A few years ago we lived in Arizona during the height of the big real estate boom. We saw the price of houses in our neighborhood jump from $150k to over $300k and the desert all around Phoenix developed. It seemed even the least attractive homes in the worst neighborhoods were suddenly very expensive. I couldn’t figure out where all the money was coming from. How could people making $40k a year afford a $300k house in need of a new roof? Years later we have our answer and the “housing crisis” continues. I feel bad for those who had to pay twice what homes were worth, only to have their mortgage payments skyrocket and the value of their houses plummet. But I hadn’t even considered the impact this might have on horses in Arizona until I read an article a few days ago on azcentral.com (the website of the Arizona Republic newspaper).
Though I’m not a fan of E.J. Montini’s controversial political views, his column post “Abandoning houses, horses and history” was well written and eye-opening. Mr. Montini interviewed Holly Marino of the non-profit Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale and discovered that people in the Phoenix area are dropping off and abandoning their horses at an increasing rate. When people can’t pay their mortgages, they can’t pay to feed or board horses. The rescue went from having around a dozen horses to having 60…SIXTY. I know what it costs to feed and maintain three horses but I can’t imagine sixty. They’re struggling to find a way to pay the expenses while looking for good homes for the horses.
The impact of the huge increase in bankruptcies and foreclosures in Arizona extends beyond people to their pets, including horses. I’ll guess it’s a problem in other previously-hot housing markets like Southern California and Florida. It’s sad for the horses and sad for the people, many of whom are probably as close to their horses as we are to ours.
I’ll be traveling to Arizona in the next few months and will try to stop by the Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale to talk with Ms. Marino about it some more.
If you’re close by and would like to help, visit their website (they have a very nice website) for more information. They’re in need of blankets, hay, feed, money and more. Even a small donation of $10 can buy a bag of feed. If you’re not close by, consider helping out your local horse rescue. The housing crisis is impacting communities around the U.S. Most rescues are non-profit and in need of financial and/or physical help.
We are in the ‘market’ for a horse. Maybe this would be a good option for us, adopting from the horse rescue. Helping the rescue and helping a horse, too.
Thanks for the story. The housing crisis seems to happening all over right now, too, especially with the all buying incentives that the government has cut.
Houses aren’t selling all over (ours just took several months on the market before even a nibble, and it was placed up for sale well under it’s lower market price, and then the buyer had trouble getting financing because of one late credit card payment).
Sad story that the horses and possibly other pets are paying the price, too.
All four of our horses have come to us through our local rescue. Often people think of these horses as ones to stay away from, un-wanted, etc. but the reasons you posted about are perfect examples of how many great horses end up at a rescue.
Many rescue horses were once loved, and need to be loved again. We have four great horses, and a foal on the way, that prove just that.
Will you be looking for that third horse while out there?
Lisa, I think it’s a good thing to consider. As Peggy said, lots of horses at horse rescue aren’t actual problem horses or old or frail. Many just had the misfortune of having an owner who could no longer care for them. The rescues I’ve looked into so far also provide a valuable service to buyers by doing thorough medical reviews on the horses prior to adopting them out. Makes sense – they don’t want them to have to come back and they want what’s best for the horses.
Congrats Peggy and thanks for your comments, too. While we would love to adopt an Arizona burro, it’s just too far. Funny thing, though, some Arizona burros seem to end up in Tennessee, for sale. As for a third horse of our own (Sinbad is a loaner), I think we’ll keep our eyes open locally.
With all the other devastating issues surrounding the housing crisis (I’m in Canada and we are experiencing this type of thing too), horses and other pets are often one of the last things that are considered. It’s a sad state of affairs for both the abandoned animals and their owners.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to give up your animal because you are swimming in debt and can’t afford them anymore.
So sad.
Thanks for the article!
I live in Canada as well and the city that I am living in is experiencing a huge boom in housing. I currenlty live with my sister and her husband (who own a home) because I as a single dweller can’t afford to buy a house myself. My sister has lived in her house for 6 years and the price of it has doubled in that time. It’s absolutely crazy, I don’t know how they expect first time buyers to be able to buy a house and still afford to live. We are lucky that my parents have been on thier farm for almost 40 years and they will always look after our animals for us! It’s abou 60 miles away but the cost to board an animal anywhere nearer the city is just too much (I’ve looked into it and the cheapest boarding I could find is $350 a month) and that is still 30 miles out of the city.
Mama loves you, because you do the right thing. So proud of you.
That’s funny that so many of us are in Canada!
How far is it Bill?
We have to move our 4, soon to be 5 (foal on the way) horses 3000 miles hopefully within the next year. Not looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to giving them a much larger property to roam on.
The Horseshoeing Housewife from AZ has to speak up and say AMEN girl. You ain’t kidding. I have 15 head here I’m struggling to keep. Hay is $12 a bale and we go thru $200 worth a week. Just in hay! Not counting grain, vet, etc. We spend at least $1500 a month on horses alone, and people are DUMPING them on me right and left. I took a OTTB bay mare recently and now have a nice black mare the owners are trying to say is “mine” now. NOOOOOO!
Not to mention, right and left we’re finding horses in the desert. Dumped to starve. One mare, I wish I had pictures, had a horrible rope burn that had mangled her back leg, was starved to bones (worst our vet had seen still alive) AND had a foal by her side w/a broken leg. Foal had to be put down. Someone left them out there to die. I ride miles in the desert almost every day scouting for abandoned horses.
I know people want to save horses from slaughter, but since the plants are shut down in the US, people are just leaving them die. It’s a dang shame to see happening. I say reopen the plants before this problem becomes full blown. It’s happening everywhere, NC is getting hit really hard too. What to do when the rescues need rescuing? One down the road from us in Surprise, the state shut her down and sent her TO JAIL. (I ran right down there and got a 30 yr old donkey)
It’s so sad. Considering becoming a hay farmer.
Wow! Mikey, as I read your post, my jaw just dropped lower and lower. Sounds like you’ve become a psuedo horse rescue as well. I can’t imagine having over $1000 a month horse care costs with 15 plus horses to feed and vet.
You must be an angel to help so many.
We’ve been offered several horses around our area, but still haven’t made up our minds yet. Ever since Bill wrote about the situation in AZ, my heart has been pulled into the direction of adopting a horse or two there, since we are only about 7 hours from Phoenix.
Thankfully, my hubby is so willing and open-minded as some people say I’m crazy for considering driving 7-10 hours each way to adopt a horse in another state when there are horses for sale here.
Hubby says, ” Tell me when, where and how much…and let’s get the horse trailer ready to go” God Bless the guy!
Please do adopt some horses from the N. Scottsdale Rescue. I can’t encourage people enough. They are a reputable rescue.
There are NICE horses out there who need homes badly.
Sounds like you have a wonderful husband
It’s not such a long drive, 7 hrs 
Comment for Mikey:
Thanks for riding out to be on the lookout for the starving and dumped animals. You are awesome.
But it’s a real curiosity that people are believing claims of “the slaughter houses closing are causing this crisis.”
In reality, it is people who have enjoyed racing babies until they break down, and instead of being charged with cruelty, ditch them at slaughter. Or the Amish, who will happily ditch out of a horse rather than take the most basic care of it. And so on. Slaughter has been designed as an easy out, to make money where it shouldn’t be made.
And, of course, this includes people who are irresponsible about their ability to fund their own personal finance interests (like a house, hellooooo??), yet alone make a commitment to parent a living creature. Any logical and responsible person would not turn loose a horse to fend for itself when it had no previous ability to have learned survival skills.
Instead, a responsible person would try all alternatives (giving horses away, donate to rescues, etc). If no takers and the rescues are full, for God’s sake, grow up and euthanize the horse. And if the owner whines about the costs of a vet coming out, they should not have had horses in the first place. And if they still whine, a bullet is beyond cheap, and works properly if done right. Relatively cheap to bury or render the body, also. Of course, if they ditch it into the slaughter pipeline, they can at least pretend the couple hundred dollars was a stamp of approval by society, and can justify it enough to look themselves in a mirror the next day.
People who allow themselves into that sort of financial situation are simply not responsible. While I feel awful for the horse who was the victim of their cash flow issues, I have no respect for the person allowing it. But certainly I at least give them credit over people who would dump a living creature to starve, pretending “it is really because the slaughter houses shut down.” That is the biggest USDA rhetoric nonsense that people are falling for and mimicking, by far. C’Mon, Mikey— stretch past that and look at it for what it is!
I´m from Canada too and even if the situation is not so dramatic here in Toronto, I have seen some abandoned horses in Toronto neighbourhoods, which ended in a local animal rescue.
I love horses and think, it´s really sad for the animals and for people.
For Mike, I think you´re doing a great work and hope you will find home for the abandoned horses.
its bad that u had to give up ur horse because u cant afford it
My son and I are looking for horses that are already saddle broke and ready to ride need help to find a good one we live in tn thank you
I live in Connecticut. My board has gone up from $350 to $525 per month per horse, in two years. Plus vet fees. It is almost becoming cost prohibitive to own a horse. I realize that the owner of our stable’s costs have risen as well, but what can we, as horse owners do? We are at the whim of the hay and grain producers, gasoline prices, taxes and utility companies. The chance of owning a “small” farm here in Connecticut is almost nill for the typical horse owner, unless you are fortunate enough to have tons of money. It seems our love for our larger animals is being outweighed by cost. What can we all do about this? Well..my husband and I have stopped eating out as much, we rent movies instead of going to the theater, we stick around the house and enjoy family and friends more and we don’t haul our horses to the “bigger” shows..we enjoy our little town horseshows. These things have helped a little but, but the monthly money crunch goes on. I hope and pray I won’t have to sell our horses and I can continue to enjoy them in the years to come.