Horse owners feel pain of rising supply prices

By Lindsey Henley
WSLS10 Reporter
Published: April 9, 2008

    Peaches is the newest addition to the Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue (RVHR).

    While there’s no question she’s cute, the Horse Rescue – already with more than 50 horses – is running out of room.

    The problem is more and more people want to give up their horses.

    “I usually get at least one call a day and three or four emails a day of people looking to place their animals with us,“ said Patricia Muncy with RVHR.  “It’s just a sad situation.“

    It’s a situation Muncy mostly blames on the rising cost of things like hay and grain.

    “The hay is the biggest thing right now. It’s causing a lot of problems for owners,” she said.

  In some places, the price has gone from $2.50 per square bale, to as high as $10.00 per square bale.  Those high prices are leading to malnourished and abandoned horses.

  Even worse, some owners are having to euthanize their horses, because they simply can’t afford to take care of them.

  “It’s just turning into a very vicious circle for everybody,“ Muncy said.

  We checked with the Roanoke Valley Equine Clinic today.  They’ve been receiving a lot of calls from people who are trying to place horses with them, because the horses’ owners can no longer afford them.
    When it comes to euthanizing an animal, it is the owner’s decision.  Veterinarians at the Roanoke Valley Equine Clinic have been doing everything they can to try to intervene, and find the horse a home.