Going back to April.

This was found on an internet message board I frequent, posted April 6, 2007:

I am going to post some info provided by Sarah of Solid Foundations Ranch in SD. She had had many years working with Matt and Jim as a breeder, buyer, and sales.

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I speak with Jim quite frequently and have had business dealings with him in the past. I have a lot of respect for both Jim and Matt.

This matter is close to my heart because, once all at one time I had a 34 year gelding, three 26 year old mares and a sick yearling. I was pouring feed into these horses as much as possible and they weren't gaining. They were on a regular deworming schedule and they weren't gaining. Anyone who has owned a geriatric horse knows how hard that time period can be. If AC would have driven on my place at that point in time, I could have been in the same boat as Matt and Jim. I wasn't starving, I wasn't neglecting.

I can't imagine being kicked off my place, especially this time of year with foaling and breeding, and my whole breeding operation left to volunteers. I can only imagine what Matt and Jim are feeling and it just makes me sick. I know Jim's breeding plans are very, very thought out - I've spoken with him several times on the phone about who he is breeding to what and why. He is fun to talk to and really gets you thinking. I just can't imagine him or Matt not being there to foal out their own mares.

The seizure of their place is so inconsistent with any animal control intervention and it raises a red flag to me. The contradictions in the vet reports raise a red flag. The crazy stories coming from some of the volunteers raise red flags. I've heard everything from "they were so hungry they were eating each others manes because they thought it was hay", that Matt and Jim are AI'ing their yearlings, to the horses were drinking their own urine because they were so thirsty...the list goes on and on. The very fact that they are so interested in horse registration papers on these "wild, starved horses" and made that one of their primary concerns is another big red flag. We ,as educated horse people, should be able to see that things just don't add up- way too many red flags. We aren't volunteers from the city here.

Sorry this is getting so long but it is about to get longer. I have a list of facts here and some phone numbers that you can call if you would like to do more investigating. I also have numbers for the vets as well as attorneys representing Jim and Matt. Jim said I could give out that information to one person that wanted to do some checking as he didn't want the vet's office flooded with phone calls. The places where he bought his vet supplies and dewormer said it would be ok for anyone to call and they would share order information with them.

Here are the facts:

Fact: The animals were never left with out daily attention. Matt fed and watered twice a day. He picked up round bales from one farmer 3 times a week and picked up square bales from another farmer one time a week. AC knows this and now is trying to say Matt must have sold the hay he picked up even in 10 degree weather.

Fact: The thin mare had been very sick and almost died. She was being nursed back to health with two older mares that needed special attention. Matt was graining them, giving them oil and extra feed. All three had been wormed just about 10 days prior.

Fact: The injured filly had been treated. She was not getting better so Matt did some digging and found wire in her leg. He had an appointment the first day AC came out and AC made him cancel. He then rescheduled the appointment as soon as he could which was 4 days later and AC cancelled that one as well. AC then put the mare in a large stall they flooded in the barn with several other foals. Several days later they took pictures to show the world. The operation was to be conducted by a leg vet Dr. Irving.

Fact: The day AC came was Matt's hay day. This is not inconsistent with what he had been doing all winter. He has to get the hay as he uses it, as the Bob Cat was in the repair shop. Animal control stopped him from getting hay and said they had enough for the night.

Fact: When Matt insisted that the mares had to be fed AC allowed one of Matt's friends to drive on the property and dumped 15 square bales. AC then seized his truck, the search warrant and all of Matt's belonging and refused him access. Rumor is they plan to sell the truck at auction.

Fact: Animal control left the gate open which segregated the 3 year old studs from the herd. They refused to allow Matt to separate them. This resulted in the horses racing around which is believed to only have added to the injury of the paint stud colt. This colt was to be seen by the vet at the same time as the leg injury colt.

Fact: 30 mares are not breed it is more like 10. Never has a yearling been bred.

Fact: Animal Control opened the barn doors and allowed all the horses' free roam of the barn. AC then was mad at the studs because they were kicking and squealing saying they needed to be moved. What they needed was to not have 30 in heat mares squatting in front of them. This caused much undo stress on the studs who then animal control did not hay, grain or water the first night. Does anyone think this would cause some weight loss?

Fact: AC wanted the horse papers so badly the second day they left a kid to water the horses in the barn. This kid allowed the tanks to overflow. The well intentioned kid did this to assure all the old water was out. This caused the studs to stand in 6 inches of water.

Fact: The mare that had the still born has done this before. When they had control they had an autopsy completed to assure it was not rhino. I do not think animal control had an autopsy completed. If Turn-3 ranch was at fault would they pay for a vet visit and autopsy?

Fact: AC has said the horses have not been feed since last fall. Yet the clean up is of all the hay netting that gets frozen in the ground. Was Turn-3 ranch throwing empty hay netting in the pasture?

Fact: If the horses were never wormed why did Jim buy 10 bottles of Ivermectin oral 200 ML on Feb 13 2006 from KV Vet supply you can confirm at 800-423-8211? Other de-wormers had also been purchased through out the year. Then he bought 10 Bottles of Ivermectin Liquid Wormer -200ml RX from Heatland Vet Supply on 2/16/07 call them at 800-934-9398. One 200ml bottle will de-worm 20 head of 1100 lb horses. They also have empty bottles of SAFEGUARD 2050ml for the younger foals at the farm that could have been tracked to see when they were bought but AC has most likely disposed of the empty proof.

Fact: Most of the trash they are talking about was not in the fenced in area. The place was leased and Jim had just been approved for a farm loan and had placed a bid on a nice smaller farm the week prior.

Fact: From day one AC wanted to horse papers and on every search warrant this was an issue. What would papers have to do with if an animal had or hadn't been fed? They also told volunteers that the horses were each worth $5000 and up.

Fact: The photo of the empty water tank is one they do not use in the winter. They have a 300 gallon tank that is filled 2 times a day for the larger herd. The 100 gallon tanks freeze two quickly in that location as there was no wind block.

Fact: If the place was so dangerous why then out of "69 wild horses" was only one filly cut?

Fact: The farm like most looks it very worst when spring breaks. Large rains and thawing ice and snow give way to the trash and garbage that fell out in winter etc. Each spring Matt has a spring clean up party with his friends who come out and ride the horses all summer. One of those friends is completing vet school and has written a letter in support of Matt.

Fact: Most of the bad fence is on the out side perimeter of the farm. The horses are kept with in another set of fencing with in that perimeter. They were in electric fencing until an ice storm took out the electric fencing and this resulted in some horses not getting equal amounts of hay. Matt had noticed this and moved a group of younger horses in the barn to assure they had adequate feed.