We are asking the heads of the equestrian departments within the Five College Consortium in the Pioneer Valley to take a stand against animal cruelty and to ban Grindstone Mountain Farm from participating in any future equestrian events taking place on campuses due to their past history of animal abuse and neglect. 

Grindstone Mountain Farm is an equestrian center and livestock operation located in Southampton, MA. Within the past few years of its opening and throughout its participation in local equestrian competitions, students at Mount Holyoke College have become aware of behaviors practiced by the owners of this center that do not align with the college's principles of moral conduct. Students visiting the center have witnessed livestock being beaten with metal rods in front of children, boarded horses left in unsanitary and inhumane conditions, and domestic pets on the property neglected. Online reviews of GMF citing animal neglect as well as the bullyish behavior of its owners towards boarders will appear and disappear routinely. More disturbing, the family running the center also potentially has ties to white supremacist organizations, as a background check of co-owner and police officer Erik Loiko has revealed. To put it plainly, students deserve to feel safe. This petition, upon receipt of sufficient signatures, will be delivered to the directors of the Five College equestrian centers as a request that the departments consider revoking the rights of Grindstone Mountain Farm to partake in any campus activities once they have resumed. The Five College Consortium should take a firm stand against animal abuse and bullying behavior by addressing the concerns of students and members of the equestrian community at large.