WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather, and Sports |Rescue group works to save horses

Rescue group works to save horses

SUMNER CO., Tenn. - Several of the malnourished horses seized from a farm in Warren County over the weekend are recovering at an animal rescue in Sumner County.

While Jamie Clifton with Volunteer Equine Advocates, Inc. told News 2 the ill horses are making steady progress, they have a long way to go.

Most have little to no body fat and one they received has already died.

Clifton said her organization traveled to the farm Saturday to pick up 12 horses but came back with nearly two dozen.

"While we were there, the owner kept pointing to this one and that one and we ended up bringing 23 back here with us," she said.

With mounting food and vet bills, caring for the additional animals is straining the organization's budget.

"Everything they need in the first week is going to be about $200 a horse and keeping them here under quarantine until we get the complete necropsy results is an added expense," Clifton said.

The horses were rescued from a farm owned by Sid Stanton.

Stanton told News 2 Tuesday he had 186 horses when authorities found four dead on his farm.

He said the malnourished condition of the horses were the result of his effort to help the animals, not abuse them.

Stanton has not been charged and police are still investigating the case.

Clifton says the courts need to step in so Stanton doesn't find himself in a similar situation again.

"We can take all the horses away but if the court doesn't limit what he can have in the future, if he's like he says he is, he'll be back in the same boat again," she said.

In the meantime, Volunteer Equine Advocates is preparing for more horses.

Three new horses from the Warren County farm are expected anytime and three horses already at the agency are pregnant.

Previous Story:

• July 21, 2009: Malnourished horses found on Warren Co. farm