So long as you honestly and with good reason believe that the horse is being neglected so that its life or health are jeopardized, then you are protected. Even if it turns out that you were wrong, you are protected by the law. However, if you have a pre-existing grudge against the owner of the horse, or have not carefully considered the matter and are calling law enforcement on a whim, you may not be protected. Calling in a report of a neglected horse is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly. Subsequent Legal Proceedings.
Legal authorities can proceed down the civil road, the criminal road, or both roads.
The civil road involves a hearing in a court within a few days after seizure of the horse in which the question is whether the horse should be kept or returned to the owner. You may be required to testify as a witness in that hearing. If the court decides not to return the horse to the owner because they are probably neglected, then they will be cared for by the county or a private organization. Later, there may be another hearing in which the question of neglect will be finally determined by a court. If the court determines in the second hearing that there actually was neglect, then the court can terminate the ownership rights of the owner and give ownership to the county or the private organization caring for the horse.