Rising feed costs and a tight economy are prompting some Nevada horse owners to part with their animals, the president of a nonprofit horse rescue group said.

Willis Lamm of Least Resistance Training Concepts said nearly every aspect of horse ownership has become more expensive in recent months.

“It’s not so dramatic that it keeps everyone from owning a horse, but for some people it’s very serious,” Lamm told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “We’re constantly finding people who want to get horses placed or to sell them at a loss just to get rid of the expense.”

Of 9 million domestic horses in the United States, nearly 4 million are for recreational riding, according to the American Horse Council