SUMMERFIELD, Fla. – A Summerfield horse trainer was arrested Friday following allegations of animal cruelty after a video surfaced showing him abusing a horse, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Benito Orlando Cotto Colon, 34, was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after a 16-second video showed him kicking and violently pulling on the reins of a Paso Fino horse. The video, recorded by a witness and submitted to authorities, depicts the horse in obvious distress trying to evade the repeated kicks and yanks, an arrest affidavit states.
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The complaint was filed by a Miami woman who hired Cotto Colon to train and care for two of her horses. She said the abuse was captured about a month ago and expressed concern about serious injuries to the horse’s mouth and tongue, the affidavit states.
According to deputies, Cotto Colon acknowledged the incident in a public post under the name “Benny Orlando Cotto”, apologizing and claiming the horse nearly threw him off moments before the video was taken.
“Yes, that is me in the video, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I acknowledge that the way I was handling the horse at that moment was not appropriate, and I sincerely apologize for it. I was not aware that my ex-wife was present or that she was recording me.”
Benny Orlando Cotto
Based on the evidence, Cotto Colon was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail. Deputies have not released video of the alleged abuse.
The MCSO Agriculture Unit responded with a veterinarian to assess the abused animal, who was found to be “healthy as a horse”.