Update: Starving Horses Found In Tulsa Co.

By Emory Bryan, The News On 6

TULSA COUNTY -- The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office continues to look into the status of some horses that appeared to be neglected when The News On 6 first saw them last week.

The veterinarian, who was called by deputies, believes a couple of the horses were hungry, but none of them were starving. Tulsa County Sheriff's deputies responded Friday to a report of neglected horses in a 40 acre pasture near Skiatook.

They found one dead and several which looked thin. Some of the horses had stripped the bark off trees, but according to the veterinarian who looked over the situation, that is not always an indication of hunger.

"I see horses eat bark off trees that have plenty of pasture and plenty of hay," said Dr. Mike Alexander, veterinarian.

Alexander says the pictures taken Friday by The News On 6 showed a couple of horses that needed attention. He examined the one which died and determined it wasn't from malnutrition.

11/20/09 Related Story: Horses Found Starving In Tulsa County

After the story aired on The News on 6, someone moved out the thinnest horses, but the sheriff's department doesn't know where.

Four others were left behind and appear to be in good shape.

The veterinarian who examined the four horses got there after the others have been moved, but he says there's enough grass in the pasture for them, and should have been enough there for the others to at least keep from starving.

The sheriff's department says deputies still want to talk with the owner and make sure the other horses are thriving.

Dr. Alexander says he has seen more cases lately of horses going hungry.

"I think it's a little more common in the last year maybe, and the economy might have something to do with that. People have to decide themselves or the horses and it gets to be like that," Alexander said.

According to Dr. Alexander, horses sometimes eat bark, he believes out of a need for fiber and sometimes out of boredom.

The sheriff's office says deputies are trying to find the owner, but say with no confirmation of animal cruelty, they will not be pursuing any charges.