MILFORD, MI — The owner of a Milford trail riding company wants her horses back after they were seized by county officials last week.
On Aug. 13, Oakland County animal control officers seized 38 horses from the High Vibes Trail Rides after officials said they received complaints about inappropriate treatment and inadequate care of the horses.
High Vibe owner Lucille Ptasznik demanded the horses, which are worth roughly $364,000, be returned to her in an 80-page lawsuit.
Her lawyer, Todd Flood said animal control officers with the county inspected the horses on July 16 and gave them a clean bill of health.
"The County recorded in its own report that the horses
were in good shape with access to proper nutrition, water, and shelter," Flood wrote in the lawsuit.
He added that all 37 horses were inspected, and on average, received perfect health scores during a regularly scheduled veterinary visit on July 30.
"Every horse used in the operation is a working animal that is tacked, mounted, ridden, and handled on a near-daily basis by paid staff and observed at close range by paying members of the public," Flood wrote in the lawsuit.
Flood went on to say that the investigation started after bogus complaints were made by a disgruntled former employee who was fired from the trail riding company in June.
The former employee told the Detroit Free Press that she saw Ptasznik hitting the horses with pitchforks and flags. She also told the newspaper that the horses were not being fed properly and were being forced to drink dirty water with manure in it.
Ptasznik's boyfriend, Jason Roberts, called the accusations a "disgusting witch hunt." He also pushed backed on social media photos showing horses in poor condition with injuries, saying Ptasznik doesn't own or house them.
"Many of the horses circulated online are horses she doesn't even own. There are pictures of injuries and wounds that never took place at her property. This is a disgusting witch hunt, and it's gone way too far, and it needs to stop," Roberts told reporters.
Animal control officials did not release any photos of the seized horses, only noting they were in various health conditions. The horses were taken to Horses' Haven, a rescue facility in Howell.
To avoid forfeiture, Ptasznik was ordered to pay $63,478.60 by Aug. 26 to cover the first 30 days of care, according to the lawsuit.
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