Horse owner charged with animal cruelty

By Patti Weaver

(Stillwater, Okla.) — A 20-year-old Oklahoma City man accused of failing to give prescribed medication to a 6-year-old Arabian mare kept at Starr Valley Stables in rural Stillwater has been served with a letter requiring him to appear in court on July 24 to answer to animal cruelty charges or face arrest.

If Aquantae Q. Bowler is found guilty of this offense, he reportedly could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine after having been away from the property to regularly care for the horse for approximately five months.

Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Dalton Ross began investigating the animal’s welfare on June 24 after a caller raised concerns “about a horse that the owner had abandoned and neglected” on the property where the caller lives and has his own horses, according to an affidavit.

“He said he was taking care of the horse because the horse needed someone to take care of the horse. He told me he went out this morning and the horse in question had fallen and it took him about 30 minutes to get the horse up. He contacted the OSU veterinarian to respond.

“Dr. Patricia Sayler told me that the horse had a body condition score of 3.3 1/2. She told me that the horse was swollen on her hind legs and had an abscess/infection in her eye. She told me that her suggestions were to possibly give the horse some over the counter Tylenol to help comfort her and help her move.

“She also said that the horse needed an antibiotic for the eye infection. This antibiotic was to be given three times a day and Tylenol twice a day. She felt that this, along with a better diet, would make the horse healthy. She told me that if left untreated, the horse could lose its eye and the infection would continue to worsen.

“She told me that she had spoken to Bowler and reviewed this information, and she said that he had told her that he would pick up the medications from her clinic that evening. I spoke to Bowler who told me that he had spoken to Dr. Sayler, and that he would pick up the medications that evening and that he would pick up the horse in a few days and move it to another barn in Oklahoma City.

“Bowler was informed that it was very important that he do what he said he would do, for the well being of the horse. He was informed that if he was unable to care for the horse, surrendering the horse was an option. I told him to keep me updated if he was unable to pick up the medication. OSU Veterinary Facility contacted dispatch on the evening of June 24, 2024 and informed them that Bowler would not be able to pick up the medication that evening and that it would be the 25th before he could pick it up,” the deputy sheriff alleged in his sworn statement.

“On June 25, 2024, at approximately 7:39 a.m., I saw the horse in Starr Valley; the gate to the pen had a lock on it. The horse had water and a feed trough. The horse appeared thinner than he should have been and was constantly checking his feed trough. There was some green grass in the pen, but it did not provide the nutritional value needed to improve the horse’s condition.

“The horse’s left eye was draining and appeared swollen. On June 25, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., I contacted OSU Veterinary Services, who informed me that Bowler had again failed to pick up the medication. I called Bowler at 10:20 a.m. on June 26, 2024. He told me that he would be moving the horse that day and that he would be leaving in approximately one hour. He stated that he would call when he arrived. Bowler never contacted me,” the deputy sheriff alleged in his affidavit.