HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - Connecticut secures the temporary custody of fifteen neglected horses from vacant land in Lebanon.
The Attorney General's office filed a petition in Hartford Superior Court against Stirrup Fun Stables owner Jeanna Prink and employee and horse owner Ashley Sackschewsky so the state could get temporary custody of the horses while a hearing continues in the case.
Prink operated the stables as a horse rescue farm, as well as a business offering trail rides and lessons.
The alleged abuses started to come to light in May, 2024, when two rescue horses wandered from the property and were trapped in mud, requiring 50 volunteers over a span of five hours to save them.
In September 2024, the Department of Agriculture received a complaint of underfed horses in poor condition, lacking adequate shelter and clean water, and being ridden while suffering debilitating medical conditions.
Further investigation from the state found eight horses weren't fit for riding and that 18 horses required restrictions.
On May 7, the Department of Agriculture learned 15 of the horses were abandoned on a 50-acre plot of undevelopped land at 744 Trumbull Highway in Lebanon.
The state found 15 horses there, with no infrastructure to support the care or feeding of horses and no shelter.
The open pasture field was surrounded by thick woods with brambles and prickers.
There was a small pond at one end of the property filled with algae, plants, and bugs, making it unclean to drink.
The State believes the horses were left in this open field for days, completely exposed to the elements, including significant periods of torrential rain.
The horses are now being cared for at the Department of Agriculture’s Second Chance Large Animal Rehabilitation Facility in Niantic.
An investigation into the case continues.
