Rescued? Not exactly.

I want to show you a current photograph of a horse that was bought at a Napoleon auction last fall. This is one of the Turn 3 horses that was seized in March 2007.
(First off, this photo belongs on the Unsafe Fence site.)

It is now late May, 2008. This two year old looks no bigger than a yearling, his growth apparently stalled over the past year, and probably permanently stunted. While other horses lost their shaggy winter coat 30-60 days ago, and are sporting sleek shiny new summer coats, this stud colt still retains his which is a clear sign that he's not healthy on the inside.
(Could be worse. At least he's alive—for now.)

A couple of my horses in May of years gone by
(obviously, I tend to err on the side of "overfed")

Indeed, it is easy to see the colt's protruding spine and hip bones. There is no top line, no protective fat layer along his backbone. While his belly looks fat, knowledgeable folks know the "bloated" look combined with a dull coat is an obvious sign of severe parasite problems in the digestive tract. We know that many of the horses sold by Jackson County were infested with them, and have eye-witnesses and vet records to prove it. If this poor boy has been dewormed, it wasn't enough. Deworming a horse with a severe parasite load is a delicate process that involves several steps and careful execution to avoid fatal side effects.

Here is one of MANY photos taken within days of the seizure, that shows the true condition of the majority of the herd at the time. Fuzzy due to a cold wet winter, but clearly well fed.

In fact, the "rescued" colt at top looks worse a year after the seizure than 96% of the Turn 3 horses looked at the time the ranch was seized. As a matter of fact, of the many photos I have examined, the ONLY horse that looked worse was a young mare that had nearly died from a severe colic episode (many famous and expensively maintained horses have been lost to sudden colic), lost a dramatic amount of weight within a couple of weeks, and was being appropriately cared for in her rehabilitation.

One of the other horses deemed "emaciated" actually looked better than this gelding. And she looked 500 times better than this truly starved Saddlebred mare, Angel, that was taken in by Horses Haven last year. (Fair warning: there are more heartbreaking photos at the link.)
(Please click on her name to help sponsor her recovery!)

Angel, now recovering at Horses Haven

Turn 3 mare that the county's "expert" deemed just as bad as Angel
(actually looks great for her advanced age and athletic build,
can see fat padding along the spine, hip and shoulder;
slightly underweight being preferable and healthier than obese)

But that's not even the worst of it.

Remember meeting Jamie last year?

In December, the discovery of Jamie's aborted foal greatly upset her new owners.

graphic photo

This dead foal fetus, the result of Animal Control's gross mismanagement of the Turn 3 herd, is actually a blessing for her momma ... horses are not mature enough for a healthy pregnancy until at least age 4 or 5, with most conscientious breeders waiting until full growth is achieved at age 6 or 7.

A pregnant two year old filly is roughly similar to a 12 year old girl having a baby. It invites dangerous complications, and interferes with healthy growth. Many people do not even start training their horses to ride until they are 4 or 5 years old, due to complications later in life due to starting them too young.

Jamie was far from the only Turn 3 horse impregnated after the seizure. There are other reported spontaneous abortions (a natural defense for the too-young mare) and owners upset due to the loss of use of their new mares due to unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, as well as the problem of having a foal with an unknown sire that—despite its quality lineage—cannot be registered.


It's been over a year since this fiasco began. Jackson County failed its citizens.

Allow it to end, Prosecutor Blumer. Stop the appeal process, and let those lives affected begin to heal.