• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Leachman charged with animal cruelty

  • Thread starter Thread starter Anonymous
  • Start date Start date
Northern Rancher said:
Just looking through the pictures and the majority of horses look pretty healthy to me-can't comment on the injured or put down ones-those sound like bad deals though. There's 1,000's of horses in northern ranch country winter like that and are just fine-unless you see a pic of every horse it's hard to judge. I think that country is pretty strong winter grass country.
Click to expand...

I agree some of em dont look bad.
js
 
I helped the Houston SPCA ( Animal Cops) a few years ago rescue some horses here in Madisonville. They told me they get over loaded with horses every year after the Houston Livestock show trail ride. Horses are just left in the park where they camp out at. They pick up around 100 horse every month with no room to put them. These animal lover's complain that some of them are put down, but can't even be adopted because of the condition they are in. The funny thing they ask some of them if they would take care of them and they say no. Most of the sale barns around here quit selling them because they don't make enough to cover the cost. The cheapest I have ever seen a horse sell was $4.00 HD. The only three barns around here that dose sell them is Athens Livestock, Navasota Livestock and Elkheart Horse sale and the people that buy them are shipping them to Mexico for slaughter most of the time. I is crazy they say a horse is a pet and not part of the livestock animal. The last time I check the definition is: Livestock refers to domesticated animals, that may be kept or raised in pens, houses, pastures, or on farms as part of an agricultural or farming operation, whether for commerce or private use That sounds like where a horse fits to me. Maybe the nuts has a new definition with some of the nuts in Washington. :???:
 
FWIW-Jim Felton talked to a guy today that went out and looked at those horses and said its not near as bad as folks are making it out to be.

i too am guilty of judging to soon i guess.
 
There's some well bred horses in that bunch if they are the same ones in the last catalogue I got-I'd rescue a load of mares PDQ if I lived closer. It's hard to believe things around there got into such a state.
 
It is easy to jump to conclusions. For the horse's sake, I hope they get taken care of. A lot of folks with good intentions decided that ending horse slaughter plants was a good idea. They jumped to conclusions and have created a giant nightmare. Again, I am not saying a horse of mine would ever end up at a meat plant. But the law as it is currently written is completely assinine and unworkable. It does not rely on science or what is best for horses or their owners. It simply relys on emotion and knee jerk reactions to those emotions. How long until "they" decide it is inhumane to slaughter sheep or goats or cattle? :???: I hope these Montana horses get fed right and end up in good hands. But I'd rather see them humanely butchered and put to use than standing in some "rescue" pen never being ridden or used because somebody with money knows best. The BLM needs to quit rescuing horses and having them spend thier life in a corral. They should be adopted or sold for meat if they are unadoptable. Madline Pickens is not the answer either. Horses are meant to be a partner, a helper and a friend. Not standing around waiting to die. Just my 2 cents.
 
I am a bit hesitant to speak.... :oops:

Is there any issue with a semi coming in with round bales? Just drop them off and leave.....
 
I do not know the whole story but my take is if you have animals you are responsible for feeding and caring for them. If you know that you will not have the feed or cannot take care of them sell them at whatever you get before you let them starve.
 
I'm setting in the hospital this morning with our youngest daughter so I had a little time to read this thread. First off I would not make any escuses for Mr. Leachman. I do not know him nor have I ever been to his place. I do know of his situation. It sounds to me like he is a very pride filled man who keeps getting himself deeper and deeper. A person could argue that it is as much the banks fault for not going in and forcing him to sell the horses. I did not even look at the pictures. I would agree with denny on the fact that there is a strong need for a horse harvest facility in the US.
Secondly, I am certainly offended by the personal insults so freely thrown around on this thread. Today's society has made it easy to thrown accusations at people and make threats via the internet. It is much simpler to do those things when you do not have to look a person in the eye.
 
There is some good that comes from the Internet as well. Some folks are genuinely caring and compassionate as demonstrated by Big Swede. I also hope all is well with you girl flyinS.
 
This whole issue is 100% the fault of Jim Leachman. The man is not right in the head. He owns the horses and they are running on land that he has no claim to. He lost the ranch and fictitiously believes that he'll be able to get it back one year after it was sold on the courthouse steps. It's total insanity that the media would even print his comments about the Stovalls being to blame for somehow mistreating the animals. The BIA and the state agencies have done nothing to address this issue of trespassing and they have been aware of it for months. Someone that sits at a judge's bench needs to cry "horse shi$%" on Jim Leachman and take care of this immediately. What a travesty and dragging good people through the mud. :mad:

HP
 
The continuing saga:

Some Leachman horses get first hay

By JAN FALSTAD Of The Gazette Staff The Billings Gazette | Posted: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:00 pm | (14) Comments


LARRY MAYER/Gazette Staff
Joe Seder, of Westfeeds Inc., right, and Ron Machado of MetraPark unload supplemental feed and mineral blocks for the Leachman horses on Tuesday afternoon at MetraPark in Billings. The feed and a several loads of hay are among the first to be donated for the horses, some of them starving. The feed will be given only to the neediest horses under a veterinarian's supervision.
.
..The owners of Valley M Ranch in Red Lodge drove two pickup trucks with trailers loaded with 10 tons of hay from the Beartooth Mountains to the former Leachman Cattle Co. Home Place ranch Tuesday, giving some of the hungry horses east of Billings their first good meal in weeks.

The hay arrived at 3 p.m. for some of the hundreds of horses roaming an estimated 40,000 acres east of Billings on Highway 87E.

"We'll got it off-loaded as soon as we got out there," said Yellowstone County Undersheriff Kevin Evans. "There's a tractor out here and we're going to spread some of the hay out."

The good Samaritans from Red Lodge want to remain anonymous, but they said they offered to deliver more small loads of hay to the ranch until they can line up a semitrailer from Absarokee to haul the rest of the hay. The couple has pledged 100 tons of round bales, about $9,000 worth.

Offers to help the estimated 350 to 700 horses belonging to James H. Leachman of Billings and one of his companies, the Hairpin Cavvy, have been pouring in, keeping three or four operators at the Northern International Livestock Exposition busy answering calls.

On Friday, the Yellowstone County Attorney's Office filed five primary and five alternative counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty against Leachman. He is scheduled to appear in Justice Court on Friday at 3:15 p.m. and faces five years in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted on all counts. The charges could be upgraded to a felony later, County Attorney Scott Twito said.

The charges were based on five dead horses found on the ranch and on observations from Shepherd veterinarian Jeff Peila that some of the horses would starve to death soon if not fed.

Yellowstone County Sheriff's Lt. Kent O'Donnell humanely shot two of the ailing horses Jan. 15 and three others were found dead. Wounds ranged from a severe leg cut to injuries related to marking bands to one mare Peila described as a "sack of bones."

Leachman denied in a Dec. 4 interview with The Billings Gazette that his horses were starving and said Turk Stovall had been moving his horses around without his permission until he didn't know where they all were. In a statement following Friday's charges, Leachman said he expects to be vindicated.

Leachman's limited liability company, Leachman Cattle Co., used to own the Home Place ranch, but the property on the Crow Reservation was sold last July at a U.S. Marshal's Service foreclosure sale. The neighboring Stovall family paid $2.6 million for the ranch.

However, Leachman has until July to find the money to redeem the property and he's keeping the horses on the land until then, against the wishes of the Stovalls and some other area ranchers. The horses are roaming on half a dozen ranches, Turk Stovall said, and they want the horses off before the grass their cattle will need starts growing.

"The donations are coming in from all over the country — Florida, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho — and out of our area, they are mostly cash donations," said Justin Mills, executive director of the NILE, which is staging the donated hay and feed at the MetraPark in Billings.

Westfeeds Inc. of Billings donated about 4-1/2 tons of horse feed.

"We felt an obligation to help out. We just felt terrible when we heard about these animals and the situation there were in," said Scott Black, the company's president and chief executive.

The feed will be given to the neediest horses, but only under a veterinarian's supervision because horses can develop colic and die if they haven't eaten properly for a long time and are fed grain or sweet feed.

O'Donnell also hauled about 11 100-gallon water tanks to the ranch Tuesday in case cold weather returns and standing water freezes again. More tanks are waiting to be hauled, so what has been named Operation Home Place has enough water tanks for now. Shipton's Big R and Tractor Supply Co. donated most of the water tanks.

Before the donated hay could leave the Red Lodge ranch Tuesday morning, Carbon County had to plow snow from a steep hill by the Valley M Ranch.

In addition to a loaner tractor, O'Donnell said the Sheriff's Office is talking to some helicopter pilots about donating some time to fly hay out to the horses in the most remote areas.

"That country's so rough in there, I don't know that a pickup and horse trailer can get in there," Mills said.

There is no count yet on the number of calls or amount of donations, which are being handled by the NILE Foundation, Mills said.

The Red Lodge couple donating hay also handed Mills an envelope with a check from one of their neighbors.

If you want to donate, contact the NILE at 406-256-2495.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_8484e412-a482-5df9-9589-6cf99308bc4c.html
Click to expand...
 
Justin said:
feeding $90/ton hay to horses :shock: :roll:
Click to expand...

Yes Justin $90 dollar hay to a feral horse dont make much sense to a Rancher,nuthin we protect more than grass,but whatcha gonna do,I am hoping some of these folks dont get in over their head again.
Anyone that can find a little goodness in their heart to feed an old sorry feral horse that aint worth 2 cents can contact the
decent folks that are doing all they can at the Nile Foundation,make your check out to Nile Foundation,and mail it to PO Box 1981 Billings Montana 59103,they told me this morning they have plenty man power,and have donated hay around the country just need someone to haul it.
50 tons in Bozeman if you are close and could do a little haulin,sure would be a good thing.
Some hay in Denton needs haulin and some in Utah.I would have taken my trailer and gotten under way,but it did'nt make much sense when a donation would work better. I know there is someone up there that will trailer hay to these horses.
thanks for readin & Good luck
 
Most will end up trailing back out to graze anyway-a gather and a sort would do as much good as just dumping hay out there. From the pics the majority of horses aren't in any distress. A handful of decent vaquerros and some strategic baiting could have that under control in pretty short order.
 
Northern Rancher said:
Most will end up trailing back out to graze anyway-a gather and a sort would do as much good as just dumping hay out there. From the pics the majority of horses aren't in any distress. A handful of decent vaquerros and some strategic baiting could have that under control in pretty short order.
Click to expand...

:agree:

Tresspassing horses that need to be removed from the landowners/lessees land.....
 

Latest posts

Back
Top