WHY HORSES ARE FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS IN OHIO’S CRUELTY LAWS

I've seen just about every type of human tragedy imaginable. But nothing prepares you for walking onto a property and seeing a horse standing in mud up to its fetlocks, ribs pushing through its skin, eyes dull the way only a starving horse’s eyes become dull.

A dog in that condition would send shockwaves through an entire county.

A cat left without food or vet care would make headlines.

But a horse?

In Ohio, too often the system shrugs.

Not because people don’t care.

But because our laws simply weren’t written for the horses we have today—recreational horses, pleasure horses, lesson horses, retired show horses, therapy horses, backyard companions, and family pets who stand somewhere between “livestock” and “beloved companion.”And because they fall between categories, they often fall through the cracks.

This is the story of why it happens, how it happens, and what we must do to fix it.

THE LEGAL GAP NO ONE TALKS ABOUT

Ohio’s cruelty law (ORC 959.13) has two main sections:

1. Companion animals (dogs, cats, household pets)

• Strong penalties

• Prosecutable as felonies

• Clear standards

2. “Other animals” (livestock)

• Weak penalties

• Often misdemeanors at most

• Broad and outdated standards

• Often interpreted to default toward agricultural use

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Horses straddle both definitions — but don’t fully fit either.

A racehorse? Yes, that’s livestock but that is also a partner to a jockey. A broodmare on a breeding farm? Yes, that’s livestock but that is also a mare starting another generation. But a 19-year-old gelding who teaches children to ride?A horse retired from 4-H?A therapy horse?A trail horse kept at a boarding stable?

Legally, they are not companion animals.But they also aren’t treated like cattle, hogs, or poultry.

Yet the statute forces them into the same framework.

That mismatch—the space between legal definitions—is the crack they fall through.

WHY THAT CRACK CAUSES REAL-WORLD HARM

Investigators can’t charge what they need to charge

Most people don’t realize this, but many equine cruelty cases don’t get prosecuted, not because no crime occurred, but because:

• The law doesn’t match the facts.

• The standard for livestock is too vague.

• The penalties are too low to justify prosecution.

• Humane agents lack training in equine-specific evaluations.

• Counties without humane societies have no enforcement mechanism at all.

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If a dog is left without shelter or water in freezing temperatures, everyone knows it's illegal.

If a horse stands in the same freezing conditions, the legal standard becomes murky:“appropriate shelter for livestock as accepted in agricultural practice.”

What is “agricultural practice” for a school horse?For a backyard trail horse?For a boarded companion horse who has never seen a pasture?

The law doesn’t say.

So prosecutors hesitate. Law enforcement hesitates.Cases stall.

And horses suffer in silence.

The penalties for abusing a horse are weaker than abusing a hamster

I wish this were an exaggeration.

It isn’t.

Under the current structure:

• Abusing a hamster qualifies as a companion-animal offense.

• Abusing a horse often falls under the livestock section with weaker penalties.

When I explain this to legislators, they often pause and say,“That can’t be right.”

But it is.

And until the law updates the definition, the gap stays open.

Counties without humane societies have NO equine enforcement

This is the part that wakes me up at night.

Most counties in Ohio do not have humane societies.

And many of the ones that do exist:

• have no sworn humane agents

• have untrained agents

• have volunteer agents with no equine background

• have no funding

• are not governed or standardized in any way

• lack oversight, training, or structural support

• do not receive consistent continuing education

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A county without a humane society cannot initiate a cruelty investigation unless:

• a sheriff agrees to take the case, and

• the sheriff understands equine cruelty standards, and

• they are willing to pursue the case despite weak penalties.

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Many sheriffs are stretched thin and prioritize violent crime, drugs, theft, burglary, and domestic calls.

A skinny horse is simply not on the radar.

Not because they don’t care—but because the law doesn’t give them enough tools to act.

THE DAY THE SYSTEM FAILED A HORSE WHO DID EVERYTHING RIGHT

A few years ago, a humane about a gelding named Ranger. Ranger had carried kids at summer camps for nearly a decade. He was the kind of horse who tolerated beginners bouncing around on his back, the kind who licked the tears off a child’s face after her first fall.

He was gentle.He was patient.He was everything a horse should be.

He deserved to be protected.

But when Ranger grew older, slower, and less profitable, he was passed along to someone who “just wanted a horse in the field.” The first winter wasn’t too bad. The second was brutal.

When they first saw Ranger, he stood hunched against a windbreak, his ribs showing through a thick, matted coat. His hooves were long and curling. His water trough was frozen solid.

I did what most advocates do:

• Called the sheriff.

• Called the humane society (there wasn’t one).

• Called animal control (there wasn’t one).

• Filed a report anyway.

You know what happened?

Nothing.

Not because he wasn’t suffering. He was.Not because there wasn’t evidence. There was.

It was because:

• The county had no humane agent.

• The sheriff believed horses “tough it out.”

• The law offered no clear penalty worth pursuing.

• The abuse didn’t meet the agricultural standard.

Ranger died three weeks later.

We have never forgotten it.

He deserved better.

HOW THE LAW GOT THIS WAY

Horses used to live one life.They worked the fields, pulled plows, hauled lumber, and transported goods.They were unquestionably livestock.

But over the past 40 years:

• Horses became sport partners.

• Trail companions.

• Therapy animals.

• Family members.

• Retirement pets.

• Companions who don’t produce meat, milk, labor, or hides.

  
  

The law never adjusted.

We evolved.Our relationship with horses evolved.Their purpose evolved.

But the statute stayed frozen in time.

It’s like forcing a modern smartphone into a rotary phone docking station and wondering why nothing fits.

When a law doesn’t match reality, reality suffers.

In this case, the horses suffer.

WHY OHIOANS CARE THIS MUCH

I’ve met horse people from all over Ohio—4-H families, trail riders, show barns, backyard owners. They come from every background and every political identity.

But one thing unites them:

Horses cannot advocate for themselves, and people cannot stand watching them be mistreated.

Ask any lifelong horse owner about the first time they saw a truly neglected horse. Their voice changes. Their eyes change.

These are proud animals.Majestic animals.Animals who stand quietly beside us even when we don’t deserve it.

Seeing one broken down breaks something inside us too.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS THAT FUEL INACTION

1. “Horses are livestock, so they’re tougher.”

They are hardy, yes.But hardy animals feel pain all the same.

2. “Horses in fields don’t need shelter.”

Some don’t.But old horses, clipped horses, thin horses, and sick horses absolutely do.

3. “A horse can eat snow for water.”

This is false.This myth kills horses every single winter.

4. “If a horse has hay, it must be fine.”

A starving horse can be standing beside a round bale.

Weight loss is not just about feed. Dental issues alone can make a horse starve with food right in front of them.

“Agricultural standards apply, so the horse is legally protected.”

No—those standards apply to cattle and hogs.Horses are not cows.They need different care.The law does not reflect that.

WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE

To fix the cracks, Ohio must:

1. Add a definition for recreational/sport/pleasure horses

This does NOT change livestock status, zoning, taxes, or agriculture. It simply lets prosecutors apply the companion-animal cruelty penalties where appropriate.

2. Strengthen penalties for equine abuse

A starving horse should not be treated as a minor misdemeanor.

3. Require humane agents to have equine-specific training

You cannot investigate what you do not understand.

4. Create consistent statewide standards

So enforcement does not depend on your ZIP code.

5. Ensure every county has access to an investigator trained in equine welfare

This is the only way to prevent Ranger’s story from repeating.

THE HORSE WHO LIVED BECAUSE SOMEONE CALLED

Not every story ends like Ranger’s.

Another humane society got a call from a neighbor about a mare named Willow. She was thin—very thin—but still bright-eyed. They drove out expecting the worst.

What they found instead was a horse whose owner simply didn’t know what they didn’t know.

• The mare had dental issues.

• She couldn't chew hay.

• The owner didn’t realize senior horses need different feed.

• No malicious intent—just ignorance.

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They got her vetted.We got her on the right feed.We educated the owner.Willow recovered.

Sometimes cruelty is malice.Sometimes cruelty is ignorance.Both require better laws.

Because good owners deserve guidance.And bad owners deserve accountability.

WHAT OHIOANS CAN DO RIGHT NOW

You don’t need to be a lawyer or legislator to fight for horses.

Here’s what actually moves the needle:

• Join advocacy groups in your region.

• Attend virtual meetings.

• Share educational content.

• Document and report neglect.

• Email or call your representative.

• Support equine-experienced humane agents.

• Help connect counties with training resources.

• Be a voice, because horses cannot dial 911.

  
  

Every horse deserves the dignity of proper care.Every horse deserves shelter, clean water, vet care, and freedom from suffering.Every horse deserves a law that sees them the way we see them.

Ohio has the chance to close the gap—finally.

Not by redefining what a horse is.Not by changing their place on farms.But by correcting a legal oversight that allows abuse to go unpunished.

Ranger deserved better.Every horse does.

Let’s be the generation that fixes this.

1. Why are horse cruelty cases harder to prosecute in Ohio?

Because horses are legally treated as livestock rather than companion animals, meaning penalties are weaker and standards are vaguer.

2. Does the Equine Partner Protection Act change horses from livestock to pets?

No. It only creates a definition within the criminal code to apply appropriate penalties. Taxes, zoning, and agricultural laws stay the same.

3. Why aren’t humane agents handling more horse cases?

Many counties have no humane societies, no agents, or agents without equine training—leading to inconsistent enforcement.

4. Are penalties for horse abuse really lower than for dog or cat abuse?

Yes. Under current law, abusing a horse often results in lower penalties than abusing a companion animal.

5. What is the biggest legal gap in Ohio’s equine protection laws?

The lack of a definition for recreational/sport/pleasure horses within the criminal code, causing enforcement challenges.

6. How can the public help improve horse welfare in Ohio?

By joining advocacy groups, attending meetings, supporting legislation, reporting neglect, and educating their communities.