Show Horse Found Dead In Cherokee County Was Not Shot: Police

CANTON, GA — It was a story that outraged many Patch readers across metro Atlanta and north Georgia: A show horse was reportedly found shot to death inside a pasture at a stable in Cherokee County. However, a necropsy performed on the animal shows that wasn't how the horse died in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 22.

While at first glance it appeared Toby, the 8-year-old Irish Sport Show Horse, had been fatally shot in the head, the Cherokee Marshal's Office said its investigation indicates the horse actually suffered a "depressed skull fracture from a blunt object."

Along with the necropsy, a thorough investigation of the scene shows that "most likely" Toby had his head pointed toward the ground when he was fatally kicked in the head by another shod horse at the The Stables At Union Hill (Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Toby's cause of death stemmed from blunt-force trauma, and the manner of death was determined to be accidental, the Marshal's Office said early Wednesday evening.

The Marshal's Office and Toby's owners, who initially offered a $15,000 reward to help capture those responsible for their horse's death, extended their thanks to the University of Georgia Veterinary Division and those in the community who "provided and extended their support" during the investigation.

Like Canton-Sixes Patch on Facebook!

Image via Cherokee Marshal's Office