Horses Removed From Steuben County Farm

Authorities removed horses from a farm in Steuben County Friday following an animal cruelty complaint.

[Stacy]

I cannot believe this has happened? I know the farm they were seized. I thought the owner took good care of them. Now I wonder if the stallion Maraciabo really died from a fracture a couple of years ago.

[sandmarc]

This is a travesty! The owner takes very good care of her horses. I think putting 18 bred mares in an 8 horse trailer is abuse but that's exactly what happened.

[Stueben county NY]

That's why they were all emaciated. That's taking care of them. Ask the horses, none were beinng taken care of right.

[Unknown]

I have personally been there and have seen the *care* of the horses.. I worked there for close to a year before I couldn't handle it anymore. Stalls are HORRIBLE, water buckets rarely if ever cleaned and filled, the stalls are HORRID wrecks. I went last year and wanted to see the stallion my colt is sired by, he was belly deep in mud IN HIS STALL, I made her take me to see how he was doing.. I feel bad for the horses, but also feel bad for Gerry. She got way over her head and didn't know how to stop. She DID feed them and care for them but how does one person take care of 70 horses?? Especially when they are in their stalls 24-7 and never let out?? Those stallions are never let out, she can't control them, brood mares are kept in NASTY stalls to foal and left there until the foals are weaned, they are bred back and tossed out to pasture to fend for themselves. The Weaned foals are then locked in a stall until they are 2yr olds and then sent to the race track. She just got over her head and was struggling to get out whole looking for the next million dollar runner...:(

[Chaos1414]

HOW THE HE** can u look at those pic and say that the owner even gave a damn???? There is NO way that the owner should even have ANY animal ever again. She should be starved neglected and not care for in the same mannor of the horses... You could throw a sheet over a skelton and it would look 100X better then those poor horses. The owner need a slap in her abusive face.

[DogGoneIt]

What we want to know is why are the charges only misdemeanors (what's wrong with the system here and how soon can it get FIXED); and how is it that the same person charged with such extreme animal cruelty and abuse and to so many horses and cats is allowed to have ANY "domestic or agricultural" animals at all, including all those caged, chained and locked up German Shepherds, the goat, calves and cows? Why have they been left there? Do they have to get significantly sick, or near death before they can be helped? Obviously the person living on that property is not able to adequately care for the other animals and give them the basic care and attention they need (other than tossing a little food and water at them once a day maybe?), for whatever reason. Illness? Who knows, but it's obvious NO animals should be in her charge, so WHY IS SHE BEING ALLOWED TO HAVE ANY AT ALL until she proves herself to be able, well, reformed or what have you? Does she keep them there simply for tax write-off purposes? It's true what "Unknown" from Alfred Station, NY wrote Sept. 4th about the conditions there, because there are photos of the inside of those barns that a certain Thoroughbred Race Association ignored when they were sent them about two years ago. No one cared enough, for years, until FINALLY NOW. Why now and not years ago? Red tape, legal riggamarole...huh? 81 acres of MESS in front of hundreds of pairs of eyes day in and day out for YEARS, literally. Multiple vets drove by on their way some place else and saw those animals and made calls, to no avail (at least until now). So glad the biggest part of the nightmare is over, but there's still hell burning over there for some innocent animals, even if the fire is low and simply smoldering right now. This is the best time to clean that place up and get EVERY ANIMAL OUT OF THERE. Just the opinion of several concerned local community members - Of course, we'd get in trouble if we did anything ourselves or went over there to let them out, take or free them, right? Right.

[GetReal]

I have been by this farm. What are you talking about? The animals left look very good. There is nothing illegal about chaining a dog or having them in a kennel. Also, since these are thoroughbred horses, how many were recently off the track, running on the dope they inject at the track. These horses were probably skinny because of the junk in there systems. Again, I drove by this farm frequently. There were plenty of fat horses to go along with the thin. Doesn't add up and maybe the prosecutors took that into consideration.

[AdvocationFarm]

81 acres of mess? Have you OPENED your eyes while you have driven down CR 103 or 417? some of those "daity" farms are absolutely disgusting! SH*& thrown all over the place, buildings falling down, tractor and equipment parts laying around..the only thing missing in most places is the sofa on the front porch! There is a dog warden in this area..dogs are supposed to be tied or confined in some way...if I hit your dog because its in the road...SORRY its YOUR fault.
To the former employee...wasnt it YOUR job to clean stalls? So how can you complain that the stalls werent clean? Were you too lazy to get off your fat a$$ and clean correctly? Would you rather sit alongside the road and smoke?
I read someplace else that I was on the tractor feeding the horses in the pasture "day and night"..reported by cowpoke on fugly..what a stupid comment that is...you were actually complaining because the animals werent fed on YOUR schedule and I see DOGGONEIT is saying basically the same thing..the animals arent being fed on her schedule...so what should I do? Use a search/spotlight like they do for grandopenings each morning and night when I go feed so all the neighbors can "witness" the feedings? Maybe I could post a sign in the front yard with the feeding times so you can watch then?
Oh by the way..trespassing is ILLEGAL and trespassers will be prosecuted. And letting the animals out of this "hell hole" will just get you into jail. What the caring neighbors dont realize is that now I am not moving and have no plans to move so you have to deal with the SH^% for years to come :-) have a great life!

[i WAS THERE]

YOU STUPID person....... it was a polo trailer that holds 16 "real horses" we put in 10 starved skinny horses that couldnt even pick up there heads. i hope u burn in hell...

[i was not there]

horses are evil creatures so i stay clear of them, but no animal should be subjected to this abuse. i'm just glad it wasn't dogs, and i really feel sorry for the 5 cats.

[i was there ny]

oh im sure you will continue to make animals suffer because you sound like amoney grubber and you dont know what you are doing with horses neither does flspca the whole staff is unknowledgable ofequine and they never do follow ups of past cases there are sevarel in steuben and people are aware of there little click i think they aare all sleeping with each otherthey are dumb and we are tired of them getting credit for nothing/

[i WAS THERE]

A money Grubber??? Do you realize i am not getting paid for taking care of these horses??? All there feed and hay and vet and farrier care come out of my own pocket... So taking the horses that i did and paying for their care makes me a money grubber?? F*CK OFF!!!!

[hopefloats]

Well I don't know what to think. I have a friend who knowws where this is. I my self have taken care of sixteen horses and I know what a burden it can be. I also know if someone is a hard border. But all of them? It's time to ask for help or get rid of some. I loved my horses and sometimes thing come up but for long enough they are in piles and even the the ones that are not hard borders are thin? Ask for help. It's hard to do with pride but with lives on the line. I thought of my horse as my kids. I wouldn't put them through something like this for long.

[hopefloats]

i was not there wrote:

horses are evil creatures so i stay clear of them, but no animal should be subjected to this abuse. i'm just glad it wasn't dogs, and i really feel sorry for the 5 cats.

You obviously have never had a good experience with a horse. They are like kids, you can talk to them and they don't judge. They love who takes care of them. There is a conectiion. Living animals are like people you just can't hear what they think. Only they know what they went through.
Good bad or inderferent someone thought this was a bad place and turned them in. Who are we to judge what they tried to do? It's over and things have changed try not to hate them for trying. Have you ever been overwhelmed and didn't know where to get the help without problems?

[i was there ny]

sounds like you are regreting it maybe you took on to many if your crying poverty sounds like you dont have the means to provide for them why would you take on so much if you dont have your own hay feilds and knowledge to give your own shots and trim there hooves yourself ever heard of valley vet magizine duhhhh

[i WAS THERE]

I have the means... All i am saying is that i am not a money grubber.... I dont do my own shot and my own trimming because i can afford not to .... i also believe that only a professional should do these.... i understand some "backyard farriers" are very good at what they do however it is not my choice to use them. Regret is the last thing on my mind in NO WAY DO I REGRET ANY OF THE HORSES I HAVE TAKEN ON..... They are all so impressive and are beautiful creatures. i can only hope that you have the chance to see these wonderful horses...