Nine starving, abandoned horses were rescued from a ranch in the Modesto area on July 14 with the help of a new equine rescue facility in Oakdale. Zen Equine Rescue Of Central California (ZERCCA), located on Pioneer Avenue, and ReHorse Rescue of Jamestown are caring for the animals. Five of the horses were taken to the ReHorse facility and they are expecting two more; however, one of the mares has recently died there. Two others were taken to Taylor Veterinary Hospital in Turlock for treatment. The two that were taken to the veterinary clinic were released to Zen Equine Rescue on July 16.

“The vet bill is $1,100 and counting,” said Zen Equine cofounder and executive director John Airrington of Oakdale.

He added that the two horses are currently being medicated morning and evening. The palomino mare has colitis and an eye ulcer. The bay mare has pneumonia and abscesses under the skin on her hip area. Both horses are malnourished and severely underweight. They are scheduled for follow-up exams at the vet clinic this week. Airrington said that the veterinarian Dr. Craig Brooks told him that these two horses are “salvageable.”

Dr. Brooks noted that the recovery time for horses in this condition can take a full year. He said that when horses are starved, they begin to exhaust their normal reserves and break down muscle, then eventually their organs. If that happens, the organ damage affects the animal’s long-term prognosis and they don’t survive very long.

“If we catch them before that, their internal organs are okay — their liver, kidneys, heart muscle — then we can bring them back … It’s a long, slow recovery,” said Dr. Brooks.

He added that even with good feed, starved animals are not able to assimilate it very well, so the process takes time.

Airrington, who is originally from Ripon, co-founded Zen Equine Rescue with Tim McDaniel of Waterford in April of this year. The two men had worked with another equine rescue facility outside the Bakersfield area and decided to start a facility in the Oakdale area.

Along with the rescue ranch facility on Pioneer, Airrington reported that the group has helpful supporters with “foster” ranches located around Oakdale and a training facility in the area as well. They currently have 11 horses that they are fostering and can hold up to 15. With more foster support, they’ll be able to take in more horses.

Airrington added that they are looking for more volunteers, foster ranches, and donations to help pay for feeding and care of the horses, as well as the mounting vet bills. They are looking for adopters, too.

They are holding adoption days in the area for their rescued horses. The first Saturday of each month, they will hold adoption days at Tractor Supply in Ripon. The third Saturday of each month, they will hold adoption days at Tractor Supply in Oakdale. The events will be from 11 a.m. until about 3 p.m. — or until it gets too hot. Zen Equine Rescue will be at the locations with adoptable horses on hand for people to see. However, there is a process to go through before being able to adopt a horse and a person cannot go home with a rescued horse that day.

Airrington said that most people believe that rescued horses are old, broken down nags that can only be turned out to pasture. But, he said, that’s just not the case. He said that a number of the horses that Zen Equine Rescue has right now are two- and three-year-olds. He said that many of the horses could be ridden, though some may not have had any training yet. He noted that there are trainers in the area who work with the rescue horses pro bono.

Zen Equine is involved in rescues and accepts surrendered horses, too. Although they don’t have the power to “take away” abused or neglected horses — only law enforcement has that power in California — they will ask people to surrender such horses and/or apply pressure for owners to do the right thing.

He said that the economy has definitely been a factor in the spike in neglected or unwanted horses. He said that people sometimes don’t want to give up their horses because they say they love them, but yet they are allowing them to starve or suffer.

“I think the biggest thing is that people don’t know they have other options besides starving their horses,” Airrington said, adding that the horse auction or slaughterhouse doesn’t have to be the solution for their problems either. The horses can be surrendered.

“Unfortunately we are seeing more of this,” Dr. Brooks said. “It started a year-and-a-half ago because of the downturn in the economy. Last year, also, feed prices were high… It put a pinch on animal owners that got in over their head.”

Dr. Brooks added that this year feed prices are down, but that he is still seeing neglect problems with animals because of lost jobs and people just not having the money to care for their animals properly.

Airrington said that Zen Equine is not only a rescue operation but an educational resource as well. He said that they have plans to work with the county animal control to try to provide education to the agency.

For anyone interested in donating money to help cover the cost of veterinary bills for these two mares that were recently rescued, contact Taylor Veterinary Hospital directly by calling (209) 669-8600, this is for credit card payment only. For anyone who wishes to make direct donations to Zen Equine Rescue, either financial or in-kind, or who desires to volunteer, be a “foster” ranch, or adopt, contact Airrington at (209) 992-7236. Donations may be sent payable to Zen Equine Rescue, 10112 Pioneer Ave., Oakdale, CA 95361.

The organization has received its State of California 501(c)3 non-profit status and they are able to issue tax-deductible receipts for donations.

The group’s website is still under construction but contains some information about the organization. Go to www.zercca.webs.com.