Posted at: 03/02/2010 7:30 PM | KSAX.com
By: Robert Moses and Becky Nahm

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Isanti Co. woman on trial for mistreating horses

A verdict could be announced as soon as Tuesday in the animal cruelty case against an Isanti County woman accused of neglecting eight horses and a donkey.

Tracy Bratlie, 39, of Stanchfield, is on trial, charged with eight counts of mistreatment of animals.

Investigators seized the animals from Bratlie's property in October 2007.

Animal Humane Society Investigator Wade Hanson said, "There was scraps of hay laying by some of the horses. There was no really clean water or water at all for some of the animals. And they had no shelter."

According to a criminal complaint, the horses were emaciated or malnourished and the donkey suffered from lack of proper hoof care.

"There was everything included from extremely thin hip bones, rib bones, neck bones... to curled up feet and gross inability to walk," said Drew Fitzpatrick from the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation.

Investigators said Bratlie has a history of moving mistreated animals from one property to another.

She was convicted of animal neglect in Kanabec County in August 2008.

Dr. Joel Ihnen, a veterinarian, has visited three of her properties.

Ihnen said, "If she'd spend half the time taking care of the horses as she does moving them, she'd probably still have them."

Bratlie did not want to speak to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

Testimony is scheduled to wrap up Tuesday in Bratlie's bench trial. A verdict could follow shortly after the end of testimony.