20+ horses in poor condition taken from Elizabeth City property

More than 20 horses were taken from a property just west of Elizabeth City, the Pasquotank County Sheriff's Office told News 3 on Thursday.

The sheriff says they got a call for a welfare check at Skyward Pines Equestrian Center on West Main Street Extension. The sheriff's office says they worked with the U.S. Equine Rescue League to evaluate the horses and the horses were found to be in poor condition.

Two horses are being rehomed, four of the horses will be returned to the owners on Friday and 17 horses will either be surrendered or seized to the U.S. Equine Rescue League, the sheriff's office says.

Watch related content: Sheriff's office seizes 40+ abused dogs, horses from Carrollton home

The health of the 23 horses was evaluated using the Henneke Body Conditioning Scoring System that ranges from 1-9, with 1 being "poor" and 9 being "extremely fat," the sheriff's office says. The average rating of the horses was 1.9, the sheriff's office added.

No charges have been filed against the horse's owners as of now. The sheriff says their first priority is the welfare of the horses.

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