I guess I'm a little puzzled by a few things.
We know that at least some of the horses are pathetically thin. Thin is an understatement. Starving seems like a better word. But are all the horses in this condition? Or are there some that are still in good/decent/okay shape? If some are starved and others are okay, can all be confiscated?
There are 53 horses too many for the number of acres. Are there 53 seriously underweight horses, or will some of the 53 that are removed be in at least reasonably good shape yet? Can horses be taken by a rescue even if they aren't in poor condition? Just curious, because here if someone had too many horses for the property size, they would get a letter from the municipality pointing out that there are too many animals and a certain number must be removed by a specific date. A rescue could not just come and take them. If the animals were not removed by the specified date, then authorities could come & remove them--and they would have to be sold and the money--less impound fees--would have to be turned over to the owner.
If there were starving horses on a property here, authorities would come in & try to work with the owner and get things back on track. If there were too many animals for the property size, and if the horses were starving, they would be removed, fostered & probably sold, again with expenses being paid and then the balance of the sale price going to the owner. If authorities were to find that the owner was not co-operative in caring for the animals under supervision, then steps would be taken to remove the animals. Or, if the animals were in imminent danger--as in, animals already down, or animals so weak that they were likely to go down any time--the animals would be removed immediately. Our Animal Care Act does provide for animals in immediate danger to be removed and cared for. Otherwise, though, authorities try to work with the owner. If it were found that the owner was not in physical or mental shape to be able to care for the animals, assistance would be given to him to care for the animals and find new homes, whether by selling or giving them away. If the owner were not capable of making the decision to give away the animals or to agree to selling them, attempts would be made to locate family members that may be able to make the decisions, or else a court order would have to be obtained.
I've not yet read anything on here that tells us each & every horse in this instance is in the skin & bones condition of those shown in the posted photos. If some, or even the majority, of the horses are in much better condition I guess I do need someone to explain how a rescue can just go in, take every one of them, and leave the owner with absolutely nothing to show for it.
Someone please tell us--are all the horses as bad off as those in the photos? Or are some in better condition? If so, how much better is better? A little better, quite a bit better? Are any in "good" condition?
