This is the horrifying moment a horse mauls a helpless sheep to death and sends it flying through the air in a fit of rage.
The recently re-emerged video prompted horrified reactions from viewers as the rampaging creature repeatedly hurls the sheep through the sky and stamps on its body.
In the clip, shot in an undisclosed location, two men tentatively approach in a bid to calm the bay-coloured beast, but it continues circling its kill and proceeds to show off its raw power.
WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT: Viewers were left shocked by horrifying footage of a feral horse attacking a sheep in a fit of rage
A man tentatively approaches in a bid to calm the bay-coloured beast, but the horse continues circling its kill and proceeds to show off its raw power by hurling the carcass through the air
At one stage in the clip, viewers can clearly see the blood-soaked wool of the sheep around its head and neck – suggesting the actions of the horse were fatal.
And as the video nears an end, the horse tramples over the sheep’s lifeless carcass and flings it through the air again – emphatically ensuring the mammal was dead.
The minute-long clip starts with one person holding a stick backing away from the raging ‘stallion’ as it rears up and manically jumps around.
As the person holding the camera approaches, the horse calmly stands over the sheep’s carcass before launching another terrifying attack.
Using its powerful jaws, the horse grips the sheep’s hind legs and rears up, launching the mammal through the sky as it does so.
The horse rears up over the dead sheep, before launching a second, terrifying attack
Using its powerful jaws, the horse grips the sheep’s hind legs and rears up, launching the mammal through the sky as it does so
The sheep fails to move for the majority of the video, but the end of its life was punctuated in the clip after the horse aggressively stamps on its body
The sheep fails to move for the majority of the video, but the end of its life was punctuated in the clip after the horse stamps on its body.
Viewers watched on in horror at the surprising scenes, with horses known for their docile demeanor rather than an aggressive nature.
But in the wild, dominant feral stallions have been known to act more aggressively within their territory if they feel threatened – albeit such circumstances remain rare.
The expert website, Horseracingsense, explained: ‘Wild horses can attack humans, but they rarely do. They are prey animals, and their first instinct is to flee danger.
‘However, stallions and horses separated from their herd can be aggressive.
‘When horses are threatened and have no place to retreat, they will attack.’
Experts say that in the wild, dominant stallions have been known to act more aggressively within their territory if they feel threatened – albeit such circumstances remain rare
The minute-long clip ends with the horse slamming the sheep’s helpless body into the ground
Many of those commenting on the clip, which was first shared across social media in 2019, were quick to point out the footage was a devastating reminder of the raw power horses possess.
One user wrote: ‘This shows how powerful horses are. This sheep could be about 200 pounds and the horse swings it around like it’s nothing.’
One person said: ‘I realise a horse is a strong, large animal, but dang! That sheep is no more than a rag doll to it.’
Another commenter added: ‘That’s crazy. This really shows how much damage a horse can do if it really wanted to.’
Others speculated on the horse’s gender amid the poor quality of the clip.
Angie W wrote: ‘It’s definitely a stallion, but such strange behaviour I’ve never seen anything like it…’
But another commenter speculated that it was a mare potentially defending her foal from an aggressive ram.
In 2017, horrified onlookers watched on as a large black horse attacked an alligator near Gainesville, Florida
It’s not the first time a large horse has battled with other members of the animal kingdom.
In 2017, horrified onlookers watched on as a horse attacked an alligator near Gainesville, Florida.
Those recording the clip were at the La Chua Trail at Paynes Praire when they first noticed a herd of horses grazing near a footpath.
An alligator was lying undetected in the grass near to the large black horse which was closest to the group.
A few moments later, the closest horse moved towards the gator and ‘started kicking and bucking,’ before the gator snapped at its hind legs, according to eyewitnesses.
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