A pack of coyotes is being blamed for the death of a Michigan horse that was a member of the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Mounted Division.

Lapeer County Sheriff’s Mounted Division Lieutenant Bruce Osmon said the 27-year-old mare was attacked by five or six coyotes on Jan. 23. The horse was a member of the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Mounted Division, he said.

“She was used for special occasions such as parades,” Osmon said.

The mare usually lived in a pasture with eight other horses, Osmon said; however, at the time of the attack, she had been brought to an area closer to the barn for feeding