Horribly Abused Horses
Left for Dead
the trail. He called the gelding “she,” swore meat-eating bees and biting flies. The sores
about it, and said “she was lazy.” He said he were open all the way to cartilage and
Fighting for Their Lives planned to return for “her” the next day af-
ter first picking up his truck and trailer, driv-
bone on his withers, and his shoeless feet
were too worn and painful to stand on.
After Being Rescued ing over Lolo Pass into Idaho to meet his fa-
ther and two other horses at the Colt Creek
He had been tied to a log, and was
down after collapsing. The women tried
BY DORINDA TROUTMAN, in vain to get the horse to stand, even at-
Trailhead, and then driving back to the
RMR STAFF WRITER tempting to aid him with a rope and one of
Bitterroot.
A middle-aged bay geld- their own horses.
ing, along with three oth- The creek was about
er horses, were used by a hundred yards away
two Georgia men, Curtis through heavy brush,
Heydon, 37, and his father, but DeHart managed to
Craig Heydon, 71, to ride bring five bottles of water
and pack in the Bitterroot- to the horse, who sucked
Selway Wilderness, on them all down. The wom-
the Montana–Idaho bor- en were reluctant to leave
der, for two months dur- the horse on the trail, ful-
ing the summer of 2008. ly expecting him to die
Obviously deprived of that night. They untied
proper food and water and him, covered him with his
even shoes, the emaciated saddle blanket wet down
horses were forced to carry with more water, and
the men and their equip- tearfully left to find help.
ment while having large, As they neared the
open saddle sores that trailhead, they were able
went bone-deep. Their sto- to get cell phone ser-
ry is heart-wrenching, in vice again, and called the
part because the owners Ravalli County Sheriff
have admitted no wrong. and the Forest Service.
The horses’ story came Loaded up and ready
to light in August 2008 Dawn Merrill and Q DeHart discovered this horribly emaciated and sore bay gelding
to leave at the railhead,
when “Q” DeHart, of recently abandoned on Big Creek Trail, near Stevenvsille, Montana. The photo was the women encountered
Victor, Montana, and taken after they had pulled his saddle off and given him five bottles of water. All pho- Curtis Heydon again, ar-
friend Dawn Merrill, of tos by Q DeHart and Dawn Merrill. riving with a truck and
Missoula, Montana, went trailer. He said he was
trail riding up Big Creek Trail on the west coming back for his saddle horse that he
Heydon had large bags slung over his
side of the Bitterroot Valley on August 1. had tied to a tree. He hemmed and hawed
saddle, front and back, and was anxious to
A few miles in, they came upon Curtis a bit before asking if they had found his
get down to the trailhead.
Heydon who was riding out, who asked pack horse.
them in a very friendly manner how far DeHart and Merrill said they were re-
Disturbed by Heydon’s manner, DeHart
they were going to go up the trail. luctant at this point to confront Heydon
and Merrill continued on until they came
According to DeHart, when they told and cautiously admitted that they had giv-
upon the emaciated horse lying flat in
Heydon they were going to continue for en the horse water. Heydon again dispar-
the hot sun. They were both shocked at
a few hours, he admitted to them that his aged the horse, saying that “he was going
the sight and thought he was dead, un-
pack horse had refused to continue walk- to go back for it the next day, with ‘her’ fa-
til he nickered. He was still saddled, terri-
ing “for no apparent reason” and was up
bly thin, and had oozing sores covered by continued...
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vorite things, carrots and sugar cubes.” own horse’s feet and put them on Able. hung from the bars to just a foot and a half
Merrill and DeHart took note of Able reluctantly tested them, but then off the ground. He showed them how to tie
Heydon’s large SUV and trailer license found his feet were eased enough to contin- up the bags with a rope basket hitch onto
plates, which they gave to the sheriff’s ue the rest of the way out, and for the trailer the top and sides of the saddles, and to bal-
department. ride to the vet’s. ance the load so that it would be easier on
DeHart and Merrill had carpooled Stevensville District Ranger Bill Goslin the horses.
to the trailhead that day, and drove recognized the name of the horse’s owner Goslin next found the duo camped at
back to the supermarket parking lot in as soon as he was contacted as the District Big Creek Lake in the wilderness on July
Stevensville to pick up DeHart’s truck Ranger. He had met Curtis and his father at 7. They had exceeded their 14 days legal
and trailer. They were star- camping limit, twice, and
tled to see Heydon pull in on he was concerned about
the other side of the lot at the campsite damage. He gave
same time that a Sheriff’s them a warning ticket and
deputy found them. They enough time so that the
pointed out Heydon to the pass into Idaho might clear
deputy, who followed him of snow.
across the road to a mini- “They were always
storage facility. very polite,” Goslin ex-
Later, the three other sad- plains, “and when I went
ly mistreated and emaci- back in on July 19, they
ated horses were found in a were gone and the camp site
makeshift pen between tmi- was immaculate.”
ni-storage units, and confis- The next time Goslin
cated. The sheriff’s depart- made contact with Curtis
ment asked the Bitter Root Heydon was after he rode
Humane Association to pick out of Big Creek Trail
up and care for the animals. on August 1. Heydon
told Goslin he had “trot-
DeHart and Merrill de- ted down the trail until
cided not to wait for the au- the horse couldn’t go any
thorities and made plans to more.” Goslin estimated
get the bay horse out. In a Q DeHart holds a bottle for the collapsed gelding to suck the water. that the horses had traveled
first attempt to rescue the with Heydon about seven-
horse, DeHart’s husband, Jay, walked least three times previously. teen miles barefoot that day
six miles up the trail the night of Goslin says, “Curtis and Craig arrived over rocky ground, before the pack horse
August 1, in the dark, but was unable in the valley with four horses in early June gave out.
to find the horse. and were taken aback at the amount of After being contacted by Merrill and
The next day Merrill and her friend snow still in the mountains. I met them told that the horse had been brought out,
Mike Svaboda found the bay standing first when they camped with the horses at Goslin called Curtis Heydon and explained
by the creek, whinnying a welcome. Big Creek trailhead, and then had to move that the horse had been rescued and was
Merrill said that there was absolutely camp due to the horses eating all the avail- at Blue Mountain Veterinary Clinic in
no grass in the area for the horse to eat. able food.” Missoula, giving directions.
They had brought Bute (a pain killer), The men told Goslin that Curtis’ wife The Heydons did not contact the veteri-
food, water and molasses, and a hal- had recently died of cancer and the father nary clinic or the animal shelter to find out
ter and lead rope. They began slowly and son had decided to make a wilderness how the horses were faring.
coaxing the horse the six miles to the “living off the land” trip together. Goslin The Heydons were arraigned in Ravalli
trailhead. warned the pair that grazing was limited in County Court before Judge James Bailey
His rescuers quickly nicknamed the the Wilderness Area, and that they should on August 13, 2008, where they posted a
horse “Able,” in honor of his willing- not depend upon finding enough food for $10,000 bond each, and pled not guilty to
ness. After about two miles, he would the animals. He also tried to help them four counts each of animal cruelty (a mis-
go no further. Merrill removed the with their packing system, which was wood demeanor or felony charge in Montana, de-
clamp-on, cushioned boots from her bars secured to riding saddles and long bags continued...
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pending upon the se- search showed
verity). Judge Bailey that Craig Heydon
asked the men if lives in a large
they would like to home in an up-
donate money to- scale subdivision
ward the veterinary with houses on
bills and feed costs. one to two-acre
They declined. lots with no hors-
A pre-trial, om- es, and is listed as
nibus hearing has a real estate ap-
been set for October praiser. The men
9. A judge, prose- were driving a
cutor, possibly the large Suburban-
Heydons, and their type vehicle pull-
On the left, one of the four confiscated horses showing the bone-deep wounds caused by
lawyer will be pres- ing a Circle J 4-
ent. The main pur- ill-fitting saddles, starvation and inhumane treatment by its owners. This horse may also be
horse slant-load
pose of the hearing suffering from Cushing’s disease. All of the horses are suffering from open wounds, swollen trailer. The shelter
will be to introduce joints, ulcerated eyes and very sore feet. does not have any
evidence and testi- travel papers indi-
mony, present a plea if she had done the right thing in res- cating the horse’s
agreement or set a trial date. cuing him. DeHart says that they had origins. The Heydons may have gotten
to try. She believes that they did do the them along the way to Montana.
On August 14, Vicki Dawson, Bitter right thing, and would do it again. Read next month’s RMR when we will
Root Humane Association Shelter It is not certain where the horses give readers an update on the status of
Manager, said the horses were doing came from, but it has been reported this case, as well as the condition of
better, but their joints were still swollen, that the Heydons did not bring them all Able and the other horses.
their feet still very tender, and the ulcer- the way from Georgia. A Google map
ated eyes from biting flies were begin-
ning to improve. The deep wounds from
ill-fitting saddles and unevenly packed W Y
HAT OU AN O O ELPC D T H
goods would be the last to heal, if ever.
Jay DeHart, a natural barefoot horse-
shoer, had trimmed the horse’s hooves
1) To help the horses with money for veterinary bills or food, or to donate hay,
and donated padded boots to help them contact the Bitter Root Humane Association at 406-363-5311, 262 Fairgrounds
recover more comfortably. Road, Hamilton, MT 59840. The county does not give any funding for animals in
“Our shelter may be the only one in abuse cases such as this one and the shelter relies upon donations for help.
Montana that takes horses, and the ex- Visit their website to see adoptable animals, including the two other horses they
pense is so high that we are consider- have had in their care, at www.bitterroothumane.org.
ing not doing it any longer,” Dawson ex-
plained. The shelter has been caring for
two other horses that they are attempt-
ing to find homes for. 2) Montana animal cruelty laws go back to a time when horses were used for
The fate of the Heydon horses is still work animals, and today, few authorities are willing to spend the time, effort and the
up in the air. Both Merrill and DeHart public’s money to prosecute a misdemeanor case unless the public raises an out-
say that their main concern is that cry. Many animal cruelty cases never go to trial, but are pleaded out with light sen-
the horses are never given back to the tences, and the owners may be able to own animals again.
Heydons. Merrill said that she visited
To put pressure on authorities to prosecute the Heydens to the fullest extent, write
Able on August 14 and he was still in an
extremely painful condition. His inter- to prosecutor John Bell, Ravalli County Attorney’s Office, 205 Bedford Street,
nal organs were not yet able to process Ste C, Hamilton MT 59840.
food and water properly. She wondered
COPYRIGHT ROCKY MOUNTAIN RIDER • SEPTEMBER 2008 Every Month: 16,500 Copies • 11 States • 500 Locations RMR