SAN DIEGO — New drone video is giving a new look at the horses living on a property that's at the center of a San Diego County animal services investigation.
CBS 8’s Anna Laurel returned, this time a little further away, and with a drone to capture video of the property from above.
When the county was first called to the property on March 17, they said they believe there were 40-60 horses.
Video captured by drone shows fewer than 40 horses. There’s also a barn on the property, so horses could be in there.
Audrey Reynolds has owned horses most of her life and has operated Saving Horses Inc. in Encinitas for 16 years. She was seen with horses at this property numerous times from the road.
Reynolds has been involved with San Diego County animal abuse investigations before. She explained the process since the county says it can’t share details during an active investigation.
“I would like to know that an equine veterinarian has been hired to the county to come out and access these horses or has the county negotiated with the owner that she will bring her own vet out here to go through these horses one by one to make sure their needs are taken care of," Reynolds said.
The San Diego County Department of Animal Services told CBS 8 animal control officers have been to the property and have spoken with property owner Debra Barkely and her personal veterinarian at least ten times since March 17.
They were at the property just last week because an elderly horse died in a pasture, trapped in mud.
“It was very sad she had to perish and die the way that she did. When my horses have to be put to sleep, they're surrounded by love and they're put to sleep in a humane manner. If they thought this mare was getting toward the end of her life, they probably should have given her humane euthanasia before it got to the stage where she lay down in a pool of mud one day and couldn't get up," Reynolds said.
Reyolds says it’s also imperative that a horse specialist is on the investigative team.
"We need an equine vet out here that can look around at these horses and say these horses are very lame. Or this one probably has a joint disease or this horse should be on some type of anti-inflammatory medication each day. Only an equine vet, a so-called horse specialist, can go through a horse head to toe to say what might be wrong with the horses," Reynolds said.
The county says they sent animal control officers to the property and that some have large animal specialties, but they would not confirm if any are horse specialists.
California Penal Code 597(b) requires protection from the weather. We showed Reynolds our drone video. She says, “There's clearly no shelter out here. We've had a very cold, wet winter. A lot of these horses have probably suffered not being able to get away from the driving cold and wind. Especially these older horses, they have trouble regulating their body temperature.”
Chuck Westerheide with the San Diego County Department of Animal Services says, “It takes as long as it takes.”
“This is a full time job, this is not just throw horses in the yard and throw them some hay this is a full time commitment,” she said.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego County investigating ranch with sick, dying horses (April 2023).