Officials working with the official horse rescue organizations in Mississippi say that rumors that 5,000 horses have been abandoned and/or shipped to slaughter is untrue.

According to official reports, there are very few horses in the hands of rescue organizations or the state or federal government; most are on farms. Feed, water, and supplies are being shipped in to the farms to care for the horses.

Officials at the Hattiesburg, Miss., distribution center said the outpouring of generosity by the horse industry has allowed supplies to go to horse owners to care for their horses. This has included baled hay, feed, water troughs, fencing supplies, and general medical supplies used daily on farms.

Mississippi State Veterinarian Dr. Jim Watson said he doesn’t know of any equines that have gone outside Mississippi (aganst the owner’s will), and that there is no indication that there are Mississippi horses in trouble or that have been shipped to slaughter