Finding himself in the middle of an Orange County horse abuse case, a candidate for the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors says he has nothing to hide because he hasn’t done anything wrong.
Others disagree.
Gardiner Mulford, an outspoken horse enthusiast who owns a commercial real estate firm and operates a local farm, is seeking the Stevensburg District seat occupied by longtime incumbent Bill Chase.
Running as an independent, Mulford is facing Chase and Republican challenger Dewayne Payne.
A handful of people close to the case say Mulford is unfairly taking advantage of a bad situation, selling horses that were donated to a Mine Run woman who forfeited them upon being charged with animal cruelty.
With Mulford unwilling to return the horses to their original owners, a civil lawsuit could be in the works.
Background
On Aug. 6, a neighbor alerted Orange County authorities to several horses and three dogs being held in substandard conditions on property owned by Nancy S. Mackall.
An animal control officer reported that 10 horses were relatively healthy, turned out on adequate pasture. But another 10 were underfed and suffering from various illnesses, ranging from skin conditions to broken bones.
In addition, about 20 dead and decomposing horses were also found on Mackall’s property.
Mackall appeared in court Aug. 21 for a hearing. She is charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty and 20 counts of failure to properly dispose of animal corpses. Her trial is set for Oct. 16.
As part of the court agreement, Mackall, who operated what’s known as a retirement farm — a place where animals are supposed to live out their lives work-free in peace and safety — was allowed to keep one of the dogs and surrendered custody of the remaining healthy horses to Mulford.
The horses Mulford received, 11 in all, were not part of the seizure case — those are being cared for by other volunteers.
He is not being reimbursed by Orange County and is not legally forbidden from selling the horses in his care.
Patricia Dahl, an Orange County animal control officer, explained that the county is not equipped to handle livestock and relies on volunteers to assist when cases of large animal abuse arise.
Mulford: ‘No good deed goes unpunished’
Mulford’s critics say he’s violating the trust of previous owners, making a profit by selling animals he got for free.
Mulford disagrees with their characterization of the situation.
“I have received a lot of flack over this issue,” he wrote by e-mail. “No good deed goes unpunished, right? Many people who have criticized me actually sold horses to Nancy, and now they want them back for free. I am not bound by anyone’s agreement that took place prior to my ownership. I feel no reason to honor any agreement I was not party to.
“I was asked by a Mackall family member to help out,” Mulford continued. “Nancy had 10 horses seized and another 10 on pasture she had to forfeit. I was asked by her attorney to take the horses and was given ownership. I paid nothing for the horses.
“With regards to horse retirement, I think this is a foolish, selfish concept. Horses need daily attention. They need fly protection, wounds treated, grooming, hoof care and worming. They also need attention.
“A retired horse is an abandoned horse. It costs money to keep horses, and when people get done with their loyal servants and no longer want to pay the bills, they retire the horse, leaving it abandoned and uncared for until it dies. Retired people soon discover being non-productive for the last third of their lives is not the best of conditions.”
Instead of being put out to pasture and forgotten, Mulford said, putting the horses back to work will ensure the rest of their lives are happy, healthy and productive.
“If they can’t play polo, then they can still teach some young kid to ride or take an old lady down the trail or even work as a therapeutic horse, bringing healing and happiness to the disabled. All the while they are being cared for on a regular basis.”
Mulford acknowledged that he is engaged in selling the horses.
“My philosophy is, if you can’t afford to buy a horse, then you can’t afford to keep a horse. No one is going to care for a horse they get for free. Free means ‘no value.’ I am also of the opinion that I will do with my property as I see fit and you can do the same with yours. If I make enough money to cover my expenses with these animals, I will consider myself lucky.”
Mulford said he’s given away three of the horses to a friend, leaving him with eight.
“I have spent $200 on fly spray and wound medicine. None of my critics have offered to help me with the costs.”
Mulford defended his actions and said Mackall is suffering from health problems.
“Not one single horse lover asked about Nancy’s failing health and life-threatening illness,” he said. “I will do what I think is right with regards to my animals, with regards to my duties and obligations as a man.”
Mulford said that Orange and Culpeper county animal control officers recently visited his farm unannounced and found that all of the animals on the premises, including the horses in question, were in good condition and being cared for properly.
Dahl confirmed that officials have checked up on the animals.
‘MEAN’ words
Lindsey Hays is among several people who have organized an online, word-of-mouth campaign to raise money to help previous owners reclaim their animals, if they choose to do so.
A professional horse trainer who lives in Kentucky, Hays said her mother was searching for updates on some of the retired polo ponies at Mackall’s farm when she ran across news of the abuse and seizure.
Hays is frustrated that Mulford is defending Mackall, adding that despite Mackall’s health or any other personal issues, she still could have arranged for someone to care for the animals.
Hays also vehemently disagrees with Mulford’s decision to sell the horses out of retirement.
“Once he told us he wanted money for him, we started raising money,” she said. “We knew there’s no reason he’d give the horses back. We don’t want him to have them.”
Hays said that some of the horses in question are old and have past injuries, making them unfit for regular work.
To attempt to reunite the horses with their former owners, Hays began a Web site, poloponyrescue.weebly.com. On the site, Hays and her mother, Laura Hays, have set up an online donation system and posted updates on the situation.
Mulford criticized the mother and daughter’s characterization of the situation in a sharply worded e-mail to Laura Hays Sept. 9:
“Look, I know women suffer from ‘misplaced emtional (sic) attachment mental disorder’ MEAN (If it catches on, I diagnosed it),” Mulford wrote. “Your extreme love also makes you capable of extreme hate. If you bash Nancy Mackall you will recieve (sic) no cooperation from me. If you remove your vindictiveness towards Nancy on your Rescue website I will be at your service. Otherwise you can rest assured these horses have already been rescued and you will hear nothing more from me.”
Heading to court?
Dale Smicklas, who lives in Oklahoma and gave two mares to Mackall about five years ago, said he was appalled when he discovered what was going on.
“I specifically told (Mackall) I would take no money,” Smicklas said by e-mail. “I just wanted a guarantee that my horses would live out their days on her farm in Virginia. We talked about her wanting to breed them to a paint stallion, and therefore they would raise babies as well as have an above-adequate amount of food and water and shelter for the rest of their lives.
“In the meantime, I have found out that fortunately neither of my mares perished at the farm, but at the same time I found out that she had sold one of them to a man in New York for $700 and that her uncle gave the other to Mulford.
“I can tell you that legally I don’t think the Mackalls had the right to sell or give away my mares, to say the least.”
Smicklas confirmed he’s contemplating legal action.
“If they could no longer take care of them, I feel it was their responsibility to contact me and inform me of their situation and allow me to decide what to do with my mares. Selling or giving them away seems unquestionably wrong to me, morally as well as legally.”
Horses recovering
While it’s not yet clear what the legal implications of the case might be, in the meantime, Dahl said the horses are all doing well.
“They’re improving mightily,” she said. They have gained weight, they’ve been vetted … they’ve been given their initial vaccinations. They look awesome — their skin conditions are healing, their coats are coming back. Some of them don’t look pretty, but they are improving.”
While stopping short of commenting directly on the dispute between Mulford and the others, Dahl said the case might be hard to prove if it ever comes to court.
When it comes to horse-trading, she said, “As unfortunate as the situation is, it’s not illegal, as far as a criminal act is concerned.”
A campaign issue?
Asked by the Star-Exponent how the issue might affect his campaign, Mulford said it “depends on how you run the story.”
“I was asked,” he wrote via e-mail, “to help rescue horses, and I did. The horses are on my pasture and I alone am picking up the expense. The people who have complained are upset that I have free horses to sell, trade and give away as I see fit.
“I really can’t say what motivates the criticism I have received except they want free horses that they can sell or trade. To me, the ugly nature of their criticism reflects their ugly nature.
“I am not responsible for previous arrangements throughout the life of each horse and owner. This is a ridiculous concept, even in the horse world.”
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