SUTTONS BAY -- Mike and Barbie Layow wanted to scale back the family farm when they gave away one of their horses.
Then Mike Layow lost his job after 20 years.
"One more horse we could not afford," said Barbie Layow, of Kingsley, who cares for three horses now -- two are hers and one's a boarder. "We had no idea he was going to lose his job."
They were in a tough spot, too, when a horse with cancer needed to be euthanized and the Layows were short the necessary funds. Family and friends contributed enough to cover the cost.
When economies contract, as the national recession has shown, an initial reaction is to measure the effects on people. Statistics make that easy: unemployment rates. Stock market performance. Food pantry visits. Consumer confidence. Foreclosed homes.
But what about animals?
Tanja Molby, a large-animal veterinarian in Suttons Bay, wants to help horse owners who, for whatever reason, find themselves no longer able to care for their animals.
She plans to start a nonprofit equine foundation that will bring together resources to help them -- from educational materials to people who can donate hay or take in a horse.
A daylong educational seminar April 18 will be the start of its efforts.
"If we pull together, I think we could really make a difference," Molby said.
Steve Halstead, state veterinarian with the Michigan Department of Agriculture, contacted Molby in December to talk about how to help horses in such a situation.
Between 2,500 and 4,000 horses in Michigan were considered in "imminent danger" this winter, he said. Horses can become stressed in cold temperatures and need adequate amounts of high-quality food to prevent malnutrition.
Halstead has heard of owners in this economy who took horses to sale yards and, absent a buyer, left them behind. Often, he said, animal owners face difficult priority choices and remain hopeful things will recover.
"I would never intimate that it's intentional, that anybody's doing it on purpose," he said. "It's the circumstances that are conspiring against them. We're all optimists and think next week it will all come together."
Molby envisions a group of supporters who can offer to give a family hay for a time or board a horse if someone no longer can do so.
A nonprofit, which could extend beyond the region, is one way to avoid euthanasia, she said.
"Before we have to put these horses down, we better make sure we shake every tree and exhaust every other possibility," Molby said.
Karen Duell, owner and manager of Casalae Farms in Traverse City, said she's occasionally asked if she knows anyone who is looking for a horse or could take one.
Her farm, which will host the April 18 seminar, can lodge more than 35 at once. At least half the time, Duell said, she's able to help or refer them to someone who can.
"I think that's very true in the horse community," she said. "It kind of becomes a network of people, a group of people, who share a common interest."
Trudy Allen owns and boards horses in Benzie County. She and her husband, Kelly, have taken in animals -- including a female quarter horse named Ruby, who Molby said was about 300 pounds underweight when she arrived after Thanksgiving.
The horse has gained about half of that back.
The Grand Traverse County sheriff's office investigated a complaint of potential animal neglect against Ruby's owner, William Slater, of Kingsley, but the case was closed and no charges were brought, Sheriff Tom Bensley said.
Ruby and another horse were thin when Kingsley-based veterinarian S.K. Bhuyan saw them last fall. Overnight, the second horse collapsed and needed to be euthanized, he said.
It can be harder to recognize weight loss in winter because horses develop a fuller coat, Bhuyan said. Three years ago, he put down seven horses the week before Christmas. Some belonged to newer owners.
It is "absolutely not" intentional, he said, adding that offering education to horse owners is important.
Slater could not be reached for comment, but told investigators he intended to provide proper care.
Trudy Allen calls Ruby's story a "happy ending."
"We had room, and even if we didn't, I probably would have tried to make adjustments," she said. "I'm like anybody else here who can do what we could."
To Barbie Layow, the idea of helping other owners is something she takes to heart.
After all, she said, horses "become our family."
"I have had people give me hay to help my horses eat," she said. "And we have given hay, too. I believe that whatever we get, if there's someone else in need, I give to them."
How to help
A daylong educational seminar will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 18 at Casalae Farms, 920 E. Silver Lake Road in Traverse City.
Speakers will discuss equine nutrition and health, as well as offer tips for horse owners. Hands-on sessions will include how to bandage a horse, take vital signs and fit a bridle, among other topics.
The event costs $5 for the public and is free to 4-H members. A silent auction will be held.
The effort is to raise money and gather supporters for a start-up nonprofit equine foundation, which would provide education and resources to local horse owners.
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