ARDROSSAN – A herd of 33 neglected horses, some of them pregnant and others in very poor condition, are being cared for by an Alberta horse rescue group — the second time in recent weeks that they’ve been asked to nurse malnourished animals.
The latest group of horses was seized by the Alberta SPCA on Friday near Bonnyville, northwest of Edmonton.
Susan Fyfe, founder of the Rescue 100 Foundation, said her heart broke when she got a call from the animal welfare agency, asking her to care for more horses at her facility near Sherwood Park, Alta.
“This is disgusting. I’m so sad for the horses,” Fyfe said, as she and volunteer Kevin Kemp deloused a black and white mare with shaggy fur and jutting hip bones.
“If people get into a situation where they can’t afford to care for the horses, if they just cry out to the public, the public will help.”
Three emaciated stallions, 24 pregnant mares and six young foals were delivered to her stables Friday afternoon with cuts. Some of them were also limping.
Eight of the horses were in very poor condition and Fyfe feared they might not make it. They’ve now been fed and watered and are expected to survive, she said. One of the horses in the latest group is still in poor condition and is being monitored by veterinarians.
Last Tuesday, 17 malnourished horses from Carrot Creek, west of Edmonton, were brought to Fyfe’s stables. Three other horses had already died after allegedly going weeks without food or water.
A woman faces charges under the Animal Protection Act in that incident.
Fyfe and other volunteers in the area started the Rescue 100 Foundation in March 2008.