A protracted legal battle between the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) and the New York Attorney General's (NYAG) office ended at 2:30 p.m. Nov. 19 when a settlement was signed.

The complaint filed by N.Y. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman back in May 2012 was dismissed "with prejudice," meaning the allegations of herd neglect and abuse cannot be asserted against the TRF again, according to a TRF announcement. In exchange, the TRF has agreed to the appointment of three independent directors and the creation of a method for selecting a new paid executive director, who will report to the board chairman and board members of the TRF.

"Our herd—just under 1,000 horses—remains in fine condition as we head into winter, just as it has been through this entire ordeal," said John Moore III, chairman for the TRF in a prepared statement. "We are relieved to have behind us this nuisance suit that the NYAG should be embarrassed to have initiated."

In May 2012, Schneiderman pushed forward with the case based on affidavits from a whistleblower and a veterinarian, who alleged a pattern of abuse spread across satellite farms from New York to Kentucky to Oklahoma. At the time, the TRF reported it had about 1,100 horses under its care