We’ve tallked about people being hurt by rising foreclosures and even pets, but there’s another population that’s being hurt by a declining housing market- horses are hurting too. That’s putting a real strain on horse rescue groups.  According to today’s Austin Statesman:

Area horse rescue groups are reporting a growing number of neglected and abandoned horses in Central Texas, a troubling trend fed by the twin ravages of recession and drought.

"It’s frightening," said Jennifer Williams, president of Bluebonnet. "If people have lost their jobs or are having trouble making ends meet, sometimes they are put in an impossible position."

Other horse rescue operations in Texas agree that the situation is becoming dire. "In the last year, we’ve been getting strays on a regular basis," said Melanie DeAeth, president of True Blue Animal Rescue in Brenham. "We’re getting more and more calls from people who are losing their homes and going through foreclosure."

Here’s how this is affecting one rescue group the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society. (BEHS)

Bluebonnet, which is headquartered in College Station but takes in horses throughout Central Texas, has reached capacity and no longer has room among its various volunteers to place additional horses. The rescue group has taken in 76 horses this year and is on pace to nearly double the 86 horses it rescued last year. True Blue has rescued 32 horses this year, already doubling its total of 16 for 2008.

Many of the horses that end up with rescue groups are the result of seizures by local sheriff’s departments — including several this year in Central Texas — as well as voluntary surrenders by individuals who realize they’ve gotten in over their heads.

I thought I’d put in a shameless plug and disclosure here-

I am a member of BEHS and have been trying to do my part to spread the word about the plight of unwanted horses.  This is a great organization who is in desperate need of foster and adoptive homes for horses as well as donations.  If you are interested in helping, you can contact BEHS at their website here.

Here’s some of BEHS’s before and after pictures:

A little food and medical care can go a long way.  I took in three neglected horses myself last February (not through BEHS) and recently found homes for them all.  When they arrived they looked like moth eaten rugs over skin and bones.  They were sick and two of them could barely stand. My before pictures didn’t turn out very well, but here’s a picture of my "girls" taken a couple of weeks ago:

Sophie

Grable

Randi

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