Horse rescuer Jamie Cheslock inspects one of the 15 miniature horses now in her care after they were seized from a Grand Ronde farm.

Marcus Larson
NewsRegister.com

A Lafayette woman faces 14 counts of second-degree animal abuse in connection with the care of 15 miniature horses rescued by the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office from a Grand Ronde barn.

Lisa Marie Tadic, 39, 695 Jackson St., was arraigned on the Class B misdemeanor counts Monday afternoon in circuit court. She was originally booked into the Yamhill County Jail on $62,500 bail, but Judge Cal Tichenor granted her a conditional release at her arraignment.

A citizen complaint led sheriff's deputies to the barn, located at 23541 Grand Ronde Road, according to Capt. Ken Summers.

"A lady said she knew about these horses, that they were inside a barn and in poor condition," Summers said. "We did a welfare check. They were in some of the worst conditions we've seen."

The horses were living in deplorable conditions, according to Sheriff Jack Crabtree. Ungroomed for a considerable time, he said, they were covered with feces - something he found extremely disturbing.

He said the animals had sores and bare patches on their bodies, and their hooves were overgrown to the point they were curled back toward the front of their legs, a painful condition making it difficult for the horses to walk, or even stand.

He said the barn was very small, and the floor was covered with feces. There was no clean area for them to rest, he said, and none of the horses had been seen by a veterinarian in the last seven years.

Tadic agreed to surrender the horses, which were placed in the care of John and Jamie Cheslock's Yamhill County Horse Animal Rescue Team. The Cheslocks have demonstrated the ability to properly care for horses who have been abused and neglected, and in most cases, nurse them back to good health.

"She has signed over legal ownership," Summers said. "Every effort will be made to bring them all back to health and get them adopted out."

"About half of the miniatures were pretty emaciated," Jamie Cheslock said. "The other half had been fed decently. I think they were being given food. The hooves on some were curled up like ram's horns. They had not been trimmed.

"All of the horses had been kept in a tiny environment," Cheslock said. "There was no reprieve from the mud and feces. All of them were covered with lice and mange. One of them could barely move. There are a lot of health issues."

Cheslock said one horse runs the risk of having to be euthanized.

The animal is responding, however, and may survive. She said she'll give it every possible chance to recover.

She said miniature horses are a popular breed, but they require a high level of maintenance.

"They need more dental care and constant foot care," Cheslock said.

Goats and cats remain on the property, but a neighbor is watching over them until they can be removed.

"Our concern is that a lot of people who have horses seem to be in financial straits at this time, and we want to help before it gets to this point," Summers said.

He said rescue groups are willing to assist with donations of food. He said everyone's goal is for people to maintain ownership if can be worked out.

Another key component is educating owners regarding how to better care for their animals.

"If people want to surrender their horses, they should be proactive in finding new owners before the horses get to this condition," he said.

Summers urged any owner facing challenges to call the sheriff's office at 503-434-7506 to see what resources are available.

Cheslock said she grows weary of hearing people saying they couldn't find suitable homes for their horses. She said she doesn't believe there is any truth to that.

"There are so many ways new homes can be found," she said. "Forty horses have come through here in the last few months."

The Cheslocks have worked with the sheriff's office on numerous cases, including seven horses seized late last month from a farm at 28301 Beaver Creek Road, off Gopher Valley Road near Sheridan. They remain in Cheslock's care.

Kimberly Ann Rice, 40, and James Matthew Moore, 42, were each charged with seven counts of second-degree animal neglect. They have been forbidden from controlling, possessing or caring for horses while their case remains pending.

Tadic's next court appearance is a trial report conference set for 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30.

Rice has a similar appearance scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23. Moore's next court date has not yet been set.