It takes a special sort of person to starve a horse to the point of death and to neglect to undertake basic care so it's caused suffering and pain and distress. It's got absolutely nothing to do with wealth or whether you can or can't afford something at all. It makes no difference whether it's a nice animal or a FUgly one.

Abusing an animal is a way for a human to find power/joy/fulfillment through the torture and/or neglect or abuse of a victim they know cannot defend itself.

The roots of cruelty, neglect and causing suffering is part of a malevolent psychological make up that in my opinion are just inhumanely depraved monsters who do not understand ‘normal’ morality. To them life is cheap! To be used and abused at their will and pleasure. Then there's the practice of 'hoarding' - collecting and keeping dozens of animals in deplorable conditions - always a symptom of either severe personality disorder or mental illness.

Dressing it up with excuses or trying to find a rationale is somewhat ridiculous and frustrating. No sane nor moral person could ever get into the mind of someone with such psychopathic tendencies.