By Patric Hedlund

It took only about 90 seconds for each member of the Bor family to enter their "not guilty" plea and hurriedly exit Courtroom 12 at the Ventura County Hall of Justice before Judge Bruce Clark at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16.

At that same hour, over at the Humane Society of Ventura County in Ojai, Director Jolene Hoffman and a cadre of volunteers had already been working three hours in the endless cycle of cleaning stalls and distributing four feedings a day to 37 malnourished horses. Veterinarians say it may take up to nine months for many of them to recover from the abuse and starvation they allegedly suffered while at the Bors’ ranch in Lockwood Valley, according to Hoffman. Thirteen severely suffering horses were removed September 24 and 37 more on October 8. A sick foal had to be euthanized. Fifty horses remain at the ranch, under supervision of Ventura Animal Regulation.

Neighbors from the region alerted sheriff’s deputies to what some described as "horrifying conditions," including piles of dead horses at the rear of the 20-acre property. A caravan of over 20 investigators raided the ranch on October 8.

The Bors maintain they did not mistreat the horses.

Wendy Macfarlane, senior deputy district attorney of the Special Prosecutions Unit for the Ventura County District Attorney’s office, said Joan Bor, 65, her son Ernie, 30 and daughter- in-law Cecelia, 35 could face a maximum prison term of 10 to 14 years, and fines. The next hearing in the case is set for November 21.

Meanwhile, volunteers with the humane society are working in four shifts a day to maintain the area. Hoffman said it will cost the nonprofit agency, which does not receive government funding, about $100,000 in feed bills to nurse the horses back to health. They have issued an urgent request for a “wish list” of donations to help them obtain food supplements such as “sho-glo/freedom block,” junior feed for colts, senior feed, pipe corrals and shelters, alfalfa and oat hay. They can be reached at (805) 646-6505.

This is part of the October 24, 2008 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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