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Peter DePaolo, 62, the owner of Windy Acres Farm in Greenville, was arrested last week after officials learned of the abuse, said Orange County SPCA Law Enforcement Chief Gene Hecht.
Hecht said DePaolo failed to feed the horses or provide them with water or veterinary care until they were so weak he shot them.
DePaolo is accused of shooting the first horse in the field and letting it lay there until it died and a second horse was shot in the barn because it was too weak to stand, Hecht said.
Officials, who made the gruesome discovery days after the shootings, said the remains of a third horse were found, as well as a horse that was barely still alive.
DePaolo, who is free until his next court hearing, was charged with numerous animal cruelty offenses, Hecht said.
The surviving horse has since been returned to its owner.
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