ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] lost/stolen horses

Re: [endurance] lost/stolen horses

Linda Cowles @ PCB x5624 (linda_cowles@mentorg.com)
Mon, 4 Dec 1995 09:18:40 -0800

On Dec 3, 9:47pm, Patricia Yabumoto wrote:
> Subject: [endurance] lost/stolen horses
> Here is something a little different(at least for me). Four days ago, a
> horse wandered up on my property. With some difficulty, I got him haltered
> and stuck him in a pen. I have had this happen before-stray horses coming
> around-but usually the owner is not far behind! Not this time! By evening, I
> was calling the sheriff's department and the State Police. I got in contact
> with the livestock inspector and we agreed to give it a few days.
> Well, the inspector is coming tomorrow and he talks as though he wants to
> impound the horse. I don't really like that idea, and wonder if I can insist
> that the horse stays right where it is.
>-- End of excerpt from Patricia Yabumoto

Hi Patti,

I have been advised to not report "found" horses directly to the police
for this very reason.

In this area, "found" horses are livestock. They are confiscated
by the Brand Inspector, taken to a local auction house where they
are held for, I think, 5 days and are subsequently sold at auction.

Local horses are taken to 101 Livestock Auction, south of Gilroy.

The Brand Inspector gets to keep whatever the horse brings at auction.

The strategy that was suggested to me was to form a communications chain,
letting all of your horse friends know that if such a horse was missing,
you MIGHT know where it is. It's supposedly against the law to not report
a found horse.

I have been told that you can't refuse to surrender a found horse if
the brand Inspector comes for it, and that Brand Inspectors check
poster-boards for notices of found horses.

Linda Cowles, Gilroy, Calif.