Two allegedly maltreated horses removed from a Berkeley County, S.C., property earlier this month will soon be heading to a new home at singer Willie Nelson’s Texas ranch.

According to documents provided by the Berkeley County Attorney’s Office, in February Berkeley County Animal Control Department personnel responded to a complaint about alleged undernourished and injured horses residing on a property in Summerville. Two of the allegedly maltreated animals–a 12-year-old Thoroughbred mare and a 3-year-old Medicine Hat Paint Stallion–were removed from the property by animal control authorities and placed in the care of the Livestock and Equine Awareness and Rescue Network (LEARN), said LEARN Founder Elizabeth Steed. Steed said that at the time of their removal the stallion had a body condition score of 0.5 on the Henneke Body Condition scale. The animal also had severe chemicals burns on his body, possibly from a mixture of kerosene and spent motor oil that might have been applied in an effort to treat rain rot, she said.

Following an investigation, the Department charged the horses’ owner, Dwight McCloud, with multiple counts of failing to provide appropriate care for the animals. McCloud was unavailable for comment.

The horses’ caught Willie Nelson’s attention when a Charleston, S.C., television news reporter sent the singer a copy of a her taped interview with Steed