No, Byrd is her first name. No association that I am aware of.
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Ad a few years ago states retirement is $300 a month with no nickle and diming.
People, you get what you pay for.
Why should donations cover care costs (they obviously didn’t receive) for people’s retired horses, exactly?
I’m disappointed vets didn’t do more to raise alarm.
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This is not her first dealings with animal control. Goochland county failed years ago. 2015 I believe.
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On her page is a pic of a young woman dropping off a horse … One wonders where and how that horse is.
It’s so sad.
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The horse owner that’s defending this situation is an attorney. She threatens to sue anyone who posts his picture or says that he is in distress. The horse is only thirteen years old, a former show horse that was ridden by her daughter and reportedly has a lameness issue that forced his retirement. He was a nice childrens hunter that came from Maryland, I wonder if his previous owners know about his current situation? He looks to have a body condition of about 2.
The whole situation is beyond tragic and horrific.
The owner of the farm is a VHSA judge. She keeps her own horses fat and shiny, while a field full of horses whose owners are paying for retirement board are being starved. I think the only thing that will cause any real change are criminal charges.
Update from today:
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This is such a bizarre situation.
How can a person be so judgemental and didactic online (and in person), yet let horses in her care look like the one pictured without concern?
Curious to see how this all shakes out.
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You’d be shocked at what AC and law enforcement either think is okay, or don’t recognize as NOT okay.
I’ve called law enforcement a few times over the years for various horses that were emaciated (mostly on my route to work in another town). Almost every time, the LE would go investigate, call me back, and say “the owner says it’s old, and this is just what old horses look like, so it’s fine.” I have spent so much time trying to educate them in a very hurried manner over the phone that no, a body scale of 2 is NOT okay, the owners are neglecting these animals, and they need an intervention NOW. Sometimes, depending on the LE, I can get them to listen. Sometimes, they tell me the owners know everything and hang up.
ETA: Remember several years ago the pony in Kansas that we all had to get on Facebook and argue with the LE and local humane society about? Her hooves were about 2 feet too long and the HS kept saying that the owner said it was fine, so they weren’t going to do anything? It took people from around the world, and one dedicated guy, to get that poor pony removed to safety. Maybe this will be the same. Maybe people will have to literally hound the local LE and AC via social media and make them understand that they won’t back off until something is done.
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The hard thing that I have seen or heard about animal control is that as long as there appears to be food, water, and shelter, it is hard to get them to actually do anything. I don’t know what all of the laws are related to animal control, but that has been my experience.
I know many people have now reached out to VHSA and USEF regarding this situation. I have not seen any updates from anyone if they have received an answer about anything that can be done. I did see a photo from today of Loki, the original horse that started this viral awareness. He is happily in a different location now and getting some grass and time in the sun, but my god. He’s a skeleton. Allegedly he had only been there since about November as well. (Someone can correct me if that fact is wrong). How does a horse get THAT BAD that quickly?! I also saw people referring to “seasonal starvation” which I think was mentioned upthread… she expects them to get fat enough over the spring and summer to… what? Hibernate through the winter like a bear?
I have long had problems with this woman unrelated to the care of these retired horses. She has already tried to make excuses for these horses looking this way. I had no idea that the retirement program she has been running is such a sham, and I’m glad that someone has brought this to light and these horses are getting help. As mentioned before, she has run “The Byrd’s Nest” retirement facility and just created the foundation to “take some of the pressure off the owners.” I felt terrible for the owner I saw that was across the country and booking a plane ticket after the vet called her to let her know the condition of the horse.
I think everyone who has been following these cases is hoping that some sort of criminal action is taken, as that is most likely the only way anything will change here. Obviously those of us in Virginia and local to this are closely following any updates and I know we will be sure to keep everyone on this thread updated.
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Oh, I’ve gone a few rounds with a few AC officers regarding horses.
Its maddening, the non/lack of sense.
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The solicitation for donations in order to offset the cost of properly caring for these retirees just smacks of a scam. Charitable foundation? Yeah, right. 
The cynic in me thinks she uses any donations to help offset the upkeep of her own horses and the show horses kept in the barn. The retirees are left to forage in a dead winter pasture.
Utterly shameful.
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Not to mention, there’s quite a tax incentive for receiving money thru a “foundation”.
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The foundation sponsored a big eq class at The Barracks horse show. Ironically the Maclay.
This woman has also come out and shown serious support for George Morris.
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Thanks for sharing. I’m in MD and hadn’t seen any of this on Facebook.
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I think one of the things that bothers me the most about this situation is that if she were not a “name” in the VA horse community, if she didn’t ride well and have nice horses and know the right people, if she were just a dirtbag or a nobody, the same people who are defending her now would be trashing her and calling for her head and setting up a gofundme to help the horses. 
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I think it’s hard to reconcile that someone who you have seen appear to be decent is actually capable of something like this. See also: the entire reaction to safe sport stuff. I think it’s human nature to want to write off something that, if true, would mean you can’t recognize evil in front of you and you’re just as vulnerable to being fooled as anyone. An unknown, people can take the evidence of something like this at face value.
Hopefully if I’m not put on internet restriction by a lawsuit from that attorney in Fredericksburg I’ll have some positive news to report tomorrow. Could use some COTH curb chain jingles if that is still a thing.
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Having lived in that area for years, even an air fern of a horse will lose a shocking amount of weight and condition very quickly when the normally hardy summer grass goes dormant and gets grazed down in the late fall… even if they come in at night and are still getting their regular feed for breakfast and dinner. I can’t imagine letting them fend for themselves outside without putting out round bales or other hay sources.
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Sent
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Jingles!
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I don’t think you need to worry about the attorney. I’ve lost count of how many people she’s threatened to sue unless they remove the picture of her horse that’s been posted. I guess she doesn’t want her friends to recognize him, a nice horse she used to keep at a top notch facility, and now at the age of thirteen he looks like death. Just my opinion, and she can sue me too. I’m shocked and surprised at some of the things she’s posted in defense of the farm owner. Maybe she doesn’t know that her client has told multiple people about her “feeding strategy” through the winter, which is basically to not feed them at all and let them live off their own body fat until spring grass comes in. If your horse is not getting fed but just living in a field with a stream, I’m not sure what exactly you’re paying for?
But whatever, just my opinion as I said.
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It is sad that someone can be that smart (I mean, you have to be smart to pass the bar, right?) but not be willing to learn some basics about proper horse care.
I feel horrible for the horse.
I kind of hope that someone in that horse’s history sees it and buys it back so it can retire comfortably somewhere that it is actually fed.
I also think this vet deserves a huge high five for doing something about this situation!
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