A New Hampton man accused of neglecting a herd of horses in March was sentenced in Chickasaw County last week to 42 days in jail after pleading guilty to lesser charges.
    Kelly Olson, 41, was arrested in March after Fayette County Sheriff’s Department deputies discovered 18 malnourished horses on a farm near Hawkeye. Three other horses reportedly had died from neglect.
    The horses were discovered on March 9 eating wood of feed bunks and bark off trees according to deputy reports. The property located at 18129 250th St., which Olson rented, is owned by Terry Schott, 48, of Fredericksburg. Schott and Olson were also charged with illegal possession and transportation of a deer.
    The horses were taken to a farm near West Union and eventually were adopted on March 21 by area families. In a seperate case, authorities in Allamakee County seized seven horses from Olson in 2007 because of neglect. In the latest incident, Olson pleaded guilty Monday, July 7, to driving while barred, an aggravated misdemeanor, and three counts of failure to dispose of an animal carcass, all simple misdemeanors. The charges were ammended from serious misdemeanor animal neglect, according to the Fayette County Attorney’s Office.
    Olson is also required to pay more than $6,200 in legal fees and for care of the horses while he was in custody. He is banned from owning livestock for one year.