Seven horse owners are suing the Blount County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BCSPCA) for $2.1 million.
They claim their horses missed an entire show season in which the animals would have been able to win prize money.
The lawsuit stems from an April 25, 2013 raid on Larry Wheelon Stables. On that date, the BCSPCA seized 19 horses from the Blount County facility over accusations that trainers used soring on the animals, a practice in which a trainer intentionally inflicts pain on a horse to enhance its high-stepping gait.
According to the lawsuit, the owners claim their horses were not returned to them them until November 2013 and at that time "it was apparent that they had been granted substandard care and were in poor condition than when they were seized on April 25, 2013". The horse owners also stated "deprivation of their personal property led to said horses never being about to return to their previous show condition or to never be able to be shown again or to have their value substantially depreciated due to the deprivation of their personal property". The horse owners are accusing the BCSPCA of "intentional, malicious, and reckless" actions.
