On Tuesday morning, deputies from the livestock branch of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control Officers seized 39 horses from a 23-acre ranch on Elk Creek Road near Miranda.

It was the highest number of large animals ever seized in the county, said Sgt. Phil Buihner of Sheriff’s Office’s Special Services.

The horses were suffering from overgrown hooves, lice, worms, muddy coats and malnourishment, he said.

Some were standing in two feet of mud and they all need their hooves tended, Buihner said.

Authorities said many of the horses had balls of mud and fecal matter hanging from their coats that rattled when they walked. And some had hip, back and rib bones showing, they said.

“I’ve seen worse horses, but I don’t know that I’ve seen living conditions that were so bad,” Buihner said, calling them “ungodly” at one point.

Some of the horses were tied up in stalls and it appeared they had been there for months, he said.

The local nonprofit organization Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue is helping care for the animals. Horse Rescue member Sara Isaacson said that she’s waiting for a rehabilitation strategy to follow.

A veterinarian will determine the best course of action for all the horses, Lt. Steve Knight of Animal Control said.

It appeared the owners — a couple who were home when officers arrived — were breeding the horses, Buihner said. There were studs, mares and an estimated 2-week-old filly.

Buihner said he thought the owners were overwhelmed with the number of horses they had, but added: “I don’t think it was willful neglect.”

The owners inferred they would like to have the horses back, he said.

They are now court property, but if they are turned over to the county, Animal Control would work with Horse Rescue to find them homes, Knight said.

The owners were not arrested, but a felony criminal complaint alleging cruelty to animals will be sent to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office within a week, he said.

The horses were divided into groups of 13, and are being housed at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale, the Sheriff’s Farm in Fortuna and the Fortuna Rodeo Grounds.

It is unknown if any of the horses will become lame due to their hoof injuries, but a veterinarian will be taking X-rays of two of the worst cases Friday.

One of them, a palomino, was in pain due to her overgrown hooves, which were carrying fecal matter, Animal Control Officer Andre Hale said.

Isaacson claimed the front hooves of another horse, nicknamed Cinderella, are rotting, flaking and infected.
It took six trips, nine people and four trailers to transport the horses.

“The Sheriff’s Office did a great job — they were very compassionate towards these horses,” Isaacson said.

On average, it costs about $150 per month to feed a horse, Isaacson said. Therefore, it costs about $6,000 to feed all 39 horses for a month.

“Our goal is to find a safe and humane environment for the long term,” Knight said.

Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue is accepting donations for the 39 horses that were allegedly malnourished in Southern Humboldt.

Donations can be made at Umpqua Bank, Coast Central Credit Union and The Farm Store in Eureka. Or they can be mailed to P.O. Box 226, Cutten, Calif. 95534

It costs about $5 to feed a horse for a day, said Horse Rescue member Sara Isaacson

“We are appreciative of any donations — especially monetary — that can be made,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Steve Knight.