NIWOT - Seven emaciated Arabian mares at a horse boarding facility were impounded this week by the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.

"They're in pretty bad shape," said Rachel Tanguy, executive director of Colorado Horse Rescue, which is caring for the undernourished horses.

"You can see all of their ribs, their hip bones and their backbones very clearly on all of them."

Marcy Trescott Helmick, 57, of Niwot and the owner of Dry Creek Arabians, is facing charges of animal cruelty. She commented briefly when contacted Friday about the seized horses but did not return later calls.

"There are major issues," she said. "The horses are pregnant. We're trying to get my veterinarians to give them instructions. They are under veterinarian care already."

The seven Arabian mares were seized Thursday as part of a search warrant executed on the facility, 7182 N. 83rd St., after complaints about poor conditions of the horses and the facility.

When officers arrived, they said they found that horses were standing in stalls filled at least a foot deep with feces and urine, with no dry place to stand or lie down.

There was also not enough feed for the 47 horses on the 4-acre property - only two large partial bales of alfalfa.

Nine horses were found in emaciated condition, but only seven were seized because two had not been halter trained and could not be placed on a trailer. Those two horses and 11 others were left on the property, but Trescott-Helmick was given a warning notice and instructions on their care.

"Animal control will be evaluating the 11 horses regularly until the horses are cared for adequately," said Phil West, spokesman for the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.

The other 27 horses were found to be in acceptable condition.

On the Henneke scale, which is used by animal experts to determine how much fat is on an animal, the seized horses were rated 2 or 3, out of a possible 9 score.

It would be up to the courts to decide what happens to the seized horses. "If most are boarded animals, the owners will reclaim them," West said.

The mass seizure of horses is the second in the county in seven months. Last September, 11 horses, a miniature donkey and a miniature goat were seized from a Longmont boarding facility. All were malnourished.