28 HORSES STARVED TO DEATH!!

[Samantha S]

Many of you on here probably know or have heard of Grady Whitlock and 4G horses. He had some very well known, very nice miniature horses. He later started his own registration known as Gold Seal. He has held auctions for his horses for years. I was told that years ago that the auctions were amazing and the productions were stunning. I went to a couple of his auctions about 5 years ago and never went back. There was nothing amazing or stunning with how the horses were treated and the sad condition that the horses appeared to be in. They were wild, had injuries, sores, and many were very poor weight. I was disgusted by the way they were treated and how they were transported to his auction sale and never went back again. I can't speak on what the auctions and the horses have been like the past few years, since I stopped attending after just a couple auctions. I always wondered what his horses on his farm where like and how they were treated. Regrettably my worst fears where correct. 28 horses so far have been found dead on one of his 300 acre farms and they died a horrible slow death from starvation.

They still have not determined how many horses are located on this farm and are investigating his other farms. This is so heartbreaking. We have had a horrible cold winter and I hate to think what these poor defenseless animals had to go through before they could no longer survive. I am soo heartbroken over these horses. Please visit these links for more information.

http://www.wdtv.com/index.php/home/local-news/4923-dozens-of-horses-starved-to-death-

http://www.wdtv.com/index.php/home/local-news/4942-5-news-update-farm-owner-arrested-on-animal-abuse-charges

 

[Knottymare]

This is beyond horrible.

 

[Eagle]

OMG

 

[AnnaC]

If this man has been turning out horses in a bad condition for years at auctions, how come he was never investigated? What about the people who purchased horses from him - did no-one realise what was going on? Did no-one complain? Were their no horses in sight of anyone visiting his farm/s (deliveries etc) throughout the winter months?

I simply cannot understand how this can have happened - what an absolute tragedy. Those poor horses!

Anna

 

[Mona]

OMG!

How sad! I remember years and years ago seeing all his ads in the breed magazines, but I thought he had long ago sold out. I had no idea he was even still in operation. I am really surprised we never heard more of him on the forum here over the years.

 

[mizbeth]

There are lots of smaller auctions that run malnourished horses through their auctions. I am assuming that due to his age, he could have some health problems that are effecting his judgement. SAD in any case as I do not condone this by anyone, believe me. I thought he had sold out too BTW, had no idea he still had horses.

 

[CharlesFamily]

I saw on a news feed a story about finding dead horses in Beckley, WV, but they didn't mention any names or what type of horses. I thought when I read it last night, "I hope that isn't 4G."

I have only ever been to one miniature horse auction many years ago, and it was a 4G auction. I had seen the ads and my family is from Beckley so my mom and I made the trip. This was in the golden years of 4G (1994 - I think) and the auction barn was spotless, all of the horses clipped and bathed. I bought my first mare there - a beautiful yearling. She was the best horse and very pretty - 4Gs Fantastics Chestnut Kid.

I sold all of my minis when my husband and I decided to start a family. Now that the girls are older, we are back in again, but I will never forget my Rose.

I am appalled to hear this. I knew thing had gone a little "kooky" when years ago Grady Whitlock decided he was done with AMHA/AMHR and decided to start his "own" registry - Gold Seal. He refused to register any of his stock A/R and so all of his horses lost any value they once had.

This is just horrible!

Barbara

 

[Connie P]

 

[Minimor]

I'm sorry to hear this. Those poor little horses. I don't understand why people can't go out of horses once they can no longer care for them properly. I actually thought that Grady had sold out a few years ago, but obviously such is not the case.

I saw some of his sale ads in old magazines a friend loaned me when I first got into Minis, and the horses didn't look too prosperous even then in those photos.

It's such a shame that horses, or any animals, have to suffer and die this way.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I too thought he had sold out long ago. This is beyond heartbreaking. When I hear of tragedies like this I think of my boy Wiz and the others that weren't as fortunate as him to get a new home. I wonder how many minis are starving in KS this winter in this historic cold and snow.

Breaks my heart but also makes me want to load my gun. People who do this or those that know and look the other way are scum.

 

[Getitia]

What a tragic situation. We lived in Beckley for a number of years. It is my understanding that Grady has a number of farms in the West Virginia area and he kept groups of miniatures at each farm. His sons had been helping him with his farming operations - 4 - G (stands for 4 generations of horse ownership) but unsure of their current involvement now. Grady owned a number of car dealerships at one time - Grady Whitlock Ford was one of the largest dealerships in Beckley - he also sold a significant part of one property to the state of WV which build Tamarack (off of the Beckley Turnpike exit).

In hearing of this tragedy, I wonder about the number of other miniatures he may still have at the other farms - at one time he had several hundred miniatures - and they basically lived as "wild horses" on these farms.

 

[Carolyn R]

So very sad. Given the status that was once associated with some of these horses, it is a sad, sad fall from grace.

Age can play some cruel games on one's mind, but if this was the case, that is where family and friends should have stepped in. So sad.

 

[Bess Kelly]

When I became involved in AMHA, '91, 4Gs and Grady were well established and active. About 93ish, when DNA was being introduced as a requirement he was totally against that -- he then began Gold Seal, dropped from AMHA, etc. DNA was his demon.

It is a huge tragedy for these animals that this lack of care exsists. It is even MORE disappointing that someone who was once so active has come to this end. Some nice animals came from there, many, many years ago. It is heartbreaking.

 

[Riverrose28]

OMG! My husband and I went to one of his autions so many years ago I can't remember when, but at the time the horses being offered seemed to be well cared for, clean and at least halter broke. We bought a 4G's horse from someone else that purchased her, then sold her to us,we still have her she is my husbands favorite and she is a clown. We did have to hardship her into AMHR as she was only registered Gold Seal, which means nothing.

 

[Anne ABC]

Years ago Grady and JC Williams (Dell Tera) worked together on their breeding programs. They exchanged breedings and horses to help each other along back when there were not very mini's around. Grady was and is in West Virginia and J C Williams farm was located in Inman, South Carolina.

We purchased our first stallion, 4Gs Dell Tera Red Fox, from Grady over 25 years ago and still have his grandkids on our farm today, he was a good one. I spoke with him by phone a time or two, but not in the past 20 years at all. Grady was not a young guy then to look at him, I would have thought Grady was much older than 83 now, maybe not. He and his son's ran this farm, thus the 4G's and I had assumed his son's took over as he got older, guess not, so sad.

 

[Reble]

 

[ruffian]

There are no words.

I hope these were all the horses he had.

 

[jegray21]

wonder how this went on for so long...heart breaking...were they abandoned?

 

[minie812]

Reminds me of the case here in Kansas and those minis. I cannot understand how anyone could own all the acreage this man has and neglect his animals? Where was his family? Sad for the minis that that was their end suffering.

 

[the pony petter]

I read about this on another forum and from what I understand in that there was large horses too.