Neglected Horses Find New Lives

The 18 neglected horses removed from a farm near Lusby this week were reported safely ensconced at temporary homes Tuesday night. Two of the three farms housing them are in Calvert County: Freedom Hill Horse Rescue in Owings and Pinetree Farm in St. Leonard.

"They've been eating grass all afternoon," said Pat Paytas of Pinetree Farm, referring to three of five horses she has. The other two -- a one-eyed mare and her foal -- also were doing well, she said. The young horse was lying in hay.

In Owings, the Freedom Hill farm was caring for four horses, reported to be eating and drinking a lot of water. A third farm, the Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Howard County, is housing nine of the horses. Volunteers at the farms plan to fatten up the horses and seek adoptive homes for them.

The horses were dispersed to their new quarters after a rescue operation Tuesday morning on land in southern Calvert County owned by Russell Hughes, who lives in the District. Before removing the horses, Paytas, who is a Maryland humane officer, spent most of three days gathering evidence of mistreatment of the animals.

She had slipped onto Hughes's land, taking pictures and finding 14 cases of malnutrition. One of those was a horse that should have weighed more than 600 pounds but was only an estimated 300. That horse also had sores on a front leg and his back.

Some of the horses also suffered from an ailment called rain-rot. They lived in an old barn, its floor caked with manure. Nails protruded from the structure in places that could wound the horses.

On Tuesday morning, Paytas and about 15 others, including sheriff's deputies, entered the farm. Hughes also showed up, having been told by authorities to come.

Paytas gave him a choice: Either sign over the 18 horses or face animal cruelty charges. Hughes, 75, signed over the horses.

Paytas is affiliated with the Chesapeake Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She said the Lusby farm was the worst horse case she had seen in 18 years in or around Calvert County.

Part of the time as the rescue unfolded Tuesday, Hughes sat outside in a small office chair, near two overturned barbecue grills. His land was teeming with volunteer horse-rescuers who had backed up their trailers near his barn.

Hughes took in the whole scene with what appeared to be a combination of sadness, resignation and friendliness. He told the volunteers that the horses were usually willing to follow humans around. And he said he understood why the rescuers brought armed deputies with them. "As crazy as people are now," he said in an interview as his horses were loaded on trailers, "you don't know what might happen."

Recently, Hughes said, he hadn't gotten down to property to feed the horses as often as recommended. He said he also bought a batch of bad hay. And he thinks his recent deworming efforts may have contributed to their condition.