It certainly isn't normal to visit the farm to see your horses - and take the blankets off once healthy horses to find them starving.
then we get to the bothersome facts that this farm has a reputation and yet your friends still boarded their horses there without supervision.
Reputation with those who have experienced this before, and locals. But out of state buyers/owners would have no clue if everyone previous has done - nothing.
Out of state investors, whether breeders, or owners, rarely see their horses on a regular basis.
I periodically work for one of the larger TB owners in the SW and he has horses on the track he has never laid eyes upon.
Silence seems to have been almost unbelievable in this situation. My friend sent the two photographs above, with the full information, and the lawyers name, AND the animal control contact name to the Lexington newspaper the day after the horses were relocated.
The newspaper said that they would be in contact. Then silence.
I contacted many. This is the header of one e-mail:
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Galtee Farm LLC , Midway, Kentucky
I got not one response.
The owner of these malnurished horses said that when the insurance adjuster became involved, while in Kentucky, they advised that there had been so many problems at Galtee Farm that they would no longer cover any horses boarded or maintained at Galtee Farm.
This is ALL insurance companies. Not just one.
Losing one's insurance coverage is a biggie in the racing industry.
I am asking exactly the same as any normal rational human being, the same as you both are. Why wasn't this headlines? No-one can say that the newspapers and magazines were not contacted. Why is everyone being so silent and why isn't there an investigation for abuse?
It is that factor that is motivating me. Why would the newspapers ignore such? Why this awful "business as usual" attitude?
It is a bit puzzling that there is no other information online about this farm and this alleged abuse. Google shows nothing in recent news of anything like this. Can anyone in Lexington confirm this story?
I know that the animal control in Midway can. It seems (see above) that getting anyone's attention is like looking for chickens teeth.
I am as confused as anyone else.
What I do know - beyond doubt - is that this incident happened. I know that enough has been said by unrelated people to suspect strongly that this isn't an isolated case. And all I am trying to do is find all those who may have been victimized previously.
If enough proof comes to light I will then loudly ask why no-one has done a thing about this behavior previously. Why newspapers, horse organizations, racing associations have turned a blind eye.
I have contacted enough people, and my friend contacted enough people, that if Galtee was innocent why hasn't someone come to their defense?
The only thing I have received is this barrage of letters advising me to phone certain people who have been in the same situation. I spent the better part of this afternoon on the telephone but only reached answering machines. As yet.
But not one person has come forth and said, "This can't be true. We know Galtee and it cannot be true." Not one. And I have pretty much put myself in the line of fire for someone to do that. It's not like someone cannot contact me to defend Galtee.
