Remember when I posted back in June about the Trainer Who Starved My Horses?
Well, not long ago I was contacted by another horse owner who had almost the exact same experience with the very same trainer. One of her horses DIED, and another was severely malnourished.
Here's her story.
Now the trainer has moved to a whole new farm with a new website, with lots of pretty pictures to make everything look clean, happy, and professional. As if nothing was ever wrong. As if the suffering, starvation, and death of dozens of horses could just be erased by a change of location.
It makes me sick!!!
Nancy, do you realize Torchsong is listed as "sold" on their website?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sundownfarmva.com/horsesforsale.htm
Yes, because she IS sold, and gone to a much better home, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteI wish you well with your horses. I came across the story and immediately wondered if it was Sundown Farm. I thought I remembered your stallion's name. I had a hellacious experience with a mare I leased with option to purchase after she'd been in training there. She arrived emaciated and turned out to be horridly mentally unsound to the point of being unsafe for me or my trainer.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's the farm I'm talking about. Although the trainer has now moved to a new farm: http://www.foursocksfarm.com/
ReplyDeleteI hope that people are not fooled by the new farm and new website. I strongly doubt that conditions will be any better there.
I'm anyomous who's left comments on your page before. I went to high school with the "trainer" and knew her when she had her farm before she moved to Axton. I'm suprised she's moved back to the area as she did as not many people up there are willing to deal with her. Though i didn't assoicate with her when she had your stallion there, if any of the other owners are looking for backing evidence i can testify to them starving and abusing the horses while i was there. I remember one mare they had gotten from W.V.A. who was supposed to be on stall rest due to bowed tendons; they had her jumping 3 foot jumps in their lesson program after they doped her up on bantamine. I believe she accidently died that summer.
ReplyDeleteThat's HORRIBLE! I can't even imagine someone would knowingly do something like that, and still claim to be a horse lover and horse "expert."
ReplyDeleteHave you contacted the person at Clear Spring Farm (the website I linked to in this post)? I believe she is collecting reports from people with knowledge of what happened on that farm. I'm sure she'd be glad to take your story too. Her email address is listed on her home page.
I did email Clear Spring Farm but i haven't heard back from them yet.
ReplyDeletei don't honestly know why she's in horses. she doesn't love them, she just sees it as a way to make money.
i feel bad for the horses that are still left in there care. last time i was in the area i think they still had about 40-50 horses at their main farm and where down to about 20 acres with no hay as far as i knew as the local hay guys had stopped selling to them.
I dated a girl who worked for them for the summer. Not only are they VERY GOOD at deceiving people, they are extremely manipulative and operate like a "cult". This former Grand Prix level rider was spewing off b.s like I'd never heard in my life before... She kept her Grand Prix Gelding in their wire fencing (he was kept in a stall, stall was only cleaned once or twice and only a "few" horses on the farm--namely stallions were fed grain or hay)and was jumping him 5'0" in their DEEP sand arena when he was not physically fit to do so.
ReplyDeleteThe gelding turned up lame. My EX was told to slap glue on shoes to his feet and medicate him further. My EX and I broke up because of the situation (I called the human society and desperately tried to convince her to leave the farm)!
I am so sorry. We were told the mares that were "broodmare leases" were rescues. The mares Lea & Lissel (I saw both of them) were said to have been picked up at auction. We were also told that Senter left because he was not "stallion-quality" enough for them, which I knew was bullshit because they had a stallion with crooked front legs. Anything with BALLS was stallion quality to them!
My EX is very brain-washed and almost changed colleges to be closer to them. I saw them for what they were and they knew I would have done everything in my power to get my EX out of there (I loved her! Of COURSE I would!) and so they brainwashed her against me. She now hates me and blames me for everything.
Panache did not die of a brain embolism, or at least I was not told that. We were told she died from a broken leg. Obviously the stories are not matching. My EX personally witnessed the death of TWO horses on that farm and yet did nothing to help the horses.
I am so sorry that this happened to you and your family. I wish I would have done more. I called the Humane Society THREE times and got nowhere with them. There were twenty horses in each 5 acre pasture and they were all starving. None of them were seeing the farrier, as I saw the "list" for the farrier and it was only ten or so horses. Only the horses who were being ridden got that "privilege".
Several vets came out onto the farm to look at my EX's horse. SHAME on them for not reporting this awful case, but then again--these people were VERY deceptive! Most of the really bad horses, like Lissel, were covered in dark fly sheets to keep them from being exposed.
My EX was supposed to be a "working student" but she was far more qualified than the trainer (whose greatest claim to fame was GOING to 4H State) and therefore actually did the training herself. She was supposed to be working for room and board for herself and one horse, but it was pretty ironic that she paid $400 a month for board (or at least her rich daddy did) and then that went up to $1200 when she had THREE horses there. Two very valuable Grand Prix level horses and her personal horse, an Arabian I purchased her. I think $1200 a month covers her room and board quite nicely, don't you?
I hate this entire family with all of my being and I hope they get proper justice. I know karma's a bitch and the trainer is the ideal horse hoarder, so I'm sure she'll be at this again and hopefully we'll catch her at it before any other horses get hurt!
- Pissed off in VA
Ugh! I'm so sorry for all you had to go through too. What a nightmare this whole situation is. I never did find out what happened to the two horses I traded to her. I feel just sick about turning them over to be neglected and starved.
ReplyDeleteNot long ago, my husband and I went to our feed store to pick up some feed, and there was this "trainer" working as a cashier. She had the nerve to greet us all happy and cheerful, as if we were old friends! We just kind of stared at her blankly, like, "You're kidding, right?"
It makes me sick to even think about her.
Well Nancy Its amazing what people would do for a buck!!! I am so happy to state the SENTER STAGE is fat and Happy and slowly starting a riding career after much needed fixing.
ReplyDeleteWe hare at Noble Farms Would Like to offer ANYONE who had a breeding to Senter while at SDF a 1/2 off discount.
Just pay his Booking and Collection/shipping fees .
good for ALL 2011
Heather, I'm so relieved that Senter is with you now! I know that he is safe, happy, and finally getting the quality of training that will advance his potential.
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone is reading this and doesn't know where Senter's new home is, here is his page at Heather's farm:
http://www.noblefarmsportponies.com/senter_stage_govold_stallion