Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

The family of a Howell High School junior wants the district to issue an apology to their daughter, claiming she was forced off the equestrian team for reporting what she believed was substandard living conditions of horses at their practice facility.

The parents of 15-year-old Kyndall Rodriguez also want the school to select a new practice site after she was banned from the property.

"I worked so unbelievably hard. Sweat, tears, blood, everything being poured into the sport for all just to be taken," she told The Detroit News.

"Obviously, I love that team. I love everything about it. I thought I did the right thing by calling.

Howell Public Schools' communications director Thomas Gould released the following response on behalf of the district:

"Following a practice session of the Howell High School Equestrian Team, a team member contacted Livingston County Central Dispatch and raised concerns about the welfare of horses at the privately owned facility where the practice was held. In response, the Livingston County Sheriff's Department conducted an animal welfare inspection and found no evidence of mistreatment or inadequate care.

"Following this incident, the owners of the facility informed the district that a team member would no longer be allowed at their location. According to the district’s legal counsel, the facility owners are within their rights to restrict access to their property. As a result, this decision prevents the team member from participating in team activities held at the facility, thus limiting their ability to remain a member of the team."

Rodriguez is sticking by her decision to call authorities.

"I was raised to, if you see something, then say something," she told the paper. "I care for animals, and these animals were not in the right state. Personally, that's what I thought. They were not in the right state."

"I would never leave an animal like that. And for them just to be left like that, it just broke my heart. I decided that I was going to call because the authorities could handle it better than I could."

Photo courtesy of Tori Hall Photography via Facebook.