Breathitt County feral horse problem concerns increase

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) – Horses are a big part of Kentucky’s identity, but there is a horse problem in Breathitt County.

It’s a problem some residents and local officials are trying to solve, but there have been plenty of obstacles along the way.

“It started out, I don’t know how many years ago, when they come up and wanted to sign a paper for Elk View and a horse sanctuary for tourism,” explained Phyllis Clemons. “We were promised a 24-hour guard, seven days a week, in the horse sanctuary would be over one of these hallers. It would have been for people coming to view them, could take pictures, feed them, and it would be a draw for tourism. But that never did happen.”

These feral horses have been an issue that has increased immensely in recent years, roaming about and destroying property.

“It went from being once a year during the fall and wintertime, you’d have them come down to it, is all year long now,” detailed Faith Riley. “It is not just once a year. I can go home, and I could find 12 horses in my yard today.”

Residents like Shirley Fugate said they’ve been promised resources to care for the horses, but those promises haven’t been delivered on.

“Here recently, I’ve only seen one salt block on the main road between the guard shack and the bottom of the hill,” Fugate said.

Fugate said the conditions of the resources range from being covered in fleas and ticks to being malnourished.

Regardless of their medical condition, the odds of survival for the horses are slim.

“I have actually had a couple of horses years ago that were on my property,” Fugate described, “That horse, eventually the other hoof had gotten damaged, and the horse got down, and the coyotes had eaten it alive.”

The sight of the horses in such horrible conditions, Clemons said, is oftentimes too much to bear.

“I can’t stand to see them suffer, getting hit on the road and starving, and nobody caring about the horses,” Clemons said.

Riley said there are groups in the community claiming to fix the problem and help the horses, but it’s all a front.

“You got some, they’re in it for the money,” Riley said. “You can get on YouTube and Facebook and see all these beautiful videos that have been done by the horse groups of these nice bad horses. They were good. But the part that you don’t know is there is a feeding route. So, if you see horses when you go off the hill, they will be nice. But it’s the horses down in the holler is the ones that everybody’s talking about, but no one takes that into account.”

FOX 56 has reached out to local officials about the problem and has not heard back.

We have also reached out to one of the groups said to be helping the horses, the Appalachian Horse Group. Due to scheduling conflicts, an interview has been delayed, and the story will run later this week.