A simple question

In Adams County, Pennsylvania recently, James Houseman was charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty.  Houseman will have his day in court and I'm not interested in playing judge and jury. 

This story summarizes the charges and the background of the case, complete with a photo of one of the 3 thoroughbred weanlings that died as a result of malnourishment.  Houseman also has horses boarded across the state line in Maryland, and horse-owning neighbors have gotten animal control involved in the condition of the horses on that property, as well.

As for the owners of these thoroughbred broodmares and weanlings - why?

Why would you have broodmares that you don't personally check on occassionally?

Why wouldn't you want to see the foals - either in video, detailed photos, or best yet in person - that were so important to your pocketbook that they had to be born in Pennsylvania?

Why would you "assume" everything is okay if you can't get the stable manager on the phone?

Why wouldn't you hop a plane or get in the car and go check to be sure your horses were where they were supposed to be, and receiving proper care, when you started getting the run-around?

The owners who wanted their mares to foal in Pennsylvania wanted to do so for the incentive money.  They didn't have an internal panic button that horse owners who love their horses as family generally have.  I think it's safe to say if you or I were in a situation where we had to board a horse far from home - suppose we had to move cross-country for a job and can't move the horse right away, for example - we would expect weekly photos and updates from the person taking care of our equine companion.  If we didn't get them, we'd be on the next flight back to make sure our horse was okay.  The owners of these broodmares, however, saw them as an investment.  It took the property owner of the Pennsylvania farm calling the authorities about the condition of these horses for something to be done.  The authorities still haven't identified all the owners of the horses. 

So much for breeding the next Kentucky Derby winner; instead, you've got a bunch of starved babies, 3 dead babies and at least one dead mare.   

Will they be able to be registered?  Will they overcome their rough start and grow up able to race or perform?  Will the owners surrender them for adoption?  And, if so, will responsible homes be able to be found?