The 80 animals were living on a property, near Greenville, which is understood to be only 40 acres in size.

The Hunt County Sherriff's Department executed a warrant to seize the horses. The owner will be cited with 80 counts of Animal Cruelty, which is a Class A misdemeanor in Texas.

Hunt County Sherriff asked The Humane Society of the United States to provide onsite assessment of the horses as they are being removed from the property as well as triage working with a veterinarian.

Habitat for Horses, a Texas-based horse rescue organization, co-ordinated the removal of the horses to a secure location.

The horses are said to show signs of neglect and appear to be undernourished, with their ribs showing. The owner of the horses could face up to one year in the county jail and up to $4000 for each count of animal cruelty under the Texas Penal Code.

A dozen or so volunteers helped in removal of the horses. The condition of each horse was documented and photographed before their removal.

The investigation into the keeping of the horses is understood to have gone on for two weeks.