March 2020 Issue

Page 48 March 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Suzanne Bush In March 2018 a news heli- copter flew over a horse farm in rural Wicomico County, MD. The WBOC-TV helicopter had been dispatched after a tip about abuse and neglect of horses on the farm. The footage captured by that news helicopter was searing and horrific. Dead horses with buz- zards feeding on them, skeletal remains of horses, emaciated horses standing in mud and manure. Wicomico County Strengthens Abuse Laws After Pilchard Verdict The broadcast of that footage kicked off a massive rescue effort. About 100 horses, many pregnant mares, several stallions and some foals were moved to facilities where they could be treated, fed and cared for properly. After the breaking news faded, after Barbara Pilchard the farm’s owner was charged with animal cruelty and neglect, after the trial and the guilty verdict, after Pilchard’s sentence was suspended, formidable questions linger. Rescue groups and people concerned about animal welfare wonder how this tragedy hap- pened. Even more urgently they wonder if it could happen again. A History of Complaints From 2010 to 2018, Wicom- ico County sheriff deputies had received more than 80 com- plaints about alleged neglect and abuse of horses on the farm. Several times Pilchard’s horses escaped from their pasture and wandered along the roads, or into neighbors’ yards. Citations were issued, charges were filed and the complaints kept coming. But according to Jamie Dykes, of the State’s Attorney office in Wicomico County, “existing laws, statutes and ordinances… failed to address these chronic concerns that were seen on the Pilchard farm. Law enforcement, at that time, made attempts to address those systemic issues.” Despite the persistent problems, the sheriff’s deputies were not permitted to cross the fence into the pasture where they would have seen the appalling condi- tions in which the horses were struggling to survive. What has changed in the interim? Are there new laws protecting animals from this kind of abuse? The horses from Pilchard’s farm were sent to This filly arrived with a lot of medical problems. She had surgery, and recovered and was finally ready for adoption. After nearly two years, Evelyn was adopted and left Days End in January. “Her journey with us has been full of challenges. She has overcome the odds in so many ways,” says Caroline Robertson Herman. Photos by Days End Farm Horse Rescue (Continued on page 59) Two hours of the best equestrian entertainment! Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 8:30 pm Buy your tickets early for Theatre Equus