Anyone buy, donate or adopt from Montana Farms/Horse Rescue Mission in Egg Harbor, NJ

[Angela_Freda]

[QUOTE=caly40;3566620]
yes, he passed away. apparently he was sick and she never called the vet. he was peeing brown and not acting right for a while and she decided to take him to a horse show anyway. He wasn’t acting right at the show so she took him home and he died. I spoke to the SPCA yesterday and that is what she told me. I would like to know why this woman is still allowed to have horses? I am disgusted that she hasn’t been charged with any kind of animal cruelty yet. How long does an investigation take.[/QUOTE]
Call me the eternal pessimist, but I would get confirmation from people, unrelated to this A$$hat, at that same show.

If it is true, Godspeed to Flint.

[caly40]

I have received more confirmation that Flint did in fact die…

RIP Flinty

[Angela_Freda]

I am so sorry for your loss.

Godspeed Flint.

[caly40]

Just wanted to say thanks.

![]( wanted to thank everyone who has taken the time give me info about Heather Stafford. I continue to get several emails from people I don’t even know about what happened to my horse. One I found really disturbing was this one- I received it this morning and wanted to share it with everyone. I’m happy to know that the investigation is still ongoing and there is a chance that justice will be served.

[B]"we just wanted to say, we feel for you.
heather stafford is a very horrible person.
we use to board at her barn, and think she hit and abused our horses.
they were under weight, head shy, had cuts, gashed and even abcesses all over there bodies.
they even attempted to jump fences to get to grass [[ of course they injured them selfs]]

we thought we should tell you that we rode flint in shows and tried to take care of him as best as we could for 14 year olds since heather obvisouly failed to do so. we read your story and just wanted to let u know how srry we are for the loss of flint. he was a great horse and we loved him so much. he died in are arms, and we’re just grateful he died with us, people who loved him ."[/B]

[QUOTE=caly40;3510517]
Help me find “Flint”

I just want to get my story out there so that noone makes the same mistake I did.

-And so I learned that a horse I cared for for many years who was loved by everyone who met him was missing and feared sold or dead. On April 25, 2008 I sent my horse to a supposed Horse Rescue Mission in Egg Harbor City, NJ. I did my homework as best as I could and to me the placed seemed legit. I left feeling reassured that Flint would be well taken care of and that we would be in constant contact. I was told Flint would be used for the NARHA program and if he couldn’t be ridden he would be groomed by handicapped adults in a therapeutic program. I have a signed contract and in it it stated that if Flint didn’t work out in this program he was to be returned to me.

-I was in constant contact with the owner of the HRM until June 6 when she changed her phone number. I decided to take a ride down there to find that there were huge “no tresspassing” signs and barbed wire so noone could get in. There was no one there but I got in anyway. Flint was nowhere to be found and the same horses that were there when I dropped Flint off were emaciated looking. I knew right then and there that something wasn’t right.

-I ended up getting the woman’s number and she told me Flint passed away. She has told several different stories already which none of us are buying. She can’t provide vet reports or numbers for the people who supposedly picked him up. He didn’t die, she sold him illegally. After doing more research I found this http://www.newjerseyhorse.com/bboard/post6861.html
I wish I would have seen this sooner as I would have never sent him down there.

-Please keep an eye out for Flint
he is 16yo Grey TB Gelding
Tattoo # is V18551

[IMG]http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n2/caly40/IMG_1215.jpg)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p239/MaryLOhio/IMG_18981.jpg?t=1220546443

If you can’t trust a horse rescue with your horse, who can you trust?[/QUOTE]

[UNCeventer]

Oh my, I am so so sorry. I practically cried. I am trying to find a free lease situation for one of my horses and this thread has scared me.

So sorry. Hugs.

[SBT]

I’m so sorry about Flint. I knew him personally (in fact, my horse currently inhabits the stall Flint vacated when Maria B. first gave him away), and he was a very cool horse. I’m sure Maria is sick over this. She gave him to someone who said they were going to keep him forever and use him in a lesson program. That someone then turned around and sold him for a large sum to the junior rider in NJ (the OP, I’m assuming?) who later donated him to the Egg Harbor place thinking it would be a nice home.

It’s a perfect example of how easily a NICE horse can fall through the cracks despite best intentions on the part of almost everyone who had him. Flint was once worth A LOT of money as an AA jumper. If this could happen to him, it could happen to any horse.

RIP Flint.

[Angela_Freda]

[QUOTE=SBT;3691842]
I’m so sorry about Flint. I knew him personally (in fact, my horse currently inhabits the stall Flint vacated when Maria B. first gave him away), and he was a very cool horse. I’m sure Maria is sick over this. She gave him to someone who said they were going to keep him forever and use him in a lesson program. That someone then turned around and sold him for a large sum to the junior rider in NJ (the OP, I’m assuming?) who later donated him to the Egg Harbor place thinking it would be a nice home.

It’s a perfect example of how easily a NICE horse can fall through the cracks despite best intentions on the part of almost everyone who had him. Flint was once worth A LOT of money as an AA jumper. If this could happen to him, it could happen to any horse.

RIP Flint. :([/QUOTE]

thank you SBT, it’s so true.
If I did not mention it earlier I knew him also.

this bears repeating;
If this could happen to him, it could happen to any horse.

Caly your description of the brown urine- did he tie-up? Is that the theory on how he died?

[caly40]

There is no theory on how he died. I was told her was peeing brown for a few days and no vet was called. Then they decided to take him to a show, he wasn’t acting right so they loaded him up and took him home. When they got back home he just dropped. The woman from the SPCA told me this. She said that’s what the kids told her.

[QUOTE=Angela Freda;3691967]
thank you SBT, it’s so true.
If I did not mention it earlier I knew him also.

this bears repeating;
If this could happen to him, it could happen to any horse.

Caly your description of the brown urine- did he tie-up? Is that the theory on how he died?[/QUOTE]

[caly40]

[QUOTE=caly40;3694467]
There is no theory on how he died. I was told her was peeing brown for a few days and no vet was called. Then they decided to take him to a show, he wasn’t acting right so they loaded him up and took him home. When they got back home he just dropped. The woman from the SPCA told me this. She said that’s what the kids told her.[/QUOTE]

Court date- Jan 20th @ 10am…
Keep your fingers crossed!

[Angela_Freda]

that is great news… wish I could come to lend support.

The peeing brown speaks to organ damage, sometimes seen with azoturia or tying up.
It might also explain why he was ‘not acting right’.
It’s heartbreaking and they should have to also speak to how they let this animal suffer if that is the case.

[Cruzer]

[QUOTE=caly40;3768688]
Court date- Jan 20th @ 10am…
Keep your fingers crossed![/QUOTE]

Civil or criminal (municipal)?

[mkevent]

Best wishes on finding Flint. I do know of one TB rescue that does frequent New Holland-www.midatlantichorserescue.com. Hopefully they may be able to help you. Good luck-I hope you find him soon.

[Angela_Freda]

[QUOTE=mkevent;3769043]
Best wishes on finding Flint. I do know of one TB rescue that does frequent New Holland-www.midatlantichorserescue.com. Hopefully they may be able to help you. Good luck-I hope you find him soon.[/QUOTE]

Read the thread, it’s confirmed he is deceased.

[mkevent]

Angela, I’m soooo sorry- I didn’t realize that I had only read the first page of the thread until after I posted(I’m still new to COTH and didn’t realize how long this had been going on). I am so sorry for all that you have gone through and I hope my post didn’t upset you further-please accept my apologies.

[mkevent]

Now that I read the thread(in its entirety) I realize I should be apologizing to caly40…I hope the court date ends up showing some kind of justice for Flint and all the others she has hurt-she belongs in a prison cell…

[Angela_Freda]

no problem MK, it’s been a few long months trying to find answers and praying he was alive.
Caly deserves major hugs and credit for seeing this through, as hard as I am sure it’s been.

[summerhorse]

I’m so sorry he died. I hope that woman meets her karma somewhere soon.

[CJ82Sky]

I am SO sorry for your loss.

As a part of a non profit horse rescue in NJ, the best I can offer is check with the IRS first to ensure that a rescue is actually a legal non profit, then ask for references - and more than one. Anyone can fake a few references but for example if someone comes here and wants to know who has surrendered horses to us and is there anyone they can talk to, we will give names (with the former owner’s approval) and have some rather well known people in the horse industry that we’ve worked with. I have to say that if a rescue isn’t willing to offer up vet and personal references, I’d be concerned for certain, though unfortunately, there’s no guarantees.

I hope the court case goes in your favor, and Flint’s favor. hugs & love

[system]

To Caly40 re: Flint and Montana Farms

Hi Caly40,
First and foremost I want to send my condolences to you for your loss. :no:
I cannot understand and probably never will…making a career out of caring for animals is something that takes a special person. Patience, kindness, love, etc. WHY would she go OUT of her way, seemingly scheming a plan to take people’s money and more importantly, their beloved horses??

I personally know Heather. I will not say how but I have been to the farm, I have met the horses, and I was there in June. I know Flint was there then. I was at the open house and he was in the corral at the time. I fed him with my then six year old son. He seemed agitated and scared. She said he was new to the farm.

The person that wrote the post about her living on the farm is correct. The conditions were poor. I do not want to make you feel badly about your decision to leave Flint there, I simply want you to know this was not your fault. You thought you were doing a GOOD thing.

In my experience over the years of knowing Heather, I have seen the horses deteriorate. I should have contacted the SPCA; I didn’t because I felt that nothing would be done. That has been my experience with them, anyway. Unfortunately, something has to go terribly wrong for them to investigate. They do not act proactively. But I have learned my lesson. The next time I will call no matter what. I somehow feel partially to blame for Flint’s passing. I am SO SO sorry. If I could go back, I would’ve called the SPCA at the first sign that something was wrong. Not necessarily with Flint; I don’t remember seeing him after the day of the Open House.

IN any event, I wish you all the luck in the world on the day of court. Bring with you ANY pictures, any witnesses, any contracts, write down any attempts to contact her, the date she changed her number, etc etc. DOCUMENTATION IS SO IMPORTANT!!! I cannot stress that enough!!

If you’d like, I can give you my email address. I MAY have a person who MIGHT be wiling to come to court to support your case. I cannot promise anything right now, b/c I’ll have to talk to her, but I would love to help in any way possible. This woman needs to be behind bars!:mad:

Best of luck to you; RIP Flint.

[caly40]

I appreciate your info. I do wish someone who was there would have done something. I have gotten so many private emails from people stating the conditions of the horses and admitting they just walked away feeling sorry for them. I have EVERYTHING documented and can only hope that justice is served, not just for Flint but for all the horses who were under Heather’s “care”.

[QUOTE=animlvr;3781937]
Hi Caly40,
First and foremost I want to send my condolences to you for your loss. :no:
I cannot understand and probably never will…making a career out of caring for animals is something that takes a special person. Patience, kindness, love, etc. WHY would she go OUT of her way, seemingly scheming a plan to take people’s money and more importantly, their beloved horses??

I personally know Heather. I will not say how but I have been to the farm, I have met the horses, and I was there in June. I know Flint was there then. I was at the open house and he was in the corral at the time. I fed him with my then six year old son. He seemed agitated and scared. She said he was new to the farm.

The person that wrote the post about her living on the farm is correct. The conditions were poor. I do not want to make you feel badly about your decision to leave Flint there, I simply want you to know this was not your fault. You thought you were doing a GOOD thing.

In my experience over the years of knowing Heather, I have seen the horses deteriorate. I should have contacted the SPCA; I didn’t because I felt that nothing would be done. That has been my experience with them, anyway. Unfortunately, something has to go terribly wrong for them to investigate. They do not act proactively. But I have learned my lesson. The next time I will call no matter what. I somehow feel partially to blame for Flint’s passing. I am SO SO sorry. If I could go back, I would’ve called the SPCA at the first sign that something was wrong. Not necessarily with Flint; I don’t remember seeing him after the day of the Open House.

IN any event, I wish you all the luck in the world on the day of court. Bring with you ANY pictures, any witnesses, any contracts, write down any attempts to contact her, the date she changed her number, etc etc. DOCUMENTATION IS SO IMPORTANT!!! I cannot stress that enough!!

If you’d like, I can give you my email address. I MAY have a person who MIGHT be wiling to come to court to support your case. I cannot promise anything right now, b/c I’ll have to talk to her, but I would love to help in any way possible. This woman needs to be behind bars!:mad:

Best of luck to you; RIP Flint. :([/QUOTE]