A Suffering Horse Economy

It’s a crisis that’s sweeping across the nation. Among the estimated two million horse owners- many especially here in upstate New York- are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of hay, grain, and straw.
In a sign of hard economic times, unwanted horses are now being abandon and left for death. And families are being forced into bankruptcy.

A labor of love
Cathie Hallett of Fairport New York has owned a stable for nearly ten years. She says this has been the worst year she has ever seen.
“Almost everything has doubled in two years, so it’s putting a very big financial hardship on being able to maintain, not even improve, the value of horses lives.”
Not even four years ago, a bag of grain was being sold for about six dollars. Today, that same size bag costs Cathie about fifteen dollars.
“That doesn’t even feed five horses a day” says Cathie.
Recently Cathie was forced into selling three of her horses due to financial reasons. Now down to twenty-two horses, Cathie is worried she may have to down-size yet again.
“To have to choose which ones need to go is just heart wrenching… you don’t sleep well at night, knowing that this decision has to be made and where your friend has to go.”
While Cathie says the horses are more like family then pets, she must remember that this is a business. If a horse is not bringing any profits to the stable through lessons or competitions, then it must go.

What is causing this problem?
According to the American Horse Council, Americans own more than nine million horses today. Up from about six million horses in the mid 1990’s.
A growing horse population mixed with rising gas, hay, and grain prices are making it difficult for owners to afford the horses.
The over-population is also making it difficult to sell a horse. The market value of horse is constantly decreasing. A horse that may be worth ten-thousand dollars is now being sold for as little as 1 dollar.
Not even being able to sell the horse, owners are having no choice but to desert or release their horses.

Help is hard to find
Horse owners aren’t the only ones suffering. Rescues like the Humane Society are having to turn down more and more people as their stables fill up.
“I’ve had about twenty calls this past month from families who don’t know what to do” says Joanna Dychton of the Lollypop Humane Society in Fairport New York.
Joanna says a responsible rescue has to know when to stop and say no. Taking a sick horse or an old horse is not very adoptable and a big expense.

Hoping for the best
If prices keep rising it will be difficult for people like Cathie Hallett to keep up.
This year is critical.
“We made a promise that when we bring them in to do no harm...so if we go without than that’s what we need to do. There is only so long you can continue to do that…and I give us a year. If next year we’re in the same situation...most of the farms around here will have to file for bankruptcy and will have to shut down.”