Whether you visit the same horse a few times a month or are seeing one for the first time, their beauty will be sure to captivate you. After scanning their entire body, you notice that the horse is looking thin or has marks on their body that look unusual. While your first thought would be to help the horse, you want to make sure that you do the right thing. Here is how to help a neglected or abused horse. While your first thought would be to help the horse, you want to make sure that you do the right thing. Here is how to help a neglected or abused horse.
Avoid Jumping Right In to Help the Neglected or Abused Horse.
When you see an animal that is being neglected or abused, you may want to jump right in and do whatever it takes to help them, including hopping the fence. However, this could lead you to getting arrested and delaying the case, which would keep the horse in the same situation they are in.
Under no circumstances should you trespass on to private property. Do not give the horse food or water. When an officer arrives, and sees the food and water, it will be harder to make a case against the owner since they see the food and water and don’t have proof of who really gave it to the horse. Also, please don’t take the horse because you have no legal right to do so. And if you see a neglected or abused horse, don’t post it on social media. This could create a wave of people flooding the sheriff’s department with calls, making it hard for the officers to focus on the case, thus delaying the investigation. The owner of the horse might also see your post and decide to hide the horse, leaving them in greater danger.
Contacting Law Enforcement
Neglect, abuse and/or abandonment of a horse is considered a criminal offense in many states. You can pick up the phone and call 911 if you believe a horse is in trouble. You should provide the address or a very detailed location, photos or videos from a public spot (don’t enter private property), and markings, colors, or descriptions of the horse. An officer will be sent out to the location to assess the situation. An investigation can take days, weeks, or even months, so if you believe the horse is on the brink of dying, call in and request the officer meet you at the scene. Now you know how to help a neglected or abused horse.
The importance of knowing how to help
Detailing the situation will help law enforcement not only find the horse, but proceed with the investigation. Any details left out could potentially delay the investigation. Additionally, you can also contact a local horse rescue so they can work directly with officers. If you see a horse that may be neglected or abused, call law enforcement. Equis Save Foundation is a Horse Rescue in Montana that focuses on saving horses.
