Horses, some emaciated, rescued from property near Riverbank. How you can help them
An animal welfare investigation resulted in the rescue of 30 horses last week from a property in an unincorporated area of Riverbank.
“I can tell you the animals were in very poor condition,” said Annette Bedsworth, executive director of Stanislaus County Animal Services.
She said the horses are generally suffering from inadequate food and care. Authorities have determined that two horses were stolen and more of them might have been stolen from their true owners, Bedsworth said.
Oakdale Equine Rescue assisted authorities with rescuing the horses Dec. 20 and moving them in trailers to the nonprofit’s facility. The rescue operation overseen by county Animal Services began around noon and continued for hours well into the night.
Most of the horses are pregnant or are mares with nursing foals. Some of the pregnant horses are due to deliver soon, the rescue organization said.
Jeannine Etheridge, president of Oakdale Equine Rescue, said a few of the horses are emaciated and need veterinary attention. Arrangements have been made for Sweet River Equine Hospital to provide care for some of the animals.
Authorities are not disclosing all of the details because of the ongoing investigation. County Animal Services, the Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office are involved in the probe.
Bedsworth said it appears a woman was breeding valuable horses at the Riverbank property. The investigation is looking for other locations where the woman might have kept additional horses. The woman’s name was not released by authorities.
Bedsworth said there should be enough evidence for a charge of neglect. Other charges are being considered as well.
“This was unnecessary. It did not need to happen,” she said.
A story on a GoFundme page for the effort gives an unconfirmed account of legal and business disputes involving the woman who was raising the horses near Riverbank. It claims the woman was in possession of 60 to 80 horses.
According to the GoFundme story, the woman who had the horses has a history of evictions from properties she leased, which forced her to move horses and consolidate the herd. Stanislaus County Animal Services became aware in mid-December that a stallion on the Riverbank property was dead and other horses were not receiving routine care.
Etheridge said the nonprofit group has rescued 690 abused or neglected horses since its inception in 2010.
She said 30 horses is a large number for a single rescue operation and housing the animals is costly. Some of the horses will be giving birth soon.
Etheridge said people have called claiming to have had horses stolen and asking how to recover them. The rescue said it can’t keep up with the calls and texts at all hours.
An item posted on the Oakdale Equine Rescue Facebook gives instructions for people who think they own one of the horses. They are asked to send their name and contact information to oakdaleequinerescue@gmail.com. They should provide detailed information on how the horse went missing, along with pictures, registration papers, tattoos or brands to prove ownership.
The rescue staff is asking for patience as things are sorted out. Stanislaus County authorities are also seeking information on the horses that may have been stolen. Information and documentation can be sent to hookerc@stancounty.com.
The rescue organization has decided it’s best to raise money for feeding the horses instead of accepting donated hay bales. Monetary donations can be made at www.oakdaleequinerescue.org, which has a donate button.
For those wishing to help with veterinary costs, the rescue organization has an account at Sweet River Equine Hospital. Call 209-524-9191.
Bedsworth said county Animal Services has worked with Oakdale Equine Rescue for years. “They have an outstanding reputation,” she said.
This story was originally published December 24, 2021 at 6:30 AM.
