ESCONDIDO, Calif. — The owner of a horse ranch in Escondido is responding tonight to complaints about the condition of her animals.
Deborah Loving said the horses are healthy, and she’s been caring for rescued animals on the ranch for 20 years.
The 1.5 acre ranch on Kauana Loa Drive is home to 15 horses, Loving said, some of them elderly.
“The horses are cared for. They're fed. They've had veterinarians check them out,” she said.
Earlier this week, CBS 8 aired a report where neighbors were concerned that the animals were neglected. One local horse rescue woman, Audrey Reynolds, posted photos online showing the horses standing in mud. Their coats appeared unkempt.
Loving admitted the horses may look dirty but, she said, that doesn't mean they're neglected.
“They are unfortunately exposed to a tremendous amount of rain and mud, consequently, because of our atmospheric rivers, which we're not accustomed to,” Loving said. “The corrals are not dirty, they're muddy. The horses are groomed from the mud. They roll on it. They like it.”
Reynolds called out one mare, in particular, saying the animal looked emaciated. She filed a complaint with animal control.
But the owner said the mare is a 30-year-old former thoroughbred that is well fed.
“She is not a fat horse, but she's not emaciated. There's nothing wrong with her teeth. She eats six flakes of her alfalfa a day, and 10 pounds of grain and senior feed, and she is a happy healthy horse,” Loving said. “Thoroughbreds that no longer get exercise, they're not ridden, they're retired, their muscles tend to go south.”
A San Diego County Animal Services officer inspected all the horses over the weekend. The owner said one horse needed its hooves trimmed and some of the horses have been moved out of the mud.
“We had the veterinarian come out, look at all the horses, had no problem, didn't see anything wrong. Then, I had my blacksmith come out on Monday and trim that one horse's feet. The horse is fine,” said Loving.
County Animal Services will be back at the ranch this coming Sunday to conduct a follow up inspection, Loving said.
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WATCH RELATED: Neighbors worried about horses on ranch in Escondido (April 2023).