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| The painted and tether horse close to Wal-Mart |
Am I the only one who has spied the painted horse standing
by a tree on W. Cedar Bayou Lynchburg
and E. Road? No? I didn’t think so and like you I wondered if
this was a case of neglect, or there is reason and purpose for tethering a lone
horse in what appeared to be a small plot of land.
Is this a case of animal cruelty? Should the humane society, PETA, Houston SPCA, or Marvin Zindler be called?
Well, I thought I would just go over and see if I could talk to someone before I jumped to conclusions. Hopping in my venerable 4X4 Jeep I call, "The Choppa", I drove over to take photos and possibly get the
truth about the situation and this is what I discovered.
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| "Get to Tha Choppa!" Arnold Schwarzenegger |
As I drove over Sunday morning, camera in hand, I planned at
the very least to get a few photos. Yesterday, I passed by and the horse was lying
down. At the time I wondered if it was
dead. There were two men and two women unsuccessfully
trying to push out a rent truck close to the horse, so I jumped the curb in my
Jeep and pulled them out, then inquired about the horse.
Boy, did I get an education and a good one and on this
adventure, I made four friends.
The horse has been in rehabilitation since they acquired it and quarantined from their other horses and for good reason. The horse was near starvation with bones showing before it was staked here. It is on a very special diet to rehab it and they’ve posted no trespassing signs to keep people away, but well-meaning people have been feeding the horse anyway, thinking the horse was starving.
The horse has been in rehabilitation since they acquired it and quarantined from their other horses and for good reason. The horse was near starvation with bones showing before it was staked here. It is on a very special diet to rehab it and they’ve posted no trespassing signs to keep people away, but well-meaning people have been feeding the horse anyway, thinking the horse was starving.
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| The horse folks building the corral |
They showed me on the tree where numerous signs had been
posted and each of them had been torn loose.
One of the ladies owns the horse and told me she is a horse person and
has other horses and the people secretly feeding this horse are hurting it’s
recovery, as it requires a special diet.
They applied for a permit to build a corral and this has taken much longer than they anticipated. They delivered the necessary materials today to begin the process of fencing it in and that is how I found them, stuck and muddy truck and all.
I asked or expected no remuneration for pulling out the
truck and after three refusals accepted their money, as they were very sincere
about their gratitude. They were in a
great big hurry to build the corral and return the rent truck, so I did not get
their names, but I liked every one of them.
.
46 comments:
Super sleuth to the rescue, good job Bert. SW
Thank you thank you thank you!!! Every time I pass this horse I just want to set it free. It breaks my heart! You have eased my troubled mind! LF
Bert, you are a gentleman. Everyone sees an abused animal here. You were wise enough to seek the truth. I will be looking for a fully recovered hoss in the future. DS
Thank you Bert for finding the answers as most of us were just judging and assuming. KL
I passed by and saw you there...thanks for posting. JB
You put feet to your words, brother. DC
I too was wondering about this. Thought there might be more to the story since the state hasn't taken it and so many people pass by everyday. Thank you BB. BW
So glad to know this!!! JW
I feel much better. Yes I have noticed it and wondered. Thank you Bert for checking it out. JDHS
I think everyone has wondered about this! KM
I pray they are telling you the truth. It is 29 degrees and the poor horse has no blanket. Someone took them a blanket and they refused. Even with a fence it is too cold for the poor sick horse. Thank you for checking. So happy
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thank you for the information. Such a relief. MF
Oh good. Thanks for the update MM
Thanks for posting, Bert. SL
I'm so glad they actually care about the horse. It sure hasn't looks like it. Thanks Bert ! THJ
Baytown Bert to the rescue. Great story. LW
Driving back from Austin last night, I saw a couple horses huddled under a covered shelter. It was open to the wind and at that time it was about 28-30 degrees.
I felt sorry for the horses and thought a second about wanting to do something about it. I then realized I didn't know the first thing about horses and the elements so I just had to hope that the owners knew it was safe for them; I certainly didn't/don't.
I'm sure the vast majority of those that own animals/pets/livestock care for them deeply. And, that any neglect by the those few scumbags that DO neglect animals are to a minimum. AB
I wondered too!!! What a relief! Thank you for figuring it out for us! God bless those folks!!! KH
There was a very negative unsigned comment made that I deleted because it was anonymous.
God bless you for caring enough to take positive action..... for those of us who notice but are not brave enough or don't know enough to step forward.
Good job Bert, thanks! Christine
I have seen this horseBert, and wondered the same thing. This really shows that we have little faith in humanity huh??
Thank you for curing my curisoity!! I'm glad you were man enough to ask a simple question befor judging.
Good to know, but do you not think that it is in bad taste to reference "calling" Marvin Zindler in a present tense form?
Note to Crystal: I meant it as a speck of humor. I am sorry if it sounded disrespectful. Marvin Zindler was an icon of advocacy for concerns and I appreciated what he did for us Texans.
You did what every great American citizen should have done. Most people just talk about and sneak around thinking their helping. But you went for answers first- your a genuine American !!!!!
Thanks.
Horse has lost about 75 lbs easily. I called Harris Co animal control and they really didn't help. I would be suspect the horse is in rehab since he stood with a saddle 3 days and nights not too long ago. The only reason he has shelter is the fire department demanded it. And sometime they even had to fill up his water. So glad he has a pen now but I don't think he is out of trouble yet
Another negative remark not published. Each person who has posted an anonymous comment above has identified themselves to me. I will not post a negative comment to anyone unless they identify themselves. I've asked the reporters at the Baytown Sun to do a follow-up on this horse. If it is not as they have represented it, it will come out.
Thanks I dont know how to contact you and like I said I can't identify myself as it would cause a big issue within the family. I wouldn't mind letting you know who I am as long as it is kept between me and you. Again thanks I am not trying to be ugly, but the truth needs to be known. And what they told you is not the truth. I don't expect this to be published either, this is just a comment between me and you.
Sam and I thought that horse was looking better and filled out more. Glad to know that's what happened. VMC
As a horse owner, this is no place to rehab a horse! The fact that it is in distress makes it more important that it be kept away from cars/pollution/noise. This tiny lot is often muddy, and I have not seen a blanket on it during freezes, or shade when it's hot. The stall is long overdue, and it doesn't need exposure!
Thank you for finding out about this and for posting so the rest of us can know. As one who has helped rescue a horse that was being starved I can tell you it takes a long time and even then there may be muscle damage. I hope this one recovers fully. Kudos to the people who rescued this one.
Poor horse. I hope they really are rehabilitating him. I don't understand why he has to be quarantined and tied up all the time instead of just when it's time to eat, though.
I appreciate it very much that you went to the trouble to find out whether or not this horse was being abused. I had actually reported it to the spca and never heard anything else from them. (Big surprise) I myself had considered stopping in and inquiring about it but every time I went by no one was around. Im happy yo hear they are helping such a magnificent and noble animal. We need more people like them and yourself. Thank you very much.
for the horse name Cheroke we would like to thank you very very much for helping us Sunday we would like to thank you very much for helping us Sunday morning.. to get the story you know to the public and everybody would stop all this worrying anyway to get the story you know to the public and everybody would stop all this worrying anyway again thank you very much for you always have a friend with me and Angie
My daughter and I have also been very curious about the, "Paints Story".One day there was no horse there, next day there was a starved horse there. Chances are, it was a rescue. We have watched that paint go from bones to much better. We got all excited to see the shelter they made for it and when they moved it from a muddy spot to a grassy spot. We have horses and we know their diet is very crucial. Sneaking it food can cause a lot of problems including colic which a lot of time leads to death.
I don't think you have the true stiry on this.
I have watched this horse for over 5 months as our friends live across the street. And Im sorry but you are wrong, I have rehabbed starved horses and even those rating 1-2 on the HSPCA scale of health do not take this long to fatten up. There is also zero reason to quarantine any animal over 30 days. Even horses brought in from other countries don't go through a 6 month quarantine. If this horse is still a stallion they are breaking Texas confinement laws. This horse looks like crap, He looks WORSE now than when he was acquired. I would think that before you wrote this you got to see vet records? Or how about the brand and amount of feed theyre giving him? If hes in such bad shape why do they keep riding him? Why was he tied w a saddle tightly cinched for 3 solid days? leaving sores on his withers? These people have no business owning this animal and I will continue to call the HSPCA until the camera crews show up and they do something.
Thank you Bert for this information! I am glad to know the horse is being properly taken care of! TM
I'm the guy who built the corral for Cherokee. I don't know the details about his previous health.but he is pretty healthy now..I also live on a boarding farm for horses..so I know when a horse is healthy or not..besides that.. haven't you a life at all as to worry and make accusations about someone else's business..I understand concerns on both sides but people should stop always looking for the bad and just work together for positive outcomes.
Honestly I think people should mind their own business if they dont have all their facts straight. The horse Cherokee was given to the owner by a Baytown police officer. He was very skinny and unhealthy when first brought to the family. For those that dont know and just like to assume things, he was never ridden or had anything threw across his back before his owners now. Little by little he was brought back to health, tamed down and is now in the process of being broken. Say what you want to say and think what you want to think but this horse is being very well taken care of. He DOES own his own jacket but refuses to wear it. And just to get a few things straight there was NEVER a jacket brought out and refused by the owner. And the horse has never lost weight. Please keep your ignorance to yourself and stay away from Cherokee Blaze, he nor his owners need your help for his rehabilitation. Thank you for your concern. -Celena Bejarano
I think people are just mad because they didnt get their way and the horse was not taken away.... people talk crap just to talk i recal a guy saying "he is usually not scared of people but this people are scary and they dont play with a full deck of cards" yet Bert went and asked questions and i didnt see anything happen to him the people on the picture are the owners and they dont look scary to me this same guy also put " (the owner). No speaka english" yet the owner is a white girl this goes to tell you how ignorant people can be and talk crap just to get attention get a life and let this people take car of this horse like they have been doing.... thank you Bert for taking your time to get answers and not just judge the way other people did God Bless You!
There was quite a few people that have been concerned about this horse. We went to the effort to find a waterproof blanket but was told the horse wouldn't tolerate one. To force him to wear it could have caused injury. No offered the group to stall it during the frudgid weather but was told the owners wouldn't communicate and put No Trespassing signs up. I was not going to get shot attempting to save this horse from neglect of providing a sound shelter. I have several horses and there were things that could have been done with open communication. You do put weight in a starved/ailing horse very slowly but in my opinion a person shouldn't take on this task if they don't have adequate provisions. I am ecstatic that Cherokee will have a large paddock to move around and hopefully a weatherproof stall to use if he so chooses. Win win situation for all!
No excuse ever for leaving a starving horse tied (or any horse) to a tree for weeks and weeks with no shelter or drinking water. I think you have been had. The Baytown Humane AssocIation, the HoustonSPCA have been after them and are doing all they can within the law. There are many places that a sick horse can be quarenteened in much more favorable conditions. Will the corral have dry land for him to stand on, or will it be a muddy slop pen. Check it out after a week or so. Horses do not need blankets, if shelter from wind and rain are available. Great job though. You actually confronted them. Please report back. Thanks.
Hold your horses – Horse near Wal-Mart not neglected, city says
By Ana Goni-Lessan ana.goni-lessan@baytownsun.com | Posted: Thursday, March 6, 2014 12:00 am
Relax, Baytown. Cherokee is fine.
If you’ve seen a skinny horse near the Wal-Mart by West Cedar Bayou-Lynchburg, don’t fret. It’s being taken care of, according to city spokeswoman Patti Jett.
The city has received many calls from citizens about the painted horse, who is tethered to a tree on a small plot of land.
The reason, however, is a lot better than one would expect.
The horse is a rescue animal and being rehabilitated by its new owners, who took the animal in from another Baytown resident. It has food, water, shelter and everything else it needs, according to Jett.
The city and Harris County have made regular trips out to the property and found that the horse is being kept in accordance with city, county and state laws, she said.
According to animal control officers, the horse has been improving.
Even Sun columnist Bert Marshall posted on his blog about the horse and went out to the plot of land to see the situation for himself.
According to Marshall’s blog post, Cherokee is on a special diet and the owners have posted no trespassing signs to keep people from feeding him, which would hurt his rehabilitation.
The owners have been working on building a corral for Cherokee but say the permit has taken longer than expected. A fence is also in the works.
A neighbor who is supposed to help the owners build the fence said that the bad weather has stalled the project. Because of all the rain the ground hasn’t been able to dry up enough to begin construction.
I'm sorry Bert but it only sounds like the Baytown sun reported on what you had told them. I have racked my brain and i'm thinking that this is the under nourished horse that was on redell rd for a while.
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