A horse was dragged nearly four miles after falling out of the back of a trailer on Monday (6 July), police in California believe.
Police in Sonora are investigating after a passer-by alerted a woman driving a pick-up and trailer that the back door of her trailer was open and the horse was dead.
Another horse was still in the trailer and was unharmed.
The 55-year-old woman and her two daughters were returning from a ride and police believe the trailer door came undone and the horse either stepped or fell out of the vehicle but remained tied up.