Starved Horses Confiscated in Mercer County, Kentucky

Local authorities have recently seized 14 undernourished American Saddlebred horses in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

The emaciated herd of equines included several pregnant mares, with last year's weanlings right at their sides. Several starved young stallions were found in the same pasture, running loose among the mares and possibly rebreeding with those who were not already in foal.

Whose horses were they?

The starved horses belonged to James ("Les") Pease, a 72-year-old local property developer, and his wife. The undernourished equines were found on the Pease property on Curry Pike in Mercer County, Kentucky. The Mercer County Sheriff's Department has charged Pease with second-degree animal cruelty. Pease will stand trial this summer in Mercer County District Court.

Apparently, several of Pease's Harrodsburg neighbors became concerned about the starving horses and filed criminal complaints with local authorities. Led by Mercer County Animal Control officer David Quinn, local officers removed the horses from the Pease farm to an undisclosed equine rescue location.

The horses were discovered in an extreme state of starvation, with most in dire need of farrier (horseshoeing) attention as well.

The Mercer County court case against the neglectful owner of the horses has been postponed until July 14, 2009. Pease's attorney, Richard Clay (of Danville, Kentucky), entered a not-guilty plea in the pre-trial hearing. Pease refused to comment publicly.

Who will fund the horses' recovery?

At this point, no public funds are available to assist with the feeding, veterinary care and farrier services for these horses. Saddlebred Rescue, Inc., a national equine charitable organization (based in New Jersey and focusing primarily on the American Saddlebred Horse), is leading the way in collecting private donations to meet these needs and save the starved horses.

Because of evidentiary law, the horses' hooves cannot be trimmed and mended until the court case progresses. The damages are considered critical evidence for the criminal case.

In the meantime, equine rescuers are focusing on feeding the horses back to health, if possible.

"It's amazing what 30 to 90 days of solid nutrition can do for a hungry horse," explained Pat Johnson, executive director of Saddlebred Rescue, Inc. "We certainly hope the mares will be able to produce milk for their foals and that the unborn foals will be healthy enough to survive."

Saddlebred Rescue, Inc., is asking for horse-lovers to donate funds for purchasing equine feed and fresh hay to feed the starved horses. A single horse may consume three bales of hay in a single week.

Where is Harrodsburg, Kentucky?

Harrodsburg is the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, located less than 50 miles southwest of Lexington, Kentucky. The entire area is often pictured as bluegrass-filled equine heaven on earth. The region, with its rolling grassy hills, is known as a paradise for horses and horse lovers. This section of Kentucky has even been called the world's horse capital.

However, with widespread economic downturn, many folks face financial losses, unemployment and other fiscal woes. In many cases, horses and livestock have paid a sore price.

Nationwide, equestrians have received warnings against leaving horse trailers unlocked at public trails, horse shows and other accessible locations. Some horseback riders have returned to their own trailers to find them occupied by unknown horses. Abandoned horses have become a considerable issue, as horse owners find themselves challenged to meet equine maintenance costs.

Organizations such as Saddlebred Rescue, Inc., have found themselves increasingly occupied with caring for abandoned or neglected equines.