WINONA — The Winona County sheriff plans this week to auction four horses that were seized in February.

The horses will be sold by silent auction. The horses can be viewed at Bluff Country Equine Veterinary Center in Winona. Prospective buyers can view the horses and place bids, which will be opened at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Bids can be accepted or rejected by Winona County Sheriff Dave Brand.

The Winona Daily News reported the horses were seized by sheriff’s officials Feb. 21 on a search warrant. Brand says it was clear the horses weren’t being adequately fed.

The sheriff says one of the horses was so malnourished it was unable to stand, and needed to be lifted by a skid-steer loader for three days before it could stand on its own.