Rancher gets probation for castrating neighbor's horses

An Iron County rancher accused of castrating a neighbor’s horses has been sentenced to 18 months of probation. The Salt Lake Tribune reports 79-year-old Marvin Jay Hunt was also ordered Wednesday to write a letter of apology and pay over $2,000 in fines and restitution. He was found guilty of a misdemeanor count of wanton destruction of livestock. Hunt and his 41-year-old son, Colby, had gotten into an argument with neighbor Allen Bailey about the breeding of their horses on private land near the Nevada border. Bailey says the Hunts castrated his animal after it started mating with their mares. A status hearing for Colby Hunt’s case is set for Sept. 20. The Hunts have also filed a civil rights lawsuit against the county over their arrests.   AP