Malnourished Horse seen near Interstate last week in Vicksburg rescued, Owner Charged

VICKSBURG, MS – In a report made last week by the Vicksburg Daily News, a man was seen riding a horse on the interstate near the Wisconsin Ave overpass. The Vicksburg Animal Shelter’s supervisor Kasey Lindsey made initial contact with the owner on Monday, October 14, due to horses not being allowed to live in the city limits.

The owner provided proof of purchase, but the horses conditioned was not accurately given by the previous owner. The owner had medication for the horse’s wound and the feed to feed him, according to Lindsay. She then told him to continue caring for the horse and was given a week to move the horse out of the city limits, and under no circumstances should the horse be rode or saddled.

After the incident on the interstate, the horse was removed from custody of the owner and was taken to a local vet’s office. The horse has since been taken into custody under court order by the Vicksburg Animal Shelter and the Mississippi Horses, a horse rehab organization located in Canton, Mississippi, has been given temporary custody to care for the animal.

According to Lindsey, the horse has six plus months of recovery time at a minimum.

By the court order, the owner has five days to contest the seizure of the horse. If contested, the owner has three days to post the bond for the horse, which was set at $1000. If the bond is paid, he will have 14 days to set a court date, where he must prove his capabilities of caring for the horse.

According to Mississippi Horses, the man had bought the horse a few weeks ago for $700 without a place to keep him. They also stated he had previously been warned that the malnourished horse was unrideable. The owner has since been charged with animal cruelty.

The orginization is seeking donations to help for the rehabilitation of the horse. The current veterinarian bill is $1200. You can donate here.

MississippiHorses.org was created by Stephanie Billingsley to establish a network of horse lovers interested in the welfare of equines in Mississippi. She realized through her volunteer work with various rescue groups that there is a need for more safe places where abused, neglected and abandoned horses can to go to regain their health and be re-homed without danger of going to auction where they are at risk of being shipped to the slaughter plant. She and her husband, Bill, decided to put their two farms to use and are providing the land and facilities for horses in need.