Six horses found stabbed in Zebulon

Andrea Hayward, who owns the animals, said Monday that she believes someone jumped fences of two enclosed pastures near N.C. Highway 98 and assaulted the animals sometime Friday night or early Saturday.

She found them with deep stab wounds in their hind quarter legs Saturday morning. Some had been stabbed repeatedly.

Hayward said she believes blankets the horses had been wearing helped prevent the injuries from being worse.

The horses should recover, she said, but she is worried that one, 28-year-old Maggie, might have to be euthanized if her wounds become infected.

Investigators are talking to neighbors in the equestrian community but aren't providing any details about the case.