Horse found with brand cut out of hide in Nevada

A domestic horse found loose in Nevada with the brand cut out of its hide is drawing outrage from equine advocates concerned about the growing number of horses abandoned in the wild. Humane Society officials believe the brand was removed so the 2.5-year-old mare couldn't be traced to its owner, representing one of the worst cases of abuse involving an abandoned domestic horse in the country. The animal was found last week near Round Mountain, a remote mining community about 235 miles southeast of Reno. Its brand -- which functions like a car's license plate -- was removed in a 6-by-8-inch patch from its left hip. The horse is expected to recover and was scheduled to be transported Saturday to a sanctuary in Lompoc, Calif., operated by the horse advocacy group Return to Freedom. Nevada agriculture officials have picked up more than 100 domestic horses from the range this year, including 90 in the past three months, Foster said. That's up from a previous high of 63 last year and 12 the year before. Wyoming Brand Commissioner Lee Romsa said his state has handled more than 100 such cases this year, up from 50 last year and an average of six to eight cases before that. Foster said some owners think their horses will be fine in the wild, but that's not the case. Domestic horses are rejected by wild herds and usually die after being unable to find water and forage. In Idaho, Hayhurst said he's dealt with about 70 abandoned horse cases over the past year, compared with the usual handful. He said another factor is the ban on horse slaughterhouses in the U.S. "Unfortunately, slaughterhouses are a necessary evil," Hayhurst said. "Without being able to ship a horse to a slaughterhouse, people turn them loose."...AP