It’s being called an ‘Act of Evil’.
Fifteen horses were shot and killed in the woods of Eastern Kentucky in what authorities call a cruel and inhumane crime that they’re now working to unravel. Local authorities are offering a $1,500 reward — an amount boosted by donations from people who want the killer brought to justice.
The horses were found in the area of a rehabilitated strip mine near Floyd County’s border with neighboring Pike County. For years, locals say, 30 or more horses have roamed the rough and isolated terrain there. But that changed horribly this week.
It looked like a battlefield for just horses — we counted 15 that we found dead. All 15 appeared to us to have been shot,” Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt told local TV station WYMT.
“This is very inhumane,” Hunt says, “and it’s a very cruel act of somebody who just apparently had nothing else to do or whatever, just to go back on a strip job and shoot down horses who were — one of them obviously was feeding, had grass in [her] mouth.
At least two of the slain horses were pregnant and miscarried after being shot, says Megan Goble, who lives near the site. Her family owns part of the land that has become home to the horses. She says the horses lived in two main herds, and she describes them as a mix of animals that were brought there by their owners and those that were born in the secluded area.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Floyd County Sheriff’s Dept
149 S Central Ave
Prestonsburg, KY 41653
Phone No: 606-886-6711
FEATURED IMAGE:
Megan Goble
Tuesday's Horse 
It’s bad enough dealing w all the BS on tv then you read this . I hope they catch this sick person and bring him/her to justice.
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This is sad and unfortunately will only make things worse if it was a ongoing issue with the horses. No animal deserves to be killed for the sake of killing.
Like the cowgirl said if left to become wild they can become a issue. I watched a herd that was going to be slaughtered out west. They were eventually thinned and hauled away.
Like in that situation it was two sides not willing to understand each other. Those that wanted to save them made the land owners out to be evil and wanted them to live wild and free on the ranches.
The ranchers just wanted pushed to public land and stop destroying their hay and hurting their stock. BML stepped in and took over as those that wanted to save them started making threats and cutting fences.
I was not aware they had any running free in this area. It can be a beautiful thing but a tricky one. We have them In areas here in Virginia. I hope no one ever reacts the way those people have. It is better ways to deal with it than this senseless act.
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Those horses were just being horses, enjoying their freedom and their lives. Whoever gunned down these innocent animals does not deserve to just walk away from the carnage they committed! They need to be charged with criminal abuse of an animal and sentenced to the fullest extent of the law allowed! Those beautiful horses did not deserve such a violent fate!
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Beautifully put Shay. Thank you.
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This is shocking and sickening.
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It is Anne. In all our years advocating for horses, none of us can recall a mass shooting of horses like this. We are still shaking our heads, but there’s no making sense of it, or figuring out why and how someone could do this. They need to be caught and dealt with, and I don’t mean simply thrown in jail. This person needs psychological help. Just horrible. The whole thing.
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/south-carolina-horse-attacks-investigation
I wonder if it has any relation to this?
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I would be willing to add monies to the reward for the capture of the sick persons who shot these horses. I believe in an eye for an eye. Amen
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This is a very sad situation and not that I condone this kind of heartless slaughter – but I am going to offer another perspective that perhaps people might not be aware of. This is my guess with what is happening here . I own ranch land in Eastern Washington State. The land is bordered by National Forest and a patchwork quilt of private land holdings. About 10 years ago, during the recession, people started dumping horses they couldn’t feed or didn’t want. Those horses become feral herds. They increase about 20% in numbers a year. It doesn’t take long before they start damaging land because of over population. And they move in between public and private lands. Some people in my area ( just like this story ) feed them in the winter, and even semi domesticate them. The horses then become even bigger problems. My land has had years where the horses have done a lot of damage due to over grazing. Same with other land holders. The horses also will steal your own mares, and the stallions will get in and fight with your geldings ( and potentially kill them ). They also get into hay stored for your own livestocks winter feed. And a semi wild horse that is not afraid of humans, but isn’t really tame, can also be a dangerous horse. To round up these horses, that belong to no one, and yet many who are coming to feed them have emotional attachments…..gets pretty contentious. People have fantasy views of them, and very little realistic knowledge of what happens with feral horses. My guess is, someone got tired of them or the situation and took things into their own hands. I don’t support this – but having dealt with it, It is my guess as to why. I would love to see more reporting to know if these horses have been problems in the area.
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Regardless, you don’t gun down horses the way this killer did whether there were problems or not, perceived or otherwise.
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I agree. Shooting like this was heartless. But I also think people need to be aware of just how pervasive a problem feral horses are. People become very emotional about this issue, and often are not very informed. It is an incredibly complex set of issues. The horses are caught in the middle of a people problem.
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The problem is always the people not the horses! Horses don’t have a choice where they end up if people dump them, they just try to survive the best they can. The ignorant person that brutally shot them had a choice ! I hope they catch who ever did this and give them 7 years per horse in prison. That should give him enough time to think about what he did. There is NO hunting season for horses’
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Horrible people are a pervasive problem, but no one goes around gunning them down.
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Horses are not the problem , it’s the humans that are. It responsible and dump them. After speaking to the State Veterinaians office concerning another matter. They informed me that people were dumping horses including Throughbreds in Eastern Kentucky. So maybe we punish the people for not being responsible owners. That’s the. Best plan!
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This is so sad and cruel as owner of horses i find this very disturbing i hope the killer is found 😥🐎😥
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..
..my heart bleeds..
only humans are capable of this evil..
..rest forever softly..
angel horses..
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Actually, wolves have been known to kill for fun.
https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/25/us/wyoming-wolf-pack-elk-slaughter/index.html
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WTH is wrong with you? Wolves are not people and they don’t carry guns as a rule. You’re as sick as the people who did this. Pathetic.
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I completely condemn the person that shot these horses. I was replying to the person who thought only humans kill for fun.
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Wolves kil for fun? Just stop.
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If you had looked at the link I provided, you could hardly call a wolf pack slaughtering 19 elk in one night & not eating them, anything but “fun”. There is a reason why wolves were almost eradicated. They are highly dangerous to livestock, humans & other wildlife when their numbers aren’t managed properly.
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Sorry I hit the like your comment accidentlly . Your comment is ridiculous a Wolf doesn’t have the abililty to put. Bullet in a horse. So sad you are not holding people responsible. Humans are the ultimate evil preditors, whoever did this is evil and barbaric. Total redneck!
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How truly sick are some human beings. If you choose to call them that. Evil , sick and cruel. I hope they are caught and serve the maximum sentence and more! Low life scum!!!!!!
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So many sick people out there.
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Yes there are and that about explains these.
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