JEANERETTE, La. (KLFY) –  Five horses were seized from a property in Jeanerette Wednesday. Lead investigator of the Louisiana Cruelty Investigation Task Force said the living conditions of the horses were terrifying.

Investigators were shocked at what they found when they arrived on the scene.

“There was just a tremendous amount of flies. The smell of the urine and stuff coming from the stalls was just horrible,” Toney Wade.

Lead investigator Toney Wade said the task force was notified of the situation Monday. A neighbor reported a wounded horse that had wandered onto her property before it collapsed. Wade said the horse has fallen on debris on the property, puncturing the animal. The horse’s wound was exposed for several days, causing internal injuries.

“When we got the vet out the vet immediately said he was unsalable. He had some internal injuries, bleeding form both nostrils. It was a bad scene.”

After working with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office for two days, the task force was able to seize the five remaining horses.

“We started looking around and we couldn’t find any water for the horses. All the buckets were empty and had been empty. We could wipe our fingers on the bottom and there was dust.”

They were taken to a rescue in North Louisiana where they will receive a full examination and physical. Wade said it was only a matter of time before another one of the horses would be injured.

“There was multiple complaints over the horses and when we got out there to see the conditions, enough was enough and we seized the horses.”

So far this year, 19 horses have been seized in South Louisiana.