4 Malnourished Horses Seized in Halifax County

Michael J. Lynch was charged after a search Friday of his property off L&R Lane in Hollister, authorities said. Animal control officers seized four horses and turned them over to the U.S. Equine Rescue League for veterinary care.

One of the four horses had to be put down, and a second remained in intensive care on Monday, said Amy Woodard, regional director of the Equine Rescue League. The other two were in quarantine but were responding well to food and care, she said.

The horses were found to be living in filth in a wooded area that provided no shelter aside from a three-sided structure with no roof, authorities said. One couldn't walk, and another had malformed front hooves, which experts attributed to a lack of proper care.