Owner of Apollo horse training facility charged with animal cruelty
APOLLO, Pa. (KDKA) — The owner of an Armstrong County horse training facility is facing charges.
Sandra Hobbs of Victory Stables is accused of failing to feed and water some animals. Hobbs also is accused of using dogs to frighten the horses in the name of training.
According to court records, Hobbs is facing animal cruelty charges, as well as animal neglect.
In one video, an alleged underfed horse is seen being pulled by two dogs while a trainer uses a whip to get it to comply. The video allegedly happened at Victory Stables, and the trainer was allegedly Hobbs.
"It was a long time coming," horse owner Tricia Cunningham said. "I was ecstatic."
Cunningham provided the video to humane agents after she removed her horse from the facility.
"It was horrific," she said. "There was no feed, there was nothing to put down in their stalls. Horses were standing in their own feces."
Cunningham said she saw firsthand much of what's in the criminal complaint against Hobbs.
"They would just smack them and beat them and run them into the ground until they could hardly breathe," Cunningham said.
She also claims the Victory Stables facility was overcrowded at the time her horse was there.
"She had too many horses up there, so they had no place in the barn to bring these horses in," Cunningham said.
Cunningham said her horse is recovering and has gained weight, but she claims the animal developed an eye infection at the facility and will eventually lose one eye.
"That woman should never, never be in contact with another animal," she said.
KDKA-TV reached out to Hobbs for comments but did not hear back.