Neglected Horses Benefit From Volunteers’ Heroic Efforts Owner Pleads Not Guilty To Misdemeanor Charges by Cristina Bauss From "The Independent" Two weeks after dozens of horses were taken from a property off of Elk Creek Road, a multifaceted team of volunteers has made progress towards nursing them back to health – but the road to recovery might be a long one: according to one rescuer, some of the adults have never been handled, making efforts to give them proper medical and other care particularly challenging. In a case that shocked and saddened animal lovers throughout the area, livestock deputies and animal- control officers took 40 horses from the “Happy Horse Ranch” during the week of April 1, following a report of animal cruelty. Animal-control officers had investigated conditions at the property at least twice before, with one visit taking place about ten years ago and another in 2003. Ranging in age from less than two weeks to more than 20 years, the horses were living in what one veterinarian described as “horrible” housing conditions, and many of them had lice, matted coats, and deformed hooves from lack of trimming. News of their removal from the property resulted in an immediate outpouring of support for the horses, which were taken to the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale, the Sheriff’s Farm in Rohnerville, and the Fortuna Rodeo Grounds. Because there are so many of them, officials sought help from Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue, a non-profit organization that immediately delivered several tons of hay and coordinated the assistance of volunteers to help care for the animals. Although a veterinarian thought two of the horses were in such bad condition they might not survive, “all 40 of them are still with us,” Sara Isaacson of Horse Rescue said on April 11. “Twenty-three of them have had their hooves trimmed, and 14 have been deloused and wormed.” Veterinarians from Arcata’s North Coast Veterinary Hospital and farriers from as far away as Santa Rosa have been providing the horses with sorely-needed medical and hoof care, but they still have a long way to go. The remainder of the horses will be deloused and wormed on April 16, and on April 23, the 12 that have never been handled – some of which are as old as three – will be sedated so that a team of farriers can trim their hooves. Isaacson said Dr. Bruce Carlisle has already tended to the two worst cases: “One had really bad hooves; it looked like someone had taken an ax or a hacksaw to them,” she said. “They had abscesses around the coronary band. I’ve smelled bad feet before, but these smelled rotten.” “Number 6” is now on a course of antibiotics, and the second horse “was walking on his heels because his hooves were so long,” Isaacson added. “Number 18” had also sustained a horrific injury: it appeared that the end of his toe had been chopped off. Isaacson described rescuers’ efforts on Day One as a “combination barn-raising and setting up a MASH unit.” Not a single plea for help went unheeded, she said: “We went door-to-door in Ferndale on the first night, asking people for water buckets. It’s a great feeling to know what a great community this is.” In- kind donations poured in immediately; for example, PG&E donated lights to be placed in the barn “and ran the electricity out to the street, so it’s free,” Isaacson said. “And they got it done in two hours in the morning, with approval at the corporate level!” A bounty of food donations was received as well: Nilsen’s Feed in Ferndale donated a ton of alfalfa, the Farm Store in Eureka immediately delivered 200 bales of hay, and Fortuna Feed sent a ton of Equine Senior horse feed. Likewise, generous cash donations were immediately remitted, including $4,000 from four donors alone, and more from special accounts set up at Umpqua Bank, Coast Central Credit Union, and local feed stores. Horse Rescue has also applied for emergency grant funding through the Humboldt Area Foundation, “which is a great resource,” Isaacson continued, adding that each time a horse is rescued, $800 is budgeted monthly for its care. “Multiply that by 40,” she said. The result? Four weeks’ care will cost about $32,000 – and veterinarians estimate that, depending on each horse’s condition, rehabilitation will take between two months and a year. During an April 8 administrative hearing, the hearing officer determined that the seizure of the horses was lawful, and that their owner, 68-year-old Elsie Lee Smith, could be held financially responsible for all the costs relating to the care and custody of the horses. Smith has voluntarily surrendered 30 horses, but – according to published reports – is still asserting her rights to the other ten, and has requested that they be placed with certain individuals. On April 9, the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office reported that it had completed its investigation of the case, and had forwarded it to the District Attorney’s office with a request that a complaint be filed against Smith for animal neglect (failing to provide proper food, water, and housing for the horses) and obstructing a peace officer (Smith had hidden one of the horses, and deputies collected it three days after the initial roundup). On April 11, Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a pre-trial hearing was set for May 7. Horse Rescue is holding a fundraiser from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at the Farm Store, 3956 Jacobs Ave. in Eureka. Pony rides, $10 souvenir photos, and $10 dog washes will be offered, along with raffle tickets and refreshments. All proceeds will go directly towards veterinary costs. To donate funds towards the horses’ care, Southern Humboldt residents can go to Umpqua Bank in Garberville, or mail donations to Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue, P.O. Box 226, Cutten, Calif., 95534. For more information, call 496-4663 or go to www.redwoodrescue.org.