Published: July 03, 2009 11:09 am      

11 horses found dead on North Texas ranch

WEATHERFORD, Texas (AP) — Authorities in North Texas are investigating the deaths of 11 horses, possibly from a lack of food and water.

Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler says 40 horses total were on the 3,000-acre ranch near Lake Weatherford.

He says nine horses were found dead Wednesday and two were euthanized Thursday.

Fowler says the owner of the horses leased the land and hired someone to feed and provide water to the horses.

He tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “That’s when things went wrong.”

Fowler says there was no water and the well was broken. He declined to name the owner or the person hired to care for the horses. He says that once the owner found out what happened, he got a veterinarian to the horses and had the well repaired.