Neglected Horses

A failed promise

Horse Welfare at Bear Creek Stables

“We will certainly prioritize horse health and safety”

~ Brian Malone, Assistant General Manager, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

A very skinny horse wearing a fly masking in a sandy paddock on Midpen land.
Chaparral horse, August 2023.

August 2023

Photographs documented bloody injuries, festering wounds, and an emaciated looking horse at Bear Creek Stables. Midpen Director Craig Gleason personally observed the horses being unloaded, yet neither Midpen nor the boarders contacted animal control authorities. San Francisco Animal Care & Control notified Santa Clara County Animal Services, citing “emaciated horse on property.”



September 2023

September 4, 2023 – Midpen’s Board received a packet documenting horse welfare concerns and proposing independent veterinary inspections, increased oversight, and reporting requirements.

Board took no public action.

More coming soon.