Eyewitness claims that a group of starving and malnourished horses were seen near Havasupai

A group of horses on the Havasupai Indian Reservation were reportedly found starving and malnourished, prompting tribal officials to launch an investigation.

SAVE Havasupai Horses, an advocacy group for the area’s pack horse welfare, posted a photo on Facebook showing several emaciated horses in a rocky area, their ribs and hip bones painfully visible.

The photo was taken by hiker Sarah Cattan after she survived severe flooding near the Havasupai Reservation on August 22, forcing her and others to be evacuated by the Arizona National Guard.

“The worst thing I remember during this flood is the sight of these animals,” Cattan said.

An investigation into the allegations and eyewitness claims is being reviewed by the Havasupai Tribe’s Office of Animal Welfare along with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Havasupai Tribe told Republic in response to the allegations.

“Horses continue to be an important part of the lives of the Havasupai people, providing many of the everyday needs unique to the residents of Havasupai Canyon,” the statement said.

Here’s why the horses on the Havasupai Reservation are so important and why animal rights activists believe these animals are neglected.

Why are pack horses important to life on the Havasupai Indian Reservation?

Havasupai tribal members owned private horses to pack supplies into the Havasupai Village, the tribe said in a statement from Abbie Fink, tribal spokeswoman.

It is not unusual for horses to be part of a multi-generational ownership that has developed “the expertise necessary to care for pack horses,” the statement said.

Packers made their services available to travelers carrying backpacks and camping gear into the canyons, a tempting option given the approximately eight-mile hike to the famous Havasupai Falls area.

Eyewitness reports encountering Havasupai horses after the floods

SAVE expressed concern for the horses’ welfare after Cattan’s images showed a protruding hip bone in one of the horses, which advocates claim indicates starvation. The group learned about the Cattan horses after surviving severe flooding in the area, which stranded 100 hikers and claimed one life.

The photo shows several horses with bridles, which are typically used to attach reins or to connect the horses to a number of other pack animals.

“I’m from Kentucky and I can tell you these horses weighed hundreds of pounds less than the horses I normally see here,” Cattan said.

Cattan told The Republic that she witnessed the collapse of several pack horses while navigating the hills of the Havasupai Reservation during her journey.

“I refused to give them my backpack… I won’t let an animal that can’t even eat take my backpack,” Cattan said.

After a night in a hillside cave to protect herself from the floods, Cattan headed to the village of Havasupai, where she was surprised at how the horses there were doing.

“Many tribal members are proud of their animals, but many are not,” said Cattan, who was later evacuated by the Arizona National Guard.

Katy Walsh, a tourist who witnessed the alleged neglect, traveled to the reservation in the fall of 2023 to fulfill plans that had initially been canceled due to a temporary closure of the reservation during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I noticed there were a whole bunch of horses and mules tied up that just looked pretty bad, the bones were sticking out, they just didn’t look good at all,” Walsh said.

Walsh described the beasts of burden as lethargic and visibly uncomfortable, noting that she frequently observed them approaching empty water troughs. She also mentioned that during her time on the reservation, she had seen horses tied to the same post on three consecutive days.

“That’s when I realized what was going on,” Walsh said.

Walsh claimed she took a moment to examine what was under the horses’ packs.

“You can see where the skin is rubbed raw,” Walsh said.

The Havasupai Indian Reservation responds to allegations of mistreatment of pack horses

Havasupai Tribe spokeswoman Abbie Fink responded last week to The Republic’s request for comment on SAVE’s allegations, confirming that the tribe was aware of the photos and was investigating the allegations of animal neglect.

“The Havasupai Tribal Council is aware of photos circulating on social media alleging animal abuse in Havasupai. The Havasupai Tribe has its own laws, including a Tribal Animal Welfare Code designed to protect horses and other animals on the Havasupai Reservation. “Read the tribe’s statement.

“Havasupai pack horses are not pets or companions as they are working animals, which makes them healthy and naturally lean. Horse owners know how to rotate their horses so that each horse gets the time it needs to rest and feed,” the statement continued.

Because it is a sovereign nation, the reservation’s laws and regulations—including those affecting animals—are independent of federal and state government oversight.

The tribe’s statement acknowledged that the August 2024 flood had an impact on pack animals.

“During the flood, a pack of horses carrying tourist equipment and tribal supplies were trapped. For the safety of the horses, all equipment was removed and everyone was able to evacuate to safety,” the tribe’s statement said.

According to the tribe, no horses died from the flooding.

The tribe asked for and received donations after the flood, including horse feed and pellets. The tribe’s statement added that a portion of the monetary donations were used to provide food for pets and horses on the reservation.

Who is behind the animal protection group SAVE Havasupai Horses?

Susan Ash founded SAVE Havasupai Horses and has been advocating for the horses for almost ten years. She shares eyewitness accounts and images on a website managed by her and other animal rights activists.

Ash stated that the horses in the photos taken after the recent flooding in Havasupai were working horses in dire need of rehabilitation.

“They make a lot of money with these horses, you would think they would take care of them. “Logically that makes sense, but in the real world it doesn’t work that way, especially when the horses are cheap,” said Ash.

Ash said Healing Hearts, a horse sanctuary based in Queen Creek, had previously agreed to care for the pack horses pictured in Cattan’s photos.

State and federal officials remain silent about the allegations

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Sen. Mark Kelly and the Bureau of Indian Affairs did not respond to The Republic’s request for comment on allegations of animal abuse on the Havasupai Reservation.

Ash noted that Arizona Representative Eli Crane’s office, along with Gov. Katie Hobbs, had previously heard her reports of abuse; However, she was unable to make any progress in the investigation into her allegations.

History of animal abuse allegations in the Havasupai area

In 2016, the same year Ash started SAVE, there were allegations of abuse and mistreatment of horses from the Havasupai area, prompting a response from the tribe that confirmed some horses had been neglected.

According to a news report from AZ Daily Sun, Leland Joe, a member of the Havasupai Tribe, was arrested by the FBI in the summer of 2016 on animal abuse charges for mistreating a horse he owned.

In October 2017, Cecil Watahomigie, a packer in Havasupai, was arrested on misdemeanor charges including willful and reckless neglect of one of his horses and failure to provide the horse with medical care.

In May 2018, a social media post showed a pack horse allegedly being kicked in the head after the animal fell onto a trail in the Havasupai area.

This article originally appeared on the Arizona Republic: Animal rights activists say horses are starving near Havasupai