The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating claims that a man who says he provides a home to abused and abandoned horses actually is starving them.

Matt Seacrist, who runs Second Chance for Horses Rescue in Parkland, says he takes in needy horses and never knowingly underfeeds them.

But another rescue group, joined by two veternarians, says the horses under Seacrist’s care are not getting enough to eat and some of them are wasting away.

“I don’t think he is doing anything criminal,” said Dr. Paul Caputo, a vet who has been examining horses twice a year at Seacrist’s ranch since it opened more than two years ago. “He may need some more education.”

Seacrist says he has made changes to the feed routine since a deputy paid him a visit in mid-August. His vet told him to “increase the grain and hay, and we’re figuring it out,” Seacrist said. “I don’t abuse my animals. I am a rescue center.”

“This has lit a fire under him to set things right,” Caputo said. “I believe his heart is in the right place.”

Seacrist came to the attention of police after Cindy Lane, who runs a nearby horse rescue, reported him on Aug. 12.

Seacrist has been cooperating with detectives and has not been charged with anything, Sgt. Adam Hofstein said in late August.

“There are no criminal charges at this time,” said Hofstein, who oversees the agency’s Special Victims Unit. “But the case is still open. Anything is possible.”

A detective trained in equine investigations visited the Second Chance ranch on Aug. 26 to check on the eight horses and two ponies there, Hofstein said, adding they will continue to monitor the situation.

Lane, who runs the Hearts for Horses rescue in Coconut Creek, went to the Second Chance ranch on Aug. 10 to help a friend pick out a horse to adopt.

Lane said she was “shocked” by the protruding ribs on two former race horses, both thoroughbreds, a 4-year-old named Lil Bit and a 10-year-old named Ricky.

“They were all underweight and standing in muck,” Lane said. “My heart went out to all of them. When I saw Lil Bit, I made up my mind I was not leaving without her. She was the worst off.”

That same day, Lane adopted Lil Bit, Ricky and a 4-year-old mare named Striped Gift. She paid a $200 adoption fee for each horse.

She called police two days later.

Following up on Lane’s complaint, Deputy Gary Brown said he observed horses eating hay at the Parkland ranch but could not determine whether there was abuse. The case was forwarded to the agency’s Special Victims Unit, which investigates animal cruelty cases.

Two of the three horses now at Hearts for Horses – Lil Bit and Ricky – are still severely underweight, vets say.

Dr. Glen Gillard, a Boynton Beach vet, examined them on Aug. 13, three days after they moved to their new home. He says the horses had been slowly starving.

Lil Bit is 250 pounds underweight, and Ricky needs to gain 100 pounds, vets say. Lane believes she can get the horses back to their normal weight within two to three months.

Photos on Seacrist’s website show the horses were healthy when they came to Second Chance from Calder Casino & Race Course in Miami Gardens.

Caputo said he warned Seacrist six months ago that Lil Bit was underweight. He said he repeated the warning when he examined Lil Bit the first week in August.

“She looked horrible,” Caputo said.

Caputo says Seacrist has had problems keeping weight on his horses since he started Second Chance in 2008. Some of the horses were fed together, forcing them to compete for food, Caputo said.

Seacrist insists Lil Bit got thin after a bout of diarrhea.

But Gillard says diarrhea was not to blame for her severe drop in weight. His note to Lane on Lil Bit reads: “Found to be grossly underweight! Suffering from malnutrition, mild dehydration.”

Caputo said he never reported Seacrist because he didn’t think he was intentionally abusing the horses.

“He’s not out to make these horses suffer,” Caputo said. “I try to give him my best advice and hopefully he follows it.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at or 954-356-4554.