It is hard to describe the impact this little charity had on the refugees in Indonesia after the tsunami of December 2004. The charity founders, Pam and Rodger, accomplished an incredible feat of organizing 16 medical professionals to respond to the critical conditions in Indonesia. Paramedics for Children provided an unbelievable amount of logistics, financing, planning, and just plain hard work to send the group on a medical relief mission half way across the world. Our group assisted over 400 hundred desperately needy Indonesians who were left with nothing after one of the greatest natural disasters in human history. We brought over several hundred pounds of medical and technical supplies and treated people who had no other access to the most basic medical care. Even aspirin was a treasure in those primitive field conditions. Our group, despite incredible odds, set up a forward medical clinic in one of the refugee camps, ran a medical clinic for several days, and left behind a framework and supplies for our relief medical team. Not only did we bring medical supplies and expertise, but hope. Most of the people had never seen anyone outside of their community. To know that the world was supporting them and that people all across the world cared about what happened to them was priceless. Everyone of them will forever remember the group of Americans and Canadians, and one New Zealander and Czech, and the fact that they came literally half way across the world and lived and worked in the most primitive conditions and brought hope.

I have supported DEFHR for several years, financially, in person, and now administratively thus I have a good overview of all aspects of the charity's work.
During that time, I have seen a number of impounded horses and the condition they arrive in. I have also seen (and ridden one) many of the horses that recover and go on to live normal lives. This include Zodiac and his seven companions, one of whom died as it was too late for her. I did spend several nights at the barn, helping to feed him while he was hanging in a sling, unable to support himself and battling a multitude of physical problems. For months, he and the other six had to be fed every two hours, round the clock as they were that decimated.
With this perspective, I can offer a different view of DEFHR and their mission. I have not seen these latest impounded horses but spoke to a number of people who have been around them. Many of the horses are young, unhandled and feral. They are in a decent condition but below the minimum standards of horse care, widely accepted and recognized by horse industry.
Their condition is meticulously recorded for legal proceedings, not for public information at this point. Until the authorities and DEFHR obtain full custody, any releasable information is limited. This is the same procedure as in any other pending legal case. That is why the information is limited and restrictive, not for a lack of transparency or conspiracy. On the contrary, the impounding authorities and DEFHR meticulously follow clearly established legal procedures as the court case builds up.
The estimate cost per horse includes detailed veterinary exams, carefully recorded and available upon obtaining legal custody. In addition, all horses are evaluated for need of deworming, hoof and dental care, any special needs. Starved and/or neglected horses do not receive proper minimum feedings, let alone other basic care. They also will need to be evaluated as to their socialization and prior handling exposure and familiarity with humans. They also will have special nutritional needs, either for reconvalescing, senior, special feeding needs, or all of the above. Training alone will constitude an enormous effort that will take years.
In summary, from a personal experience and some familiarity with legal actions regarding a criminal court case, most of the accusations if not all of them are unfounded.
The issue at stake seems to be the fact that so many valuable breeding animals will be removed from the gene pool. Yes, due to a starvation or at least neglect. They will be evaluated and rehomed. The value of a horse is not measured by his/her breeding potential but the pleasure and companionship.