A judge has ruled law enforcement was justified in seizing horses from a farm in Orange County.
When authorities responded to reports of starving animals at her Orange County farm last month, Anne Goland was willing to surrender 68 of her surviving horses. There were others, however, that she wanted to keep. When their health was determined to be “in such a condition as to constitute a direct and immediate threat to their life, safety or health” and she still refused to let them go, they were seized.
Following a civil hearing in Orange General District Court, Judge Edward Carpenter ruled late Wednesday that the county had followed the letter of the law when it took the animals. That after testimony from the veterinarians who examined them.
As for their body mass, they used what’s called the Henneke scale on which 1 is emaciated, 5 is ideal and 9 obese. A dam and her foal both came in at 3, but there were three horses that came in at .5 with the rest somewhere in between.
But the horses’ ailments didn’t stop at starvation. Five of the ten had heart murmurs, and all of them suffered from one skin disease or another. Other problems included low blood protein, low electrolytes, poor dental and hoof health, diarrhea and one possible case of pneumonia.
“I don’t think there’s any question there was a failure to provide adequate care,” said Judge Carpenter. “For all intents and purposes, these animals were at death’s door.”
Carpenter will decide where the horses should go next and when at a second hearing next Wednesday, during which a date will be set for Goland’s criminal trial, which will most likely take place in February. As for the seizure ruling, defense attorney Tom Purcell says it will most likely be appealed.
Purcell also says the name of Goland’s property is Glen Valley Farm, not Peaceable Farm as previously stated. Purcell says Peaceable Farm is the name of the horse rescue organization that was run by Goland and her ex-husband.
There were more than two dozen people on the edge of their seats during the three hour hearing.
Among them was former owner Pat Limage. When her stallion died, she decided to stop breeding and put her mares, Florabunda and Wyndolyn, up for sale, after which Anne Goland purchased them to breed horses of her own. Limage was relieved to learn that they were in good care, but seemingly endless testimony of horses in various states of starvation was hard for her to hear; she was eventually offered a tissue by a deputy who saw her trying to hold back her emotions.
Like all of the other former owners who’ve been located, Limage wants to take back the horses she used to own. “I want to get them home, and rub on them, and get that skin rot off of them, and let them know I’m really sorry.”
