There are horses in Coalmont again. This little equine family, which includes a new baby, was looking for a place to stay and has temporarily settled next to Nick’s Gold Pan Inn down by the river. The owners are actively looking for a permanent place. Although the horses are well looked after and happy for the moment, they will need more suitable lodging before the winter – ideally much sooner. Please contact the Courier if you can help.
Coalmont used to have lots of horses when the town was first established. There were two liveries on Front Street which were built right at the beginning. One is still there. The Colliers had their stable in upper town and were transporting coal by wagon in the summer and sled in the winter.
A few years back regulations were enacted which disallow the keeping of farm animals in most areas. In fact land use zoning and other by-laws do not actually permit quite a few of the freedoms which Colmontians enjoy. We all want laws to apply to others while we prefer our own exception. That’s human nature. Now we have some horses here again. Hopefully they will be welcome for a little while. Horses represent an important and colourful piece of our history and this could be seen as an opportunity to engage in a little nostalgia – and perhaps also a little tolerance.
~ Ole Juul
Sorry Ole but you obviously no nothing of horses. I took a walk there this evening to witness a brand new foal, maybe all of an hour old. Born in dust and dirt with a bunch of other horses milling around, logs on the ground and other obstacles. Hopefully the mare cleans properly but then there will be no one to check on her. Some kind soul did come to check and feed and water them which I guess i did offend but…….
apparently the owners work out of town for a month at a time, they shouldn’t own horses under those circumstances. The horses are divided into two very small pens with a non descrpit stud on the other side. What’s going to happen when that mare comes into her foal heat in 2 weeks? So we have a bunch of non descript mares being bred to a non descript stud producing foals no one wants owned by some people that don’t even have a place to live.
Sell the buggers and give them a chance.
Hi Debbie. Thanks for posting, and also for looking at the horses. I agree that the horses can use some help and that the situation does not look so good for them. As for your comment about me “obviously” not knowing anything about horses, that seems a little impolite in a public setting, don’t you think? :) That I can also see a positive side to life and that I suggest people practice some tolerance toward one another is not any indication of my knowledge of horses. Just sayin’ ;)
Sorry Ole, did not mean to offend you but was commenting on your comment that ” they seem well looked after and happy”. i was told that both a vet and the SPCA have been by so I guess I am not the only one concerned for their welfare.
Hi again Debbie. No offense taken. :)
There are quite a number of people who have promised to look after the horses where they are, several of whom are very horse savvy. Hay will be brought, but I don’t know what the water situation is like and that worries me. The owners will apparently be back in 3 weeks. Again, I agree that this is clearly not the best situation, but I’m hoping that people will take a positive approach and work toward the best outcome for both the owners and the horses.
It seems that Debbie’s concerns were warranted. The new foal was a casualty of the less than ideal conditions. The mother refused to feed it, and would have nothing to do with it, probably due to the cramped and crowded pen. Then the poor thing ended up in the stallion’s side, then got it’s leg tangled in the electric fence, which did not disengage the electrical current. The poor thing died within two days of it’s birth. I am an extremely tolerant person who champions giving people an opportunity to “make things work”, but there is a difference between tolerance of something that doesn’t harm anyone, and overlooking neglect and inhumane conditions. There is a reason for rules and regulations when it comes to the keeping of farm animals. A lot within town is not considered a farm due to it’s size. A large farm animal (or especially many of them as we see today) require space to be able to live healthy lives. Horses who are foaling also require space for a bit of separation from others, as well as a safe environment for their foals. Unfortunately, this property does not provide any of those conditions under the current set up. I hope they are moved to a more acceptable property quickly before anymore tragedies occur. Yes, horses used to live in Coalmont, but they had proper stables and fenced fields at the time, not the temporary overcrowded pen surrounded by electric wire that is currently their home. Not an acceptable or safe environment to even temporarily house horses and foals, in my opinion.
Well the “happy and healthy” little herd that increased from 8 to 9 on Wednesday night is now back to 8 distressed horses. I appreciate all the help that everyone has given keeping these animals fed and watered but unfortunately that sometimes is not enough. Due to the stress of over crowding the mare rejected and savaged the new foal. The vet spent yesterday afternoon giving the foal an IV to get some fluids in her but she would not or could not nurse.
I volunteered last night to give the people from Tulameen a break and said I and my niece would be by at 5:30 this morning to feed and water. We arrived at 5: 20 this morning to find the foal had slipped through the make shift electic fence and had wrapped live heavy gauge wire around her tiny leg. There she lay, in the stud pen, electricity coursing through her, icy cold and barely breathing. We disconnected the hot box undid the wire for enough slack to get her leg out and then pulled her through the fence back to her pen. We made a bed for her and stood helpess watching her gasp for breath.
We fed and watered all the horses but because no one could contact the owners, permission could not be obtained to put the poor thing out of her misery. These owners and I use the term lightly are to be out of town for another 3 weeks. When we went back to check on the foal at 9:00 AM she was in a big black garbage bag and dumped unceremoniously by the round bale. So much for “happy and healthy”
Hopefully these horses have now been removed. With the coming heat wave and no adequate shelter they will be extremely stressed with the high temperatures. My neice did stay on at the cabin to keep an eye on them for a few more days but was then told she was no longer allowed to feed them as they were to be on strict rations. A nursing mare, an injured mare, two growing yearlings and they are to rationed?