HIALEAH GARDENS, Fla. – A horse was found slaughtered Wednesday in Hialeah Gardens.

The 7-year-old horse was found tied to a pole and its body flayed for its meat behind a barn near Okeechobee Road and Northwest 186th Street.

Richard Couto, founder of the Animal Recovery Mission, said the horse put up a struggle but was stabbed with an ice pick multiple times, suffering a fatal wound to the heart.

"The horse suffered for sure," Couto told Local 10 News.

Couto believes whoever did this killed a horse at the same barn a year ago. He said horse meat sells on the black market for $7 to $40 per pound, but these killers only harvested what is considered the best cuts of meat from the animal and probably did it in 30 minutes or less.

The gray mare named Puti was found by the horse owner's family, including a 10-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl.

"This didn't only affect the life of this animal, but it affected the whole family and it'll affect them for their entire lives," Couto said.

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