On Oct. 16, a concerned citizen advised the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Idaho’s Challis Field Office that two domestic horses in extreme duress had been seen south of Challis, on Spar Canyon Road, approximately six miles west of Highway 93.

Law enforcement rangers from the Idaho Falls District proceeded to the area and located two horses that were suffering from extreme malnutrition, dehydration, and physical abuse.

Both horses were loaded into a trailer and transported to a veterinarian, where they were each given a body condition score of 1 to 1½ on the 9-point scale. A ranger maintained control of the horses and oversaw their metered feeding and watering for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, one of the horses died less than 12 hours after being located and removed. The remaining horse is slowly gaining weight and is expected to survive.

The investigation into the abandonment of these domestic horses is ongoing. Possible violations include committing cruelty to animals, creating a hazard or nuisance, and abandoning personal property