A rough economy and rainy summer have conspired to make it particularly difficult for many people to provide for their animals this year. The MSPCA received twice as many kittens as usual in August (more than 300), and the organization is currently hosting a record number of horses (59 surrendered so far this year) as well. Because of their size and status as livestock animals (despite how much people may try to make them “pets”), horses need more involved care than most animals, including space to roam, shelter, and feed that you can't get at the grocery store. As a result, there are far fewer eligible homes for horses in need than for kittens in crises.
In one perhaps all-too-typical local case, several horses were seized by the MSPCA from a muddy backyard enclosure in Quincy after their owner was evicted from the Blue Hills Riding Center (allegedly unregistered since April). Bostonist talked to a former Blue Hills Riding Center employee for the scoop on the sad situation. (The seized horses are currently at the MSPCA's Nevins Farm in Methuen and Animal Rescue League Boston's Dedham facility.)
There's an old saying that the best way to make a small fortune in the horse industry is to start with a large one. By most accounts, Blue Hills Riding Center owner Mary-Beth McGee was certainly an animal lover—but not much of a businesswoman. This lack of financial accountability, coupled with a tendency to collect animals that couldn’t be cared for, seems to have led to the barn's downfall. The Quincy property was purchased in 2003 for $600,000 in a partnership between Patricia Edraos—“the one with the business sense," according to our source—and McGee. Three years ago, McGee agreed to buy out rest of the business from Edraos, and was meant to finish paying off that acquisition on September 30 of this year.
When our source began working at Blue Hills as a riding instructor earlier this year, the place seemed legit. Quickly, though, signs of trouble surfaced: she didn't get paid on time, if at all. She was asked to give lessons to students with backgrounds she didn’t feel comfortable with, using horses unsuitable for beginner riders. The electricity went out in July and was restored—only to be followed by another outage in hot, sticky August. She discovered the property had had no heat or hot water for nearly a year—even though McGee’s 81-year-old mother, Virginia, lived in a house attached to the barn. Feed suppliers “got tired of being Santa Claus,” as our source put it, and stopped bringing in new shipments of hay without being paid for the last.
Despite these troubles, McGee organized group trail rides (sometimes not supervised by adults), trips to country concerts (including George Strait), movie nights, and other outings, and continued to acquire more horses. Free lessons were offered without the consent of instructors (McGee herself is reportedly not a Massachusetts licensed instructor). Horse care lessons were provided free of charge to kids from the Italian Home for Children—a noble gesture, but not a smart one for a barn on the verge of going under.
Though Blue Hills has been painted as a therapeutic riding center serving special needs students (perhaps because of its donation of time to Italian Home children), our source says there was just one NARHA-certified instructor at the center, and he only once worked with a disabled rider. Additionally, our source was asked to give lessons to students with physical conditions that she did not feel equipped to deal with. In one case, she only learned after the first lesson that one of her new students had a slipped disc—a potentially dangerous condition if the horse made one wrong move. Riding can be a very valuable form of therapy for disabled individuals, but such instruction should be done by people with a solid understanding of the relevant condition.
When September 30 rolled around, McGee was unable to pay out her part of the bill for the Blue Hills property. Appeals were made for donations to keep the “therapeutic” riding center alive. An eviction process began, kicking McGee and her horses off the property—to a neighbor's backyard. Animals were allegedly kept in unsuitable conditions with inadequate food, water, and shelter. Former Blue Hills riders and instructors offered to purchase the animals, but McGee refused to sell. When our source returned to Blue Hills after the eviction to collect some of her personal property, McGee allegedly threw a bag of salt at her and was arrested for disorderly conduct. This was perhaps the last straw for any Blue Hills folks still interested in saving the farm.
After numerous appeals, the MSPCA stepped in and added the Blue Hills herd to its already burgeoning herd at Nevins Farm, with some horses being sent to the Animal Rescue League in Dedham. Our source personally has submitted a request to adopt five of these horses, and stresses that "there are homes for all of these horses as soon as they're released." McGee is allowed two weeks from the seizure on October 8 to come up with the proof that she can provide a suitable new home for the animals.
Some have theorized that McGee is an animal hoarder, taking on more horses than she could handle and refusing to give them up when the money ran out. Sadly, this situation is not uncommon. Many people's hearts go out to horses and other animals in need. But not all of these people are able to assist them effectively. There are a surprising number of folks who exploit others’ generosity, taking in donations and spending them on anything but the animals. And many well-intentioned folks are simply not equipped with the business sense to run a successful rescue operation, as may have been the case with McGee. (Check out Fugly Horse of the Day for lots of good commentary on sketchy "rescue" organizations that are causing more problems than they resolve.)
It can be particularly hard for someone not experienced with the horse industry to recognize a legitimate horse rescue organization. As a result, you need to make sure your donations go to an organization that will use it for the animals—and not for George Strait concerts. And for those thinking about adopting an animal, remember that a “free” horse is never free. The animal will cost several hundreds dollars each month to feed, more to board if you don't have you own property (and any horse-suitable property will be expensive in itself, with plenty of maintenance costs), and hundreds in vet and farrier bills for routine care—and thousands of dollars will be quickly drained from your accounts if anything goes seriously wrong.
You need to be prepared for the expense of any pet, but horses are not pets—they're livestock, and their care must be priced and obtained accordingly. If a $500 or $1000 adoption fee gives you pause, you’re probably not equipped to finance horse care on a regular basis.
Please don't take on animals you can't care for. Instead, help those animals get suitable homes. As winter approaches, livestock animals will have an even greater need for the appropriate shelter and feed to make it through. If you’re concerned, help out: the MSPCA and ARL Boston are both solid operations deserving of your support, whether it’s a donation or adoption. CANTER New England, an organization dedicated to rehoming former racehorses, has its Annual Suffolk Showcase coming up on Sunday, October 25th. And a beautiful photography exhibit called The Literary Horse will be on exhibit from November 9 to December 27 at the Groton Public Library. The photographer recently donated her time to take pictures at the MSPCA's annual beach ride fundraiser.
Regulator-style, mount up and help the horse rescue cause—or another worthy charity—if you can manage.
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit