DES MOINES, Iowa — More information has been released about the 46 horses that were removed from a Dallas County farm earlier this week.

Robyn Dobernecker, an animal welfare and intervention coordinator for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, said it’s the largest horse case they’ve delt with in years.

Dobernecker said the operation to remove the horses took about 13 hours, as the ARL used three horse trailers and multiple trips back and forth to the property to safely remove all the horses.

Videos and images released by the ARL show many of the horses to be thin, skittish, and some are suffering from major gashes and wounds.

Dobernecker said the horses’ living quarters on the farm weren’t much better.

“A lot of the horses did not have food available to them,” Dobernecker said. “A lot of them did not have water, some did, some didn’t, and a lot of them were living in their own filth and feces. The horses that didn’t have food, which was basically all of them, there were some of them that were forging around trying to find food. Eating thistles and whatever they could find in their pens.”

The horses are now receiving medical care and the ARL said all the horses are expected to recover. Once the horses do recover though they may not be able to stay in the ARL’s care. Linda Kilbourne, 78, is the owner of the horses and refused to surrender them to the ARL. A judge will now have to decide who receives custody.

As a result of the Dallas County Sheriff’s investigation, Kilbourne was charged with livestock neglect and more charges are pending.

The ARL said they are in dire need of donations, due to the expenses that comes with caring for horses. Donations can be made on the ARL’s website.