Rescued horses chow down on 22 tons of donated carrots

BEND, Ore. (AP) - Carrots might no longer tempt horses at one Oregon rescue ranch - because they've been munching on tons of them for days.

The Bend Bulletin reports (http://bit.ly/1JD3Nq4 ) that the facility in the central Oregon city of Bend accepted a donation of 44,000 pounds, or 22 tons, of carrots after a truck carrying them crashed.

Equine Outreach operator Joan Steelhammer was offered the vegetables Friday after they were deemed unfit for human consumption. She says the haul filled a 53-foot semitrailer up to 5 feet deep.

Volunteer Gene Storm says about 80 horses have been chomping through the massive stock, and animal owners have been invited to help reduce the pile, too.

A few tons of carrots are left, but it's still more than the rescue's animals can consume. Storm says carrots should be available for a few more days.

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Information from: The Bulletin, http://www.bendbulletin.com