On Tuesday, June 17, animal control authorities in Townshend, Vermont, seized 39 horses from the Friesians of Majesty breeding and training farm. This is the latest chapter in an ongoing animal cruelty investigation into the property owner, and it is the fourth seizure of horses from the property in the last 2 years. The farm originally housed over 100 horses; 79 have been rescued and approximately 20 remain.

Jen Straub, the Executive Director of Vermont’s Dorset Equine Rescue, said the horses are suffering from various ailments, including emaciation, skin infections or other injuries, some that were left untreated. Two of the 39 horses needed to be hospitalized immediately. The affidavit filed in Brattleboro court said that “the horses did not have access to shelter and there was no natural shelter . . . their entire paddock was mud and horse feces, with the exception of a large rock in the upper area of the paddock, which all the horses were competing to stand on.”

Too many horses have been seized for the Vermont area rescues to handle. This time the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Service has placed 31 of the 39 horses with “a private partner that can provide adequate space and care.” the statement read. 

That private partner is our very own Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Mt. Airy.

Gentle Giants is able to handle the care and housing for the Friesian at its two facilities on its combined 340 acres, a 27-stall Healing Barn that is fully equipped with x-ray, ultrasound, endoscopy, a special facility for feral horses, and 44 team members, including an on-staff Veterinarian. Gentle Giants is already housing seven adult Friesian stallions that were seized on September 10, 2024. Among these seven stallions is Othello, once considered the top breeding stallion in the United States. The hearing for the charges involving the 20 horses seized in September 2024 went to court in April 2025, and to date, no verdict has been reached, leaving the horses in legal limbo. Gentle Giants has committed to housing and providing veterinary, farrier, dental, and daily care to all 38 horses.

Straub told the press that “to absorb 39 horses when you already have a full rescue full of horses is really, really challenging,” and she is “really grateful that [Gentle Giants is] able to step up and offer help to take in some of the horses.”

“When Gentle Giants is called on to help horses in need in cases like this, you can count on us to be there. We have the best supporters in the world…they fuel our mission and our gratitude truly runs deep.” – Christine Hajek, Founder & Executive Director, Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue

Gentle Giants is a 501c3 equine welfare organization dedicated to saving drat and draft cross horses from slaughter, abuse and neglect. Gentle Giants does not seek reimbursement from humane law enforcement agencies and instead relies on the generosity of donors who support its mission.

The care of Friesian horses is sometimes more complicated than the care of other breeds because Friesians are prone to weakened collagen that ages prematurely quickly. That degradation can lead to conditions such as mesaesophagus, aortic ruptures, encephalitis, and severe dermatitis and scratches. You can see an educational webinar about the genetic predispositions of Friesians on the United States Equestrian Federation’s website here.

Under Vermont law, farm owner Robert Labrie faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $2,000 fine under the animal cruelty charge. The charge for violating previous conditions of release could result in up to six months in prison and a $1,000.

“