06.22.09 (updated with new pictures and info 07.12.09)<= o:p>

This is information about Carolina Polo and Carriage Company pertaining to their horses (draft and polo) that I was hired to care for. I am able to recall this information using my copies of the invoices sent to Robert Knoth and my personal notes, pictures and calendars.

I was employed by Robert Knoth in July 2007 to start feeding at the Seese’s farm on July 19, 2007. When I arrived, I could tell that these horses were being neglected = and I called Richard Knoth to let him know that his barn manager, Ben, had not = been feeding these animals. There were 8 round bales of hay in the pasture but all the horses were underweight and looking of poor health. There was = one horse named Ice that was in worse shape and I advised Richard that she need= ed to be moved to a separate pasture (there were a total of 14 horses together= ) and seen by a vet. Since there wasn’t = another pasture at the Seese farm, I said they could move Ice to my farm to be cared for. He said Ice was old and a hard keeper. She has looked like that f= or a while but if I thought I could help her they would be happy to bring her because if animal control saw her they might not understand.

She is 16 hands and weighed 881lbs on 07.19.07.

I don’t have the exact day logged but during this time = on one of my visits to the farm I found a draft horse named Multree dead in the pasture. Richard didn’t think it w= as necessary to have the vet look at the body and guessed it was most likely colic. I called John Sterling at Sterling Farms to bury him at Seese farm.

On July 28, 2007 Joker, a downtown draft horse was seen= by Edisto Equine Clinic (EEC) and diagnosed with Anhydrosis. He had a high temp and high white blood= count indicating infection. He was put on antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds. On 08.06.07 Ice has gained 85 lbs, now weighing 966. On Wednesday, 08.08.07 Joker was brough= t to my house for care. I noted on that= week’s invoice he was having problems with his hooves. On 08.09.07 all the horses were wormed. The next notation was about Ice being lame, in desperate need of trimming which the Knoth’s asked me to take care of. This was done on 09.06.07.

On 10.21.07 Tavaru, a polo pony was colicing at the farm and the Knoth’s didn’t want a vet to come. They said they could bring her to my house to watch. I was able to get her to drink oil and alfalfa tea. I gave her 10cc of ba= namine and she was able to pass manure. S= he was returned to the farm on 10.23.07. = The Knoth’s were playing polo at this time so the farrier trimmed and shod all the hors= es. Ben was unable to catch Blast, a polo p= ony, at the farm so she too was brought to my house for boarding. On November 1.2007 Robert Knoth decided= he was paying too much money to me for boarding so Ben returned Ice to the farm with my strong objections. She wei= ghed 1001lbs. Joker had periodic vet vi= sits, corrective shoes from the farrier and I was keeping him cool because of his anhydrosis. I start asking Ben for wormer for the horses numerous times. I kept getting the run around. On 01= .01.08 Ice coliced. She doesn’t do well a= t the farm because the other horses “hen peck” her, she drops weight, now 949, and once again they don’t want a vet called, complaining about their vet bills. She was brought to my house= and I did my best to help her but she was still struggling on 01.09.08 so finally= the vet was called to tube her. On the same day three draft horses arrived at t= he farm for “vacation”. This was the = first I had seen of any of them besides Joker and Multree. I didn’t note which ones but I don’t re= member any black drafts. Imagine six mont= hs downtown in stalls with half a bag of shavings and one gallon of bleach. One of the vets said to me that they ha= ted going downtown because of the fumes, bleach mixed with urine. I was also so frustrated with them not = buying wormer, five months now, that I paid for it and put it on my invoice for 01.10.08. The horses were wormed on 01.12.08.

Joker was doing much better during the cooler months and polo games were over so Joker and Blast were returned to the Seese farm on 01.15.08. On 02.06.08 Prussia, a p= olo pony, coliced. Ben advised that Mr. Knoth didn’t want vet or boarding care. He advised me to give her 10cc Banamine and leave her. She lived. I started asking for wormer.

On 02.26.08 I purchased wormer again and put it on my invoice. Robert Knoth said that I = was worming them too much and acted as though he wouldn’t pay me back but eventually did. On 04.05.08 Tavaru= , polo pony, came up extremely lame. Ben brought her to my house for rest and so I could have her trimmed. They only trim and shoe before their se= asons in fall and spring. In between they expect the horses to throw their own shoes and let the dirt trim the hooves down. Many of the ponies come up l= ame during this process. I was also to= ld by Ben during this time that Rose and Jody Seese were complaining that the hor= ses looked underweight so I needed to throw them more hay. I explained to Ben that the way I am ex= pected to feed the horses, together with ground feeders, most of the tubs get dump= ed and all the food dumps in the sand, causing the sand colic. They also changed their feed to “econom= y” and the horses did look very bad. Ben = said he too, was having to feed more downtown, compensating for the inferior feed. I asked him to talk to Mr. K= noth about moving the horses to my farm. On 03.30.08 Ice coliced again.

On 04.29.08 sometime after I left the farm, Drayton, a draft from downtown, was dumped at the farm. No one even called to tell me I had an extra horse. On 04.30.08 Joker was acting upset with something in the back of the field so I walked out and found Drayton in the back behind trees. He was lying on= the ground, covered in sweat, refusing to get up. At first I thought colic so I ran back to my truck to grab Banamine = and a bucket of water. I ran back, gav= e him the shot and dumped the bucket of water on him. I called Ben to get a vet and ask what happened. Ben said that Drayton was fine when he = left him but must be colicing now. I was naïve for believing. Ben said Mr. = Knoth wouldn’t let him leave the barn to help me and transport him to my farm. Ben called the vet to authorize a visit= . I kept brining Drayton buckets of water, which he drank until full, so I knew it wasn’t colic. Grayson Carter, from EEC, arrived around 2:00pm and I was able to get Drayton up but he was having spasms in all four legs. He would shake each one out = before he could put it back down again. T= he vet, Grayson, drew blood and tubed him but she was at a loss as to what was= the matter. Grayson would only say may= be it was neurological. Ben was finally = able to transport Drayton to my house at 7:00pm. I gave him more Banamine and started rubbing all his legs with linim= ent oil. He laid down three more times during the next 24 hours. I would = let him stay down for a couple of hours to rest before forcing him to get back = up again. Grayson was worried he woul= d stop blood flow if down too long. Stand= ing or lying down the spasms never stopped. Grayson was called out by me for another customer around 10:00pm on 05.01.08. While she was tubing the= other animal we saw Drayton go down again. When she was finished, she walked over to check Drayton and was concerned about his lethargic actions. We tried to get him up in vain. We tied ropes to his legs and rolled him from side to side. We threw buckets of water directly in h= is face. He wouldn’t even try to move= . After playing the game of calling Ben t= o say the horse needed to be put down, waiting for Ben to call Mr. Knoth (Mr. Kno= th won’t answer my phone calls unless he has told Ben to have me call him dire= ct), Ben calling back saying Mr. Knoth said Grayson couldn’t put him down, Grays= on getting Mr. Knoth’s phone number and leaving him a message, waiting for Mr. Knoth to call back finally around 11:45pm. I could hear through Grayson’s phone, Mr. Knoth arguing that Drayton= was fine and didn’t need a vet or to be put down. He said he never authorized this visit. She explained she was here for another customer. He finally relented when Grayson explai= ned she had consulted with Dr. Malark and he concurred. We put him down at midnight. I called John Sterling at Sterling Farm= s to bury Drayton in my pasture on 05.02.08.

At this point I am so frustrated with the lack of care = that I can provide at the Seese Farm, I call Ben again to complain on 05.03.08.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> He said that Mr. Knoth really doesn’t w= ant to move the horses and that Richard is concerned about their lack of privacy a= t my farm. I complain about how moldy a= nd dirty the hay is, the “economy” feed and how Mr. Knoth isn’t saving money (= $1 a bag) because I am feeding double and the horses are still losing weight, I = ask if he would be bring anymore drafts for “vacation” since it had been since January 2008, I complain again about the gas leaking from the water pump (w= ater is pumped from pond recently dug and water always has a oily film on it), w= ater quality and hoses leaking. Jody Se= ese has seen me at the farm and complained that the horses are destroying his fences (eating the wood), gates and wire for the electric is down. He told me that it is the Knoth’s responsibility for the upkeep at the farm. Ben said he would relay all this to Mr. Knoth. On 05.06.08 a different hose was brough= t out with more holes. I called Ben and complain again.

On 05.08.08 Joker was in the back of the pasture at the= Seese farm. He was not sweating, panting= and refusing to come up to eat. I gave= him 20cc Banamine. I called Ben, Ben c= alled Mr. Knoth, Ben called me back to say Mr. Knoth refused vet care and boardin= g at my house. Ben told me to come back= in the afternoon to check him. Joker = was still alive. I didn’t log the date= but very close to this date Ben picked up Joker and took him downtown to work.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> On 05.27.08 Ben arrived to take Ice bac= k to the Seese farm. I tried to protest especially since she had not been wormed since February and I knew she would colic soon. I don’t agree that Ice= is a “hard keeper” but her system isn’t very strong and she must have psyllium monthly, wormed regularly, she can’t chew hay (she cuds it up) so she needs= senior feed and I give her soaked alfalfa cubes in place of hay. At the Seese farm I can pull her out separately to feed her but since it was only a one time a day feed, I wasn’t able to give her the quantity of feed at one time that she needs to sustain= her weight (4 quarts senior feed with 2 quarts dry cubes, then soaked). Ben told me to buy wormer again and cha= rge Mr. Knoth. I explained that Mr. Kn= oth complained about having to pay me the last time so I wasn’t comfortable doi= ng that. I asked if I could just pick= wormer up at Cordray’s Feed Store where they have an account and Ben said no.

On 05.30.08 when I arrived at Seese farm I saw Prussia lying on the ground. She got up wh= en she saw me but when I fed her she took one bite and dropped to the ground to roll. I grabbed her and gave her 1= 0cc of Banamine. I called Ben to request = a vet, he called Mr. Knoth for permission, Ben called back and said Mr. Knoth said= no to vet care. I said to Ben that she is very bad and I= can hardly keep her off the ground. Pr= ussia and I are walking and every time I stop, her legs start shaking and she tri= es to drop down. I said to call Mr. K= noth back and say I would call the police if a vet wasn’t called (I had absolute= ly no experience with animal abuse and who the proper authorities are). Ben called back and gave permission for= the vet. Sally Banner with EEC arrived around 11:00am and checked Prussia. She advised that Prussia needed to go to the clinic because she had a large col= on impaction and there was a possibility that she needed surgery if she was twisted. I called Ben who in turn = called Mr. Knoth. Ben called back and sai= d Mr. Knoth wouldn’t allow Ben to leave downtown to transport Prussia to EEC until 3:00pm. During this time I stayed = with Prussia, walking her so she wouldn’t roll. Prussia stayed at EEC until 06.04.08 and Mr. Knoth was charged $1219= .65 for her care. Ben brought her to m= y farm for after care until 06.08.08 when he returned her to the Seese farm.<= /o:p>

I attached a proposal to my invoice on 06.07.08 compari= ng the price Mr. Knoth pays for horse care at the Seese farm to what I would charge him. I went into detail as = to the benefits to his pocket but more importantly the benefit to the horses. I was concerned that Ben wasn’t relayin= g the information to Mr. Knoth about how brutal the Seese farm was to his horses = not just internally but all the external wounds that I addressed daily due to t= he horses fighting. A short time late= r Mr. Knoth and Richard came to my farm to see where I would keep the horses. They both said it looks great and they = would most likely bring the horses on 07.01.08 when their time was up at the Seese farm. On 06.15.08 Ben finally gav= e me wormer for the horses. It was almo= st four months since the last time.

These are pictures that I was given of Beauregard worki= ng in Spring of 2008. He obviously was foundering and malnourished. His h= ooves are green colored. Anna Hendrix, an employee of Carolina Polo, filed a complaint with animal control about Beau= ’s condition. Nothing was done. She warned me later that the city prote= cted the Knoth’s.

On 07.15.08, sometime after my feeding, Ben once again dropped off a draft horse without informing me that I had an extra horse on= the farm. My concern for notification = was that the pasture was approximately 30 acres and there were trees in the bac= k of the pasture, making it easy to miss a sick animal. Every morning as I drove down the drive= way on the farm I would start counting horses and looking to see if one was on the ground. I can’t explain the sense = of dread I felt going there, expecting to find one of them dead.

I arrived on 07.16.08 and I found one of the draft hors= es named Beauregard (Beau) lying down in the back of the pasture. As I ran out to him, he stood up and tr= ied to walk to me. He was grossly underwe= ight and extremely lame. I called Ben v= ery upset and he informed me the Beau had been foundering for a while downtown = and the farrier advised Mr. Knoth to take some weight off so some of the pressu= re could be relieved from his hooves. Beau still had on shoes with the rubber soles attached. The shoes were barely attached since mo= st of the hoof wall was gone. Ben said B= eau was being treated by the farrier (Jim Shelby) so there was no need to call = the vet. I still demanded that he at l= east be brought to my farm so he wouldn’t have to fight off 14 other horses. Ben got permission and I had purchased a truck and trailer so I did the transport. Within a day or two, Beau lost both of his front shoes taking more h= oof wall with each one. Ben told me to= save the shoes, that he was coming to my farm to take the rubber part off the hi= nd leg shoes because they were expensive and Mr. Knoth was angry that he forgot them. I asked if he could take the= rest of the shoe off Beau’s hind legs but he said he wasn’t a farrier and Mr. Kn= oth wouldn’t pay for a farrier to come out to my farm for one horse. I was told later by John Sterling that = he was about to bury a draft horse on their property, that died downtown, when Mr. Knoth called his grandfather and told him to get the rubbers off of that ho= rse before he went in the ground.

On 07.31.08 at approximately 1:00pm, I received a phone call from a friend downtown who said they saw one of Carolina Polo’s draft horses pulling a carriage full of people collapse on King Street. I asked if they knew which one and they= said no. The only draft horses that had= been to the farm since January were Joker and Beau so I knew the others must hor= ribly tired. Approximately 5:00pm, Ben = called and said he was 15 minutes away from my farm with Joker and he was colicing= a little. I asked if the vet had been called and he said no, it wasn’t a bad colic. Joker was just “off” in the morning so they gave him Banamine and se= nt him to work it off. I asked if Jok= er was the one who went down on King Street and Ben laughed saying that’s Joker. Mr. Knoth and Ben had always talked abo= ut how lazy and slow Joker was but they still loved him because he was their origi= nal horse and everyone downtown knew Joker by name. They said the drivers really had to push Joker to get him back to the barn in an hour to pick up his next load. I was watching Joker and he just looked lethargic, not the normal co= lic I had seen so far. I gave Joker oi= l and alfalfa which he ate readily and later witnessed him pass manure so I belie= ved he was ok. I knew last year he suf= fered from Anhydrosis so I asked Ben if he had been sweating and were his temps g= ood and Ben said yes. I started checki= ng his temps over the next week and a half and they were 102 – 103. I never saw him sweat so in mid afterno= on I would spray him down with cool water and I kept him in the shade. (I had not built my stall yet.) On 08.11.08 Ben called and said Mr. Kno= th was complaining that Joker didn’t need to be at my house anymore and he was tir= ed of pay boarding at two different farms. I asked if Mr. Knoth was still thinking about moving the horses to my farm and Ben said Mr. Knoth wanted to but he was waiting for Richard to ret= urn to Charleston. Ben said Mr. Knoth = really wanted to bring them but Richard changed his mind due to lack of privacy. I told Ben that there wasn’t enough sha= de at the Seese farm to protect Joker and he would also be fighting other horses.= Ben said Mr. Knoth said to return him.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> On 08.17.08 I arrived to the Seese farm= in the morning and saw Joker dead in the pasture. I called Ben and he told me to call Sterling Farms to have them bury him. Sterling Farms advised me tha= t they wouldn’t be able to make it out until Monday afternoon. I told Ben and he asked if you could se= e his body from the road because Mr. Knoth was concerned that people driving by w= ould see him. I said I had covered him = up with a tarp. This was the first ti= me that I realized these animals were “disposable” to Ben and the Knoths.

On 09.04.08 Ben called and said Mr. Knoth said for me to take Beau to the farm. I said he w= asn’t ready, he was still lame and at my farm he is alone in my round pen, no oth= er horses to push him. I said his hoo= ves still haven’t grown back enough for the farrier to put on corrective shoes = and I thought they said he was foundering. Why would Mr. Knoth send him back? Ben said again Mr. Knoth didn’t want to pay double board. I refused and said if they want him bac= k they would have to do it. Ben arrived l= ater that night, picked Beau up and returned him to the Seese farm. On 09.13.08 at 9:30am, I arrived to the= Seese farm and found Beau lying down in the pasture. I was able to get him to stand up and I gave 2 grams of Bute for pain. I called Ben, who called Mr. Knoth, and Ben called me back to give me permission to call EEC. Dr. Malark called me back and said to g= ive Beau 10cc Banamine and to call him back in 1 hour to see if Beau was better= . I called back in 1 hour to let Dr. Mala= rk know that Beau was the same. He advised= he wouldn’t make it to the farm until 2:30pm. I called Ben to let him know and to see if Mr. Knoth would allow me = to bring Beau back to my farm. Ben ca= lled back and said Mr. Knoth said no. D= r. Malark tubed Beau to get fluids in him when he arrived because he was dehydrated and he gave me medicine and instructions for Beau’s hooves. (3 grams Bute, 40cc pentoxifylline, 30 Isoxsuprine Hydrochloride tabs and 1 tablespoon powdered aspirin) He wanted to take x-rays but there is no electricity at the Seese farm. I c= alled Ben to give him the update and to find out if I could transport Beau back t= o my farm. Ben called Mr. Knoth and he = said Mr. Knoth wanted me to put Beau back in the pasture and they would bring him downtown for x-rays later.

Nazareth ended up being at the bottom of the pecking or= der when Ice was at my farm. She got i= nto one fight in the beginning of September '08 as you can see from the picture= s). She was lame on her left hind leg from a kick, she had multiple marks on her body and her right eye was puffy/wet.

On 09.14.08 I arrived at 9:00am and saw Ice on the ground. She was acting lethargic s= o I called Ben to let him know she was probably about to colic. I asked if I could bring her to my farm= along with Beau who still could barely walk. He called Mr. Knoth and said I could bring them and for me to schedu= le x-rays for Beau. I transported bot= h to my farm and made Ice a loose mash. She was laying down most of the day but at 7:00pm she started to roll. I called Ben who called EEC. Dr. Malark advised that he couldn’t do = a home visit so we needed to transport her directly to the clinic. Mr. Knoth said for me to take her. Dr. Malark said that she was impacted a= nd he tubed her. He advised that she nee= ded to stay at the clinic because she was underweight and not stable. Dr. Malark called Mr. Knoth and left a message advising Mr. Knoth to leave Ice at the clinic. I made numerous phone calls, leaving me= ssages for Mr. Knoth and Ben. Neither one= would answer their phone or return my calls. Dr. Malark wouldn’t allow me to leave Ice at the clinic without approval. I gave up approximately = at midnight and drove Ice back to my farm. I stayed up with her all night.

= Ice

= Beauregard

The next day, 09.15.08, Ben called in the morning to see how Ice was. I asked if he got my = phone calls and messages. He said no. I updated him on Ice and he asked if I = could do him a favor and meet a man at the Seese farm to unlock the gate and put = Cooper (a downtown draft) in the pasture. I asked what was wrong with Cooper and he said they just purchased two paint draft horses and didn’t have room for Cooper. I said no favor, that I would charge $10 for return visit. He said ok. This is the only draft that was allowed a break without being injured since January. <= /p>

Sally Banner from EEC did Beau’s x-rays and advised he = had rotated 18 degrees.

On 09.16.08 I arrived at the Seese farm and Chief (polo pony) was colicing. I called Ben w= ho called Mr. Knoth who said Chief didn’t need a vet. I had the option of leaving Chief at the Seese farm or I could bring him to my farm for care. I transported Chief to my farm. Ben also met the farrier at the farm to= put shoes on the polo ponies for the fall season. Once again the polo ponies went six months without a farrier. Chance (polo pony) was extremely lame a= week before the farrier and Ben said to just give her Bute until Jim Shelby arrived. Her hooves were extremely= long.

I don’t have the exact day logged but between 09.16.08 = and 09.20.08, Nazareth (polo pony) got caught up in wire from the fence at the Seese farm. She had a deep knife l= ike cut right above coronet on her left hind leg. I called Ben and he said he= would come out later that day to check her. I said she was in a lot of pain, hopping now because she still hurt from the earlier fight and it was a very deep cut that I thought it needed stitches. He said to just give her= Bute and he would take care of it. I do= n’t believe he notified Mr. Knoth. Lat= er I called him and he told me it was only a superficial wound. I asked if he picked her leg up and act= ually looked at it. He got angry and sai= d he has seen a lot worse wounds and this was nothing, just give her Bute for a couple days.

On 09.20.08 at 2:00pm I heard Chief, coughing and gasping. I had no idea what was happening and quickly called Ben who didn’t answer. I heard Richard was back in Charleston = so I called him. He told me that Chief = was choking and it was very common with horses. He told me to take my forearm and push hard from the top of his neck= to the bottom. He said to firmly mass= age and push again. Nothing changed. He said to give him 10cc of banamine an= d 3cc of ace. I told him I didn’t know w= hat ace was. He was frustrated and I said my neighbor works at EEC so I would a= sk her. I drove to her house and she = gave me 1cc of Dorm instead. Richard sa= id to wait 1 hour and the hay that was choking Chief would pass on it’s own. I waited and nothing changed except he = had brown fluid pouring from his nose. I called Richard back to beg for a vet and he kept saying we didn’t need one. He said he has a lot of exper= ience with this and they always pass the blockage on their own. After numerous frantic phone calls, Ric= hard finally gave approval for a vet at approximately midnight. Grayson Carter from EEC arrived at 2:30= am to tube Chief, relieving him of the blocked hay. She said the blockage was very deep and without treatment Chief woul= d have eventually starved to death if he was in the wild. She was extremely upset to learn Chief = had been choking for 12 ½ hours.

I arranged a meeting downtown with Robert, Bobby and Richard Knoth to go over my proposal of moving the horses to my farm again. I explained again how much = better off the horses would be, receiving better care for less money than they were paying now. Richard said he though= t I should pay for the veterinary bills and all supplies for the price I was quoting. I explained again I was charging them over $1000 less then what they were paying now so why would I agree to that. Robert Knoth said he wanted to think about it some more but he wanted to see my farm again. Richard and Robert Knoth came out to lo= ok at the farm again and Robert said he would most likely move them 10.01.08.

On 10.03.08 Ben called me to say while he was exercising the polo ponies, Cooper (draft horse still wearing the metal shoes) kicked Blast (polo pony) in her left hind leg. Sally Banner from EEC checked Blast and gave care instructions to Ben who in turn gave to me. He said s= he needed her bandages changed, antibiotics and Bute for pain. I told Ben that I would charge $10 extr= a for wound care and $10 extra for the pm visit unless they wanted to board her w= ith me for the same $6 a day charge. H= e said to keep her at the farm and he was putting her in one of the 12x12 holding = pens Jody Seese had built. I argued that there wasn’t shelter from the sun in those pens and he said it was suppose = to be raining all week so she should be fine. On 10.06.08 Ben called and advised me that Mr. Knoth didn’t want to = pay the extra charge for care so Ben would come out every day to tend to Blast. Ben definitely came to the = farm on the 6^th and the 8^th but asked me to cover for him on the 7^th and he would pay= me out of his pocket. I marked her ba= ndage so I would know if he was actually changing them. Ben brought Blast to my farm to use my electricity on 10.08.08 so Sally Banner, from EEC, could x-ray her. Later Sally confirmed that Blast had a = broken splint bone and recommended surgery. Mr. Knoth declined surgery and opted to give the bone time to heal itself. Ben didn’t change her bandages, give her antibiotics or pain meds on October 9^th, 10^th and 11<= sup>th. During this time Richard had gone to the farm to check Blast and I asked if he loo= ked at Nazareth. He said he didn’t not= ice her. I reminded him that I have be= en giving her Bute for over two weeks and she was still bleeding. She had also been kicked by another hor= se on her other leg so she was hopping like a bunny to walk. He said he was sure if she was that bad= , he would of noticed. He also said I m= ust be wrong about Ben not caring for Blast because they were sending him out. I said I was positive he wasn’t and tha= t I was still giving Blast her Bute and antibiotics.

On 10.12.08 I arrived at the farm. It had rained again overnight and Blast= was standing in mud, her bandage was still not changed and not even covering the wound. She wouldn’t even put her l= eg down for more than a few seconds. I looked in the pasture, saw Nazareth still hopping and in pain. I broke down, called Mr. Knoth and said= I was going to quit if he didn’t let me bring Nazareth and Blast to my farm for care. I waited around one hour and nothing. I called the office numbe= r at the barn and his daughter Rhett answered the phone. I explained to her what was happening a= t the farm and that I was done with it. = I said to tell Mr. Knoth if he brought all the horses to my farm I wouldn’t charge= him anything until 11.01.08. She relay= ed the message to him and then called me back to say I could bring Blast and Nazar= eth to my house today with no charge and he would bring the rest of the horses = that week. I immediately transported th= em to my farm.

These are pictures of where she was kept on the Seese’s= farm.

Blast was one of the better looking horses from the farm because she was alpha mare until she was injured. Mr. Knoth said she was imported from Argentina (she cost $20000) where she won the “World Cup” in polo and this = is what they reduced her to. He said = he had owned her for many years along with Ice. I heard rumors that he hid Blast and Ice at a friend’s farm to stop = them from being confiscated by a judge. I have a hard time understanding why he would do all that and then treat them this way. They couldn’t even give = her clean bandages and just used the dirty wraps they used after the polo games= .

On 10.16.08 I brought my camera to the farm so I could = take pictures.

This is the pasture. Barely any shelter from the elements and it seemed to me a “waste land”. Water was pumped in from a = nearby pond that always had a film on it. I hated coming here always feeling a sense of dread, counting the horses as I drove down the road, praying they would all be alive and standing up. At least once a week one of them was ei= ther injured, colicing, dumped off from downtown or in two cases, dead.

The Knoth’s insisted the horses be fed from ground feed= ers even though I told them with 14 to 18 horses (including drafts sometimes) t= hey fight so hard, most of the food gets dumped on the ground. They didn’t want to use buckets attache= d to the fence because the owner (Jody Seese) didn’t want his fence destroyed.

These are “paddocks” that they put sick or injured hors= es in. I am being generous saying the= y are 12x12. I never officially measured them. There was no shelter so the = sun just beat down on them and if it rained they turned into a mud pit. (see Blast’s pictures) They didn’t even= have gates so they tied lead ropes across the entrance to keep the horses in.

The gates were broken and I would tie them up with bali= ng string but the horses broke the string trying to get to the grass. I saw Jody Seese a few times at the far= m and asked him to fix them but he refused saying it was the Knoth’s responsibility. =

Robert Knoth told me the Charleston Mounted Patrol was coming out to the Seese’s farm to test Chief and Dominique for their stable. I remember thinking “final= ly he will get caught” and “he must be stupid to invite mounted patrol (obviously horse lovers) to see these conditions. He insisted that they be kept in the “paddocks” so they didn’t have = to worry about catching them. This is= what Chief looked like.

This is Dominique. They both had to stay in these “paddocks” for five days waiting to be tested.

Ben told me the officers rode Chief and liked him but Dominique was crazy so they didn’t want him. The officers took Chief back to their stable and after coming to my = farm for a month or so, Ben gave Dominique to an employee that was going to race him.

Ben brought eight of the polo ponies to my farm on 10.18.08.

On 10.20.08 Ben came to my farm to pick up the horses f= or a polo game at approximately 2:00 pm. Around 8:00pm Ben called me and said to get ready because Pearl (polo pony) was colicing. He said she ju= st started about 15 minutes ago and he was about 15 minutes away. When he arrived it was obvious by Pearl= ’s actions that she had been colicing for hours or there was something else seriously wrong with her. Finally = Ben admitted that she started as soon as he pulled her off the trailer at the Marvin’s farm but he didn’t have any Banamine to give her so he tied her to= the trailer, stopping her from rolling. He said Mr. Knoth said no to the vet so I gave her Banamine and walked her unt= il she passed manure.

On 10.22.08 Ben delivered Cooper and Dominique so at this point all the horses from the See= se farm were now at my farm. I was st= ill pushing Ben to give me wormer.

On 10.15.08 Ben picked up Beau from my farm to get the farrier to put on corrective shoes. It took almost two months for his hoof walls to grow back long enough to hold = his shoes. Ben had tried to convince m= e that it was normal practice to cut the hoof wall back so when the rubber was attached to the metal shoe, the horse’s frog was still able to touch the gr= ound while he walked. I told him I didn= ’t understand that and I knew Palmetto Carriage’s drafts and mules weren’t shod like that. Ben also said not to pu= t any weight on Beau per Ben Shelby but a vet had looked at Beau as a favor to me= and said he was malnourished not underweight.

On 11.04.08 Ben finally gave me wormer, it had been 5 months.

Beau was doing much better, putting more weight on his front legs. On 11.12.08 I ran out = of Beau’s medicine and Mr. Knoth said to stop giving them.

On 12.07.08 Danny and Ashley arrived for “vacation”. It has been 11 months since Danny, Ashley and Winston had a break, three months for the paints and I still hadn’t seen Indigo or Samson. A friend told me about the cities muni-= code and when I looked it up I was horrified to find out what wasn’t being done. I was also told that when Be= au was downtown foundering and still working, she called animal control. She said an officer came to the barn and shook Mr. Knoth’s hand, telling what a clean barn he had. They laughed about all the anonymous complaints. I was told that since = Mr. Knoth was well “connected” in the city, including the mayor being a personal friend, if I complained about animal abuse he would just turn it on me and = find another sucker to care for his horses.

Grayson from EEC came out and floated most of the horse= ’s teeth during the third week in November. I also checked Beau, Cooper, Danny and Ashley for microchips which n= one of them had.

On 12.09.08 Beau started blowing abscesses on both front hooves right at the coronet band in the front. I called Ben when it started, asking for a vet, but he said Mr. Knoth checked with Jim Shelby and advised that this was normal as the hoof correc= ted itself. I reminded him we recently stopped his meds and his corrective shoes hadn’t been changed since 10.15.08. He had rubber pads so I couldn’t even clean his hooves. Fi= nally Mr. Knoth gave permission for Grayson Carter from EEC to come and check Beau. She took x-rays and found the rotation was gone. She said that h= is shoes needed to be changed at least every six weeks. She was very upset that they weren’t. She told me to start soaking Beau’s hoo= ves in Epsom Salt at least once a day to try and pull the abscesses out. On 01.07.09 Jim Shelby finally changed B= eau’s shoes. In the beginning of Februar= y Beau started blowing abscess above the coronet band. Jim Shelby came to my farm to look because I was so upset. He advised even this was normal.

On 02.11.09 Ben returned Cooper and Danny downtown beca= use the barn would be busy for Valentine’s Day. He said he would bring two more the week after but he didn’t.

On 02.25.09 Jim Shelby changed Beau’s shoes. He advised Ben that there wasn’t much h= ope for Beau. Ben neglected to inform = me of that but did say that Mr. Knoth was looking for a home for Beau. I tried to find him a home also but no = one wanted to take on the responsibility or daily care.

On 03.07.09 Ben gave me wormer for the horses. Four months have gone by.

On 04.08.09 I called Ben to remind him that Beau’s shoes needed to be changed. He said Jim = Shelby told him last month there wasn’t any hope for Beau. I asked why we have been letting Beau s= uffer instead of putting him down. He sa= id he didn’t know. On 04.09.09 I took Be= au to EEC so he could be euthanized. EEC disposed of his body. The pictures= of Beau’s hooves were taken before I took him to the clinic.=

All the polo ponies except Zep and Lookout had very long hooves (my farrier was appalled) and I kept asking Ben to please get the farrier to come out. Only Ben play= ed polo in the spring and he had the farrier trim/shoe Zep and Lookout. The other ponies had gone about 8 months without a trim. I told Ben that th= ey were coming up lame. He said it wa= s because the dirt at my farm was softer than the Seese’s dirt. I started putting the polo ponies on my driveway so the rocks could help them shed the shoes and file the hooves. When Pearl was out on 05.09.09 she cut = her shoulder on something. I called Be= n and said it was deep but borderline on whether it needed stitches. He said don’t call the vet. I tended to her wound and gave her antibiotics. Finally on 05.26.09 J= im Shelby came out to trim them. Whil= e here Ben saw Pearl’s shoulder wound. He= was worried that it would leave a scar and Richard would be angry that he didn’t call the vet. He also said he saw Nazareth’s eye was swollen and said to give her Bute. I reminded him that it happened right b= efore she left the farm and he wasn’t worried about it. I said since the vet was coming anyway = for Pearl, I would have her check Nazareth. <= /span>

On 06.01.09 Ben said he was bringing Indigo (downtown draft) out to me. He said Indigo w= as having a mild colic. When they arr= ived after 8:00pm, Indigo lied down but didn’t roll. He was definitely stressed and fluid was dripping from his nose. Ben said Mr. Knoth said I wasn’t allowe= d to call the vet and then left. I coul= dn’t get Indigo to drink alfalfa tea and oil but as we were walking he passed manure. I called Ben and said I was really worried because he wasn’t acting right. I asked what Indigo’s temp was downtown (I knew he didn’t take, was = told he falsifies report by other employees). He said he didn’t have to take his temp because he didn’t work for t= he last three days. Ben said he was g= iving Indigo a break and Indigo was acting like Joker use to. I said I was going to call the vet. Ben sighed and said alright. While I was waiting for Dr. Malark to c= all I took his temp (102.5), checked his gut sounds (good on both sides) and he passed manure again. I started suspecting flu because I knew the polo’s didn’t get shots so when Dr. Malark called I asked. He said he had five cases at the clinic. He told me to monitor overnight and he would come in the morning if I needed it. I stayed up all night watching him and = he progressively got better. I then realized what Ben meant by the comment about Joker. I suspected Anhydrosis. The next morning EEC checked in and I t= old them my suspicions. His temp was 101. I said I was going to work him later in the afternoon to see if he sweats. We worked lunging for a half an hour and no sweat. He was panting and his temp rose to 102= .5. I cooled him off and called EEC. They said Dr. Malark agreed with me and= gave me One AC to help him sweat. I cal= led Ben and gave him the update. On 06= .02.09 Indigo threw one of his shoes and came up lame. I called Ben and advised him that Indigo really needed to see the farrier. Ben said he would talk to= Mr. Knoth.

On 06.11.09 Ben called and said he was bringing Montague (downtown draft) out to me. I aske= d him what was wrong with him and Ben said he was just tired. He said the drivers were complaining be= cause he wasn’t pulling fast enough so Ben thought he would give him a break. I am constantly lied to so I was very suspicious but I said to put him in the large pasture by his trailers. I heard them arrive at 10:00pm. The next morning I went to check him an= d he was obviously lame. I called Ben t= o tell him and Ben stated that he just needed a trim and he would speak to Mr. Kno= th again about both Indigo and Montague. He threw a shoe later that day and I took these pictures.

Sally Banner from EEC came out the same day to check Pe= arl and Nazareth. She didn’t understan= d why she was checking Pearl almost 3 weeks later but was very concerned about Nazareth’s eye. I told her it had = been there for over 8 months and had slowly been getting bigger. She gave me some meds to put in and she= did a biopsy to check for cancer. <= /o:p>

On 06.12.09 Ben called at 9:38pm to say that he was goi= ng to bring Samson to me. I asked him= what was wrong. He said that in the mor= ning he didn’t eat very nice and there was only a little manure in the stall. He said that he suspected colic so he g= ave him banamine and harnessed him up for work. <= /span>I said it sounded like colic to me so he needed to see the vet. Ben said Mr. Knoth said no. I told him that he couldn’t bring him = here unless a vet saw him so Ben said he would call Mr. Knoth. After a few more phone calls arguing I = said I would call the vet for him. I talk= ed to Dr. Malark and he said he wouldn’t come to my farm that late but he would m= eet Ben downtown or Ben could take him to EEC to be monitored until the morning. I called Ben and notified= . Ben called Mr. Knoth and Ben told me th= at Mr. Knoth said he didn’t want the EEC in front of his barn on a Friday night because it would “look bad”. I said again they couldn’t bring him then. Ben told me I need to tell Mr. Knoth directly. Ben called back very quickly and said not to tell Mr. Knoth that the= vet came out for Indigo. He said he ne= ver got permission and he didn’t need to listen to Mr. Knoth “bitch” at him. I said the vet never came and it was all handled on the phone. He said great.

I called Mr. Knoth and he picked up the phone. I said they weren’t allowed to bring Sa= mson here unless a vet saw him first. M= r. Knoth said he didn’t understand what I was talking about. I said Samson had been colicing over 12 hours, and I couldn’t believe he would pay the $200 to EEC to fix him. He said Samson was not colicing and he = was just tired like Indigo. I said no actually Indigo wasn’t tired, that he has Anhydrosis. He said if he didn’t need a vet for Ind= igo then he didn’t need one for Samson. I said actually he did need a vet for Indigo but it was just handled over the phone and Indigo was in serious trouble. He said he pays me to take care of his horses and I can’t tell him w= hat to do. I asked him what Samson’s t= emp was and he said it was perfect just like Indigo’s. I said no actually Indigo had a high temp. He said not at the barn and = I said Ben told me that he didn’t take Indigo’s temp for 3 days because he wasn’t working. Mr. Knoth said Ben didn’t= know what he was talking about. He said= they take the horses temps everyday whether they are working or not. He said again that Samson was fine, just tired, and he need to come to the farm ok? I said ok. I called Ben bac= k and said Mr. Knoth said Samson wasn’t colicing. Ben said he wasn’t sure. I = said ok then and to put him where he had put Indigo.

The next morning (06.13.09) I went to the pasture to fe= ed the drafts. Samson was covered in = mud and the ground was torn up as though he was rolling around hard. I walked him back to the house and he w= as burping the whole way. I offered h= im a loose mash which he refused. I rea= lized Mr. Knoth had lied about the colic and obviously Samson was in a lot of pai= n. I gave him 20ccs of Banamine. I knew it was too late because horses d= on’t burp. I finished feeding the other horses and went in the house to email Mr. Knoth to let him know that I still felt Samson was colicing and if he changed his mind about calling the vet to please call me right away. I didn’= t feel it was necessary to call Ben because nothing had changed since the night be= fore and I needed approval from Mr. Knoth. I kept checking my email but I never received a response. At 11:38am I called Ben to see if he co= uld get me some more Banamine. He aske= d how Samson was doing and I said he’s dying and he really needs a vet, how did y= ou think he was doing? Ben said for m= e to call Mr. Knoth right away and tell him it’s an emergency and we need a vet. I said he doesn’t answer my c= alls and I let him know that I emailed earlier but didn’t get a response. He told me to call repetitively until he picks it up. I said I don’t have t= ime for all these games they play. He = said to call at least a few times and if he doesn’t pick up then call him (Ben ) back. I called Mr. Knoth twice lea= ving messages that Ben said he didn’t check emails so I said again that Samson n= eeds a vet. I called Ben back who calle= d Mr. Knoth and Ben called back saying Mr. Knoth was angry that I said he didn’t check emails and for me to call the vet. I said for Ben to call the vet because Dr. Malark was not going to c= ome out on my authority or even my word after the previous night. I told Ben I wasn’t going anywhere so a= nytime would be great for a visit. He cal= led Dr. Malark and since he was in surgery, he wouldn’t make it out until 4:00pm. Ben said he wanted me to t= ake Samson to EEC and if Mr. Knoth asked, lie to him and say Dr. Malark came to= the farm. I said I wouldn’t lie and Ben needed to get approval for me to take him from Mr. Knoth. Ben called me a “fucking bitch” and hun= g up on me. That was at 12:11pm.

At 1:31pm I called Robert Knoth begging for permission = to take Samson to EEC. He never returned my call. Samson was turning circles, tossing his head high in the air and then swinging it back trying to bite h= is stomach. There were large amounts = of fluid pouring from his nose and mouth, flying all over both of us. I called Dr. Malark’s cell phone, sobbi= ng, and left a message to ask for what meds I could give him to help with the p= ain. Samson fell on the ground and was gasping for air. Ben called to ask how he was and I said he was in a huge amount of p= ain with fluid still pouring from his mouth and nose. I said I called Dr. Malark for help. He said his cell phone doesn’t work at = the clinic so he would call for me. I = called back because I couldn’t remember the name of the first horse that died. Ben said Multree. Samson started kicking out hard while l= ying down; he was trying to roll and gasping for air. Slowly he stopped kicking and his breathing became shallower. He gasped a few times more than died at 2:03pm. I called Ben and said he’s= dead, that’s five in fewer than two years. I waited a while and then called John Sterling. He told me the tractor was broken and wouldn’t be fixed until Monday morning. I asked if he knew anyone= else who could bury him. He said he kne= w some guys but didn’t know if they would take credit from the Knoth’s. Later Ben called me and said Sterling F= arms were out cutting hay and would come and bury him ASAP. I laughed about the lie and said I alre= ady talked to John about Monday. I sai= d for Ben to try and get one of the other guys to come out. Ben called back again saying Mr. Knoth = was still trying to get Sterling Farms to bury him. I covered Samson with tarps. I called Tommy Doyle from Palmetto Carriage for help. I told him about Samson and about the o= ther four horses that I could verify had died. He said he would let the proper people know. I wasn’t positive that Tommy would help because of what I have heard of the “connections” that Mr. Knoth has in the city. I decided that protecting th= e polo ponies by keeping my mouth shut wasn’t worth more drafts dying. I know that I needed help outside the c= ity and even the state so I contacted PETA through their online hotline.

PETA emailed me back so I explained my problem and they promised they could help me. I hav= e been sending them all the information that I have. I also contacted Anna Hendrix and Elizabeth Steed because I knew they ran an animal rescue. <= /span>

On Monday, 06.15.09, the smell was horrible and the vultures were in the trees over his body. I called Sterling and they said still not fixed and couldn’t say a time. I called Ben and said he had= until 5:00pm to get a tractor out to bury him or I would call animal control to p= ick him up. Ben said Sterling might be= able to bring out a trailer with a winch like they did before, downtown, when a draft died in his stall (number 6?) I said John would refuse because after a day the body falls apart if you try to move it. Ben called back and said Joe Weeks would be here in 45 minutes. When Joe arrived he was extremely upset because Ben lied to him and said the horse just died. Joe said he has a week stomach and coul= dn’t do it. I begged him to please help= me because I didn’t have anyone else. Joe bur= ied him. Then Joe asked me to pay him because Ben didn’t arrange anything with him. I called Ben who also asked me to pay. I said no but did arrange for Sterling Farms to pay Joe upfront. Tommy Doyle called and said he wanted t= o come to the farm. He needed to verify t= hat Samson was dead.

On 06.16.09 Ben called to say he was coming later to pi= ck up Montague, Indigo and Ashley. He= asked me to tie them to the horse trailer during a heavy lightning storm so he di= dn’t have to chase them around the pasture to catch them. I obviously refused and he hung up on me. He called back later and said = he couldn’t fit all three in the trailer and if I would leave Indigo tied up to the large trailer. Again I refused because there were still storm clouds rolling by and he would be tied up fo= r at least 2 hours. I asked if he was b= ringing Indigo back. He said no, he was on= ly going to return Montague the next day. I reminded him that I was pretty sure Indigo has anhydrosis and he couldn’t handle this heat and this is the exact same thing that killed Joker. Ben exploded and called me every name i= n the book and said I killed Samson because I didn’t call him at 7:00am to say Sa= mson was still colicing. I said I email= ed and what was the point when the vet was being denied. He screamed that how dare I call to tel= l him that his favorite horse was dead and remind him that he was number five. He said how I dare act like he was the = horse killer. He said I was a coward bec= ause I should have stopped him from bringing Samson to the farm. He hung up on me.

On 06.16.09 Sally Banner came back to see Nazareth. She gave more meds to see if we can get= the growth to go down using steroids. I called Ben to give him update and he asked me not to say anything to Mr. Kn= oth because once again he never approved for the vet. I said if he asked me, I wasn’t going t= o lie.

On 06.19.09 Ben left numerous messages on my phone to l= et me know he returned Montague to my farm. He said he put him in the same large pasture and brought me wormers, leaving them at my gate. When I go= t home I went to get Montague and found him extremely lame. We walked slowly back to the house and I called Ben to find out what happened. Ben said the farrier told him Montague bruised his hoof when he threw his shoe. He said he would be fine= in a day or two. Ben said I didn’t even= need to give him Bute. I said to Ben th= at Montague was in a huge amount of pain and I was going to ask a friend to co= me over and look at him. I called Anna Hendrix and Elizabeth Steed and they came immediately. Montague’s temp was 102.5, BPM was 64, = he had heat in all four hooves, and he was favoring his left front hoof the most b= ut rocking back and forth as if they all hurt. They took video and pictures of him trying to walk and I started cal= ling Ben, Mr. Knoth, and Mrs. Knoth numerous time but no one would answer their phone. I called nine times in one hour. They witnessed and took notes while I tried to reach someone. Th= is is the game they play with me. If they don’t answer the phone then I can’t get permission for the vet and then they say they never got the messages. I= found Bobby Knoth’s phone number so I called and tried to get permission. He said why didn’t you tell my father t= hat Samson had colic. I said I did and now I = need permission for Montague to see the vet. He hung up on me; I called back and left a message. He called me back arguing again about Samson. I said I needed help with Montague right now. He finally gave permission. EEC advised me to give= him 10cc of Banamine and 2 cc of Ace. = The vet said she needed to do X-rays to know for sure what was happening to him= but all the signs were pointing towards foundering. I called Bobby Knoth the next morning to get permission for the x-ra= ys and he said he would “take it under advisement”. A few minutes later Ben called saying h= e just got my messages and I relayed the information to him. I asked for permission and he said he w= ould call me back.

This is what Montague’s hooves looked like that next morning (06.20.09). You can see a = piece breaking off in the first picture even though his hooves are unbelievably s= hort already. These two pictures are of= his front hooves. On 06.20.09 I called= Mr. Knoth and left a message, giving him an update on Montague and asking for permission to get x-rays.

The second picture is of his hind hooves. I am not a farrier but even I know thes= e look uneven and just wrong.

On 06.18.09 I notified Tommy that I had contacted to PETA. He asked why and I told him because I didn’t believe the city was going to do anything to help the hors= es and I needed to get help outside of South Carolina and the Knoth’s friends.= Tom Doyle called Post and Courier, chan= nel 5 news, channel 4 news and then he called Danielle Dillahey to let her know a= bout PETA and the media contacts. She w= as told that the media would run the story on 06.22.09.

On 06.19.09 I was contacted by Danielle Dillahey from Charleston Tourism Management and we agreed to meet the next morning. Six d= ays had gone by since she was notified by Tommy Doyle that Samson died and all = of a sudden it was very important that she speak with me immediately.

On 06.20.09 Danielle Dillahey came to my farm and I told her all about my experience with Carolina Polo. I showed her how much pain Montague was in and she witnessed him try= ing to eat his manure. This is somethi= ng all the Carolina Polo drafts do. I have never seen this in any other animal I have taken care of and explained this= is not natural. I explained that Ben = told me he only gives the drafts 1 to 2 flakes of hay a night. She wanted to know why I didn’t go to h= er first and I explained that I didn’t even know her department controlled the carriage companies. I told her my concerns that the city protects the Knoths and that the city checks the carriage companies twice a year. I= asked when they do inspections, why don’t they verify the information on the forms. Ask for boarding records including address and phone numbers. Receipts for wormer and electrolytes, and most of all verify where t= he missing animals are. She said she = met with Ben that morning and he had until Monday 06.22.09 to give her the records. I showed her the picture of Beau, malnourished, and asked how he could have ever been downtown pulling carria= ges while he was foundering. I explain= ed that right now Indigo is downtown working and he wasn’t sweating at my farm. Who is going to help him? They said Ice was naturally skinny back = in 2007. Here is Ice now.<= /span>

Ben told me the last time Mr. Knoth rode Ice there was blood coming from her nose and they didn’t call the vet. This is his “favorite” horse. These animals deserve more than this an= d should not be disposable. I gave Danielle copies of all my records and she asked if I could write a statement for her. She said it was very importan= t that she has it on her desk before Monday morning. I wrote this statement not just for her but as a record for anybody = who wanted to help care for the horses.

Ben called me on 06.21.09 and said Mr. Knoth was going = to authorize all my requests for veterinary care for Montague. Finally. This family gets rich off the work these animals do for them. At the very least they should provide veterinary care. I have heard that= Mr. Knoth laughs at all the anonymous complaints. He says no one has the guts to leave their name.

My name is Nancy Lane and I currently work for Carolina Polo and Carriage Company. It is my opinion that Robert Knoth will= fully neglects and abuses his horses.

New postings since releasing copy to the city.

On 06.21.09 Carol= ina Polo's barn manager Ben called me at 9:10pm to let me know that Mr. Knoth wanted to put "corrective" shoes on Montague right away so Ben was going to come early in the morning. He said this was the only day Jim Shelby (farrier) was able to do the shoes. Montague had a follow-up visit schedule= d on 06.24.09 at 9:00am. Ben said that = he would reschedule the vet to come downtown and meet them so Shelby could see= the x-rays.

On 06.22.09 Ben arrived to pick up Montague. I tol= d him two of the polos were coming up lame (Tavaru and Chance) and really needed a trim from the farrier. I said in f= act all of them do. He said the ground= is muddy here and the farrier mentioned it was hard to get shoes on Ashley (downtown draft) because his hooves were soft. He said he was late so he loaded Montague and left. I realized I still had the thermometer = in him and called Ben 7:07 am to tell him to get it. I called back at 7:17am and Ben said he couldn’t find it, maybe it pushed in or fell out as he was walking. I said no way it went in because there is a 3 foot long orange baili= ng string attached to it. I said it w= asn’t on the ground here. He said he wou= ld check later. At 8:46am he called a= nd said he still couldn’t find it. I = asked if he checked in the manure on the trailer. I warned that if it breaks, it has mercury in it, it would be very dangerous to the horses but also dangerous to people. At 8:52am he said he found it in the ma= nure, unbroken. Ben said the vet, Dr. Hu= ff, wasn’t able to reschedule to the barn so Shelby just put on “special” shoes. I asked how he could do sho= es without seeing if there is a rotation or not. He said Shelby’s “special” shoes could do that. Ben said he reschedule a vet visit for = Monday 06.29.09 at 2:00pm. I asked if he = could get one today later because Montague is on the strongest cocktail of pain m= eds that I have personally given to a horse and from my understanding it was on= ly to make him comfortable for a couple of days until we could see what was happening with his hooves. He aske= d me if I had Dr. Huff’s cell phone and I said no. He said he would call EEC and get her out today.

*My question… If = he doesn’t have Dr. Huff’s cell and EEC doesn’t open until 8:30am, how did he = try to reschedule and already have the “special” shoes on by 8:52 am. One of the excuses Ben would give for B= eau (draft horse foundering and now dead) not getting his shoes changed every 4= to 6 weeks like the vet recommended is that Shelby needed to see x-rays to know the proper angle to align the shoe. I called EEC at 10:38am to see if Ben rescheduled and they said not yet. I asked to have Dr. Huff call me asap b= ecause I was worried about the cocktail of drugs he is on and whether it is safe to keep him on them for 10 days now instead of 3.

On 06.23.09 I sen= t an email to Danielle, CoC, asking for help concerning Montague’s lack of veterinary care.

On 06.24.09 I sen= t an email to Robert Knoth voicing my concerns for Montague and giving Dr. Huff’s medical instructions since Ben didn’t take meds or instructions with him. I also requested farrier care for polo = ponies and gave him an update on Nazareth’s eye. I copied Danielle and M. Buell (email I found on line for county ani= mal control). Here are pictures of the polo’s hooves taken on 06.24.09.

Chance=

Nazareth

Pearl<= /span>

Prussia

Tavaru=

Tax Man

Also notice the w= hite hairs from injuries on Prussia and Tax Man. On Pearl and Nazareth you can see the scars. They didn’t have enough leg wraps to pr= otect the horse’s legs and when I asked Ben why, he just said Knoth wouldn’t pay = for them. I often wondered what the ot= her polo teams thought of the Knoth’s. Pretending I would ever treat my horses this way, I would think that= I would at least be too embarrassed to let other horse people see the conditi= on of my animals. One of the vets at = EEC told me she went to a game and saw Bobby Knoth just whipping and spinning h= is pony for no apparent reason. I sti= ll can’t fathom how they get away with the obvious condition of both polos and drafts in the public eye.

Danielle Dillahey= (CoC) called me to let me know that she was the wrong person to report issues with the horses to. (???????) She asked if I had ever notified city a= nimal control of the abuse. I said no be= cause I was told that she had and I thought at the time there was only one animal control department not separate entities. She said that the city animal control couldn’t respond unless I personally filed a formal complaint. She then said I could call her anytime with questions. (???????)

I called city ani= mal control immediately. A lady answer= ed the phone and I said I needed to file a complaint with them concerning Carolina Polo’s horses. She said an officer= had already gone to the barn and everything was fine. I was confused and questioned why when = she asked if I was talking about the temperature. I said no and I again told her who I was and this was about the dead horse Samson. Finally she put Offi= cer Matt Storen on the phone. I tried = to explain my concerns to him when he interrupted and said he had a copy of my complaint. He then asked me why I = would call PETA and how could I expect him to do his job with PETA “breathing down his neck”. I defended my call to P= ETA explaining that I was NEVER against the carriage companies as a whole, I on= ly wanted the Knoth’s to give at least the basic care to his horses. He said they were short-handed (only 2 officers) and they followed every complaint as best as they could. I also explained my concerns that the c= ity ignored complaints and I told him the story of an employee calling AC about Beauregard last year. He said he remembered the complaint, he saw Beauregard malnourished and foundering, but because the employee (Anna Hendrix) wanted to remain anonymous (in fear for= her job) he couldn’t do anything. I as= ked him what he was doing now since I am giving my name and he said it was under investigation. He told me that cou= nty animal control was also doing an investigation of me. I said ME? He said because some of the horses had died on my property, in my ca= re, that I was responsible. I question= ed even if they were dumped in my pasture at midnight already colicing and lyi= ng about it, it was still my fault Samson died? He said it didn’t matter, as long as I accepted a paycheck from the Knoth’s, I was responsible. He sai= d if he were me, he would just let the city investigate and not push anymore. Sigh

On 06.26.09 Nazar= eth’s follow-up visit with Sally Banner was cancelled. I have since called Sally’s cell phone = to let her know I have pictures of Naz’s eye eight months before when the original wound happened and she was denied vet care. Ben told Sally the wound had just occurred a week before. I was thinking the treatment might be different if she understood this was an old injury. Sally never returned my phone call. You can see from the following pictures= that the steroid treatment didn’t work and the next step was surgery before the tumor becomes cancerous.

Nazareth 06.18.09 = Nazareth 06.24.09

The following pic= tures are of Nazareth’s wire wound now 8 months later because Ben and Richard insisted on playing polo on her even though they knew she hadn’t healed. The vet told me that now she would neve= r heal because of all the scar tissue.

EEC and Dr. Huff has never returned my phone calls and Montague was never returned my farm. After numerous requests, from PETA on my behalf, for information from Danielle Dillahey and Matt Storen, I still haven’t found out if Montague ev= er got x-rays and if he did, what was the result. ***Since Danielle said she wasn’t the person to call and Matt Storen= is obvious hostile with me, I resumed my correspondences with Desiree Acholla (PETA).

On July 8, 2009 Officer N. Morris and S. B. Singer from county animal control asked to come to my farm and question me. I said of course and made preparations = to be arrested. When the officers arrive= d they took my statement and said they had just received a copy of my complaint fr= om the city. I voiced my concerns for= being arrested and Officer Singer seemed annoyed, wanting to know who told me. I said Officer Storen and he said he wo= uld talk to him about that. Both of the county officers seemed genuinely concerned for the horses so I finally beli= eve something might possibly be done to help the horses. I have sent them numerous emails with m= ore photos since the visit.

The City Paper posted a story about the inspections of = the carriage companies and linked the individual reports for each of them. I researched them and saw discrepancies= all throughout Polo’s. This is a copy = of the email I sent to PETA on July 8, 2009.

PG 1

"Re= cords were available for all the horses that we inspected" no they weren't per pg 2, 9, 12 &16=

8 horses= , 6 in use unclear if really working o= r on pasture? isn't that the inspector'= s job to make clear?

"Gi= bbs" there is no such horse. Ashley and= other paint missing from report. Might be hiding Ashley because of bad hooves

"Mo= ntague" not his description sounded like C= ooper because Belgian and out of service for 6 mths

Montague= not described on report - he is the one foundering (looks like Danny except bla= ck spot on left hip)

***My records of the horses names working on 5.29.09:

Montague=

Indigo

Paint 1<= o:p>

Paint 2<= o:p>

Samson <= o:p>

Cooper

Danny

Winston<= o:p>

***Ashley was at the farm with me

PG2=

"not certain of name" ???? how abo= ut looking at records and why no notes?

***Check other reports and all have "horse specific information in different color" Why not for Polo?

First paragraph states records available in good order but then states farrier wo= rk, temp, and serviceability records not complete or didn't exist. See pg 9 where she states all the recor= ds that are incomplete again. She consistently contradicts herself.

Next 2 paragraphs say how serviceability records were altered yet look on page 16 = - 5 initials down - Danielle initials that she has these "bi-annual inspec= tion records, ie: certificate of serviceability. On pg 9 Hayek says certificate of serviceability records incomplete.

Last lin= e on pg 2. "The Coggins paperwork = may have been available, but to my knowledge it is current." What exactly does that mean? either you saw it and verified current = or you didn't.

PG3=

"be= st ventilation system" The way = that I read this is the equipment is the best but even it can't handle the deadly gases.

PG4=

"all animals show signs of mineral deficiency"

"At= the time of inspection there were only 3 1/2 30lb bales of hay in hay loft. It was a Thursday. There were 7 or 8 horses in the barn. The barn manager reported he would NOT = be ordering more hay until the following Monday." OMG do the math. 30x3.5=3D105 lbs of hay to last 4 days.= 105 / 4 =3D26.25 lbs per day divided by= 8 horses =3D 31/4 lbs of hay a day. = That is not even 1 flake of hay a day for a 1500lb horse. I heard rumors they were only giving 1 = flake a day but really couldn't believe that was true. Ben, the barn manager, just verified it= .

last paragraph "Cost of feed is not the issue. The quality is the issue. T= he feed and hay observed being fed is of the lowest possible quality."

PG 5

the hay = is very dusty and not good looking, not holding nutrients well

Salt is = not available free choice

PG8=

Funny th= at they satisfied sidewalk sales and signage on public property... only things= I see satisfied or rectified

PG9=

Hayek no= ting missing, incomplete logs and noting rubber shoes very thin

PG10

Hayek no= ting not enough hay or food. Water fonts leaking and cracked, no salt. Seve= ral harnesses need to be replaced

PG 11

Hayek no= ting well ventilated???? Wet barn 2 days in a row. sharp surfaces, rotting wood and rusty chains, standing water, stalls too small, horses eating shavings so "they diminished the 3 inch requirement" stalls soaked with water. (remember Beaus hooves on your pics looked green) no emergency/fire plan and additional f= ire extinguishers are recommended.

PG12

Hayek listing more missing records

PG 15

Why didn= 't she initial sec 29-219 required? "= ;No animal drawn vehicle shall operate without a duly issued certificate of appropriateness..."

***read = last paragraph Sec 29-222

PG 16

Danielle initials off on the logs and records:

feeding - she initials but says Knoth uses judgment

shoeing - (farrier) she circles 3 years

bi-annual inspection records ie certificate of serviceability - she circles 3 years so you need to get these because vet says altered and incomplete

work schedules - she initials but says Knoth uses judgment

disposal documentation - she initials and changes notations to look like she has 2008 and 2009. You need to get these an= d see if they logged 5 dead drafts.

PG 17

City ani= mal control M Storen reports on care and shelter of animals

Refused = to initial off on first paragraph for open wounds

Initialed but starred animal kept in good working condition

Refused = to initial off on harnesses and starred where it said unsafe for animal

Initiale= d on feeding but commented of quantity

refused = to initial off on access to salt

PG 19

Storen comments on very good ventilation even though vet comments fumes are deadly=

refused = to initial off on hazards

refused = to initial off on stall size

refused = to initial off on stall bedding, cleanliness and dryness, comments on eating t= heir bedding

refused = to initial off on cleanliness of barn and odors, comments on drainage and large amounts of manure

Initialed off on fire inspection but commented on lack of plan and not enough fire extinguishers

Desiree called and said Danielle wanted me to send her an email with my concerns for the horses. This is the copy of th= at email, trying to be less frustrated and emotional, sent on July 9, 2009.

Danielle= ,

Desiree asked me to write you about the draft horses listed on the inspection repor= t.

Danny - he is a red roan with a bl= aze

Indigo - he is a grey with a black face. He was refused vet care on 6= .1.09 even tho he collapsed downtown.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> When I had him, he wasn't sweating in 95 degree weather.

Gibbs - for 2 years I never heard anything about this horse

Montague - he looks like Danny only w= ith black spot on left hip. I have att= ached a picture of him.

I think = they got the name confused with Cooper because he is a Belgian and had been out = of service.

He is th= e one that wasn't getting vet care even tho he is possibly foundering.=

Samson - He was the black draft who died

Winston - He is a dapple grey

Yemassee - I believe that is the name= of one of the paints

Not list= ed on report:

Cooper - I have attached a picture = of him. He is a Belgian with a blaze.= He chokes on his food and hay. He too was refused vet care, they made = him pass the blockages on his own. 6 different times he choked that I have logged. He is Ashley's brother.

Ashley - Looks almost the same as his brother Cooper. He most likely is having h= oof problems because Ben told me the farrier had a hard time getting shoes on h= im because they were so short and soft after he left my farm.

***My records of the horse’s names working on 5.29.09:

Montague=

Indigo

Paint 1 Yemassee possible

Paint 2<= o:p>

Samson <= o:p>

Cooper

Danny

Winston<= o:p>

***Ashley was at the farm with me

The repo= rt didn't account for Paint #2, Ashley, and Cooper / Montague.

I wanted to add before and after pictures. The polo ponies stayed on my farm for o= nly 8 months and these pictures documents the change in them. Remember also the before pictures are d= one with their winter coats coming in and the fur covers some of the ribs and I= had already been feeding these horses everyday for over a year at the Seese’s f= arm but because of the conditions and food quality there, I couldn’t get most of them to hold weight. How healthy t= he horse looks in the before picture depended on where the horse fell in the pecking order. Blast and Tavaru we= re on top while Ice, Chief, Nazareth, Chance and Lookout were all on the bottom.<= o:p>

= Blast

= Carolina

= Chance

= Ice

Lookout=

= Nazareth

= Pearl

= Prussia

= Tavaru

= Tax Man

= Zep