Two horses on a Boyd County farm were found so starved that investigators gave them the lowest possible score on the scale vets use to rate a horse’s body condition: 1 out of 9. Both had open wounds. One was crawling with lice. The farm’s operator was arrested and charged with second-degree animal cruelty.

That charge is only a misdemeanor. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Boyd County Sheriff’s Office say it is the most serious charge state law allows for livestock abuse. The person charged was released the next day on a $1,500 cash bond.

Kentucky is known as the Horse Capital of the World. Yet a Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum of 12 months in jail and a $500 fine. The state’s felony cruelty laws focus on animal fighting and the torture of dogs and cats, leaving horses and cattle out.

Witnesses estimate about 50 horses were moved from the property to the Boyd County Fairgrounds, where the Kentucky Horse Council is helping coordinate their care. The investigation is still ongoing.

Governor Andy Beshear, Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell and the Kentucky General Assembly have the power to fix this. Lawmakers should make severe, intentional neglect of horses and other livestock a felony, and require anyone convicted of cruelty to repay the cost of caring for seized animals. The Boyd County Attorney should pursue the strongest penalties available in this case, including asking the court to bar the person from owning animals if convicted.

Horses in Kentucky deserve protection that matches the state’s pride in them. Sign the petition to make livestock cruelty a felony before another horse is left to starve.