Crazy hillbilly neighbors abusing horses?

Are these the same people?

Could you put up security cameras or a game camera?

Without proof, I'd be careful what I said about neighbors beating your horses on an open forum. Horses can and do hurt themselves on virtually anything. Especially horses that get out and wander through unfamiliar areas.
They could very well be just odd neighbors that mean well and helped catch your loose horses and housed them till you came to get them.

Even with your added huge paragraph I agree with HC.

Horses injure themselves. Period.
Wide cuts, narrow cuts, huge chunks of hair missing, small chunks of hair missing. It all happens. Detailing the size and shape of the wounds in no way makes it sure that the neighbor caused them.

People like you make it hard to be a good citizen. Innocent people get blamed when all they did was catch a loose animal and contain it for the owner.

If...yes if... the neighbor did steal your horses to beat on them, why would he have come over and told you to come get them?

I'm a little confused as to which neighbor is which...

Is the "crazy" neighbor the one who ended up with the horses at his place? If so, that's even "crazier" ! Why would he get what he thought were his horses out of your paddock - and then call to tell you about it?

However, at the end of the day - this man who called was able to contain your horses and prevent further mishaps.

Did he hit them? Possibly. Without being able to prove it - you are stirring up trouble with your neighbors.

AND unless you are able to prove that the injuries happened on your property - a person will not usually be held liable for injuries to loose animals. For example, if it was your dog that got loose and he ran to the neighbor's chicken coop, and the neighbor hit him with a 2 x 4, the neighbor would not be liable for any injuries because your dog was loose. Loose animals (as far as the courts are concerned) are generally considered dangerous and/or a nuisance. People are within their rights to hit them - even shoot them - if they believe the loose animals are a threat to themselves or their property or their other livestock.

I would definitely invest in some cameras sounds like there could be more trouble to come in the future!

Color me confused as well.

If the bad neighbor who beats his horses and cows isn't the same person as 'crazy neighbor', why did you even mention him? It only muddies the waters.

You can prove exactly nothing. The only real facts are that your horses got loose, this guy found them and put them in a holding pen, then called you to come and get them.

Anything else is wild speculation on your part, and unless you want to have the cops called on you, I suggest you not confront the person who was kind enough to catch and pen your horses for you.

I totally underhand how you feel, I would be EXTREMELY upset if I even thought someone had hurt my horse. However, with no proof I would just be civil and kind to them, the only thing worse than a crazy neighbor is a crazy neighbor whose pissed off at you. If you start a fight now your only putting your horses in further danger because with no proof he will not be charged, but he will have nice new grudge against you. I'm not saying he did it because everyone is right, horses hurt themselves on EVERYTHING but in this case whether he did or didn't I would do some serious schmoozing in order to get on his good side. If he didn't do it, well then you'll just seem like a very nice person, if he did then maybe he'll start to like you and find someone elses farm to harass. I would also most definitely put up a few cameras, even if they are just game cameras because if he comes back, Then you'll have the proof you need to go after him.

Tell him you've put cameras along the fence lines so you can see how the horses are getting out. You could even buy fakes to put out so he sees them.
Did you find an area indicating how they escaped from your pasture?

I mentioned the "crazy neighbor" because he might have LET MY HORSES OUT and because my very nice neighbor who is a POLICE OFFICER told me that she had seen him hanging around by my fence looking in at my horses and calling them his and saying to any passing person that he needs to get them and take them home.