Standing Ovation by Ovation Riding: Maryland Fund for Horses

Maryland Fund for Horses has partnered with New Bolton Center to geld 19 stallions seized from the Wicomico County farm where 100 horses were found suffering in March. With the fundraiser deadline looming on May 1, MFFH needs your help.

All photos are of the seized Wicomico horses who will be assisted by MMFH. Photos courtesy of Lori Brown/MMFH

In one of the largest-scale cases of neglect and abuse that we’ve seen in recent years, about 100 horses were seized in mid-March 2018 from a farm in Wicomico County, Maryland, with the remains of about 25 horses plus numerous skeletons found on the property. The surviving horses were in poor condition, some as low as a 1-2 score on the Henneke Body Condition Scale; most male horses were intact and females were presumed to have been bred.

The resulting rescue was a massive endeavor involving the cooperation of several rescue organizations as well as individual volunteers who have stepped up to help house and foster horses in need. Many of the horses are already gaining weight and recovering their health. Among the participating organizations is Maryland Fund for Horses (MFFH), which is currently running a fundraising campaign to geld 19 of the rescued stallions.

MFFH has partnered with University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, which will send three surgical teams to a private farm to perform the gelding procedures. After New Bolton Center’s contribution to reduce the fee, the remaining cost for 19 geldings is $3,000, and the deadline to raise these funds is May 1.

At press time, MFFH has raised $1,635 and is over halfway to its goal — can we help the rescue reach the $3,000 mark, Horse Nation?

Gelding these 19 stallions will help make them more tractable, preparing them to be handled and gentled for lives as future riding or companion animals (most of the horses rescued from the farm are feral). These horses and many of the others will be available eventually for adoption. Gelding these horses also supports MFFH’s mission towards bettering equine welfare in Maryland.

If the gelding fundraiser surpasses its goal, MFFH has assured Horse Nation that extra funds will be available for other rescues which have taken in intact males from the Wicomico seizure; rescues and interested individuals can apply for a gelding voucher as part of a program MFFH runs every spring.

To make a donation towards the gelding fund for the Wicomico stallions, please visit the special fundraiser page on the MFFH website.

Many thanks thanks to Ovation Riding for their support of both Horse Nation and individuals and organizations that are doing good work in the horse world. If you know someone who deserves a Standing Ovation, we would love to recognize them in a future post. Email the name of the person or organization along with a message about the good work they do to [email protected]. Photos/videos are always welcome, and include a link to their website if applicable.