The director of the film "The Hobbit" has denied allegations that conditions at an off-set farm where animals used in the film resided contributed to several animals’ deaths, including three horses.

In separate written statements released Nov. 19, both the American Humane Association (AHA, an organization that establishes welfare guidelines for animals used in film and entertainment) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said they had received letters from wranglers involved with the production of "The Hobbit." The letters claimed that the film’s production company was responsible for the deaths of 27 animals, including three horses and several goats, sheep, and chickens. The wranglers said that some of the alleged abuse stemmed from unsafe conditions including the presence of sinkholes and bluffs at the farm where the horses were kept between location appearances.

According to the PETA statement, the wranglers said two of the horses sustained broken necks after other horses in their paddock ran them down embankments. One of those horses was euthanized while the other was discovered dead, the statement said. A third horse colicked and later died after its diet was changed, the PETA statement said. The PETA-issued statement also noted that the wranglers claimed a horse was maltreated when handlers allegedly hobbled the animal after it became too difficult to handle on set.

In a Nov. 20 statement posted on his Facebook page, Peter Jackson, director of "The Hobbit" and the other films in the "Lord of the Rings" series, said the production company investigated the allegations and determined them unfounded