In an order dated December 13, 2013, a copy of which can be downloaded here, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit denied an emergency motion for injunction pending appeal filed by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal rights groups. The motion sought to halt horse slaughter
Humane Society, et al File Appeal after Federal Judge Dismisses Horse Slaughter Suit
As discussed in this prior post, the Humane Society of the United States and a variety of other groups and individuals brought suit to permanently enjoin the slaughter of horses at two plants that had been granted Food Safety Inspection Service permits.
On November 1, 2013, after originally granting a temporary injunction staying operations…
Court Affirms Judgment Allowing Boarders to Move Horses Due to Stable Employee’s Smoking in Barn
On July 18, 2013, the Austin Court of Appeals issued a memorandum opinion affirming in part a trial court judgment which held that a stable employees’ smoking while working in the barn was a material breach of the boarding agreement, allowing several boarders to move out without notice.
After a boarder saw and photographed a…
Property of Convict’s Ex-Wife Not Subject to Execution on Andalusian Breeder’s Judgment
Are you thinking about buying a ranch through an informal seller finance deal? If so, beware. Andalusian breeder Rancho Mi Hacienda and owner Gilda Arana learned the hard way the pitfalls of doing this type of deal “on the fly”.
Rancho thought it had an enforceable written agreement whereby Coy Lynn Owens and his wife Linda…
American Horse Council Opposes Changes to Federal Child Labor Regulations
On December 15, 2011, the American Horse Council (AHC) issued a news release publicizing its opposition to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed child labor regulations concerning children working on farms because of its potential negative impacts on the horse community.
The AHC was organized in 1969 to represent the horse industry in Washington before Congress…
Can Jaci Rae Jackson Be Hanged for Horse Theft?
We’ve all heard accounts that horse thieves have, in the past, been sentenced to death by courts in Texas or legally hanged by vigilantes. The demise of Jake and his compatriots in the movie Lonesome Dove is a depiction of one such vigilante hanging in Texas. All kidding aside, verifiable accounts of capital punishment for horse…
Recap of Last Night’s All Things Equine Event at Cowgirl Museum
Last night’s “All Things Equine” event, held at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, was a great success. Approximately 60 attendees from across the North Texas and beyond were in attendance. Guests were greeted by the women of the TCU Womens Equestrian Team, who handed out awesome LL Bean-style…
Could the U.S. Supreme Court Unwittingly Decide the Fate of Horse Slaughter?
Next Wednesday (November 9, 2011) the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a case where the main issue is States’ rights to impose their own regulations on federally-inspected slaughterhouses. The case is National Meat Association v. Harris (Docket No. 10-244). Though the case involves swine instead of horses, the Court’s decision might ultimately affect the…
Texas Farm Animal Limitation of Liability Act Warning Signs
As discussed in this prior post, Chapter 87 of the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code now includes as “Farm Animal Professionals” the following categories of service providers, provided that their services are provided for compensation:
1) A person who rents to a participant a farm animal for the purpose of riding, driving…
100% Bonus Depreciation for Horse Businesses through December 31, 2011
Forbes.com featured a story this week, entitled “Tax Deductions for Yearling Thoroughbreds”, that may be of interest to many horse businesses. To read the article, click here. Many Thoroughbred racing industry experts are quoted in the article, including Kentucky equine lawyer Joel B. Turner, whose guest post was featured on the Equine Law Blog this…