A man who rode his horse from South Carolina to Florida is now facing animal cruelty charges.
Though his destination was Key West, authorities in Miami Dade County put the four month long journey to an end on Wednesday. There, it was determined that the animal, Trigger, was malnourished and in no condition to be making such a trek.
Laurie Waggoner with South Florida SPCA said, “The horse is probably 200 pounds underweight. You can see his shoulder blade, his spine, his back is very sore.”
Trigger is now recovering at a ranch and is expected to remain there for the coming months. Meanwhile, the horse’s owner, 36-year-old Christopher Emerson, was arrested on animal cruelty charges.
Emerson said he left South Carolina due to tough times, and, during the journey, often didn’t have enough money to feed either himself or Trigger.
Getting his horse back will require going to court.
