KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Rising Costs Take Toll on Nevada Horse Owners
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Rising feed costs and a tight economy are prompting some Nevada horse owners to part with their animals.
That's the word from the president of the nonprofit northern Nevada horse rescue group Least Resistance Training Concepts, who says nearly every aspect of horse ownership has become more expensive in recent months.
While rising costs are not stopping everyone from owning a horse, Willis Lamm says his group is constantly encountering horse owners who want to sell or place their animals.
According to the American Horse Council, of 9 million domestic horses in the United States, nearly 4 million are for recreational riding.
And 34 percent of horse owners have a household income of $50,000 or less a year.
Cyndy Oxley of Green's Feed in Reno says the price of hay, chief among owners' expenses, has doubled. She says a ton of alfalfa-and-grass feed that last summer cost about $150 might nowgo for $250 to $300.
Record oil prices are responsible for driving up the cost of harvesting and transporting crops.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
