Pet horse found dead outside Florida barn 'had been gutted for her meat'

• WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES
• Horse was found slaughtered in Hialeah Gardens on Wednesday
• It had been stripped of its insides
• Owner left the pet tied up with other horses on Tuesday
• The other animals were not harmed

By Joel Christie for The Mailonline

Published: 23:08 EST, 7 January 2015 | Updated: 23:22 EST, 7 January 2015

Police are investigating the death of a horse in Florida that appears to have been slaughtered for her meat.

The owners arrived at their barn in Hialeah Gardens in Miami-Dade County on Wednesday afternoon after leaving the animal, named Pootie, happy and healthy the day before.

But what they found shocked them to the core.

Not only had the horse been killed, but also gutted.

Brutal: The horse was found dead on Wednesday by its owner. It had also been gutted

'That's not human,' owner Rolando Serrano told NBC 6.

'I don't know who could do that to an animal.'

Mr Serrano said he didn't realize what had happened when he first found the horse, believing it to be another animal that had come onto his land.

'Then I got closer and realized it was my horse,' he said.

'My wife was in tears.'

Scene: There were other horses being held at the barn, however they were not injured

Investigation: Police are looking into what happened to seven-year-old horse Pootie

Mr Serrano had only had the white horse for one month.

He said was seven-years-old.

Police were at the scene on Wednesday night looking for clues.

Mr Serrano has other horses at the barn that were not hurt.