Second South Bay horse ranch investigated for possible neglect

SAN BENITO COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The owner says a horse seen lying on the ground is OK, but concerned neighbors aren't so sure. So they've called authorities again to report horses going hungry.

Animal control officers and a veterinarian checked every horse on a ranch just outside Gilroy owned by the same man we looked into last month in a story you saw only on ABC7 News.

A horse ranch in Gilroy and the one we covered in Morgan Hill are both owned and operated by Humberto Rivas. Neighbors have been complaining for a long time that he may be mistreating some of the horses, underfeeding them, and a horse rescue group has intervened taking some of those horses away.

Animal control, along with deputy sheriffs, are investigating and were out at the Gilroy ranch on Tuesday and Wednesday, but so far have taken no action against Rivas.

A concerned horse owner saw one of the 37 horses in field was down on the ground, apparently in distress. Photos of the horse lying down were posted on Facebook. It was taken for veterinary care in Salinas. A county official said it was diagnosed with colic, a potentially fatal disorder.

"The horse stay in Salinas right now, and I will bring it back today," Rivas said. When asked if the horse was OK, he said, "Yeah, it's OK."

Concerned horse lovers are pleased to see animal control out there because they've been upset their complaints of possible neglect have seemingly been ignored.

A woman named "Vicki" does not want her last name used. She said, "We had no idea that they would not work with us and that we would watch horses die in front of our eyes."

Initially, the complaints focused on a field in Morgan Hill. Neighbors said the horses were emaciated. The Equine Rescue Center convinced Rivas to sell the ones in the worst condition for rehabilitation.

However, an animal control officer told ABC7 News there were no signs of neglect in Morgan Hill. However, an investigation is still underway. And now complaints are coming in about the Gilroy ranch.

A next door neighbor says the horses are getting more hay, but only because animal control has stepped up monitoring.

On a normal day, you would not see nearly this much hay out there. It'd be just a few little piles everywhere, and the horses compete over it. But I think because of the attention, he is feeding them more," next door neighbor Pat Robertson said.

Rivas gave us access to the field to look at the horses close-up. One of them, a young palomino, had scars on one side from bites and kicks from the older, larger horses as they compete for food.

Animal control officers and deputies sheriffs would not share any details of their two-hour visit. A decision was made, however, that the horses did not have to be seized.