Our initial September Bucket Fund was for Ambrosia, the mare found roaming a residential street – incredibly skinny with pneumonia – who was miraculously rescued and was on the way to recovery … her heart gave out. So Sad.
Our donation of $2115 will help greatly with her medical bills!
Thank you one and all. I know there was a huge outpouring of support and love for her. Many were touched by her courage. Many were devastated by her unexpected passing.
She now runs strong and free.
*The September Redemption Bucket Fund Receipt in honor of the stuffed mules of Lubbock, Texas – for the 30 member family herd of the Nevada Hidden Valley Wild Horses that were saved off of the Fallon Feedlot – is not available to us yet because we haven’t figured out how to negotiate the donation via Pay Pal. The Bucket Fund does not have a checking account or a credit card; everything is done through Pay Pal.
I’m sure we will have it figured out in a few days…
SAD STORY FOR CASTIAC HORSES…
These kinds of stories just make me sad for all involved… I want the Shelter folks to rest easy at night and I want the horses to have homes.
I’m writing about this one because it is in my home state. I’m sure there are other situations just like this across the country. (Sigh)
Here’s the deal. The people who work at the Castiac Human Society worked feverishly to nurture these horses and bring them back to health…
But now, because the County (not the Shelter) has imposed a mandatory euthanasia rule after so many days, these loved horses are facing the end…
Please don’t call the Shelter to complain. It isn’t their idea. It is a County rule. The workers at the Shelter are doing everything they can to place these horses.
The vet and caretakers from the Shelter do not want this to happen and are making themselves crazy trying to place these horses.
THE PART THAT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME
This makes no sense to me.
Why cure them, feed and nurture them – to kill them?
I guess they figure any time is good time…
But whatever the case, the workers at the Shelter are feeling desperate today. Desperate.
The Shelter vet is totally involved and willing to speak to any good home who has interest.
I’ll say that again:
THE VET AT THE SHELTER IS GOING CRAZY TRYING TO PLACE THESE HORSES
So, that means that you can call the actual vet at the shelter: (661) 702-7098 and talk to Kathy Baxter (Shelter Veterinarian) or Karen Stepp (Shelter Manager). Please be nice as they are not the ones who make the rules.
If you know of anyone or if you have any room to house these fine horses who were brought to health and now face their time limit, PLEASE contact: (661) 702-7098 and talk to Kathy Baxter (Shelter Veterinarian) or Karen Stepp (Shelter Manager).
HERE ARE THE HORSES LOCATED IN CASTIAC, CA (near Magic Mountain!)
Bring your horse trailer, stop at Magic Mountain for some fun, and on the way back home, save a life…

I don’t have much information on him… I know his owner turned him in because she could not afford to feed him or give him his arthritis meds

Lester – Arab Cross gelding – white/grey – 15 hands – thin, but not horribly starved any more – significantly dropped hind fetlocks however he walks, trots, and lopes
at liberty with no apparent pain or lameness – very gentle, quiet, bombproof babysitter type – 12 years old – current on vaccines – very easy to handle on ground –
was abandoned as a stray & starved profusely – thin, but doing much better with his weight now. Facing his time limit – even after being saved by the shelter…

TWH mare – black – 15.2 hands – thin, but not in bad shape – slightly dropped fetlocks in hind – slightly crooked knee in 1 front leg – sweet – friendly – loves people
& attention – was abandoned as a stray and starved profusely – doing better with weight & health – good spirits & easy to handle on ground… nearing her end time at the Shelter. They are desperate to place her.

This one breaks my heart… QH gelding – 24 years old – 14.2 hands – chestnut – very handsome – significant navicular in both front feet – wearing shoes with wedge / pads – needs to remain on
bute for comfort – probably will not be rideable but has a very loving and kind personality and would be a wonderful family or children’s pet / companion –
surrendered by owner “who could no longer afford him” – good body condition & healthy other than navicular – very kind personality.

Another very sad story… QH gelding – dark bay – 15 hands – 18 years old – sound, rideable, needs experienced rider – current on everything – good personality and easy to handle on the ground –
was surrendered by owner “going through divorce and could not afford to keep him in boarding” – good body weight and healthy – needs to be adopted now.
IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO COULD ADOPT THESE HORSES, PLEASE PASS ON THE INFORMATION…
Here is the contact info:
Please don’t let the county force euthanization on this shelter. They are very caring and try very hard to network their horses out and find good homes for them. These horses are typically up for adoption for less than $100, on some rare occasions more, but they try to make it as affordable for good adopters as possible.
LA County:
Castaic
Animal Care
Center
31044 N. Charlie Canyon Rd.
Castaic, CA 91384
(661) 702-7098 and talk to Kathy Baxter (Shelter Veterinarian) or Karen Stepp (Shelter Manager
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed Holidays
Directions:
Take the 5 Freeway, exit on Parker Road and go east. Make right on Castaic Road merge onto Tapia Canyon Road and make a left on Charlie Canyon Road.
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Oy. That is terrible. Not the adoption process but their attitude. Let me see what is up here and how I can help you…
Called Castaic Shelter today because I was interested in meeting Lester and possibly adopt him. They were not very encouraging at all. I was told that an application would have to be completed and than I would have to wait for it to be approved. Then a home check and references had to be done. I do not mind any of that but I live a distance and would like to do one trip. They didn’t even offer a solution. Like let me email you an application then if your approved you can make the trip with trailer in tow……. I told the lady I was a member of a 501c3 Husky Rescue group and why I was looking for a horse to adopt. She did not seem to concerned for the horses. So are these horses in any danger of being euthanized or not ? Maybe they need to come up with a better adoption process for their horses.
We live in the mountains north of Castaic, we do see the occasional stray horse or horses. People can’t afford to take care of them and they’re letting the horses go to fend for themselves. There is plenty of feed in these hills, however, there is no water. The horses will search out water and, speaking for myself, I don’t want them near my own horses.
Los Angeles County is not agriculture friendly and the folks that make and pass the laws, that the Ag community must live by, have never raised or cared for more than their household pets, as you can tell by our County Rules and Regulations. What did people think would happen to unwanted horses when selling them at auction was no longer an option? At least there they had a chance for a good home. Despite what people think, not all horses went to ‘killer buyers’ and most ‘killer buyers’ are horse traders first, and will have a list of what their clients are looking for in a horse, and make far more money selling a horse this way than by the pound. This is supposed to be the better option….really?
What a sad post and how sad for the people who had to give up healthy horses because of finances. I’ve got nothing to say about people who abandon their horses to starve. I have vowed to take care of my 3 to the end…. I would have them humanely euthed before I’d let them starve.