When someone posted the link to a photo in the Facebook group AC4h/AC$h/Another Chance 4 Horses Fraud and Abuse Reporting last night, my jaw literally crashed to the floor in shock upon viewing the photo and subsequent video.
2-27-14-980, currently in the broker lot, is a black mare with a horrible, and I mean, HORRIBLE injury of some kind to her left rear foot that looks as though a huge hole had been punched through the upper part of her hoof just below the pastern, and even into the pastern itself; it's difficult to determine exactly just by looking at it. There is no way that the bone hasn't been exposed here. The injury is caked with mud, manure and debris; a perfect breeding ground for a massive, life-threatening infection to take root and invade her system to the point that she could die.
This is the kind of injury that requires immediate and intensive veterinary attention, but knowing Christy's track record for deliberately withholding even the most basic care, including adequate food and water, I doubt very much that this poor animal is going to see a vet any time soon while languishing in the broker lot -- and if she by some miracle is bailed, it may be too late to save her.
The injury in itself is horrific and stomach-turning to look at, but seeing this poor mare being forced to trot and even canter briefly on a hard-packed road absolutely made me cringe, but the following comment that AC4h made to describe her under saddle (she's actually being ridden bareback in the video) made me see red:
2-27-14-980 - Black/Dark Brown gaited mare approx 15.2 hands reported to be in foal has wire cut on back right that developed what looks like proud flesh (this can be prevented and some cases removed) she moved sound has a motor lots of energy likes to go and will stand still but when she does she will dance or lift up one of her front legs to show her impatience.
I am not by any means going to mince words here. That comment is TOTAL bullshit! A wire cut? Proud flesh? "Moved sound"? "Lots of energy likes to go and will stand still but when she does she will dance or lift up one of her front legs to show her impatience"?
If you view the video, you would be extremely hard-pressed to agree with the above comments. Her actions are those of a horse that is in excruciating pain. If she is in fact pregnant, having a rider on her is just adding to the agony that she's being forced to endure, just to satisfy Christy Sheidy's insatiable greed for the almighty dollar. Let me remind you about AC4h's mission statement:
Our Mission is to give equines a much needed "Another Chance". We do all aspects of rescue - abuse, neglect, owner surrender, cruelty, auction purchase and slaughter for human consumption then quarantine, rehabilitate, evaluate, train and place horses in loving homes. We are also very active in education and community involvement.Note where she states 'abuse, neglect, owner surrender, cruelty, auction purchase and slaughter for human consumption'. Abuse. Neglect. Cruelty. All of that going on with this one horse in direct violation of their own mission statement. No legitimate and self-respecting rescue, like Angel Acres Horse Haven or Days End Horse Rescue or any one of a dozen I could spin off the top of my head, would ever subject an animal to this abominable treatment. HELL NO! They'd whisk that poor mare into their barn with a veterinarian on the premises and get her treated immediately. Thoughts of adopting her out would not enter their minds for several months at the very minimum (that is, if she's not beyond help) and likely only after her foal (again, if she is pregnant) was weaned off of her.
What I find nauseating too, is AC4h's habit of superimposing a series of cutesy hearts within circular text touting their website over their photos and it's all the more so with the close up photo of her mangled hoof. What the hell are they trying to do, sugarcoat her sorry condition or put a positive spin on it? In my opinion, posting that photo in the first place is going to backfire on them BIG TIME; it's going to draw angry criticism, controversy and a whole lot of negativity and further tarnish an already tarnished image.
In their twisted logic, they're counting on sympathetic and unsuspecting donors to give in to the frantic tugs on their heartstrings and flick their hard-earned cash into AC4h's PayPal account with a keystroke or two. Unfortunately, that is exactly what will happen, and Christy's bottom line will be even more bloated than it was last week-- and that pitiful mare may pay for Christy's greed with her life, along with that of her foal. That bitch could care less as long as she gets her filthy lucre.
What really needs to happen in this case is for everyone, and I mean everyone, to deluge the humane welfare authorities in the area with calls urging them to pay a visit to Brian Moore's broker lot and investigate the treatment of this mare-- and slap both Christy and Brian with citations for neglect, abuse and withholding of veterinary care. Period. Pennsylvania state law expressly forbids cruelty to animals and this is what is stated in the statutes with regard to the treatment of horses:
(d) Selling or using disabled horse.--A person commits a summary offense if he offers for sale or sells any horse, which by reason of debility, disease or lameness, or for other cause, could not be worked or used without violating the laws against cruelty to animals, or leads, rides, drives or transports any such horse for any purpose, except that of conveying the horse to the nearest available appropriate facility for its humane keeping or destruction or for medical or surgical treatment.
That's right, folks! Christy Sheidy and Brian Moore are both clearly in violation of those very statutes. I pray to God that they get the punishment they deserve and a helluva lot more on both the federal and state levels.
With that, I bid you good night, and I apologize for my French, but that's just how angry I am right now, can you tell? You should be livid too, and I won't blame you if you spout a few choice words upon reading this latest blog entry......
