Detective Terry Chandler is leading the investigation.MAURY CO., Tenn. -
Maury County deputies are continuing to investigate after seven horses were found dead in a pasture recently.
Deputies were called to the Hampshire Community on Sunday afternoon, where they encountered the deceased animals.
Detective Terry Chandler is spear heading the investigation.
"The cause of death is unknown at this time. You just don't have seven horses die in a couple of days," he said.
Chandler continued, "We are looking at a few things that might have happened. We don't know if it is natural, or something they ate in the pasture, or some kind of poison they got a hold of. Necropsies are being performed and we should know in the next few days what caused the death of these horses."
Chandler told Nashville's News 2 Investigates the horses died suddenly.
One horse still had hay in its mouth, while another mare was pregnant with a foal.
Chandler said there is no obvious sign of trauma, meaning that the horses were most likely poisoned or ingested something accidentally that killed all of them.
Chandler said agents with the Department of Agriculture out of the Ellington Agricultural Center in Nashville are aiding in the investigation.
"They are doing a necropsy to do toxicology to see what sorts of chemicals or if a chemical, some sort of poison was present that might have caused these horses to die."
Chandler urges citizens in the Hampshire Community to be patient while he determines the next phase of the investigation.
"I'm sure there is concern. We don't want to cause panic in the Hampshire community. There are several reasons why these horses died, but it is suspicious that seven horses died at the same time," he said.
Results from the medical tests are expected back within the week.
