A man who admitted neglecting a number of horses at a southeast Queensland property has been fined $20,000.
Terence John Oberle pleaded guilty to 21 charges of breach of duty of care to animals in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
The charges relate to horses in his possession at a property at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, in late 2019 and early 2020.
Animal rights activists raised concerns in January last year, saying eight horses were surrounded by the carcasses and skeletons of numerous others.
Among the survivors was ex-racehorse Flagflamenco, a now 12-year-old mare that was still listed as active by Racing Australia at that time.
The horse was so emaciated she was struggling to walk, Animal Liberation Queensland executive director Chay Neal told AAP after visiting the horses in January 2020.
An estimated 30 horses had died on the property based on the number of corpses and skeletal remains identified in January 2020, Mr Neal said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Were it not for the assistance of outside parties monitoring and providing feed to the horses, the outcome may have been even more tragic for the surviving horses," he added.
Oberle was fined $20,000 and given an 10-year restriction on buying or acquiring horses, except for the six he already owns.
