Eight malnourished horses, including two miniatures, have been rescued in south-east Queensland this week after their owners blamed the drought and cost of feed for their poor conditions.
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Another eight will be seized by the RSPCA next week, with temporary or permanent homes needed for the animals.
RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said limited space at the Wacol facility meant the horses could not be kept there long.
"The problem is we can’t deal with large numbers of livestock, only a few on an individual basis because we just don’t have the room," he said.
"We have eight already seized, which came in individually from across the region, and we have another eight coming in next week from north of Brisbane."
Mr Beatty said the animals were being cared for by RSPCA vets at Wacol to get them back up to strength.
"They blamed the drought situation and the cost of feed, but they have still got to feed the animals. If you can’t afford a horse, to be honest, you shouldn’t get it in the first place," he said.
"In one case we had already been out and issued welfare directions to the owner. We went back to see if they had been complied with and the horse was in even worse condition.
"Some people who should never have had horses in the first place just get them as a lawnmower."
Mr Beatty said the horses' hooves hadn't been taken care of, they were unwell and had not been fed properly or taken to the vet.
The two miniature horses had made great progress, according to Mr Beatty, and were ready to be rehomed, but the other horses would need to go to a foster carer before permanent adoption.
The RSPCA helps foster carers by paying for the animals' food and a spacious property with grassy areas would be ideal.
Potential carers can email fostering@rspcaqld.org.au or phone 3426 9997 or 1300 364 443.
In a separate incident earlier this month, a Queensland man pleaded guilty to charges relating to organising dog fights after canines were rescued, having suffered the "worst kind of animal cruelty".
A man was also filmed "biting and chewing a possum" in one of a series of horrific videos of animal cruelty released by RSPCA Queensland last week.
