Owner arrested after 9 horses found severely neglected, officials say

COVINGTON, Ky. (WXIX/Gray News) – Officials in Kentucky found nine horses suffering from abuse and neglect, leading to the death of one of the animals, according to Kenton County Animal Services.

KCAS said the owner, 38-year-old Brandie Hart, was arrested on Jan. 5.

The investigation began Dec. 22, 2022 when authorities were called to the property “regarding horses which may be suffering from abuse and/or neglect or are being kept in violation of applicable laws or county ordinances,” according to the criminal complaint.

Kelsey Maccombs with KCAS said two horses were found in a pasture while the other seven were found inside a barn.

Maccombs said Hart was given a chance to make things right and keep the animals.

“It was a case of neglect, but we were hoping we could get these horses up to weight and we could work with the individual before we could get to this point of seizing horses,” Maccombs said.

However, conditions did not improve, and an independent equine veterinarian was called in to evaluate the condition of the horses. That veterinarian recommended the animals be removed from the property, and sadly, one horse died.

“The veterinarian was able to identify several major health concerns with these horses, including one that had stunted growth for its age,” Maccombs said. “Even now, we aren’t in the clear. One of the horses has perished due to the severity of their neglect and we continue to monitor the other horses.”

According to the criminal complaint, the vet said the horses were experiencing “varying degrees of malnourishment, skin disease, lack of dental care, and lack of regular upkeep.”

Additionally, the vet also noticed two bales of hay outside the barn and noted in his evaluation that “it seems especially cruel to allow [the horses] to suffer hunger pains with food just out of reach as their body conditions worsen, slowly, due to inadequate caloric intake,” the court documents said.

Hart was arrested and taken to the Boone County Jail, where she posted her $2,500 bail and was released, according to jail records.

KCAS is now trying to find forever homes for some of the horses, but others remain in protective custody while the case is pending litigation.

If you are interested in adopting one of the horses, call KCAS at 859-356-7400.

If you would like to donate to the cost of the horses’ ongoing care, you can donate here.

Copyright 2023 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.