A Calhan property owner is facing animal cruelty charges after deputies reported finding at least six malnourished horses on his Bar 10 Road parcel in eastern El Paso County. A veterinarian determined the animals needed immediate care, and deputies transported six of the nine horses to a local large-animal rescue for treatment. The owner, 42-year-old Robert Bardwine, now faces six counts of cruelty to animals, misdemeanors that carry potential jail time and fines.
According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, deputies first received multiple reports in early February about horses near the 3800 block of Bar 10 Road and conducted a visual follow-up on May 15. Complaints continued, and deputies returned on May 21 with a search warrant, posse members, a Colorado state brand inspector, a veterinarian, and representatives from a local rescue. Laboratory samples were collected during the evaluation, the office said.
Veterinarian Says Six Horses Needed Immediate Care
A veterinarian who examined nine horses on the property determined that six required immediate medical intervention, and deputies loaded those animals into trailers for transport to a local large-animal rescue, according to reporting by the Colorado Springs Gazette. The remaining three horses were left on the property after deputies instructed the owner on specific care requirements.
The Colorado Springs Gazette noted that the parcel sits south of Ellicott, roughly 25 miles east of Colorado Springs, a rural stretch of the county where struggling animals can sit out of public view for quite a while.
Charges and Potential Penalties
According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Bardwine was charged on May 22 with six counts of cruelty to animals, each a class 1 misdemeanor. Under Colorado law, a class 1 misdemeanor can carry up to six months in jail and fines, per the Colorado Revised Statutes. Prosecutors will determine how to proceed as the investigation continues.
Local Context: Recent Animal Welfare Probes
This is the latest in a string of animal welfare checks across the county this spring. In early May, deputies responded to a South Lauppe Road property where investigators found multiple dead or emaciated horses and arrested the owner, as reported by KRDO. That earlier response also brought in veterinarians, a brand inspector, and local rescue partners, the same mix of agencies called to the Bar 10 Road scene.
Laboratory samples collected during the May 21 visit to Bardwine’s property have been submitted for processing, and the probe remains active, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported. The six seized horses are receiving care at a local large-animal rescue while investigators continue to review the case.
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