There were two horses — one dead, the other alive, barely. Both showed signs of starvation. Yards away, the base of trees within the horses' reach had been picked clean of bark, likely by the horses in a bid to stave off hunger.
As of Monday evening, the horse still alive, with its bony frame, protruding ribs and thin neck, remained at the southern Tippecanoe County home.
"I'd like to get that horse removed before it keels over, too," Keck said. "I'm not sure what killed the other horse, but it does look like it didn't have food."
On Sunday, a citizen noticed a horse lying down in the yard of the home. When the horse hadn't moved by Monday morning, that person reported it to Tippecanoe County Animal Control.
Homeowner James Fitzsimons was not home when the Journal & Courier visited the residence Monday afternoon, seeking comment. His son, Robert Fitzsimons, answered the door and acknowledged that the horse had died Sunday.
"She was old," Fitzsimons said. "I don't know how long we've actually had them."
When asked about whether the horses were being regularly fed, Fitzsimons said, "Yeah, we probably should have had another barrel of hay out there to them, but my dad couldn't afford them."
A woman answered the phone at the home Monday evening and said James Fitzsimons had no interest in commenting.
Keck said during her visit Monday, she consulted with a veterinarian, who recommended that the remaining horse be removed from the property soon.
She's taking that recommendation to her superiors. If approved, the agency will coordinate with Indiana Horse Rescue, a nonprofit organization that promotes animal welfare.
"Most of the time they follow my recommendation," Keck said. "It's just a matter of getting in touch with the agency and running that up to the powers that be."
Kathryn Caldwell, a founding member of Indiana Horse Rescue, said the organization is not financially able to accept any more horses at this time. The group has 18 horses in its Frankfort facility and 37 more in Owensville, a southwestern Indiana town where the nonprofit group is headquartered.
"We aren't getting enough donations to take care of more than the 18 horses we have. We're pushing to make ends meet," Caldwell said. The organization tries to find homes for the horses it rescues. That can take time.
Caldwell said there is not enough forage this time of year to sustain a horse on grazing alone. Eating bark is a sure sign of starvation, but there's little or no nutrition in the bark, only minerals.
She said it takes two feedings of hay a day, plus water, to sustain a horse. The cost of feed is about $125 a month. To bring a horse that's starving back around takes extra care and feedings of grain in addition to hay, she said.
Typically, in cases such as the one Keck is investigating, the owners are financially strapped. In some cases, they are just lazy, Caldwell said.
Keck said she rarely sees such starvation among livestock and horses. It's more common to see it in cats and dogs, she said.
Keck wasn't able to immediately place the horses on the Henneke system, a body condition scoring system. But on the body scoring chart that Keck uses for dogs and cats, the two horses "would be in the worst condition," she said.
Abandoning or neglecting a vertebrate animal is a Class A misdemeanor. Decisions on whether to charge in this case will be determined as the investigation continues.
"If cruelty is involved there, I would think charges will be filed," Keck said.
Caldwell said if arrangements are not made to dispose of a dead horse within 24 hours, it can be charged as a felony.
(Journal and Courier - April 8, 2014)
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