Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding a mare injured and abandoned beneath a bridge in Montgomery County, Texas.

Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable's Office Public Information Officer Jamie Nash said a passerby reported that a horse had been abandoned under a bridge near the San Jacinto River on Oct. 6. The older mare was found with a severe injury to her head, she said.

“Her jaw was broken,” Nash said. “The injury was severe enough that she could not get her entire tongue into her mouth and it was difficult for her to eat.”

The horse had also sustained an injury to her left hind leg, Nash said. It is unclear whether the mare's injuries were caused by a human or by another horse, and it's still unclear whether her jaw can be repaired, she said