In late March, the Field Services Division at the Riverside County Department of Animal Services needed to undertake the biggest horse-seizure operation in its recent history.
But it couldn’t do it alone.
At least 60 horses and 40 dogs needed to be removed from two properties in the San Jacinto Valley as part of an ongoing cruelty investigation. Not only did the department need to deal with the dangers of rounding up untamed horses; the department didn’t have enough trailers or people to staff such an operation. While the dogs could be kept at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, there was nowhere near enough space to house dozens of horses who would need immediate care and training.
But thanks to a network of animal-rescue organizations in the Inland Empire and the desert, word traveled fast—and the equestrian community stepped up to help.
Britney Walusko, co-founder of the rescue group All Things Hooved, was a key coordinator in the operation to remove the horses in late March. She’d worked with the county Department of Animal Services before—but rounding up these particular horses was a bigger effort than anyone had anticipated.
“We went with one mindset, and when we got there, it was like, ‘Holy cow,’” she said. “This was more of a challenge than we expected, especially because the horses were all still in pasture together.”
Many horses would not allow themselves to be touched or handled. Half were stallions—meaning they were not fixed, and potentially aggressive toward other horses or humans. Many of the mares were pregnant or had foals that could be injured or killed.
But Walusko said that little by little, the horses were removed. All Things Hooved took in about 20 at the outset, while other rescues from across the Inland Empire and throughout the desert took in the rest. About a dozen landed at the county’s San Jacinto shelter. “It’s been an ordeal,” she said. “We couldn’t have done it alone.”
The sickest ones who needed medical care were removed first. Some potentially had to be euthanized, while others died before they could be rescued.
Many of the healthy horses—skinnier than you would see on a typical ranch—were brought to expert trainers. The goal is to get them halter-broke, meaning the horse will wear a headcollar that allows them to be handled, led and tied up.
The first step? Lots of carrots.
“None of these horses have been handled properly,” she said. “We’re trying to set them up for success.”
Walusko said the rescue groups have been raising money to pay for training, which can cost about $1,100 a month, per horse. Medical costs can easily tally into the thousands, including castration costing $600 to $800 a horse. All Things Hooved has posted occasional updates and shout-outs on Facebook since the case went public, helping generate awareness and more donations. “Thankfully, we’re able to get some really incredible donors and sponsors to make this possible,” she said. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to help.”
Money has not been the only challenge; the logistics of finding trainers and facilities that can foster the horses or eventually adopt them have been a huge task. Not every ranch or horse owner can handle an unbroken horse, let alone one needing medical care. Walusko said there were also efforts to keep mares and their babies together.
But there’s a payoff. One mare at Walukso’s property was being held for medical reasons, as she had injuries from stallions ramming into her. At first, no one could touch her. But within a few weeks, she came over to Walusko’s dad at the side of her coral and let him pet her. “I give the horses a lot of credit,” Walusko said. “We’ve all noticed that, and it’s been really amazing.”
Seized animals are deemed legally abandoned two weeks after they are confiscated if the owner does not step in and take certain remedial actions. By mid-April, the county announced that the animals would be ready for adoption. But those involved in the case caution that these horses should be adopted by experienced owners only, given the horses’ traumatic experiences and lack of training.
“All the horses we took in will eventually be available for adoption, but we’re just trying to do things the right way,” she said. “The best thing we could do to set them up for success is get them handleable.”
Lt. James Huffman, lieutenant of field services at the RCDAS, said the cruelty case was still under investigation (as of this writing), meaning exact details about where the horses were recovered from and the circumstances that led to the seizure are not yet a matter of public record. Huffman also declined to identify the volunteer groups involved in the operation, citing their safety as the case continues. But he said the aid was critical in overcoming multiple challenges. The division had six horse trailers to work with—enough for an ordinary case, but not this one.
Huffman also credited the efforts of the rescue groups to ensure the horses can become halter-broke and comfortable around humans.
“It’s great that people can put in the time and effort and energy and financial means that goes along with trying to turn a horse sound,” Huffman said. “There were multiple horses we looked at and went, ‘Nobody’s ever going to touch that horse.’ They were very, very wild.”
The department typically handles 10 to 12 seizures a year, Huffman said. It’s not unheard of for horses to be abandoned after someone moves off a property. Cruelty cases can often involve five or more horses. But a case of this size, and an investigation this lengthy, are rare. Confiscating the horses required bringing in staff from multiple departments and regions to help.
“These types of operations do not happen without excellent investigative work, diligence and tenacity,” he said. “There were weeks of planning ahead of this operation.”
Walusko said that the operation has been a learning experience for all involved. The planning that went into confiscating the horses, finding them safe foster care and ultimately lining up adoptions is consuming work.
“As hard as this case has been, it has brought so many people together,” she said. “Between private adopters and rescues and animal control having relationships and all working together, it’s now to a place where almost all the horses have been placed.”
