High Vibe Trail Rides horses were the talk of the town on Thursday, Aug. 13, with chatter coming from nearly everywhere except the horses’ mouths.
Two former employees of High Vibe Trail Rides in Milford describe horrifying conditions for 38 horses that they said were starved and abused before being rescued by authorities on Wednesday.
Hailey Hayes and Meghan MacDonald said they reported the business and its owner, Lucie Ptasznik, to Oakland County Animal Control, which executed two search warrants and seized 38 horses Aug. 12 from the business at 2731 Meadowood Lane and a private residence on West Commerce Road.
“The horses were not fed properly; it was a rare occasion for them to have hay in their pastures or water in their troughs,” Hayes, a Hartland
resident who worked for High Vibe for less than six months between last fall and this spring, said. “They were in mud up to their knees, their water was dirty with manure in it, and I witnessed on multiple occasions Lucie using force on these animals, hitting them with pitchforks and flags. It was not necessary and should never happen.”
She and MacDonald, a Shelby Township resident who worked for High Vibe from April-June 2024, said the horses were often lame or suffering from saddle and girth sores and still would be forced to provide trail rides for up to six hours per day.
“All she cared about was money,” said MacDonald, adding she was fired for “not being a team player” and refusing to ride with a guide who had begun drinking at 9 a.m. and was intoxicated before taking a group out riding in Kensington. “She wasn’t rescuing horses, she was flipping them without proper medical care. … I hope she is never able to own another horse again. She belongs behind bars.”
Jason Roberts, who made a statement to the press on behalf of High Vibe Trail Rides on Thursday, said the events happening at the business “have nothing to do with horses” and are the result of former employees having a personal vendetta against Ptasznik.
“This is a disgusting witch hunt, and it’s gone way too far and needs to stop,” Roberts said.
In his statement, Roberts said that every horse on the property was examined by a veterinarian less than two weeks ago and virtually all were given “a perfect body score.” He added that animal control had been out a month ago, as well as on previous occasions, and were given a “clear report every time.”
But that was not the case on Aug. 12, when Oakland County Animal Control showed up at High Vibes and a home on West Commerce Road after a weeklong investigation with search warrants, multiple police agencies, and veterinarians.
During a news conference on Aug. 13, Oakland County Animal Control Supervisor Patrick Fanning said 38 animals were seized due to what veterinarians “observed in the field,” and they were in “various, different conditions.”
No deceased animals were found, some horses were not part of the trail ride's business, and there were no other issues on the property.
No charges have been filed, and the business has not been shut down as the investigation continues.
Fanning said Oakland County Animal Control had received previous complaints about High Vibe Trail Rides, but was challenged by callers remaining anonymous and the difficulty of corroborating the charges.
Most recently, he said, “We identified witnesses who were willing to not be anonymous and be involved in the process and helped us.”
The 38 horses who have been seized were transported to Horses’ Haven, a rescue facility in Howell,where they will be cared for while the investigation continues, Executive Director Kristine Dvonch confirmed.
As part of the investigation, Fanning said each horse will receive a full veterinary examination to document medical conditions.
Fanning noted that a person in charge of animals must provide adequate care, including sufficient food, water, shelter, sanitary conditions, exercise and veterinary medical attention to maintain animals in a state of good health.
“Missing one or more constitutes cruelty and neglect,” Fanning said. “It doesn’t mean all those things are missing; it may be one or more, but all our documentation and investigation will show that.”
When the investigation has concluded, the prosecutor will make a final determination on any charges.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: High Vibe cruelty investigation has everyone talking except horses
