Twenty-one horses are heading to a better place to live after being stuck in the mud with outgrown hooves and no dry place to rest them.
The state seized the horses, including 13 miniature horses, 10 adult minis, three juveniles and a 10-day-old foal Monday from an owner in Kent.
The state started investigating in April when someone complained about the condition of horses on Mountain View Road.
The horses they found were thin, in poor condition and kept in excess mud without access to dry ground or shelter, state officials said.
The horses also had not seen a vet. Some had what seemed liked skin infections and outgrown hooves, the state said.
The horses were taken to Second Chance, located on the grounds of the Gates Correctional Institution in Niantic, where a vet will check them. The state Department of Agriculture will take care of them with some help from prison inmates.
They will not be available for adoption until they have recovered.
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No one has been charged and the department is working with prosecutors to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.
