Ranch Owner in Jail...Need for Aid Urgent

Enhance the Mustang's quality of life by creating a natural setting that fosters the independence and integrity of the wild horses.

I know many of you follow Fugly, so you'll already be familiar with this case. I've struggled over it for the past couple of weeks now, frustrated on so many levels with the absolute inhumanity of it all.

From the Habitat For Horses website:

Alliance, Nebraska– At least 60 horses are dead and more than 100 others are seriously emaciated at a mustang facility in Morrill County, Nebraska. Habitat for Horses, an equine rescue organization, received reports last week of problems at the 3-Strikes Ranch. Jerry Finch of the equine rescue organization Habitat for Horses just returned from flying over the property, Sunday, and reports that “The situation is even worse than we suspected.” They spotted another 20 animals on the range, several barely able to stand. Another 50-60 emaciated horses are in holding pens with only a small amount of muddy and trampled alfalfa. They are suffering from a variety of ailments including severe worm infestation and terribly neglected hooves. Two young foals, approximately four months old, were found dead. Necropsies have been performed on both; a full report, including toxicology results is due back Friday.

And the article goes on.

Back in January I came across a video on You Tube that showed a truck load of horses being delivered to 3 Strikes Ranch. I watched, then went to the website, and instantly fell in love. Oh, to have the space they did to tackle such a project!

The ranch came across it's name because it took on BLM mustangs that had received three strikes in the adoption program. A strike is given the horse each time it's offered up for adoption, but not adopted. Three strikes and a horse becomes eligible for sale direct to the public, with no more protection from the government. Three strikes horses can be purchased for as little as $25 each.

The fear that mustang advocates have of the three strikes law, which only came into being in recent years, is that mustangs who were once federally protected from slaughter for the first year after adoption would now be affordable to the meat buyers and that they'd head directly off into the sunset...permanantly.

Jason appeared to provide a way out for many of these three strikers. His large, Nebraska ranch welcomed them, while Jason did what he could to gentle them and find them homes. He was living my dream...

My dream, however, has a happy ending for the horses. Jason's real life version resulted in death and starvation. An ending that, for many, would have been more humane at the slaughter house.

Someone has posted on Jason's blog...I don't know who, but all of his posts have disappeared. Amanda, a young woman who'd been working for him and originally brought much of what was happening to light, has removed posts from her blog as well. The 3 Strikes Mustang Outpost website has been removed. Or at least the front page is gone. I did manage to find this page, which links to the rest of the website: Mission Statement

Ironically, this begins mission statement: Enhance the Mustang's quality of life by creating a natural setting that fosters the independence and integrity of the wild horses. Sure, Jason...I suppose if you consider dying the natural death of starvation integrity, then you've pretty much nailed it.

Jason once told me, after watching videos of my training of Steve Holt!, that he could see that I 'got it'. Too bad he didn't...