11 News got a chance to go with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office to see the horses in their new home on Wednesday.
11 News obtained a copy of the search warrant for the Black Forest barn where the horses were found. The warrant says investigators found 14 dead horses inside. They also found 10 other horses and some llamas in the barn in poor condition.
The horse owner, Sherri Brunzell, says the horses died from colic over the last year and half. She says she did the veterinary work with her husband over the past few years because of expenses. Brunzell is facing animal cruelty charges.
The 10 surviving horses were removed from the barn on Monday. 11 News got a firsthand look at how they are doing. Investigators have asked us not to release where they are staying.
The sheriff's office had a vet look at the animals on Monday. The vet said all of their hooves were overgrown and a few of the horses looked very thin.
“The biggest difference for me was their hooves, because I did see them in the barn on Monday and I did see how curled they were,” Sergeant Greg White with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said.
Now the horses are at an equine holding facility and on the road to recovery.
The horses are eating fresh hay and getting the care they need.
Former cutting world champion and leading sire, Dual Peppy, was one of horses seized in the investigation. When deputies removed him from the Black Forest barn his ribs and hip bones were visible.
Five days later, we have video of Peppy chowing down on some hay at his new home.
“Because they're here they're going to get free fed grass hay all the time. What that means is there's always food available for them,” explained Sgt. White.
The private facility says their main goal is to get the horses the calories they need. The horses will stay at the private facility while Sherri Brunzell goes through the court process.
We’re told that could take several months.
The sheriff's office says she is responsible to pay a certain amount of money per day, per animal for their care or she will not get the animals back.
(KKTV 11 News - Sept 24, 2014)
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