With the aid of Falcon Ridge Equine Rescue Incorporated, an emaciated thoroughbred living on a private property off Green Canyon Road in Fallbrook was rescued the morning of June 5.

"I received a phone call from a man on the evening of June 4," said Nicki Branch, president and founder of Falcon Ridge, based in Valley Center. "He called to tell me that he saw a horse that was extremely emaciated and it needed help right away."

Speedy arrangements were made to see the horse the following morning.

The horse, said Branch, was more than 17 hands tall. As the caller had reported the night before, the animal was emaciated.

"His eyes were bright and his face looked young," said Branch. "He was 12 years old."

The horse was nibbling on a little bit of hay when Branch arrived and appeared to be quite hungry, she said.

"After the shock of seeing it, I realized the horse needed to be taken out right away," she said.

With a horse trailer on standby, a swift transport and rescue to Valley Center was made minutes later.

"I named this horse Tiger, because he will have to fight," said Branch.

Tiger resided in the yard of a senior citizen’s home, said Branch. Standing next to Tiger was a gray Arab of normal weight.

"The older gentleman explained that [Tiger] belonged to his daughter, who got it free in Murrieta," said Branch, "and that the horse continued to lose weight after the daughter brought it to his home in Fallbrook."

"I do not know an awful lot about this horse," said the senior citizen. "I think it probably had some poor health issues, because when it got here, it wasn’t maintaining weight."

The senior went on to say that neither he nor his daughter had called a vet to come out and check the horse, but that it appeared to be quite ill because of its low weight.

Branch said she discovered (through the senior) that his granddaughter was feeding the horses, but not always feeding the thoroughbred.

When Tiger arrived at Falcon Ridge, Branch worked alongside Dr. Jeff Moss of Creekside Veterinary Clinic to evaluate the horse’s condition and develop a prognosis for his recovery.

The first critical step was reintroducing food to Tiger, as they wanted to avoid refeeding syndrome. This fatal syndrome, Branch explained, can occur when food is suddenly reintroduced.

"It can cause a shock to the system," she said.

In order to avoid this complication, for 10 days Tiger was fed several small portions of food throughout the day.

It was determined that Tiger was 300 pounds underweight at the time he was rescued. As far as Moss was concerned, this was a case of malnutrition, saying he saw no signs of underlying disease or other critical ailments.

"His teeth were all right," said Moss. "The only thing I found was a little sand in his belly. The sand might have come from the horse looking for food and trying to eat off the ground everywhere."

Moss saw Tiger on June 18 and believes that the thoroughbred will make a full recovery.

"I also think he will make a good horse for somebody who wants to show or to have a good riding horse," he said.

According to Branch, Tiger has gained approximately 100 pounds since he arrived at the rescue facility.

Branch has had the nonprofit rescue organization for two years but has personally been rescuing horses for nine years, though "Tiger was the worst case I had ever seen," she stated.

Currently, more than 50 rescued horses are being cared for at Falcon Ridge.

"Most of the horses that come here are unwanted either due to behavioral problems or financial problems people are having," Advertisement

[ Christ the King Lutheran Church ] Branch explained.

Over the last year, Branch has noticed an increase of horses in need of homes. The downturn in the economy appears to be a driving force.

"Horse rescues are full across the state and country because people cannot afford their horses anymore," she said. "My facility is filled."

The costs to operate Falcon Ridge run roughly $5,000 per month, Branch said. About $4,000 of that is hay cost.

A horse rescue organization, like any other animal rescue group, relies on financial and volunteer support from the greater community it serves.

Scoop Vessels, owner of Vessels Stallion Farm, is passionate when he expresses his concern regarding unwanted horses and the work that horse rescue organizations are doing.

"I give a lot of accolades to the people who have these retirement and rescue centers," Vessels said, "but if they are unable to raise the money they need to feed these horses, then we are going to be facing more problems."

Horse rescue organizations are beginning to fill up and the inability to take on new horses may soon become a reality.

"You can only feed so many animals, and horses can live until they are in their 30s," said Vessels.

There is no doubt that some horse owners are experiencing difficulties during these tough economic times, and the increase in feed costs does not help.

"Plants that used to be open for slaughter are closed," said Vessels, "and to euthanize and haul off an animal can cost up to $500."

Some horse owners, feeling they have nowhere to turn, are setting their horses loose in rural environments.

"Large ranches, national forests and national parks are finding horses standing there that weren’t there before," Vessels said.

Domesticated horses cannot assimilate and run with a wild herd, added Vessels. They don’t have the same survival instincts.

"The federal government is spending $20 million a year trying to regulate the wild horse herds in Nevada and California and placing them in homes," Vessels said. "The end result for many of these wild horses and mules is that they are returned. It’s a tremendous problem because the placement of many of these wild horses and mules doesn’t work out."

The American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Quarter Horse Association, said Vessels, continue to execute a comprehensive plan: educating people on breeding and thinking twice about bringing another horse into the world.

"The horse industry, especially here in California, is really in dire straits," he remarked.

Before a person takes on the responsibility of owning a horse, said Branch, he or she should consider the monthly costs, which could range anywhere from $300 to $700 if the horse is stabled.

In addition, Branch encourages people to take riding lessons and become familiar with the psychological and medical necessities of an equine.

"That way, a person can see the cost and learn all about vet care, behavioral care and nutrition care prior to owning a horse," she explained. "We need more educated horse owners."

For those horse owners who are struggling with finances, Branch recommends speaking with family, friends and neighbors in hopes of securing a financial helping hand through the tough times.

"Go out and tell somebody so horses don’t end up like Tiger," said Branch. "Let people know you are in trouble instead of being embarrassed about it."

Branch also invites interested people to volunteer their time at Falcon Ridge. Horses are also available for adoption to people who want lifetime equine companions.

For more information on making a donation or volunteering, or to see updates on Tiger, visit www.nickibranch.com/falconridge or call (760) 742-0285.

For more information on this topic in general, log on to the Unwanted Horse Coalition Web site at www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org.