Horses Electrocuted in Racecourse Tragedy

Two prize racehorses began prancing grotesquely, then staggered and fell dead on a patch of grass before a British race over the weekend. The horrifying spectacle unfolded in front of a stunned crowd watching the riderless horses being led around the infield paddock of the Newbury track. Official speculated they were killed by a faulty electrical cable buried beneath the ground, reports the Independent. Transmission of the shocks was likely more severe because of the animals' steel shoes. Other horses wearing aluminum shoes survived without serious injury, but some had burns along their metal bits. Riders holding the horses' reins were uninjured, but reported feeling minor shocks. An investigation is continuing. (Click for another animal tragedy.)