Palatine Stables supporters raised concerns this week about the welfare of the horses that must change homes when the facility closes at the end of November.
Park commissioners voted 4-1 at Monday’s meeting to declare as surplus property and relocate the park district’s 12 horses and 15 ponies.
The ordinance calls for the relocation to occur by donation or “the most humane course of action based on veterinarian recommendation.”
The no vote came from Sue Gould, who has been a staunch opponent of closing the stables. Gould took the relocation ordinance off the consent agenda so it could be discussed.
“This is horse abuse,” she said, adding that horses are herd animals that not only get used to the other horses, but children and the people who feed and water them.
Gould said the horses belong to taxpayers.
“Every resident is a part owner of those horses and ponies,” she said. “And what we’re proposing to do to them is abuse.”
Gould tried to get the matter tabled, but failed to get a second.
The large and angry crowd of stables supporters at Palatine village hall cheered as Gould lashed out at fellow commissioners for not responding to the steady stream of speakers at Monday’s meeting.
“These people should be listened to, because you’re doing a really lousy job of it,” she said.
The park district said the rehousing process is being handled by the barn manager at the stables and stables staff.
“They are doing their due diligence and vetting people and interviewing potential horse owners,” park district spokeswoman Cheryl Lufitz said.
“While the timeline is Nov. 30, if that needs to be extended to find homes for the horses, we will do what we can to extend that timeline until everybody has a home,” she said. “Everybody is working very hard and has the animals’ best interests at heart.
The number of horses slated for relocation does not include the approximately 30 privately owned horses.
“They are not considering the fact that these horses are sentient beings,” said Cary resident Sabine Zielinski, whose horse, 23-year-old Ryan, has been at the barn for 13 years. “This is their home.”
Zielinski is worried about the effects moving will have on her horse.
“Moving our older horses is going to be a recipe for disaster,” she said.
Relocating will also double her horse’s monthly housing costs, she added.