Another Chance 4 Horses (AC4H) Now Breeding Rescue and Personal Horses

Speaking of Epic Failures in  the Ethics Department

Another Chance 4 Horses is now breeding its own foals.   Kara, the rare Gotland Russ gave birth to Snuffy’s foal late in February.  We use the term “rare” somewhat tongue in cheek because while there are a limited number of this breed in America, no one has shown interest in this poor mare, including the one and only breeder here in the USA.  For many years she has been a small pony languishing on the dry lot that is the AC4H “traditional rescue.”

Snuffy has a beleaguered history.  He is a pony that was too thin to run through auction.  You can see him here:

 http://www.ac4h.com/snuffypicsandinfo.htm

(added in August 2012)

Urgent Fundraising Need -  Snuffy possibly a sulphur mustang -was deemed unfit for sale by the vet after being consigned to New Holland auction and we were asked if we wanted to help him.  Snuffy was wild, untouched and not people friendly he was coated with manure and it was so tight it was pulling the hair off and causing irritation to his skin.  He went to the vet’s for a couple weeks to have work done sedation, manure removal, treatment of irritated skin and a testosterone test which came back indicating he was a gelding.  Snuffy has come a long way in our care and Gail (volunteer) has really bonded with him.  Volunteers play a very important role hands on with the horses helping them to become adoptable and loving them while they wait for their forever families.  Recently Snuffy had a single testicle descend – imagine our surprise!  Snuffy has been gelded and actually two testicles one a high flanker which was abnormally small the other was normal size both were able to be removed.  Snuffy is officially a gelding.

 (original post)
Snuffy was reported to be a Kiger Mustang. Came to AC4H as an unfit for sale horse. He was untouched upon arrival, not halter broke and not people friendly but all of that has changed since he has been here. He is approximately 14 hands and coming 3 years old will lead, load and tie he will pick up his feet but needs continued work in the area and is a really cute mover and a very fast study. 

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Note originally he was deemed a Kiger mustang.  Now he’s a Sulphur mustang.  Of course there’s no freeze brand, so it would be wildly speculative on our part to say which, if any, is correct.  More likely he's the product of poor quality backyard breeding and is continuing the cycle.

Snuffy was allegedly a cryptorchid.  In July of 2012 it was reported that Snuffy was mounting numerous mares at the rescue, where all the horses are housed together, no gender separation, on the 1 ½ acre lot.  In August, after urgent pleas for donations, Snuffy became a gelding.

However, for Kara to have been full term in February, she had to have been impregnated in March of 2012.  This colt was mounting mares for months before anything was done.

The story gets better.  Two days ago, Trixie Be Nimble, Christy’s personal  and well-bred AQHA mare gave birth to another of Snuffy’s foals.  Trixie has always been housed with the rescue horses, as are the Sheidy’s other personal horses.  There’s no separation of rescue versus personal horses.  Operating this way is a nice opportunity to feed (among other things) your personal horses out of non-profit 501c3 funds.

Note the comments.  "The foals will be up for adoption when they are weaned."  And, "All the other foals have stripes as well."  Doesn't "all" indicate that there's more than two?  Have you noticed how some of the mares formerly listed have suddenly disappeared from the available list, or are now listed as unavailable?

 

(from http://ac4h.com/AC4HPlaced2.htm )

Many questions arise.  Why aren’t the horses separated according to gender?  Who was asleep at the helm when this colt was mounting mares for at least 5 months?  Is it ethical or even legal to house your personal horses in your rescue?  How many more foals have been or will be born as a result of the months of Snuffy’s rampage?

And most of all ----

In a world where we all ready have too many poorly bred and homeless horses, what kind of a “rescue” would operate this way?

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A comment posted on AC4H's FB page, by horse advocate Darrell R. Charlton, Jr.:

Darrell R. Charlton Jr. *sighs and weeps* And for every foal born another is pushed through the slaughter pipeline as there are too many foals and not enough loving, forever homes for them all. REMEMBER that each and every precious equine soul murdered began as a beautiful, precious foal! Until/unless there is a LONG waiting line for EVERY foal entering this world those that breed should NOT!