My Story

In my opinion, the Co-President of Minnesota Federated Humane Society, 501c3 AND President of Witchtree Training Center, 501c3, Kathleen Zweber, aka Kathy, should not be in the position she's in due to her systematic abuse of the trust placed in her.

Who I am: I lived on the property from the fall of 2015 to the fall of 2016. I had previously placed a few horses for Kathleen from my own farm. I had been an area coach and trainer in the horse industry for well over 10 years. In the fall of 2016 I left Minnesota for the east coast where I continued my career training problem horses and riders of all ages. During my time at WTC, I worked tirelessly with Kathleen to teach her good animal husbandry, to get her non-profit, a vision that I truly believed in, out into the community and to lead by example. I was a year away from my move when Kathy and I discussed me living on the property she is on, training and growing the nonprofit. While I lived there, I paid monthly rent which did include the early hay is it was put up by her father, supplied all the food for my animals including hay purchased after initial hay was gone, helped with upkeep, caring for animals, marketing of non-profit, assisted in trying to obtain grants for funding, did fundraising, provided lessons and placement of animals while sharing the proceeds with Kathy, holding educational classes, working hand in hand with Kathy on correct animal husbandry and countless other daily activities.

What I witnessed and was subjected to was a year of one horror after another. All ending in two court cases brought against me by Kathy. Both were dismissed. I do not live in a world of rainbows and butterflies. I see that if you have livestock, you will also lose them to everything from old age to colic to accidents. What I take issue with is how you handle it. As someone who claims to be a humane "agent" and to "educate the community", you are to be held to the highest standard of animal husbandry. This includes annual vet care, adequate feeding, watering and shelter, routine hoof care, vet services in case of injury or declining health, proper disposal if euthanizing as well as full transparency. None of these things happened.

I pushed to get better care for several of her horses that were in very poor condition, including but not limited to, adequate shelter from the bugs and heat, additional food sources to hay, vet care and treatment as well as better grazing and rotations. Instead, I was given excuses or left to do it myself. The care of the property and tack was far greater than that of the animals. Rumors of me being a drug user, thief and countless other personal attacks were shared around the community. The last few months of my stay were the most awful. They only got worse after myself, Kathy’s mentor and two volunteers held an intervention with Kathy over the subpar care of the animals in her charge. I was blocked from my own tack, my food storage, I was prohibited from completing my needed tasks prior to moving, such as vet care. I was threatened with a restraining order, telling me to vacate and leave all my things, including animals, there. I have provided texts between myself and Kathy below with more context.

Back behind the riding area is a pile of bones and trails of bones from animals dragging bodies away. Horses donated. Horses that didn't get vet care to determine if they need to be put down. The president herself is doing the final act by gun. I'm not opposed to using a gun in certain situations. I'm not opposed to animals being returned to nature, although it is not approved in Minnesota according to this page on the Minnesota Department of Health website. I'm opposed to someone with no vet training, limited horse knowledge, making the judgment with donated horses placed in her care because she was trusted to do the best by the animal. I am opposed to not notifying the previous owners of medical issues or the death of the horse, no matter the reason or cause. The only vet care to happen with any consistency was dental. Farrier care only happened when I was there because I forced it to be done with my own herd by Patrick Parmeter. Kathy did her own hoof care before, and after, I was there but with no consistency or formal training to be able to properly care for animals with hoof health issues.

Kathleen's ideas of good animal stewardship are events such as:

• No fly spray in the summer unless for a lesson.
• Riding thin horses builds muscle and helps them fill out.
• Pigs can live in a stall 24/7 for years with no water, only fruits and vegetables.
• Horses with navicular, laminitis and founder can be trimmed by anyone, even non-farriers.
• Placing hay extremely far from waters in the winter promotes movement since the animals have to walk for both.
• Letting horses sit untouched for months then taken out for a day, sometimes two, of hard riding and work, whether they had physical limitations or not.
• Putting on grippy saddle pad protectors against the animal's hair saves the pad, never mind that it pulls on the horse's skin and hair.
• Shelters don't have to be large enough for the entire herd, they just have to be there.
• Horses only need hay.
• Inexperienced riders and handlers can be given advanced tools in lessons.
• Emailing a vet is all the care needed.

Animal Control has investigated Kathy at least twice. Both times, "fix it" orders were given and the case was closed.

The below data is gathered by me. Some of it I witnessed myself, some of it has been shared with me by other people who have been active at WTC for various reasons and have first hand accounts of much of it.  

Horses donated or given to Witchtree Training Center in the death pile:

• Classy - Summer 2018 - Arrived with a BCS of 5.5-6, Reason for putting down: old, terrible condition, BCS of approx 1.5-2 - Taken out back and shot
• Yuki - 2015 - Came up 3 legged lame with an abscess, had stringhalt, BCS of 3.5-4 - Taken out back and shot
• TJ - 2022 - Arrived with a BCS of 6+, died with BCS of 2, chronic pain, no treatment plan, did come to farm with navicular which was never treated or managed according to countless reports including myself- Taken out back and shot
• Ember - 2016 - Colic, did have vet out twice - Taken out back and shot
• Duncan - 2016 BSC of 2.5, was kicked and had leg broken within 90 days of arriving, no vet called out - Shot in pasture, drug out back by tractor **I was there for this one. He DID break his leg and there was no time for a vet, he was panicking and violently thrashing. This is the only time I agree with a gun. 
• Merit - Oct 2023 - "Neurological episode" was the reason given via text, no vet care, BCS of 4.5-5 - Taken out back and shot (There is a lot to this horse’s story, but I do not have a first hand account.)
• Pal - Late 2023 - Old age, had navicular, BCS upon arrival of 5, BCS at time of death unknown, was not great prior to witness cutting ties - Unknown body location **Pal was my horse. I donated him prior to going to live/work there. I had no claim to him when I left. I also have not been notified of his demise.
• Hans - 2021 - Arrived with BCS of 4-4.5, BCS at time of death of about 3, trouble breathing, on a dusty dry lot - Taken out back and shot
• Josie - 2019 - BCS of 5, reason for putting down was Kathy reported DSLD via text but not confirmed by vet - Taken out back and shot
• Millhouse - 2021 - BCS of 4.5-5. slipped on ice and possibly broke something in hip, no vet called out, shot in field and drug out back
• Doc - Summer of 2023 - BCS of 2.5-3, Colic episode started while being ridden by a student and “collapsed”, Kathy claims gas colic. Volunteer on site for event, no vet care, thrashing, laying down, forced to work, Taken out back and shot
• Kitty - BCS of 3 last seen and declining, old age. - Unknown body location, suspected to have been shot with Pal due to vague comments and texts, nothing confirming that.
• Scotch - May 2022 - BCS 4, Kathy diagnosed extreme lameness, no vet care provided - Taken out back and shot
• Diana - May 2023 - BCS 4, Kathy diagnosed tooth abscess, no vet care provided - Taken out back and shot
• Pris - August 2022 - Details unknown, just that she isn't alive anymore.
• Desi - January 2023 - Unknown BCS at time of death, walked up the road to a neighbor, up their steep and long driveway and shot and left.
• Titus - March 2021 - BCS of 5

Horse of unknown location, if alive or dead or current health condition:

• Riley - BCS when arrived of 5, BCS of 2.5 last time seen at WTC
• Sadie - BCS of 9 when arrived, 7 last seen at WTC.
• Medora - Donated by ARRR
• Peace - May 2021, Purchased and donated by volunteer - BCS at time of arrival 6, fluctuated but never of concern.

Horses no longer on the property, reason for leaving if known, condition upon leaving:

• Cheeks/Chica - BCS of 3, mustang placed by me in private home
• Gypsy - BCS of 4, was a senior horse fed by me on property because she came in with a BCS of 1.5, went to a new home after I left where the vet found she was full of cancer, vet laid to rest. Had a single visual look over vet care visit with WTC on my strong request, where Kathy gave the vet false information about the mare and said she scheduled a 2nd appointment, which didn’t happen, for blood draw and more than a visual of the animal.
• Stormy - BCS of 3.5, sold to private home, went through extensive retraining after leaving WTC **I personally witnessed harsh treatment and extremely aggressive riding by Kathy, causing long lasting behavioural issues with the horse.
• Gogo - BCS of 3, older pony, placed by me with Cheeks above in private home
• Chandler - Sent to sanctuary in North Dakota - Good condition
• Gem - Good condition
• Blaze - Good condition
• Wasabi - Good condition
• Nashi - Good condition
• Sailor - Good condition
• Seyia - Good condition
• Molly - Good condition
• Reyna - Good condition
• Sol - Came in with a leg injury May of 2022, WTC had vet come out and take x-rays. Wound was healed by the constant care of a volunteer. Horse was placed at a new farm. BCS upon arriving to WTC 4.5, BCS upon leaving 1.5-2. (There is a deeper story about Sol, but not one I had first hand accounts on)

Other animals:

• Sean Bean - Cat, lived in a bathroom in the house with a litter box. Bathroom was a haze of ammonia. Had skin and eye infections, covered in mats, was never let out.
• Multiple cats in "school house" No heat in winter, fed a small amount of cat food once a day, often died to be eaten by the other cats. Litter boxes overflowing and not cleaned, the smell of urine so strong, you didn't have to be in the building.
• 2 pot belly pigs: Lived in a stall that was flooded, never given water, no hoof care, never let out, was fed leftover produce to survive, produce that sat in various places rotting. Placed in new home after years in this condition.
• 2 goats. "Died in their stall one night" per contributor.
• In the house are 2 large birds. One Cockatoo that is missing nearly all it’s feathers and a green bird that screeches often.

Attached you will find countless photos of animals and screenshots of messages with Kathy supporting a lot of the above. In all the years I have known Kathy, she has always been very careful about pictures she takes and shares and the image of the farm she provides. I’m sure shortly after the publishing of this blog, the WTC Facebook page will have a lot of deletions happening. I have managed to capture some photos and posts she has up at the time of this writing. Several of the listed dead horses have a much longer story to their time on WTC. I’m sure we will learn more as people learn they haven’t been alone in their dealings with this individual.