Miniature horses taken from county farm

A dozen miniature horses were taken off a property in Carlton County Monday, including one missing part of a rear leg.

The rescue, performed by the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation, came at the request of the owners in Barnum Township, who told the Carlton County Sheriff's Office that they simply could no longer take care of them.

The sheriff's office had contact with the owners last week about loose animals and they "indicated to deputies that they intended to surrender the horses," Lt. Doug Rotta said. Deputies were also at the farm this past summer, Rotta said. The horse owners "were continually cooperative and appeared to be trying to care for the animals," Rotta said of the visits. "The sheriff's office is appreciative that the horse owners recognized that it was in the horses' best interest to voluntarily surrender them to the foundation."

The owners were unable to fix a fence, among other caregiving requirements.

Drew Fitzpatrick of the rescue foundation said Tuesday that all the animals are under veterinarian care and should be OK. The stallions in the group will be gelded, and pregnant mares cared for through birth, he said.

"They'll be fine," Fitzpatrick said of the horses. They were basically a wild bunch, he said, running loose in the farm area without shelter. They will require treatment for lice and worms and their feet will need to be trimmed, Fitzpatrick said.

Corralling the horses required a lot of patience, "going real slow," to nab the skittish animals. "Think of catching a deer in the wild," Fitzpatrick said.

Nine volunteers came to the farm at 11 a.m. Monday and set up a makeshift corral. The horses were eventually all taken for transport by 2 p.m., Fitzpatrick said.

The farm owners deserve some credit, he said, for knowing they were no longer able to keep the animals safe.

"He reached out for help and we helped him," he said. "He was helpful" during the rescue, he added.

The volunteer group posted pictures from the rescue, and those who saw it were amazed that the three-legged horse was able to survive.

Fitzpatrick said the leg "has been this way for at least a couple of years." He said a vet on Wednesday told him it was more than likely shot off. "He has bullet fragments embedded in the bones" around the stump of the leg, Fitzpatrick said.

He said an expert on animal prosthetics will take a look at the horse.

"We will be needing foster homes for some of them," Fitzpatrick said, adding that the situation found at the farm isn't exactly atypical. People start out with good intentions, he said, with hopes of breeding animals and then things just slip out of control.

Those who are interested in fostering one of the horses can email [email protected]. The group is based in Zimmerman, Minnesota.