Multiple Horses Found Dead, Dying In Parker County Field
WEATHERFORD (CBSDFW.COM) - Eight horses have been discovered dead in a Parker County field. A ninth had to be euthanized. They were in a field with no food and no water on Old Brock Road west of Weatherford.
The animals have been described as valuable, well-bred cutting horses.
The land they were on is blocked from view. Neighbors said they could see them, but from a distance, they looked fine. It was the odor coming from the property that eventually tipped some off that something was wrong.
Six mares, two geldings, one filly—all of them dead. They went days without water, in 100-degree heat. Neighbor Billy Giles says people around the area didn't know there was a problem, until it was too late. "It's a horse community and nobody wants to see a horse suffer. Truth be known they'd probably feed a horse before they would a person out here."
The Parker County Sheriff's Office said it's investigating and charges are pending.
Another neighbor, Paul Thomas, says the horses were owned by a man who lives in Arizona, who pays a ranch manager to take care of them. "The owner of the horses loved them. And we loved the owner."
CBS 11 went to trailer on the ranch to find the woman neighbors said was paid to care for the horses. A man at the gate said the horses were last checked Tuesday and were fine.
He said after that, the well on the property went dry. With no one at home in the house on the property, no one was around to notice there was no water for the animals. "If they would have been home they would have known the water wasn't running and would have been able to fix it for them."
A veterinarian told CBS 11 after just 24 hours without water the horses would be in a dangerous position. It would lead to death in just a couple of days, and anyone looking at the horses from a distance would probably not notice how much they were struggling.
