Natchitoches horses by yet another concerned horse lover and was provided pictures of a couple of the horses.

2012-01-25.Ryder mare          2012-01-25.Ryder yearling

The farm in question was the Ryder River Ridge Farm, located on William Road in Natchitoches, LA.  This farm is owned by Fiaral L Ryder who has been a part of the Thoroughbred Association for at least 17 years.  The Farm Subsidy report shows that F. Clay Ryder owns 25% of the farm and Ashley Ryder owns 75% of the farm.  Ryder River Ridge Farm in the past has had a very reputable reputation.  Mr. Fiaral Ryder was very involved with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Association and Thoroughbred Charities of America (http://www.tca.org/test.html). Ryder River Ridge Farm is listed in Thoroughbred Times, Stallion Directory and owned two of the Top Sellers 2011 Louisiana Annual Yearling Sales.  It is reported that this farm is home to over 100+ horses.

At the time this matter had been originally brought to my attention, I was informed that Mr. Fiaral Ryder is an elderly gentleman, in ill health, and whose son Clay Ryder along with his business partner Adam Janick were taking over the farm operations and there were rumors that he, Clay Ryder, was attempting to sell the farm.  Clay Ryder has been reported to have told individuals that he was sending five horses to Texas and donating the remainder of the horses.  In reality it appears that Clay Ryder is following Mr. Ford’s example and placing healthy horses where people can see them and has refused assistance with placing the horses.  He is forcing authorities to work on gathering information and proof in order to obtain a search warrant and ultimately seize the horses who survive this ordeal.

In late February or early March of 2012, I was informed that Mr. Ryder had agreed to deliver some of the horses to LHRA and that there were to be follow-up visits to his farm to inspect the conditions of the remaining horses.  I was ensured that there were now procedures in place to monitor these horses so I agreed to not proceed with posting a blog regarding this matter, that was my mistake.

With the condition of the horses being in question and the pictures that I received, a year ago, there is no telling how many horses have perished during the past year.

It is now January 15, 2013 and this farm is still operating and from what I am hearing there are still horses dead and dying.  I am personally aware that the Natchitoches Parish Humane Society, the Natchitoches Animal Control, the Sheriff’s Department and the Police Department along with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Association and the LHRA  have been made aware of the conditions of the horses.   I know that there have been joint meetings with all of these groups discussing this matter.

All I can say is shame, Shame, SHAME, on all of those individuals and organizations who have been aware of this matter for over a year and promised to follow-up but did not.  I will not make the same mistake again, I will not trust when someone says there are actions in place and to please not post a blog.

Horse Seizure Follow Up – SixthEdition

Recap of what we saw

One year ago today, some 60 horses were seized from C & S Farms owned by Mr. Charles Ford, in Many, Louisiana.  When those involved with the rescue arrived at the farm they found devastation, dead and dying horses and dogs.  These animals had been neglected and starved to death.   It was heart breaking to see the carnage and destruction caused by Mr. Ford’s actions or should I say lack of actions.  Approximately 85% of the horses seized on January 7, 2012 were able to be saved and are alive today and in happy places.  These horses suffered from and were treated for dehydration, malnutrition, internal parasites, skin conditions and pneumonia along with other problems.

Mr. Ford has plead not guilty to the many felony charges; one count for each horse or other animal that died as a result of starvation and abuse; and numerous misdemeanors filed against him.  It is reported that his attorney has requested that the felonies be reduced to misdemeanors but, thankfully, the DA’s office refused.  The jury trial for Charles Ford is set for January 22, 2013.  There will be no punishment great enough for Mr. Ford, but I believe that his sentence should be creative, he should have to spend his days working to pay for all the expenses incurred by those who were involved in the rescue and for all those currently taking care of these horses while spending his evenings and nights in jail, for years to come.  He should also be banned from ever owning a horse of any type ever again.  He should be banned from having anything to do with horse racing.

 

Follow Up RMR FB   William (Bill) Young, was the trainer at Mr. Charles Ford’s farm and I believe he should take some responsibility for what occurred.  I understand that he didn’t own the land or the horses but he could have reported the problem earlier, he could have alerted the owner’s of the horses who were entrusted to Mr. Ford’s care, especially since he was in contact with at least one owner, he could have gone to the authorities himself.  I am aware that there is a question as to when the abuse was first reported and how that played into the devastation, but the reports did not come from Mr. Young who would have had firsthand knowledge and would have been considered a knowledgeable person.

 

DSC_2148  The monies it has cost to care for and rehabilitate these horses is currently in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The time that has been spent to form bonds and for these horse to regain their trust in humans is hundreds of hours all filled with love, patients and care.  Some horses have had to undergo surgeries, while most have had to be on special diets until their systems regained their strength and became accustomed to food.  Some of the horses took to human contact and love quickly while others had to learn how to trust all over again.  Some of these horses are being trained in other disciplines while others will only be pasture friends, because of their health issues.

DSC_2186    There have been so many people who have worked hundreds of hours during the past twelve months to ensure the well being of these horses and a few that I would like to specifically mention, because, I believe that without them none of these horse would be here today.   I would like to thank Sunny Francois with Louisiana Horse Rescue Association and Donna Keen with Remember Me Rescue, and to  Dr. Mirza and his students from Louisiana State University Veterinary School.

Ransom #1It is hard to write this follow-up because it turned out that this was not the isolated incident I thought it was, but it was the first one where I was on the scene.  During the past twelve months I have learned so much about the Race Horse Industry, and yes it is an industry.   I have received a number of calls and e-mails regarding other race horses being neglected and found that it is almost impossible for individuals or rescue groups to take action.  If the owner doesn’t relinquish the horses voluntarily then there must be such a public outcry before anything gets done.   I have received pictures of dead and dying horses, have called police departments, sheriff departments, neighboring farms all the time giving the owner the opportunity to remove evidence of abuse and neglect.  There are inspectors and horse racing officials who know about these incidences but the abuse continues.

If you want your voice heard in this matter you may send a letter to Judge Stephen Beasley, c/o District Attorney Don Burkett, District Attorney’s Office, 495 South Capital Street, Many, LA 71449.  Please write “Attn: Karen Williams” on the outside of the envelope.  Your letter must be received prior to January 22, 2013.

Horse Seizure Follow Up – Fifth Edition

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Hi all, they call me Lil’ Bit here in Alvord, Texas.  I was found by the Louisiana Horse Rescue Association and Remember Me Rescue in Many, Louisiana, along with about 68 of my friends.  That place in Many, LA was called C & S Farms.  They didn’t take real good care of me and my friends, but those of us who made it out of that horrible place are now happy, eating regularly, have a clean place to sleep and a safe place to play.

When we were first found I must admit that I was real scared of all these people who showed up.  There were people taking my pictures, touching me, putting this cold thing on my chest and belly trying to listen to my insides, it was real scary but they also brought us food which made things better.  Then they started putting us in trailers and we were on the move, this scared me a lot.  I didn’t know where I was going but there were a couple of my friends with me so we tried to reassure each other that this was a good thing.  When we finally stopped we were at Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, Texas.  My buddy Ransom told me everything would be alright but I wasn’t as trusting as he is.  At RMR our lives began to change, you see that is where we meet Lilly.  Lilly feed and talked to us each day and every day.

Then one day Lily told me and my friend Ransom that we were going stay with her friend Amanda in Alvord, Texas.  We were loaded on a trailer again and I must admit that I was scared.  Ransom tried to act like he wasn’t scared but I know he was.  The ride to Alvord wasn’t that bad, and when we got there boy was it nice.

                                                                            Amanda is our foster mom and we now have a foster grandma, Patty.  We are so lucky; Amanda and Patty come out to see us each and every day.  We get feed on a regular basis and we get to play, but like all moms’ and grandmas’ they make us behave.  I keep an eye on everything though.

 

 

 

This here is my friend Ransom, he is such a ham.  Really he is my rock and keeps me from being so scarred.  Ransom is more outgoing than I am.  He is also more trusting.  Ransom has grown a lot in the past two months and people say that I have grown too.  I don’t know about that but I do know that I am not hungry all the time anymore.  Our home in Alvord is really nice

Mom and Grandma have told Ransom and me that we have to learn our manners and we are working at it, there is just so much to learn.  I love my foster mom and grandma very much but I still get scared when new people come around.  They always tell me it is okay, but it is very scary.   I think I did real good today when the lady came out to take our pictures I let her touch me and you know what I realized mom might be right so I let her pet and love me a lot.  I don’t think she got a picture of that though.

I have also found out that I love having my hair brushed.  When I was found my hair hadn’t been brushed in a really long time and my coat had rain rot.  I realized that I can get my hair brushed more often if I go and play in the dirt.  Mom and Grandma always want me to look my best so they will brush away all the dirt.

Ransom likes playing with Mom.  They keep talking about this thing being broke and I am not so sure about that, it doesn’t sound so good, but hey what do I know.  For Mom and Grandma I will give it a try.

Hey did I tell you about our other friends out here in Alvord.  There are these two things they call kids, one has hair that is the same color as mine and the other has darker hair like Ransom.  These kids come out and play with us and                              give us a lot of love also.  We are told that we have to behave around them and to be careful and we try, so far so good.  There are also a lot of other horses out here.  Ransom gets to play with one of them and when I stop being so scared I will get to play to, but right now I like just watching.

Ransom and I would like to say thanks to everyone with Louisiana Horse Rescue, Remember Me Rescue, Lilly, Mom Amanda, and Grandma Patty.

Here are some other pictures of Ransom, look at those big ears.  Please don’t tell him that I posted the pictures of his ears, I think he may be a little sensitive about their size.

 

Horse Seizure Follow Up – Fourth Edition

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This past week I had the pleasure to visit Remember Me Rescue in Burleson, Texas to follow-up on the horses from the horse seizure in Many, LA.  I believe this composite says it all, all the horses are regaining their health, they are happy and content and above all loved.

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