Here and there, my PSA `fans’ have accused me of being biased when it comes to the Thoroughbred breed and their stance on slaughter. By and large, the industry stance is anti-slaughter and there are many dedicated rescue and rehab programs to give racehorses a better chance at finding a home after their racing days are over. As a breed, I think they do more than any other as far as trying to keep their horses out of the pipeline. However, this does not exempt all Thoroughbred owners from being asswads and it doesn’t make all Thoroughbred rescues above reproach. In recent weeks a horrific neglect case in Louisiana has come to light and the story behind it brings about many questions. It’s a story of gross neglect and cruelty and it’s a story about two rescues and two different approaches. It’s also a story that is far from over.
Ryder River Ridge Farms in Natchitoches, Louisiana was founded by Firal Ryder some years ago. In the past they have been prominent breeders in Louisiana and won many honors, including Louisiana Breeder of the Year. By all accounts, Mr. Firal was a horseman and well-respected in the racing community. He has stood some very useful stallions at his farm over the years including Toolighttoquit, Easyfromthegetgo, Smooth Jazz and Announce. As happens to all of us, Mr. Firal grew older and with that became infirm. At some point, the operation for the farm was turned over to Mr. Firal’s son, Clay Ryder. It is unclear when this transfer of responsibilities actually happened, but by January of 2012 rumors began swirling that all was not well at River Ridge Farms. At its peak, there were at least 150 head of horses on this farm. After hearing reports of problems at this farm, The Louisiana Horse Rescue Association (LHRA), contacted Clay Ryder to offer assistance and also contacted the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s office to ask for an investigation. Remember, this was in January of 2012. The sheriff’s office, in turn, decided there was no reason to cite Clay Ryder or seize his horses, but elected to take his word that he was increasing his care for them and attempting to reduce his herd. In February of 2012, Clay Ryder released 8 emaciated mares to LHRA and had them delivered rather than picked up at his own farm. The mares were in deplorable state, but all but one have since been placed in adoptive homes. Over the next several month, LHRA reportedly attempted to have something done about the situation on Rider Ridge Farms and get assistance to the remaining horses. All of this was handled fairly quietly, although there were rumbles in the horse community about what was going on. No additional horses were surrendered to them until January of this year when Mr. Ryder delivered 18 emaciated 3 yr olds with a promise of more to come. Two of the 3yr olds died shortly after being delivered due to their weakened state. A second group of horses consisting of 6 starving mares, with one confirmed in foal, arrived a few days later. This is where things seem to get very complicated.
From what I can gather by going over numerous articles, blogs and first hand postings about the situation, LHRA were trying to work with authorities and Clay Ryder in getting help to these horses. The problem is, this all came to light a full year ago. There was thought to be at least 100 horses still at the farm when this came to the attention of LHRA and the local authorities, yet only 8 mares were released. The fact that the surrendered horses were delivered should have raised a lot of red flags. The alleged condition they were in upon delivery should have been enough to get the attention and action from local authorities. From what I understand, none of the rescue people actually were given access to the farm and the only horses visible from the road, were in satisfactory shape. Enter Remember Me Rescue (RMR)out of Texas. Remember Me Rescue may be in Texas, but it is run by Dallas and Donna Keen and is a dedicated Thoroughbred rescue and rehab. Dallas Keen is a successful trainer that races in many states including Louisiana. RMR has been involved with many other Louisiana horses in need and has worked with LHRA on a mass seizure last year. While they had been aware of the situation since last year, they had been told that it was under control and `many’ of the horses had been surrendered. However, by January of this year, they began to hear rumblings that the situation was far from handled and any attempts to contact local authorities and rescues provided no solid answers. So, they rented a helicopter and flew over the property. What they found was beyond belief. Emaciated horses unable to stand, mass shallow graves, dead horses with their bones strewn about, and extreme neglect. After pictures from this fly over were released an additional 14 emaciated yearlings were released to LHRA. Since then Clay Ryder has lawyered up and no additional horses have been released. There is thought to be at least 51 horses, breeding stock left at the farm. There have been reports that at least one stallion, Easyfromthegetgo, remains at that farm and is very thin and blind. He is only 14 yrs old. The following is an article from a local paper posted by RMR on their Facebook page on January 26,2013:
Sheriff Victor Jones Jr. said Thursday that his office has been investigating complaints of animal abuse at Ryder’s River Ridge Horse farm for over a year and have been working with the son of the owner to improve conditions there.
Jones said in January of 2012 his office received a complaint of abuse at the farm on Williams Avenue. River Ridge is owned by Firal Ryder and the horses have been in the care of his son, Clay, since his father is in a nursing home.
After getting the complaint, Jones assigned Dep. Rob Walsworth to the case. Walsworth visited the farm and found some horses in poor condition. Walsworth arranged for visits by a state veterinarian and representatives of the La. Brand Commission. After that, Jones said that Clay Ryder began working with officials to improve the conditions and began taking some of the original 150 horses to rescue facilities.
Jones said there were 150 thoroughbred horses on 60 acres at the farm, an area too small to support that number of horses.
Walsworth made about 20 visits to the farm during the last year with the last one being Dec. 8. “Some of the horses were down in weight but there was nothing alarming,” Jones said. “And Clay was working with Rob and did everything we asked him to do.”
Jones said there was one dead horse on the farm but he had no way of knowing what killed the horse.
Jones said the furor over the conditions at the farm escalated last week when members of a horse rescue group, Remember Me Rescue, began calling his office about the conditions.
The group also began an e-mail and social media awareness campaign about conditions at the farm. In an e-mail they wanted Clay Ryder charged with “a felony count for every dead horse and cruelty charges for every other horse.”
Jones said that over the weekend, a La. State Police helicopter flew over the farm. La. State Police then met with Jones and Walsworth and requested they arrest Ryder. Jones said he told them he would not arrest Ryder because of his past cooperation.
He said Ryder then contacted attorney Bill West and on Tuesday they met with Jones and Assistant District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington. The result was that they gave Ryder another 30 days to improve the conditions and step up the efforts to get rid of the horses, to which Ryder agreed.
“He put out more hay on Wednesday and he’s trying to get rid of the horses,” Jones said. “We told him to take care of it or we will arrest him.”
Jones said Ryder inherited too many horses to take care of and should have taken better care of the horses than he did.
Jones said he believes the horses are being better cared for now and believes Ryder will take more action. “I owe it to him to be fair. After all his cooperation over the past year, I wasn’t going to hastily get a warrant. He’s making progress.”
Jones said there are about 57 horses left at the farm.
There are some important things to know about the local authorities in this situation. Sheriff Jones is either straight up lying about monitoring the situation or he has no business assessing the condition of any animal. The District Attorney happens to live on the same road as Clay Ryder, yet nobody will bring charges against him. It should also be noted that the Ryder family has other business interests besides horses with some of their partners said to be quite powerful in local politics. What you see at play here is the stereotypical good ole boys network looking out for one of their own. Why should Clay Ryder be given a single day longer to clean up this mess? He’s had a year to make this right and by all accounts and pictures, things have only gotten worse. The only thing that has been accomplished is he’s been allowed to keep these animals until they are so sick, starved and weak, they can hardly stand up and then dump them on LHRA and let them pick up the vet bills. Why is Sheriff Victor Jones Jr. covering this up?
I think it should be noted that both LHRA and RMR are great rescues. They have both done a lot of good for the horses they have managed to save. What the River Ridge Farms situation highlights for me is the question of how far you need to go when you know abuse is going on. Clay Ryder has refused to allow anybody on his property to see his horses. For somebody that is running a breeding operation, that’s a pretty big red flag considering stallion viewings at the very least are quite common. It would seem that LHRA tried to gain his trust and cooperation thinking that was the better way to save the most horses. Apparently, that wasn’t the right way in this case. Clay Ryder was still racing horses under his farm name as of January 18th, so clearly he was selective in which ones he was neglecting. There is no way this situation should have taken a full year to play out when horses were dying horrible deaths due to neglect and starvation. It is absolutely sickening that there are still horses on that farm that could be suffering, including mares in foal. Yes, it’s always better to get a surrender in these cases, but when no more horses were being given up and Ryder wasn’t allowing anybody other than his cronies from the Sheriff’s office to see his animals, then swift and immediate action should have been taken. Thankfully, RMR took matters into their own hands and did the fly over. Thankfully Donna Keen elected to speak up and uncover what is really going on. As of right now, all the horses that have been surrendered are under the care of LHRA and they could use donations. RMR has been reimbursed for the rental of the helicopter but the have other rescue horses they support as well. Both rescues are worthy of support. This is a very complex and sad story that isn’t over. Hopefully, there will be happier updates in the coming weeks.
What a crock… Wouldn’t arrest him because he had cooperated, if he had been cooperating there would not have been as many dead horses. Thank you to RMR Donna Keen, she took in Cactus Cafe and Canuki and now is trying to get these horses the help they need.
It’s called asking for help which this idiot, Ryder did not do.
I forgot to put that part in about Cactus Cafe and Canuki spending time with Donna. She is a very brave woman. I will say that LHRA probably thought they were doing the right thing by working with Ryder as well, but too much time lapsed. These types of people rarely change their ways. Especially when you are buddies with the only people that can bust or charge you….
Notice how many well known and wanna be breeders are losing their horses due to the owner’s neglect, does this tell the PSA’s they need to clean up their backyards before bashing rescues?
Kudos to all who have tried to get these horses out of harms way and to the son I say this, can you say auction house? No excuse dude for this.
I truly hope the horses get out of there and people like this guy, Big D, Jill Burnell rot in hell.
It’s a very said blot on his father’s legacy for sure. From what I hear, there is was also no reason for things to go this far. These animals had value. More than once they had sales toppers in the yearling sales so they weren’t exactly breeding junk.
No junk but he let them go down in value. Poor dad I wonder if he knew?
Not sure, but I have heard varying stories about Firal. Some say he had heart surgery around 2009 and has been in failing health ever since, which may or may not include some form of dementia. He may be in a nursing home. I believe Clay is his only offspring and his wife has passed away some years ago. I guess I almost hope he doesn’t know what is going on and never does.
Firal had a daughter and she is appalled at what Clay is doing. She has no access to the Farm and when she asked about the horses was given the same bull that every one else was. She is very sad about what a blot on her Dad’s legacy this is.
And I’ve heard conflicting things about that too. I heard that Firal’s daughter passed away some years ago and that the `Ashley Ryder’ people keep mentioning is actually Clay’s estranged daughter. The one thing that seem to be universally acknowledged is that Clay, alone, is responsible for this mess.
To ntvspt:
I think this case (like many others) shows that Human Consumption Horse Slaughter(HCHS) doesn’t get rid of problems from neglect, abuse because the moral and ethical world CANNOT fix all the fuckwads and crazies in this world.
Of course, it would help if law enforcement realized that all living things should be given the same urgency of need we give to humans.
Oh, that’s right….we can’t even get human welfare right….unless you get spanked by a clerk at the Dollar Store for being a brat (yes…the clerk was wrong) but you wanna bet who is really at fault? Wanna start with genetic fail and parental asswipe syndrome?…wonder if they own equines?…or guns…or vote?
But people like us can make them very, very uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable! I try and educate as much as I can 🙂
rescues wouldnt exist at all if they werent needed. dont know why people criticize them, blame these idiot animal neglecters for causing problems first.
At this stage the most important thing is getting the remaining horses out and safe. Then they can sort out who should have done what and who is to blame.
Get these pix to the news media and get them to question the Sheriff on why he hasn’t properly handled the case. That Sherrif needs to go and go quick.
From what I understand, all that has been done and is being done. They have been on the news and people are putting pressure on. Donna Keen took all the pictures from the air and the rest are from LHRA
We all have to remember after the news media moves on .. And a year from now these rescues will still need money.. I have close friends that run rescues and they always can use donations
You’re absolutely right. I know both RMR and LHRA do regular fundraisers and are fairly well supported, but ay rescue that all of a sudden has to deal with a mass seizure or crisis situation like this can use a little more far reaching help. If you don’t have money and live close to any rescue, you can always call them up and offer to volunteer in some way. Most will take you up on it.
Well excuse my language but Jesus Christ! When the hell is this insane cruelty
going to stop? Some of us choosing to support Bill C-322 now, more than ever to stop horse slaughter while these other bastards just keep on literally&slowly starve em to death on back 30 as well as on front 30ac.
Broken down agonizing poor souls looking like bag of soup bones. 150 TB’s with no food, perfect- just perfect. So gather funds through Facebook page again and start petition again against Clay idiot and cronies looking the other way with willful blindness. Property standards legislation, emergency fire numbers at his address and issues like that are small municipal requirements but things still enforceableable to help get this creep fined even. Just to piss him off,we get his business and other licences questioned.I like repeating fact that Constitutional Law really truly does make ANYBODY vulnerable which is exactly why its always trump. Clay Ryder was still racing horses under his own name as of Jan18th, 2013? I might be able to have some fun with this then. After all, I didn’t really have much fun when I raced my thoroughbreds.Too many dirt bags in the industry, that’s why Mr Ryder. LoL Mr.Ryder- like this guy deserves any respect. Yes, another horsey racetracker from a bad bloodline. Like to see what happens in future when more and more folks in general population stop supporting horse racing. Geez, less breeding, less horses to starve, less horses to be fed for butchering too then. Nobody wants a Stakes winning horse cut into their very own dinner steaks. I doubt Mrs. Laureen Harper would. She used to be a horse loving barrel racer before marriage and children with Mr. Stephen Harper. Oh Canada, our fine Honourable Prime Minister. Shame on you too.
Time for change!
According to the Sheriff, Clay has 18 days from today to clean up that property or they are going to go in and lay charges and start seizing horses. I think it’s horrible they gave him an additional 30 days after all this time and evidence of neglect, but that is corruption for you. You can believe that in 18 days from now, when those 30 days are up, there will be a reckoning if something isn’t done.
How does one “clean up” deaths (on the sheriffs watch with warnings) while they are still going on.
Seriously….this is worse than watching a known terrorist attack and still letting it happen
Oooops…we got that too..
Exactly what boggles the mind and is so upsetting about this situation. I wonder how much any of them would like to go without proper nutrition for 18 days? Hell, I et they wouldn’t last 18 hrs.
My Heavens… I simply have no words.
What is there to say? As always, the horses are the ones suffering because some evil asshole has friends in high places. The availability of slaughter wouldn’t have fixed this situation. I know of several horse dealers in Louisiana that would have been more than happy to take horses off this guys hands. There are several mixed Thoroughbred sales held at various times of the year he could have dumped stock at if he was serious about reducing his numbers. Most of the young stock is not even registered or have accurate records on their parentage which makes them basically worthless to anybody in the industry despite probably being fairly decently bred. I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around what kind of person is ok with having something like this on his conscience. The only answer is that he probably doesn’t have a conscience.
I have no idea what’s wrong with the man. From a business stance, he could have made a lot of money on those horses. Was he lazy? Inept? Stupid? Was there a grudge he held against his father and this was his way of punishing him? It simply staggers my mind.
I don’t know much about him personally other than what you can read on various message boards. Obviously, there is some sort of disconnect when he refused repeated offers of assistance and rehoming theses animals in favor of letting them suffer for over a year.
It takes a vicious animal to treat a respectable animal this way.
well said…
Do you ever wonder…?
The differences between people who truly and deeply care, who empathize and sympathize and close their eyes at night and their hearts break over evil like this and they can’t pray hard enough to make it stop
and
the people who can either deliberately or carelessly cause even a single animal this much misery, knowingly deprive an animal of the basic necessities to survive and are perfectly comfortable doing it. What occurs to retard a person so completely?
It may sound a little trite, but this shit causes me to depair that aspect of humanity that has been gifted with the resources to do this on a massive scale when there are kind and compassionate people almost literally begging to save a life.
(The preceding may have been tinged a tad with some kinda Menopausal Melancholia…)
I will never understand how somebody can be so evil as to turn down help for these animals and then let them continue to suffer and starve to death. I truly can’t understand what reason the authorities have to protect Ryder and allow this to continue. Lots of people should be asking these questions until something is done.
I don’t understand how local law enforcement, to include the DA or the Feds could allow him to “turn down” the “assistance.
I think it might whisper as to personal rights on personal property. Some state or local statutes are pretty stringent when it comes to animal welfare, while others wink and nod at the unspeakable. You have to wonder what law enforcement, in this instance, would have done to a ‘trespasser’.
Sure, a man’s home is his castle. This king, unfortunately, is a malignant despot.
In January, HSUS (and ya gotta know I HATE posting anything from HSUS) published it’s annual State Ratings on humane issues. Louisiana does pretty well in the majority of categories but on issues of equine welfare – prohibition of slaughter, penalties for soring, transportation safety and tripping or roping a galloping horse – a big fat NADA. So, really, who’s gonna make this cretin act like a man if they don’t have to?
(Alabama through Missouri)
Click to access al-mo_state_ranking_pdf.pdf
(Montana through Wyoming)
Click to access mt-wy_state_ranking.pdf
Bravo for a well-written, fair, unbiased piece! I’d like to point out one little thing if I may. Even though the Sheriff’s department has give Ryder 30 days to clean up his act and are supposedly “monitoring” the situation, horses at Ryder’s continue to die from the lack of care i.e. another one confirmed as of late last week. I hope the Sheriff holds true to his word and finally takes action to enforce the cruelty laws that are already on the books in Louisiana on 2-22 or 2-23 and I hope there are still horses alive on that farm to be saved when that day comes. Please remember that the Sheriff’s department has been “monitoring” this situation for over a year and in that time a huge number of horses are unaccounted for.
Such a sad situation. Hopefully, pressure will stay on that Sheriff department enough that charges are laid and every last horse is accounted for. Hopefully, there will be some better news to follow up on soon. Thanks for clarifying a few things.
Vicki:
The sheriff has shown what he is going to do or is just one of the stupidest humans on the planet…he/she/it certainly appears incompetent and does not appear to have disaster (natural or man made) plans for such an instance….and we are talking about Louisiana afterall.
Question: I don’t recall anyone contacting the LSU Ag Dept or state emergency offices….or did I miss that?
What does the Jockey Club have to say about this? I think they also should be putting pressure on this miserable excuse for a human, as well as the authorities. No registrations, no racing, no admittance to any racetrack.
I also desperately wish there were more mainstream national coverage. Networking–do any of us have connections to national news media, or celebrities? We need to get more BIG voices. This is a very well-written piece, and I will be forwarding it to anyone I can think of who might help.
I’m not sure what the JC can do. Clay wasn’t even bothering to register most of his young stock. I’m not even sure what the racing commission can do about the state of things on his farm as long as the horses he presents for racing are in decent shape. You are right though, many loud voices need to speak up about what has happened at this farm. It’s disgusting that there are still many horses on that farm starving and dying while the rest of us count down the days before the authorities will step back in and do something. How many more will be dead or in need of euthanasia in 17 days?
It would seem that if racetracks can sanction owners and trainers for sending these horses to slaughter, they should also have the power to sanction those who are abusive in other ways. The racing industry can and should stand up to people who harm these animals from which they make a living, or profit!
First they have to know about what is going on and that’s what the purpose of this blog entry is for. The more people that hear about, get mad about it and spread the word, the more likely people will be shamed into action.
This is the sport of kings? More like sport of paupers. I think the entire racing community should be appalled and i hope they realize Clay Ryder taints them all. I know not all owners are like this, but one like this is too many and no one in the TB community is doing a damn thing about it. I dont know why he didnt just shoot them all, it would have been far more humane than what he has done for the past two years. But no, im sure he believed they had some value as a bag of bones or lying dead in his pasture. Sickening.
Not exactly true that nobody in the TB community is doing anything. As stated in this posting, RMR is run by two people very much involved in the TB industry and are backed by many people in the community. LHRA has board members that are also very involved in TB racing. What you have here is local corruption that allows this sort of thing to carry on.
That is true, Remember Me is a fantastic organization. and LHRA is another. Both have been involved in two large seizures in LA i the past year i believe. Ok that is two groups. It is their mission as non profits to assist horses. What about the mainstream racing community? Who of them, the peers of Rider’s father (he has no peers – i hope) is putting pressure on him to do the right thing and turn these horses over (or feed them)? They industry has to understand that this man puts a huge black mark on ALL the other TB trainers and breeders and if they don’t stand up and say and do something, then its deserved. The racing industry hardly needs another black mark after all the drugs, track injuries and deaths, the slaughter and throw away horses such as nurse mare foals. Its going to get worse before it gets better too because the public is sick of it and who do you think actually supports racing? Horse Racing is doomed.
It is true all over that animal cases are the hardest to get any authority to get off their asses. Its not just LA and its not just that parish. That is why the industry has to step up and bring pressure. He is still racing horses and to me, and a whole lotta other people, that is just unacceptable.
Then you need to tell Delta Downs (where his last start was) that it is unacceptable to you, as a member of the betting public. I didn’t post this to cast a shadow over the Thoroughbred industry as a whole. As a whole, there are a lot of good people and people who work very hard to keep horses out of the slaughter pipeline. It only takes one or two asshats like Clay Ryder to negate all the other good things that people do every single day. No, I don’t think racing is doomed. This has little to do with actual racing. Clay Ryder has had a grand total of one start this year and is hardly a major player at the racetrack. This was a good and well run farm while Firal Ryder was at the helm. Why his son saw fit to run it into the ground and then refuse all offers of help is anybody’s guess. None of this is acceptable no matter what breed of horses are involved. People need to speak up and demand stiffer penalties and laws surrounding animal neglect and cruelty. The pro-slaughter faction fights and has them struck down because they think it will infringe on their right to do what they want with their `property’ and prevent slaughter houses from opening. Nobody should have a right to abuse another living creature in this way.
Sorry to say but these situations are happening all over the country with little or no assistance from the authorities.. Authorities wait way too long before seizing and then they have dead horses… We as a country need to step up and make better LAWS to help the horses. And why does it seem that each case has some bizarre tie (i.e. police chief lives down the road?, one of the animal control officers is friends with the person’s son? and other totally inappropriate connections?)
The bottom line- the horses keep losing… Come on America let’s step up and stop it!
It’s going to keep right on happening as long as you have people like Mindy Patterson, Sue Wallis and The United Horsemen that spread their paranoid propaganda and work overtime to get any proposed laws for stiffer penalties for this type of thing struck down. Most of us know this is wrong and disgusting, but we need to get off our asses and fight to get these bills passed that will criminalize this type of thing and make sure there are real penalties that get enforced.
This is so sad about the starving horses. I love horses and so I pray God hath power over all in this matter. Power to rescue, provisions for their care, and Justice for the ones whom are responsible for such blaton abuse. In Jesus name…Amen.
Perhaps it is time for the state police to do daily flyovers, to really monitor the horses, and charge it to the sheriffs department. I bet the city would move on it then. Helicopter charters run about $3,000/hr.
Isn’t it sad that a rescue had to take that initiative and find out what was really happening in the first place? Makes me sick to think how much worse and how much longer this would have gone on had Donna Keen not decided to fly over and find out the horrible truth of what was going on there. They’ll probably never know how many animals are buried on the property over the last year.
The State Police did a flyover a I believe couple of days after the pictures were released and they walked the property. The have given the Sheriff the chance to clean up his act also. I do believe if the pressure is kept on the State Police they will not let the Sheriff drop the ball again. We all need to keep contacting the governor , State Police, Sheriff, and DA”s State and Local. The contact info is on Remember Me Rescue”s Facebook page.
Thank you for sharing that information and clarifying about donations. I probably wasn’t clear enough when I mentioned the helicopter that RMR used had been covered. We have some trolls here that like to twist things and demonize rescues, so I wanted to be clear who had the horses and what was going on. That’s why I did mention that RMR still have other horses in their program and are still very worthy of support. Hopefully, some of the remaining horses at River Ridge Farms will be released to them. They did an amazing job with the horses from the Many seizure last year. Regardless of what happens from here on out, they are to be commended for going above and beyond for shedding light on what is really happening in this case. I think without Donna Keen’s tenacity the body count would be far higher and this would drag on for many more months.
I have said it before, and I’m saying it now……if these were dogs, they would have been seized and re-homed immediately. Then Mr. Ryder could make his so-called “improvements” at whatever speed he wanted, with all his horses securely out of his damaging reach. But how the sheriff’s department and local authorities can let this go on, is beyond…..truly beyond belief. Skip a meal today. Then imagine not eating for weeks. It hurts. SEIZE those poor suffering horses TODAY! It’s the humane, the right and the only thing that truly makes sense in this sea of insanity.
This is why we seriously need to have horses considered as companion animals, rather than livestock. I rarely ever hear of cows being treated in this manner. Not saying that it doesn’t happen to cows or pigs or other true livestock, but it seems like it’s the horses that suffer the most in situations like this.
Well people don’t tend to hoard cows and pigs. They have them as food animals and feed them accordingly or there would be no point in having them. Horses attract hoarders with grandiose ideas of making a fortune, that don’t realize they are expensive to feed and are relatively fragile for such a large animal. Firal Ryder wasn’t a hoarder. He had a solid program he operated, but when he passed it down to his no-account son, the wheels fell off. Clay Ryder likely wasn’t aware of the cost in money and sweat equity it takes to keep an operation like that going.
How do you define hoarding when it comes to meat livestock?
And according to my research, cattle, swine and poultry production operators are worse than equine owners.
Why? Because of the numbers. They are the worst at end of life and handling of remains.
Well cattle, swine and poultry producers generally have to feed and care for their stock or they don’t realize any profit from them. I don’t agree with the whole gestation crates, veal crates and how lots of poultry is handled, but some states have put regulations on that too.
Actually, if the American consumer knew what went on with the majority of meat livestock (and US equines don’t fall into that category….eat shit PP) most would become vegetarians immediately (although our veggies are problematic too).
According to rendering experts, meat livestockers are the worst at waste and dead carcass disposal.
FACT.
I guarantee none of the parties that have swept this under the rug have missed many meals.
Yes, wondering why the sheriffs didn’t walk the property before.
It would’ve given them a chance to dust the powdered sugar off their laps.
(ba-dum-bump!)
(snicker snicker snicker…)
Your are right on….good ole boy Louisiana politics! What this story needs is national coverage to expose the Sheriff and DA and especially Clay Ryder for the scum they are. Where is the NTRA and Jockey Club? Can a national org like HSUS step in, too? Hopefully they took photos or videos during the helicopter fly over. Where is Governor Bobby Jindal on this?
Yes, some of the photos I used were from the fly over and there are more. All the organizations you mentioned, along with Bobby Jindal should be pressured to intervene on this situation.
I received a reply from HSUS yesterday saying they were forwarding the pictures and info I sent them to their abuse investigation dept.
That’s great. You should probably follow up with them in a few days so it doesn’t get shuffled under a pile of papers on somebody’s desk.
Easyfromthegetgo was trained by Dale Angelle 3 years ago, and was claimed off him, the day after he was claimed the man had to out him down. So he’s been dead for three years. Where did you get the confirmation he is alive?
No, easyfromthegetgo stands at Ryder Farms and his 2010 stud fee was $2,000. http://secure3.werkhorse.com/enicks/contrib/documents/LA-1.pdf
You must be thinking of a different horse.
They have him listed in the stallion register as standing at that farm. He was previously at 519 Thoroughbreds in Arcadia, La and owned by Millenium Stallions.
Listing and alive, much less where are two completely different things.
Read the previous comment. The original person thought he had died during his racing career. He did not. He has stood at stud in La for several years. Last reports had him alive at River Ridge Farms, but in very poor condition. Hopefully, help won’t be too late for him.
There was a date quote of 2010…..
Listing and alive is way, way different. Who the fuck knows what Clay Crazy is really doing? Sheriff got an inventory list, checking the list and checking it twice? Sounds like the sheriff ain’t doing anything even worth a roll of shit paper.
And nobody knows??????
I read the comment; doesn’t mean the stallion is accounted for.
Well if he has foals on the ground this year, he’s accounted for up until last year. There are MANY horses unaccounted for at that farm and nobody will have the answers until somebody gets in there and takes an inventory and Clay releases papers. No point in splitting hairs on this blog about it.
Can I get a sire DNA test AMEN????? Halleluiah!
(yes, being a smart ass and I know how farms can do shady things with breedings). BTW…breedings were registered? Foals registered?
Just curious.
All TBS are DNA typed in order to be registered now. Every single one. I don’t know the details of his breeding operation but any outside mares would have had to have a foal report filed. I’m not going to argue with you about this any more as it is detracting from the real issue which is getting some help to these animals before the rest starve to death. Go ahead and think what you want.
I don’t think we are arguing…I think you put more faith in a system that is regulated and enforced by humans for animals; I know humans, as I am sure you do.
I believe if Creepy Clay the Crazy is starving and letting horses die in his fields(father’s, whatever)…there ain’t much unethically and immorally he is beyond doing.
Rex Ellsworth’s family let the dam of his magnificent racer, Swaps starve to death…made the LA Times and little was done. This was back in the late 70’s and other equines at that ranch suffered and died.
Nothing regarding cruelty is beyond the human character…and the sheriff seems to be helping.
Well…
I gotta rope…. 😉
Lisa…if it were only that easy.
Ropes can go on for a long time…..living things can’t.
Besides, I don’t think any one here wants to be likes the puke that is the Clays, $ueys and PPs of the world.
We want to make it better.
You stated the Remember Me Rescue was reimbursed. Yes they were by generous public donations. Not by Ryder or the authorities. We needed their emergency fund to be rebuilt so if some of the Ryder horses came to them they would have funds. It was $3000 that could have gone to direct care if they had not had to expend that money for the helicopter . We all could have donated that $3000 to expand their emergency fund. I have donated to both rescues and will continue. But people need to go on the Facebook pages especially Remember Me Rescue and contact all the officials listed there until each horse is removed from the farm and Clay Ryder is charged and his license is revoked. You just need to look at the pictures of Billy on LHRA website to make you angry.
Shed Row, I want to thank you for the fair reporting on this. It is always hard to get all the facts in one article. The Horse Community can help by making phone calls if they can not donate or adopt. Please keep your followers updated as this goes forward.
I will do my best. Feel free to share any additional information and contacts you have as well. This is an example of strength in numbers and the more people that hear about this and speak up, the sooner the remaining horses can get some help.
I have called around and it seems to keep coming back to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff. He apparently seems to be obstructing all actions that could be going on. I suggest a campaign again for the sheriff (elected, correct?) and put some heat and pressure on him. It also seems the social networking is working and it appears places like delta downs are sweating because of Ryder’s association with them. The social network pressure perhaps is working so I suggest perhaps typing in the word “Natchitoches” on Facebook and start expressing displeasure on these sites. Just a suggestion. I hate to bother other people, but it seems the Natchitoches parish sheriff may only be moved when his citizens start complaining. Be nice and legal if you choose this route.
The Sheriff has announced that he is not running for office again! I can’t remember if it was before this fly over went down or after. But he will not be their Sheriff when his term is up. I hope the good people of Natchitoches elect a responsible animal lover.
On this thread (I have been watching different places on the Internet to follow this story), it seems to have been suggested that the citizens are afraid of the sheriff and that is why they aren’t complaining to him about this.
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/natchitoches-la/TQC2G61HT5MOL4GTO
The Sheriff & the Deputy in Charge of this case are responsible for those horses not receiving the help they need. They have had ample opportunity to take action for the past year and have sat on their thumbs. The only person in Louisiana that has more authority than a Parish Sheriff is the Attorney General, None of the national or local animal welfare organizations have seizure power in Louisiana. If law enforcement doesn’t cooperate, seizure does not happen. This is a clear case of one or two people in power refusing to do their job for whatever reason (and I truly don’t believe this is all over these horses). There has to be more to this than their stubborn refusal to help 150+ horses. Whatever other reasons are involved, I personally do not care. My concern is that the remaining 57 or whatever the real number is, get off that farm and under the care of people that are qualified to rehab them. It is my greatest fear that at the end of the 30 days, the Sheriff & the deputy who has been in charge of this case for a freakin year will say everything’s ok that they’ve inspected the horses and they look fine and think that will put an end to this matter. It will not!. Neither one of these people are qualified to judge a horse’s condition. (for example watch the interviews with the deputy done by KTBS on 2 separate occasions) I cannot list all the organizations that have been contacted about this since January 15, who expressed interest in helping and then were told to back off, but believe me it’s a long one. The lies and coverup continue in Natchitoches Parish.
By the way the correct name is Easyfromthegitgo. I believe there are 8 or 9 stallions at Ryders including Toolighttoquit.
Thank you for the information. I hate that these animals must suffer for at least another 16 days. I know that people are working as hard as they can to try and get help in there. I will never understand the `whys’ of this situation. I believe the only recourse right now is public shame and embarrassment. There are a lot of powerful horsemen with interests in Louisiana. Between this mess and Charles Ford’s case last year, they are shining a truly negative light on the Thoroughbred industry in La, which is grossly unfair. I’m hoping a national media source will pick this up and cover it so something can happen sooner. Meanwhile, I’ll keep those animals in my prayers and do my part to not let people forget about this until those horses are safe.
You are doing an amazing job keeping this in the public eye. I agree public shame and embarrassment is the only path right now. We are deeply grateful for the fair, impartial, and accurate writing of this piece. If everyone could pray and offer up good thoughts for a successful outcome ….. it would be so appreciated.
Are there other media outlets we could try? I’m in California and I’d like to see this go somewhere other than simply a FaceBook post (although….)
Do you have a link to the original article? Nothing sets a fire like a bunch ‘o broads with a horse fetish directing their outrage on a hapless law man.
The article I quoted in this entry? That was from the Natchitoches paper, I believe.
http://www.ktbs.com are where the tv interviews are. I can send you several others that were in the Shreveport paper, various blogs, etc. A friend wrote a blog from the beginning last year – have you seen it? I can send it to you if you’d like.
KALB news station 5 in Alexandria,La is doing an in depth exposé sort of story TONIGHT. I don’t know if it is at 5,6 or 10 (or all three). The reporter did a tease yesterday and they interviewed Clay Ryder’s uncle who didn’t have much good to say about clay Ryder. I believe they also visited the rescue where the horses are. With any luck, this will get picked up by affiliates.
That’s great news! Can you link us if they post it up online? From the digging around I’ve done, it doesn’t sound like many people have a lot of good to say about Clay Ryder.
Yes, I will link it. I think it is going to be just what we needed. I believe the reporter has been working on it for at least a week and a half.
I have one other comment and then I’m going to stop and get back to my real job. Please understand, RMR does not and has never had any Ryder horses in their possession. We have never solicited any funds for the Ryder horses. The only time RMR has asked for donations (and that was after a large group of supporters offered) was to replenish the money used to rent the chopper which came out of our emergency fund. As soon as enough money had been donated to cover the cost of the chopper, that donation button was deleted from the Remember Me Website. When people inquired about donating towards the care of the horses, they were directed to LHRA’s website.
I will back Vicki Morgan up on these facts. Those of us who want to help the Ryder horses are donating to LHRA. They are the ones who are doing the rehab for all the Ryder horses at this time. I support 3 rescues, LHRA, RMR and Pegasus Project. I support the individual animals in each of them.
I apologize, because I thought I had made that clear at the end of this entry. I still think it is very worthwhile to support RMR as they do have other horses they are rehabbing on an ongoing basis, but they have also been very clear to redirect people to LHRA if they want to specifically support the Ryder horses.
You did make it very clear – no need to apologize. I’m just stating the facts prior to the tv interview airing. I have no idea what will be said, just wanted to stress our position.
http://www.kalb.com story, no video (yet)
It is going to rerun at 10 and you may be able to stream it online, google it,
Thank you for the link. I have to say I’m disappointed in how they covered it. More like a sad story and not once did they mention the Sheriff’s refusal to intervene or the fact he claims they have made 20 visits out there since it came to their attention and thing were `fine’ or that the state police recommended they charge Clay Ryder and they didn’t because he was `cooperating with them. No mention of the additional 30 days of suffering before they’ll even think of doing anything. WTF? I didn’t think I could be more upset about this situation, but I am….
what do you expect of the main stream media? They have to get their info from the Sheriff’s department. Why would you think they would out the Sheriff? The State AG needs to start calling grand juries, for the Sheriff for deriliction of duty and for Ryder for animal cruelty.
Well, at least his own uncle spoke out against what is happening. I think they just softened it too much. There is real urgency here and that didn’t come across.
What a corupt country this is.
It is not totally corrupt because there are people willing to ruffle the feathers of the power that be! If you are concerned then make the calls to the State Attorney General. The State Police, and to the Sheriff’s Office and the local DA.
So I wonder if someone can report clay Ryder to IRS or something since everyone seems to agree money is missing. You know, circumvent the sheriff and get him for something else. I think once their is a criminal complaint, I *think* (not sure) the breeder’s assn and racing commission could act.
LOUISANA RACING COMMISSION 1 800 589-7441 or 504 483-4000
phone extensions: breeders awards 3352 (I wish could get rid of this!!)
legal 3356 regulations 3363 investigations 3357
Everybody on here needs to call and give commission the
run around and a very hard time on a daily basis just to get the job done here.
ON BEHALF OF THE FRIGID HORSES STILL SUFFERING!!
This situation is so pathetic, its gotta to stop now. http://www.equibase.com
Owner Stats Most Recent Start Track
Ryder, Firal 11/07/2012 Delta Downs
Ryder River Ridge Farm Inc 01/18/2013 Delta Downs
ALL RACETRACKS, FARMS, ENTIRE HORSE INDUSTRY MUST START
TAKING FAR MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL EQUINE WHO
SERVE US AND DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER.
Jeff Dorson of the Louisiana Humane Society suggests that everyone contact Michael Edmonson who is the superintendent of the State Police (225)925-6006 and ask” why the remaining horses are not being removed and owner not arrested.” There are still dozens of horses at Ryder Farm. Please don’t let them fall through the cracks. Keep the calls going. Contacts listed below:
Livestock Brand Commission 225-925-3962
La State Vet 225-925-3980
La Racing Commission – Dr. Tom David 504-615-1578
Natchitoches District Attorney: 318-357-2214
Natchitoches Sheriff’s Dept: 318-352-6432
Judge Hawthorne – 318-357-2209
Attorney General: 225-326-6200
Another point of contact: John Fleming, Louisiana State Representative: 318-798-2254 or 202-225-2777. Maybe he’d like to hear about what’s going on in his district?
Sheriff’s Office
(318) 357-7801 Receptionist
(318) 357-7802 Sheriff
(318) 357-2214 DA
CALL CALL CALL….A
CALL CALL CALL….
This is a post on Remember Me Rescue. Hope this is helpful to all that want to help by calling and making sure the rest of the horses are rescued.
i been gone a while and now i come back to read this and see these pictures -im horrified at the stupidity-and the carcasses of starved to death horses- I am SICK!!!!!
Ok the Louisiana State Vet is saying that the horses are being fed NOW so they won’t do anything? Well here is their contact info:
Brent Robbins, DVM, MBA
State Veterinarian
Diane Stacy, DVM
Assistant State Veterinarian
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 1951
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1951
Phone: 225-925-3980
Fax: 225-237-5555
Go to Louisiana State Veterinarian site and there is an email link.
Thank you for providing these links. I don’t understand the cover-up at all. As emaciated as some of those horses appear to be, they need more than a round bale thrown out for them.
That is what I was thinking! All anybody has seen are round bales in the mare pasture. Some horses were so weak that they could not get up to go to the round bale. He has only delivered the horses that have been sent to the LHRA. NO ONE FROM A RESCUE HAS BEEN ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY. So we only have the authorities word that the horses are being fed something, and we know how that worked for a whole year up to now.
I have a sickening feeling the extra 30 days he got was to hide the bodies. Where are the stallions? They aren’t even listed in the Louisiana stallion register this year. If he had nothing to hide there wouldn’t be all this secrecy.
The most accurate article on this whole debacle was the one KTBS did as a followup. http://www.ktbs.com – search Starving Horses Natchitoches and it should come up.
Is that the one where they actually let Donna speak and they showed all the pics taken from the helicopter? That was far more revealing than the latest puff piece.
This is from WKALB’s story yesterday: “Public records show that Ryder’s River Ridge Farm has earned over $542,000 on racetracks in Louisiana since 2009. And, during this same time, they’ve also received an additional $500,000 in breeders’ awards from the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeding Association, which brought in over $1 million.
When asked where the money went, Paul Ryder said, “That’s what I’d like to know. Me and a lot of other people.””
Paul Ryder is the brother of Firal Clay. This story says Firal began suffering from dementia sometime in 2009. Would be interesting to know where the money went, since it didn’t go to the care of the horses.
Full story here: http://www.kalb.com/story/21011884/horses-rescued-from-cenla-farm
Thank you, BTW, for a fine blog post.
What they didn’t mention is he’s probably STILL getting monthly breeder’s bonus checks. As the breeder of an registered Louisiana bred foal, they get 20% of anything that horse earns on the track for 1st, 2nd or 3rd placings. When you consider how many horses that River Ridge have bred that are probably still out there, that’s probably a decent return some months. Besides the horses, I truly hope that Mr. Firal is being well cared for and doesn’t know about any of this.
Well, I don’t now that poor mr Firal is getting cared for. That is another reason I want this blown open far and wide. Someone reported he was wearing rags and had not a dollar to his name in the old folks home. This someone bought him some clothes and put some Money in his wallet when he/she went to visit. (old friend).
I would hope his brother, who was interviewed on the linked news story, would check on his well being. Such a terrible shame. The only blessing is that maybe Mr. Firal is not aware what is going on with his farm. It’s a wonder somebody in that community hasn’t stepped up to Clay before now.
It seems from the interview that the brother really cares, but I think the brother may be estranged from clay, so perhaps clay has banned him from visiting? Clay apparently did the same thing to Firal that he did to the horse’s– stuck him in a back room and wouldn’t let anyone see him. Firal was neglected under Clay’s care. Like I said, that is why I want this thing blown apart from every angle and exposed. I feel like since mr Firal (who I don’t know) treated everyone so kindly, since his family has let him down, we need to expose whatever we can to be sure that if he lives another ten years or so, he will be cared for. If these horses makes clay go to jail or finds stolen money or makes clay sell the farm, then maybe some money will go into a care account or whatnot for mr. Firal. I really think this goes deeper than the starving horses, though obviously I want them off the property too. And soon. I suspect if we can get the horses off the property we are going to find a whole hornets nest of evil on that farm.
Amen!
This was posted by Remember Me Rescue….. I think they are right we have to go forward to get them to charge Clay Ryder.
Although I am not giving up on saving the horses at Ryder’s farm, it sounds like the sheriff is going to give him a pass on them and no one in authority in LA really gives a crap. We need to shift our focus and start asking why hasn’t he been charged with animal cruelty on the horses at LHRA and felony cruelty for the horses that died there? There is plenty of evidence, the starved horses, the necropsy results of death from starvation, and the huge financial cost to restore these horses to health.
We have to go bigger than the Parish Sheriff. Call the Louisiana Attorney General’s office 225-326-6200 And ask why he wasn’t charged since there is overwhelming evidence and conflict of interest involving the Deputy’s relationship with Clay Ryder and the DA of Natchitoches living across the street from Ryder. (Ryder is 1955 Williams, DA is 1944 Williams Blvd.)
Another point of contact: John Fleming, Louisiana State Representative: 318-798-2254 or 202-225-2777. Maybe he’d like to hear about what’s going on in his district?
Please DO NOT SETTLE for their answer that there is an active investigation going on. Ask them to start their own investigation into the acts of cruelty against the horses Clay Ryder surrendered to LHRA.
The KALB story is now linked on http://www.thedeadpelican.com
This is HUGE. Everyone is La reads that…
I don’t think I saw anyone comment yet on Senator Mary Landrieu, US Senator for Louisiana as a potential resource. She, in the past has been a supporter of US equine welfare and made a visit with her daughter to the infamous New Holland, PA auction. She has adopted equines in the past; maybe she can be contacted about this situation. This is her official contact page for all issues:
http://www.landrieu.senate.gov/?p=contact
Here is her DC office info:
Washington, D.C. Office
703 Hart
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5824
Fax: 202-224-9735
The contact link also has a form you can fill in and send.
Louisiana takes great pride in their native born equines and racing history. I’m sure she would be greatly distressed to see how local, county and state authorities, to include the TB racing or breeding to race industry is ignoring this situation.
Just a thought.
Thank you, that’s a good lead too. I’m going to try and take the time to mine the links out of this comment section and put it up in a post for quick reference for people. Keep them coming. We can make a difference!
I have a problem with politicians as a rule….but she did cosponsor/sign on to some equine advocate welfare legislation in the past.
She also understands Louisiana…especially when it comes to politics. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call to the locals or state authorities by a US Senator, and then the bayous start to part.
She listens to national citizens, but it would be better coming from her constituents (like the rescues and concerned LA citizens that are involved).
As much as I hate to admit it, the more public awareness this situation gets, the better chance for action. The local Sheriff thought he could just sweep things under the rug and that would be that. It worked for nearly a year. Since RMR got involved and this story has reached way beyond state lines, maybe now somebody will want to be the good guy and force the Sheriff and his good ole boys to do their job. It will look good on whatever politician takes up the cause and I have no problem if that’s their only motive as long as those horses and Mr. Firal are out of danger.
Whoops!
I just remembered that Louisiana does NOT have counties….they are “parishes”.
Stupid faux pas as I still have family there and knew that.
SrC:
Agreed.
“Any port in a storm….”
I just hope that there are some equines left. I did see you or someone else mention that the 30 days has given the perpetrator more time to dispose of the evidence. Sad commentary…but true.
Well, some horses are visible from the road. They are said to be in satisfactory condition and have hay out for them. The concern is those that are hidden from view and what they are living on. If I had to guess, the Sheriff went out, looked at the ones out front that he was shown and never bothered to walk his lazy ass around the property to see what is really going on. The pictures of the horses from the air and of the horses that were surrendered to LHRA show the majority of them to be walking skeletons. I saw it mentioned that putting out a round bale for those ones wouldn’t do much good when they could barely stand up and there was video footage of some of them struggling to stand. Too ad the sheriff couldn’t be charged in conjunction with Clay Ryder for the suffering these animals have been put through for over a year now.
The horses you see from the road are the neighbors horses and he has been feeding them all along. Those are the horses Clay showed the Deputy when he came out. The Deputy never went to the back pastures. That is where the carnage was.
So the deputy went out 20 times (as he claims) and never once decided to take a walk around the property? wow….
So the sheriff has pictures of all equines, with a vet in tow citing body scores, etc for the record at the time of the 30 day notice, corrective action, prescriptions? Because, if he doesn’t…ole’ Sheriff Fuckwad can be responsible for not following the necessary protocol as not doing his job or worse, being an accessory.
Hmmm…last time I supported or rehabbed starved equines, you can’t just give them a round bale out in the middle of a field.
Everyone that has done this knows what has to be done. Louisiana horsemen know this.
Hey, maybe the LA racing mafia DOES want this hidden as they are still paying Breeder Bennies.
They don’t have a choice but to play breeder’s bonus money. Nor do they have much power about what is going on at this farm. Considering that LHRA has board members who are also on the board for the the Louisana Breeders Assoc, I don’t think calling them `mafia’ and implicating them in this case is entirely fair.
SrC:
Not knowing the contract for breeder incentives in the state of Louisiana, I can’t comment on whether they have to pay or not pay. These days many contracts in the area of government, sports, business have morality and ethics clauses. In addition, the barn was racing right?…if so the racing commission has authority, albeit limited. Behavior is everything.
The term “mafia” was in reference to a code of silence…not criminal activity per se.
I do think the LBA, LHRA, NTRA, TOBA et al do have a responsibility to speak out and help.
The reason they don’t, as with the state authorities is because no legal, firm action or citations have been issued at the Sheriff or Parish level. Doesn’t mean they can’t make a difference.
I am well versed with the La breeder bonus structures. No matter who currently owns the horses, if they were listed as bred by River Ridge Farms, those bonuses will continue to be paid out as long as the horses are racing on approved tracks. The various organizations may have a moral obligation to take a stance and speak out, but them must adhere to their own bylaws and would have very little jurisdiction as far as forcing Clay to do anything. Sad, but true. There has already been pressure put on Delta Downs as far as accepting entries from Clay and I’m not sure what their position is because Clay hasn’t had anything race since this really hit the fan.
Everyone should contact the Louisiana State Police and file a formal complaint against Clay Ryder for animal cruelty. A separate complaint should be filed against Sheriff Jones for refusing to do his duty, which is to enforce the cruelty laws already on the books for the State of Louisiana. BTW – regarding Mary Landrieu – “Friends of Victor Jones” contributed to her re-election campaign.
Doesn’t mean she (Landrieu) can’t make a phone call with enough complaints and shake up the good old boy network. Anybody contact her?
Let’s see if that makes a difference.
But as of right now, barring exaggerated complaints (I don’t believe they are)…..this is a fucking mess that has been allowed to go on for too long.
As to Jones…I said Senator Landrieu has spoken out and supported equine welfare issues. Jones doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s animal abuse radar before now (this incident).
But please correct me if I am wrong.
Denise – I believe people have left messages for Mary Landrieu – I have not heard anyone say she has responded. It’s worth a shot of someone wants to take the time to call her. As for Jones, he actually has a program in place where his inmates work with some of the dogs at Happy Tails. So we are all puzzled as to why he won’t take action against Ryder. There’s something more to this than just those horses.
There are several posts on Topix board for that area that have not very nice things to say about Clay and the fact he has run his Daddy’s businesses into the ground on more than one occasion. We can’t know what ties he has behind the scenes or why these people are trying to protect him at the cost of their own reputations. I do agree that this runs much deeper than we may ever know. I also don’t really care. It’s public knowledge what is happening on that farm now and it’s time to do the right thing. Hard to think of those horses with another two weeks of starving ahead of them.
Shedrow – the deputy “said” he went out 20 times. It’s obvious he never went past the front pasture.. What he never mentions in any of the interviews is that he grew up with Clay Ryder and went to school with him. Another thing not every mentioned is that when other NPSO officers tried to get involved and help, they were told to “back off’. This whole thing reeks.
Then once whatever horses are left standing are liberated, I think this needs to continue to be pursued so this never happens again. I was looking at footage of a large seizure in Washington this week. Those horses were in 10X better shape than the best of the Ryder horses and yet due to them not being in good condition, animal control came in and took every last one, plus a goat and a cat. Perhaps the power of seizure needs to be in the hands of trained animal control officers and not some good ole boy Sheriff and his dumbass deputy trying to protect their drinking buddy?
I don’t disagree with the last couple of posts, but I have a problem with statements without documentation….the most serious being the Sheriff.
Can anyone get the sheriff’s paperwork (still working all the time on saving these horses) via FOIA? Isn’t it public information?…especially since there is no case pending as the DA has said?
Oh I bet he was co-operative letting those horses die of starvation. I bet he thought about them everyday when he was at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
reminds me of the Paragallo case in Coxsackie, new york, OH he could not find hay to feed his 100 starving horses and the workers were buying what food they could out of their own pockets.
let the owner starve also. and the sheriff. all in cahoots with each other in a grand cover up
It is sadly very similar to the Paragello case.
But law enforcement and racing entities in New York did something.
Louisiana does nothing….and worse, gives more time and protection to the horse killer and abuser.
Genesis similar….actions and prosecution way, way different.
*sigh*. According to many on this thread– no more horses have been moved and none are going to be: http://www.topix.com/forum/city/natchitoches-la/TQC2G61HT5MOL4GTO/p14
I feel so sad. How can nothing more be happening?
I guess this runs a lot deeper than we know. The deadline the Sheriff gave is less than 2 weeks away. Don’t give up!
The sheriff stated in the Natchitoches Times article of 2-7 that he’s moving up the date and plans to meet with Ryder and his lawyer this week. We anticipate he’ll say everything’s wonderful and that he’s not going to do anything else. We also think he’s hoping we’ll just go away. Surprise! NOT!
With the amount of outcry over this, he better PROVE things are fine if he’s going to let Ryder skate on this. No, we will not let this go.
Is there any more info on if the Sheriff has met with Clay Ryder yet? I am still calling and emailing but will slow down if there has been movement. We need to keep calling until Ryder is charged.
I haven’t heard if they have met or what the outcome was if they did. Even if they don’t meet this week, Clay’s deadline looms. Keep calling til they give some answers and do something.
So are they going to keep giving this guy extensions until ALL of the horses are dead!? It is now the 20th…is there any more news on this place. I am calling the phone numbers that Remember Me Rescue has posted on their page. I hope one more voice will help
Who is the daughter you have referred to of Firal. His daughter Dawn, passed many years ago. I wasn’t aware of another one. I am sure Firal didn’t know. I hope by now this situation is resolved.
The daughter referred to is Ashley, Clay Ryder’s daughter.
It hasn’t been resolved as far as I know. I truly hope Mr. Firal has no idea what became of his farm and horses either.
You people seem to know SO MUCH about “Mr. Firal” and his “no account son” Clay Ryder. Why is it that YOU, the one who runs this website, post annonymously to give your “honest” stories? Why don’t you give us some further information about these two, things that you KNOW.
Is there an update on this situation? Have the horses been removed?
Per my information from a close source – there are no more horses on Ryder’s River Ridge Farm.
This horrible mindset is all over the state of Louisiana. I lived in Jackson Parish and the animal neglect there is horrid! I spent 3 years trying to get an Arabian mare rescued from a mud hell hole and the authorities in the area turned and looked the other way and refused to take action. It took legal threats and even then they would not listen. Finally with the help of a person who knew the right people we got her released to us. She would have certainly starved had I not fed her. Now I am living in Pineville. While looking for a house to buy I have discovered 6+ horses starving. Who can I call to deal with this quickly before the winter sets in?
I was doing some digging about my ex-racehorse, Unbreakable, and wanted to know where he was bred so I could get some more information about him since his old owner passed away and had her papers locked away. I remember reading about Ryder River ridge farms a year ago and didn’t remember about it until I saw it on my horse’s pedigree. He was foaled March 6, 2007 at ryder river ridge farms. he is the most willing horse and is capable of doing anything I ask of him. I never would have suspected that he came from such a horrible place. he is built amazingly and is very strong. I just can’t believe that some horses did not get to live as good of a life as mine did.
In case anyone finds this story – I have one of these horses – now a gorgeous 7 year old gelding named Finnegan’s Lagniappe, aka Rory. i’ve got pictures of him all over my Facebook. There are still a handful available for adoption through Louisiana Horse Rescue.