Attention directed toward the plight of abandoned horses has centered on those animals left without food and water and veterinary care in fields or stalls, or those horses simply turned loose by their owners to fend for themselves. These unfortunate horses are the most visible representatives of a burgeoning problem and they deserve all the help we can muster.

Largely ignored are another group of horses, the ones left behind at a boarding farm by economically distressed owners who no longer can pay for their animals’ care. These horses might not be in straits as dire as some other abandoned horses; they are being cared for, albeit not by their owners who should be financially responsible for their upkeep. Someone has to pay for the upkeep of these abandoned horses, though. The burden, at least initially, falls on the owner of the boarding farm