This posting reeks of criminal conduct and smelly spin along with official agency and owner neglect charges. There are laws protecting animals against cruelty! These cases ALWAYS have existed and ALWAYS will untill animal cruelty is taken seriously and cracked down on!! Duh.... Did the "owner" contact ANYONE for help with his so called dilema? I doubt it and if so, then the agency responsible for preventing and/or handling cruelty cases is in direct fault! Bad economic times and closure of slaughter plants are not the reason behind, NOR any sane excuse for this level of CRUELTY! I lived in Florida for many years. Cruelty cases, which can be documented, to all animals, horses included, were occuring at the same pace then as now!! So, pro-horse slaughter advocates, peddle your propaganda elsewhere! But for the record, although little to no reporting was done in the past concerning cruelty cases, it's GREAT that it's now coming to the public's attention as it should have been years ago!