Abuse of horses at Valley Forge academy alleged

Valley Forge Military Academy & College has a long, proud tradition of horsemanship.

A photo of members of the polo team is among the colorful shots featured on the school's Web site.

But the director of the Valley Forge equestrian program recently was cited for failing to provide shelter and proper care for at least a dozen horses at the school.

Capt. Nicholas Caputo III received three citations of animal cruelty alleging he had not properly cared for horses in December and January.

The horse allegations are the latest issue to crop up at the military school, whose campus is in Radnor and Tredyffrin Townships. In the fall, Valley Forge was rocked by allegations of student assaults and grade-changing.

At the time, school officials attributed criticism to a group of disgruntled alumni they said were upset by Valley Forge's decision to admit women to the college in 2006.

Some alumni say the horse-abuse citations are indicative of the school's mismanagement.

The three horse citations were issued Feb. 14 by the district magistrate's court in Devon and mailed to Caputo after an investigation by Chester County's Large Animal Protection Society, court records show.

Jennifer Myers, director of marketing and communications at Valley Forge, said the school had learned Wednesday of two - not three - animal-cruelty citations. She said neither Caputo nor Valley Forge would comment.

"Because this is a matter of ongoing litigation, Valley Forge Military Academy & College will not discuss details of the allegations at this time," she said.

She did not specify the litigation.

In December, while humane officers were investigating allegations of horse abuse, Caputo and Valley Forge filed a civil suit in Delaware County against anonymous posters who had complained about the horses' care on an online discussion board used by alumni.

The Court of Common Pleas suit against a "John Doe" alleges that comments disparaging the treatment of the horses were false and defamed the reputations of Caputo and Valley Forge.

Complaints about the treatment of the horses prompted the Large Animal Protection Society to begin investigating last spring. In a letter to school officials, the society said Caputo "must more tightly control the management of the horses, especially as it pertains to shelter. . . ."

Caputo has not responded to the citations, according to the clerk at the magistrate's court in Devon. No hearing has been scheduled.

Under Pennsylvania law, cruelty to animals is a summary offense. A conviction can result in a fine of between $50 and $750.

Court records show the charges stem from allegations of improper care of the horses on the school's campus on Dec. 28-29, Dec. 30-31 and during the day of Jan. 11.

The documentation for the Dec. 28-29 citation alleges that Caputo denied "access to necessary shelter, which is clean and sanitary and protects the animal against inclement weather and preserves the animal's body heat and keeps it dry" to approximately 12 horses.

Some alumni, who have been at odds with the current administration and board of trustees over management at Valley Forge, say the alleged neglect of horses in the school's vaunted "D Troop" equestrian program was symptomatic of larger problems on the campus.

"D Troop and the horse program are a microcosm of the school as a whole," said Justin Flood, 25, of Ocean City, N.J., who graduated from Valley Forge's high school in 2003 and its two-year college program in 2005.

Flood, a polo player, said leaving wet horses outside in cold weather jeopardized their health.

"If the problem continues, the higher the likelihood they could get sick," he said. "They deserve better care and treatment."

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