Could it be an abandonned horse?

Question

Hey i have a question,, well id like your advice.

My papaw owns alot of land, i mean a whole lot. And they were 4wheeling back there about 4-6 months ago,,,and they found a pretty lil black mare. None of my family besides me & my dad own horses. They have no clue who it belongs to. She is a little untrusting and doesnt let people get real close to her. She has no halter on, and no one has reported one missing or claimed her. I am just wondering on whether i should try and catch her and bring her to my place before the winter or atleast maybe find someone to take her. I just dont want to steal someones horse, but she has been there for a really long time. Could i be held for theft? i really dont think i could but im not sure. No one has been back there looking for one. So i was thinking she was turned loose to fend for herself. Any advice, i dont want to send her to a shelter or nothing, as im looking to get a 3rd horse, im sure shed need a tune up in her training and a dewormer & a lice dust, and id have her vet checked before i let her around mine. So what do you think i should do?

Answer 1

Did you contact the vets in your area to see if someone told them of a missing horse....have you called on the feed supply places to see if someone came in telling them about a lost horse....You can tell all of them you have the horse and are taking care of it.....leave in-for for someone to contact you....keep all of her records you make on her...in case someone comes to claim it......Does it look like it was miss treated in any way........good luck....hope you get to keep it

Not enough space for her...people can't afford to keep them....hummmmm...Do you know someone who can take her that does have the space.....What state are you in.??.....Is there a radio talk show that you can call and mention the horse that was found and it needs a home??  

Answer 2

Maybe You Should Just Leave Her There But Keep An Eye On Her..you could always chuck a bit of hay put for her if  th eweather gets really bad and the grass is poor..and if she looks ill or in pain then call a vet..she could be wild.

Answer 3

I would contact police and ask around to see if anyone is missing a horse, as long as you tell athorities then you cant get done for theft

Answer 4

Whether some one turned he loose or whatever, if she's on your property then you can feel free to catch her. There is nothing anyone can do to you. You would probably be within your right to shoot her, like you would a dog that came on your property and harrased you horses. I'm not saying in anyway to shoot her I'm just trying to say how you shouldn't worry about anyone saying anything. There in the wrong if they complain about you taking their horse when they let it wander onto you land. Your right about keeping it seperated from yours till you get it vet tested, but I would get it in before it gets hurt or starves. Make sure you put out some kind of announcement about a horse being found and keep proof that you tried to find the owners. You can check with your local courthouse, but I believe that if you care for the horse for a certain number of days, like 30, then the horse becomes yours. You could then keep her, sell her, or give her away. I would at minimum try to get back the money I put into her. If someone does come around and try to get her then I would ask for the money that you've put into her care so far. Don't try to get any more. If they have a story about why she was roaming on your property like she got out of a broken fense and they can show proof or they say she got out a left open gate and you believe them, then you could give her back. Her health would be a good indicator of whether she was cared for in the past, but take into account that she's been running loose for a while. If you don't belive them or need the money back badly then you can put a stablemans lean on the horse. You need to look into it, but you should record how you found the horse on your property, looked after her, save grain, hay, vet and any other bills as proof and show how you tried at least twice to get your money back from the owner for taking care of the horse. If they don't pay then you can forclose on the horse and it'll be yours in recompense for the time and money you put into it's care. In these instances becareful. They may try to steal the horse back. I would go ahead and get her up though. Good luck.

Answer 5

If you live in Nevada, it is free range which means that horses can roam all over.

Answer 6

Go ahead and bring her on in.  Contact the police and make a full report about her, telling them how long she has been there and where you have her now. If there are no reports with them,  for a horse  they will tell you how long you need to wait before she if offically yours.  Also keep a record of expenses, because on the off chance a owner does show up, they can be made to pay her board bill to reclaim her.

once you've reported her to the police your covered under the law for having her on your place. Its usually a 30 day period at abandoned animal has to be advertised or held  before its yours

Answer 7

You wouldn't be the first person with a bit of land to walk out and find a new horse...with the horse market as it is, people are dumping off their horses as you've described.

You cannot be held for theft if you contact the local authorities and state that the horse appeared upon your grandfather's land and she was moved to a more suitable location while you search for the owner.

Are you near a popular trail system or trail head?  I'd post "found" posters (without pictures, to keep unscrupulous horse traders from picking her up) with a brief description (eliminating gender, height, location of markings, etc.) and file a record with your local animal control.  

Answer 8

If she's out there alone, she is probably scared half to death, and she is vulnerable to predators....a lone horse is much easier prey than one in a herd.  I would rescue her now and worry about all the rest later.

Answer 9

If the animal is on your papaw's land, you are well within your rights to attempt to control her. As long as a reasonable effort is made to find the owner you should have no problem if your papaw is ok with you removing her from his property. Being alone, she is probably very scared without a herd to protect her, so getting her to a safe place is a good idea.Make sure you do screen any potential "owners" very well, have them identify her by color/markings just to make sure they aren't someone looking for a free horse. I live in central KY, where abandoned horses are a big problem and I'm afraid it will only get worse when winter comes. Thank you for caring. :)

Answer 10

go to your s.p.c.a. tell them the story and say you would be happy to keep her woth there permission

Answer 11

If she has been there that long i would assume that nobody wants her anyomore, and im sure if you take her in and someone does come forward you could always defend your self, there not going to charge you with anything if you found a roaming horse surely....

I reckon keep her and wait it out!

Good luck with it all.... and help her before she cant be helped

xoxo