Colorado’s Snippy the Horse: The Grim Origin of Cattle Mutilation

You've undoubtedly heard unbelievable tales of extraterrestrials visiting farms and abducting people, making crop circles, and even mutilating livestock.

While accounts of the latter date back centuries, the first widespread story of what is known as cattle mutilation comes from right here in Colorado, detailing the grim and unfortunate demise of a horse named "Snippy."

The Story of Colorado's Snippy the Horse

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Back on September 9th, 1967, a mother and son near Alamosa, Colorado discovered the remains of their three-year-old horse. However, it was immediately obvious that the young animal hadn't died of natural causes.

The horse was named Lady and was found with the flesh removed from its head and neck, its heart and brain had been removed, with no blood or footprints to be found in the area, and the cuts appeared to have been made by someone who had exceptional skills with a knife.

The story spread like wildfire, falsely identifying Lady as "Snippy," with the horse's owner quoted as saying, "Flying saucers killed my horse," adding later that she believed that the extraterrestrials responsible would "come out in force one day."

This became the first widely-publicized case of livestock mutilation by aliens, but it wasn't long before the tall tale was debunked.

What Really Happened to Colorado's Snippy the Horse?

After investigations had taken place in order to prove or disprove the theory that aliens had mutilated the horse's body, stories began to emerge claiming that Snippy was killed by lightning and a gunshot wound to its hindquarters.

However, after a few weeks, a pair of students attending Alamosa State College confessed to shooting the horse.

While it would seem that the confession closed the case, many still speculate that the nature of Snippy's demise leaves entirely too many questions unanswered.