This is the first of a two-part series of articles on horse abuse and neglect in Tift County.

TIFTON — A combination of factors including a drought that brought hay shortages, the closing of horse slaughterhouses, a downturn in the economy and equine inspectors spread too thin has resulted in a rise in incidences of horse abuse and neglect across the state of Georgia.

Horses, although they are large animals, can easily slip through the cracks of animal abuse and neglect cases.

County animal control offices do not handle horse abuse and neglect cases. They are handled by the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Equine Division.

“I would say we have a slight increase in the number of cases where people are not properly taking care of their horses,” said Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin.

Irvin said that when there is a severe case of horse neglect or abuse, “We can impound them.” He said that lately they had impounded “more than we would like to.”

The Department of Agriculture depends on the Georgia Equine Rescue League located in Locust Grove for help. Since the league was organized in 1993, it has donated more than $280,000 in assistance for horse recuperation after incidences of abuse or neglect. The league operates its own foster and adoption programs.

Irvin is still delighted with the results on one equine abuse case that was resolved earlier this month. In February, Irvin declared an emergency on a Pike County farm and impounded 99 horses and other animals. This month, Roger Lee Prater was sentenced to five years after he pled guilty to 31 counts of animal cruelty.

“Out of those 99 horses, we only lost one,” Irvin said. Irvin said he was grateful to the many volunteers who helped to move and take care of the animals since February. He personally thanked Horsetown Western Stores for the use of its private stables for almost eight weeks and the Georgia Equine Rescue League for providing volunteers, feed and raising money to assist the Department of Agriculture in the recovery of the horses.

As Irvin pointed out, “The Georgia Department of Agriculture receives no appropriated funds for the care and feeding of the horses it is required by law to impound.”

Irvin also pointed out that his department can only bring civil action. He said, “Criminal animal cruelty must be pursued by local law enforcement and officers of the court.”

Tifton-Tift County Animal Control Director Regenia Wells said when she gets calls about horses that might be abused or neglected, she goes and checks them out and then calls the equine inspector with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. She said her office can, and does, initiate criminal charges for horse abuse and neglect when it is called for.

“To my knowledge, we only have two equine inspectors for all of South Georgia,” she said. “And we have at least 2,500 horses living in Tift County.”

According to an information specialist with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, there is one equine inspector assigned to Tift and 16 other counties — Turner, Berrien, Atkinson, Coffee, Irwin, Ben Hill, Wilcox, Jeff Davis, Telfair, Dodge, Wheeler, Montgomery, Treutlen, Laurens, Bleckley and Johnson.