Metro Animal Care and Control on Wednesday cited a horse-drawn carriage company for animal cruelty-related charges after a photo taken of a thin horse on Lower Broadway went viral.

Preshias Harris said she took the photo at the corner of Broadway and Second Avenue about 7 p.m. Monday after spending time downtown at an event.

"All I wanted to do was to get that horse off the street to get some food and water and raise awareness for whatever was going on," said Harris, who lives in Goodlettesville.

Metro Animal Care spokeswoman Rebecca Morris said the agency learned about the photo, which has since been shared thousands of times online, and on Wednesday met American Melody Carriage owner Melody Robinson downtown in a carriage lot.

There, officers issued two citations: one for overworking an underweight animal and the other for failure to provide vet care. A second horse was underweight, Morris said, and had an abscess on its foot that needed treatment.

On Wednesday, Robinson posted a comment on her company's Facebook page stating her horses "are vet checked as needed" and that she feeds them twice daily and three times when they are working.

"They also get biotin supplements to keep their hooves healthy and strong, the one who needs to gain weight is getting an additional weight building supplement with her feed, and they get alfalfa pellets as well ... I would not have used her except that I was and am fully confident that she was and is completely capable of doing that," she wrote. "I am the biggest advocate for fair treatment of these animals."

Her company, according to the page, provides "all types of horse-drawn carriage services in Nashville TN, and surrounding areas."

Morris said Metro Animal Control plans to alert the Transportation Licensing Commission about the investigation.

Anyone who see a horse or animal that needs immediate attention should call at 615-862-8600 and ask to be connected to animal control.

Reach Natalie Alund at nalund@tennessean.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.