MONKTON, Md. — Their beauty and grace paint an idyllic canvas on the sprawling horse farms in Monkton, but on a farm along Old York Road on Friday morning, someone found a retired race horse and a show pony dead in their pasture by gunfire.
“They were both on different parts of the pasture when they were shot. It does not appear as though this was a random act,” said Major Jack Simpson of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office. “In fact, one of the horses survived the night. When the owner arrived on scene, he got up and made an attempt to move and then succumbed to the injuries.”
While you can’t place a price on their lives, the value of the horses is estimated at more than $10,000.
Whomever pulled the trigger could face charges including animal cruelty and the malicious destruction of private property, but at this point, investigators have very little to go on.
“The detectives are searching for leads,” said Simpson. “They’re interviewing people in the area, neighbors, other farm owners, and they are seeking video surveillance. The road patrol deputies are talking to their sources in the area, and we’re hoping to come up with some information soon.”
Anyone who has information, which could help identify a suspect is asked to call the police.
