14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-KY horse owners debate abandonment cases

KY horse owners debate abandonment cases

By Nathan Ryder - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Noah Stubbs - email

HENDERSON KY (WFIE) - Horse owners know how dire the situation is for abandonment or neglect cases.

Every time a new case pops up again, they debate about what to do and how neglectful owners let things get so out of hand.

"As a little girl, I'd always wanted to have horses," rescued horse owner Robin Lewis said.

Like many other horse owners in the Tri-State, Lewis provided another horse owner at the end of his ropes, a way to get out.

"I was able to have an opportunity to help a farmer out and take some of his horses," Lewis said. "Although I knew nothing about it, it was a dream and I've just kind of learned a little bit along the way."

According to the Henderson Horse Rescue, the number of horses abandoned in western Kentucky has doubled from 163 rescues in 2008 to 318 in 2009.

Officials with the Indiana Horse Rescue report a similar jump in abandonment and neglect cases, like Tuesday's confiscation of 18 horses by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office and Animal Care and Control.

"I'm very saddened," Lewis said. "Very saddened and unfortunately it's becoming more and more of an issue."

Tyler Kelen's family makes a living raising, riding and boarding horses at their ranch in Henderson County.  

He says the influx of sick, old and dying horses is ruining a once thriving industry.

"With all those horses that have been abandoned, it creates an influx of what you would call trash horses," Kellen said. "That no one can really mess with and no one wants to really mess with them."

Kentucky lawmakers are now looking at the issue but both Kellen and Lewis agree on the next step Kentucky needs to take.

"My personal opinion is that they ought to bring the kill market back, not because I think a horse needs to be shot or killed just for the heck of it but I think there is a place for it with horses that are either very old or ill or some that are not manageable," Lewis said.

The Kentucky Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to pass a bill that establishes a protocol for landowners to follow when adopting or selling abandoned horses.  

They're also considering a separate bill that would develop regional centers in Kentucky to care for abused, neglected and unwanted horses.

©2010 WFIE. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.