Horses recovering after ‘brutal’ attack in neighboring Inyo County

The president of the Big Pine Saddle Club in Inyo County said she’s still in a state of shock after what she described as a brutal early morning attack on more than a half dozen horses at the facility, early last month.

Described as a small community of horse owners, Saddle Club President Shelly Snoderly said a reward is being offered to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the early July incident.

The facility is located roughly 200 miles northwest of Pahrump.

“There was a total of nine horses that were seriously injured in the attack,” she said.

“Five of them had to have stitches and seven of them either had their necks cut, sliced, or stabbed,” she said. “We have around 36 horses at the Big Pine Saddle Club and to me, I feel like they are all mine because I see them every day, I pet them, I talk to them.”

Though the original reward from the Humane Society of the United States totaled $5,000, Snoderly said additional monies have also been offered since news of the attack became public.

“The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Inyo County, donated $5,000, and we also had many concerned citizens who have donated over $8,000, so we currently have a reward of over $18,000, as it stands.

“The Big Pine Saddle Club is our sanctuary. We go there to get away from the crazy world, but sadly, someone violated our area. These horses don’t do anything to anybody. So why would somebody go in and do that to them? It makes no sense to me.”

Individuals questioned

Additionally, Snoderly said the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office is actively pursuing leads.

“They have questioned a number of different people,” she said. “I know that they are getting closer to finding out exactly who the suspects are, but they are not really giving us a lot of information just yet. No motive has been determined yet that I know of.”

On the morning of July 2, Inyo County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a reported vehicle fire at the Big Pine Saddle Club, according to a news release.

After arriving on scene, officers found that multiple horses had been stabbed and suffered injuries from apparent blunt force trauma to their heads, according to the United States Humane Society.

“The horses required extensive medical treatment to survive, said Crystal Moreland, California state director for the Humane Society of the United States.

“The violent injuries inflicted upon these horses is atrocious, and we are hopeful that anyone with information about this heinous crime will come forward.”

First thoughts

Snoderly, meanwhile said she and her husband first learned of the attacks later in the morning on July 2.

“At first, we just thought it was a situation where a few sheds were broken into and the vehicle had been set on fire,” she said.

“Not long later one of the gals said she had found one of the horses that had a slit throat. I then began getting more calls because more owners were showing up because they were concerned about their horses when the word got around. I was just in shock over the whole ordeal. I was lucky because only my shed was broken into but fortunately, neither one of my horses were injured.”

A GoFundMe account for the Big Pine Saddle Club has been established for additional reward monies.

Anyone with relevant information on the crime is urged to call the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office at 760-878-0383.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes