By Alex Bridges -- Daily Staff Writer

WINCHESTER — Recent cases of horse neglect in Frederick County have spurred a number of enthusiasts to form a rescue group.

Claudia Swisher and Karon Richard hope the new Shenandoah Equine Rescue Association can help owners better care for the animals rather than authorities having to remove them.

The association plans to hold an organizational meeting Saturday.

Organizers say help will be needed soon for some owners because the price of hay and grain continue to rise and winter edges closer.

"What we're going to do is find out what the public is willing to do as far as helping with this, if we can acquire some volunteer members for different tasks and teams," Swisher said. "Of course we want to try to get this going before the winter months come in because there's gonna be a lot more neglect and abuse and people just need help ... with the way things are now."

Swisher said she has spent about $20,000 on hay for more than a dozen horses she boards.

"People do not realize how much it costs to have an animal," said Swisher, a former 4-H leader who "promoted education before purchase."

Swisher recalled a horse owner who had lost his job and couldn't afford to care for his animals. A rescue group could help such people, she said.

Illness can make a horse appear malnourished, but the same can happen through neglect, members said.

The Frederick County Sheriff's Office investigated a case Nov. 29 in the 5400 block of Northwestern Pike in which Deputy Megan Moreland, an animal control officer, with the help of a horse veterinarian, found an animal in a state of neglect.

The owner, Laura L. Buettner, of Winchester, was charged with one misdemeanor count of abuse and neglect of a horse. Buettner surrendered the horse to REACH, a rescue group in Millwood, which tried to help the animal but had to euthanize it about two weeks later after its liver shut down, according to court documents.

The charge was dismissed in General District Court at the request of prosecutors, according to Commonwealth's Attorney Glenn Williamson. Prosecutors may bring the charge back against Buettner later.

Swisher and Richard said more than a dozen horse enthusiasts met recently with Moreland. The session was beneficial, with group members and the deputy discussing ways they can help each other.

Law enforcement has its limitations as far as seizing horses, Swisher noted. A rescue group could help in that way to find places to take the animals.

The association's mission is "to provide equine specialized assistance and/or training and resources to citizens and county officials in the event of an equine related non-emergency or emergency situation," according to Richard.

Part of the inspiration for the group came from Swisher's equestrian students, she said, who drove by a county farm and saw horses that appeared to be "going downhill very badly" early last winter.

But while the group would help rescue horses if necessary, organizers know that some owners may fall into bad times.

"It's hard to organize something like this and have it attune to the needs of this area," Swisher said. "We have a lot of people who can afford to have a horse when times are good and they have plenty of work, but when things go like they have been lately ... they're pushed to even sustain their family needs, much less their animals' needs."

"We don't want to make it sound like you've got to have a palace to keep them in. You don't," Swisher said.

The Saturday meeting is open to the public and will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. in the conference room of the Valley Farm Credit building, 125 Prosperity Drive.

* Contact Alex Bridges at abridges@nvdaily.com