The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged Chaparral Ranch, the former manager of Bear Creek Stables in Los Gatos, with criminally failing to care for a horse that died from malnutrition and heat stroke last year.
Honey the horse was found unable to stand, badly emaciated and filled with intestinal worms—a condition experts concluded could’ve been prevented.
Jennifer Bryant, 25, was arraigned Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court on a charge of failing to give proper care and attention to an animal, a misdemeanor.
She faces up to a year in jail. Efforts by a Weeklys reporter to get a comment from Chaparral were unsuccessful.
“Honey the horse didn’t have to die like this,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “Proper care in line with a veterinarian’s recommendations could have prevented this outcome.”
In March 2024, County Animal Control officers responded to complaints about abused horses and inspected Bear Creek Stables. They encountered Honey, who had lice and was sickly, prosecutors said.
A veterinarian came the next day and said the ill horse should be given a special diet of alfalfa hay. He told the ranch there should be a follow-up appointment for Honey.
There’s no evidence the manager ordered one—Honey was simply moved to a different location and not given alfalfa, investigators say.
On July 12, 2024, County Animal Control was notified of a “downed” horse at a Chaparral Ranch property on Weller Road in Milpitas. The officer found a very thin Honey on the ground, unable to get up. Bryant said she’d noticed Honey losing weight two weeks prior, and argued the horse’s condition was due to allergies. Honey was euthanized that day.
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District voted to give Friends of Bear Creek Stables a contract from June 6 to the end of this year to manage the Los Gatos stables.
Friends President Rick Parfitt said the nonprofit has “no association” with Chaparral.
“We look forward to partnering with MidPen over the next 12 years to reopen Bear Creek Stables,” he said.
*With files from Faizi Samadani and Stephanie Uchida
Despite ALL the public testimony & outcry by members of the public (Hours of public record testimony) against installing Chaparral at Bear Creek Stables, “Friends of Bear Creek Stables” was all gung-ho to have Chaparral take over. And now look who is changing their tune. Hate to say it – but I will….told you so. ALSO, Craig Gleason and another MidPen Director went to Bear Creek stables and were shown this horse, Honey, by boarders who were incredibly upset about her horrific condition and why didn’t they do anything about it then? Why didn’t they try to help save her? I think this is shameful behavior by those in authority !
Finally. We are glad that the DA did the right thing by filing charges but how is it that an employee is being charged and not the owners of this horse? Bear Creek Stables is owned by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space Agency – did anyone from that government agency call Animal Control? If they didn’t, why not???????
What was the role of the owners of Chaparral in making sure this and other horses own by this company were treated well? The pictures of Honey published in the SF Chronicle news about the day she died are make us sick to our stomach. Go look it up and tell us, do you think any of this is okay?
If they (MidPen Agency Mgmt &/or Friends of Bear Creek Stables) called for animal control to investigate the horrible conditions of the horses in question, it would make them both look bad as they were warned WAY in advance of what they could expect if they allowed Chaparral to take over. They made sure to “insert” Chaparral at Bear Creek Stables despite HOURS of public testimony begging them not to do so. What once was a thriving barn full of kids and community involvement is now basically a run down ghost town. Millions of measure AA bond money went where?