Someone stole a horse in Palmetto, cops say. The crime got worse than that

Someone stole a horse from a pasture in Palmetto and apparently butchered the animal for its meat, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, the thief or thieves broke through a locked gate in the 5800 block of Buckeye Road and stole the horse, according to a news release.

The horse was found dead in a nearby field. It had been slaughtered for its meat, the sheriff’s office said.

Anyone with information can call the sheriff’s office at 941-747-3011 or call Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.

It’s not the first time this kind of thing has happened in the area.

In October of 2015, a 12-year-old prize show jumper from Germany that had just been purchased by a local resident was killed for its meat.

Detectives warned then that eating horse meat can be potentially deadly, given the drugs used to keep the animals healthy.

Deputies advise that horse, and other livestock owners take precautions to protect their animals by adding security cameras and ensuring the animals remain in remote pastures, if possible.