A former Thoroughbred horse trainer who pleaded guilty to multiple animal cruelty counts earlier this year was released from jail on May 12 after serving 126 days of his 180-day sentence.

Chad Moore was charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty and abandonment after animal welfare authorities removed six malnourished Thoroughbred horses, one pony, and one donkey from his Bethel, Ohio, farm in December. The carcasses of at least 10 horses were also found on the property. Two of the surviving horses were later euthanized. The remainder were placed under Clermont County Humane Society care.

In March, Moore pleaded guilty to six counts of animal abandonment under a plea deal. Prosecutors dropped the remaining six counts in exchange for the plea. Moore was sentenced to serve 180 days in jail and pay restitution for the horses' care. He was also sentenced to five years' probation, during which time he is barred from owning and training animals.

Moore was released early because he participated in a program allowing inmates to perform work duties in exchange for term reductions, said a Clermont County Sheriff's Department spokesman