Horse Dragged By Truck Sparks Investigation Into Owner Culver Modisette In Connecticut (PHOTOS)

Culver Modisette is under investigation after he dragged his purebred horse, Annie, behind his pickup truck on Sunday.

Connecticut state cops are probing an elderly author after pictures surfaced of his horse being dragged behind his truck on Sunday.

Culver Modisette, 86, told CBS 3 that he meant no harm when he pulled Annie -- his purebred Arabian horse -- by a nylon strap after she escaped to romance horses in on a neighboring property.

"I was just trying to get her down in her stable for her breakfast and apples and so forth," Modisette told the station. "No malicious intent."

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The mare in heat had reportedly been disobeying Modisette's orders to walk back to his Stafford Springs home, so he grabbed his rope. Neighbor Helen Kelley said she saw Modisette tie Annie to the bumper of his pickup, and started snapping photos. She said the horse was stumbling and even fell on its side at one point.

"I started screaming to him, 'Stop, you're killing your horse, cut the rope!'" she said.

Modisette reportedly did cut the rope -- and denies dragging the horse after she fell -- and walked her back to the stable.

State police are considering filing criminal charges against him, according to the Associated Press.

Annie was not seriously injured.

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Comments

[jfairinjax]

01:55 AM on 05/10/2012

He didn't do it on purpose. You can tell by the way he spoke. The vet described what happened. The horse was being stubborn. I'm sure the old guy didn't realize the horse was going to be that stubborn and fall. He feels bad for the incident. The horse will be fine. The media makes it sounds like he was dragging a horse 50 MPH down the road. I was shocked when I read the headline of the article. They dramatize to get attention. Not only does the old guy feel bad, but he will probably get hate mail from fanatics. Way to go reporter for making a mole hill into a mountain to get attention. This should not have even made the news. Whats this country coming too when we focus on issues like this instead of the cost of college and how far behind the United States is in science and math compared to the rest of the world? We have people losing their homes and jobs. The moral values are slipping away. Wake up America! Your country is falling like Rome.

[billygoat21]

11:22 AM on 05/10/2012

I completely agree. College is very important to society, otherwise how would we know how to read and attend classes? Also, we wouldn't have any practice in applying for colleges, and signing up for things like dorm rooms and meal plans! We would practically be back in the stone age where, it is known, they ate stones!!

[CMR1188]

11:06 PM on 05/09/2012

I really don't think the man intended on hurting the horse, but he definitely could have handled the situation better.

[clarkchar]

10:05 PM on 05/09/2012

crazy old fool.

[Tanya Palumbo Stannard]

12:46 PM on 05/06/2012

I don't think he was trying to hurt the horse, I think he needed her to get home before his purebred mare was impregnated by the neighbors horse. Not the best idea that he chose, but who are we to judge. I agree with another poster though, maybe he should consider selling the animal if he can't handle her.

[Silent Josephine]

04:34 AM on 05/04/2012

I was literally sick when I read this. If he is to old to handle his horses properly, then maybe he should sell them. (and at the same time reliquish his drivers license!)

[Silent Josephine]

04:26 AM on 05/04/2012

OMG-Rose-you can't be serious.Your father was talking to a horse! This human should know better. I was sick to my stomach when I saw this! I don't know what goes through the mind of a person like this!-or you!

[RoseZetta Cummings]

05:41 PM on 05/03/2012

When I was younger I took 2 of my mares (female horses) up to a local park to ride. It was absolutely fabulous riding across the streams and down the trails. When it came time to leave one of the mares acted like a total bit*h and would not load into the trailer. After trying to get her to load for over 4 hours (resting breaks, treats, ropes across the butt (not to hit but to nudge forward), and many other attempts, I gave up and called my father who was very old. He walked up and whispered something to her and she loaded right into the trailer. My point is-this gentleman used techniques that weren't meant to harm his mare-she just had something else on her mind. Please stop being mean and saying mean things to this poor gentleman-be kind human beings and stop attacking him!

[Silent Josephine]

04:31 AM on 05/04/2012

You can't be serious! really?

[emerging pattern]

03:56 PM on 05/07/2012

Wow. Way to rationalize this man's inappropriate treatment of the horse. Wonder how you'd feel if you were that horse.

One can only wonder what would have happened if teh person taking the photos hadn't yelled at the man to cut the rope.

[Kim0330]

12:35 PM on 05/01/2012

Someone needs to drag him behind a truck.

[PAULETTEJACK]

08:12 PM on 05/01/2012

AMEN!!!!!!

[ceccm]

05:09 PM on 04/29/2012

hmm, if you do not have the know how/equipment to own something...dont?

[TINKER6]

04:00 AM on 04/29/2012

1100 lb. Waah, should have parked the truck a little farther away and got her attention.

[beary123]

02:25 PM on 04/28/2012

Gee, he was able to tie the horse to the truck easily enough it seems. Don't own a horse if you can't treat it humanely. Since 'Mr. tie the horse to truck person' is such a "big horse person" so knowledgeable about horses, surely he knew the horse was in heat. but yet did nothing to contain the horse? Odd. No, he just thought I'm out here in my big Connecticut woods and no one can see me, so I'll just tie the horse to my truck and teach her a lesson. If there was nothing wrong with this picture, THE NEIGHBOR WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PICTURES!! Again, all you horse know it alls, it he had to tie the horse to a truck (he would not have done this on a well traveled route), then he should have been going very slowly. Gee, I would think it takes a lot to knock a horse down. Plain and simple, animal abuse. Too bad I'm not the judge in this case.

[teacherfor25]

01:08 AM on 04/28/2012

Awful! How would they liked to be dragged behind a truck? There has to be a better way to "break" a horse. I have a student that breaks horses and has never used this method, nor have any of the other people at the stables.

[Bryan Fleenor]

02:23 PM on 04/27/2012

Am an animal lover as well and understand a few of the comments here, but......how many of you have ever owned horses? Or, perhaps dealt with an animal as large as a horse that is in heat? Biology takes over common sense on the animals part and they are incredibly tough to handle. What I see in the photo's are a horse that doesn't want to be taken away from something that has captured it's interest. They are like stubborn children for the most part at that point. I do not see this old man trying to cause harm to his horse.....just doing what he can, given his size and age, to try and get the animal back into it's paddock. I have owned horses for many years and can honestly say, they are large, heavy animals, that once they have mind to, can be very hard to deal with. That does not excuse abuse................but not how I see this. Rather than armchair quarterback......understand the circumstances.

[ceccm]

05:12 PM on 04/29/2012

perhaps if you know you will be dealing with such a monumental task as owning such a large animal, be prepared? have equipment or whatever ready to prevent, or if all else fails fix the problem

"I do not see this old man trying to cause harm to his horse"

thats a nice sentiment, it really is. however if we judged people on their "intent" plenty of "accidents" would occur due to pure stupidity and laziness. you said it yourself, its a large animal, perhaps some planning is in order.

[alwaystellitlikeitis]

12:19 PM on 05/01/2012

I understand the circumstances. What I don't understand is why he doesn't own or rent a horse trailer?

[bamamamacat]

02:24 PM on 05/06/2012

There's still the problem of getting the horse into the trailer...

[ThornyBadge]

12:13 PM on 04/27/2012

Sick, just sick. I'm not for all of that animal rights talk but the least you can do is be humane to animals. At least this wasn't some 25 year old just trying to have a quick laugh.

[texasblaze]

05:56 PM on 05/01/2012

This is really not as bad as you think it is. It looks bad. The horse fell. Most times, the horses realize very quickly the strong and slow pull of the truck is no match for them and they begin to follow.

I am sure if you were there, you would see that he should have just let the horse stay hooked to the truck and when she gave slack, to move it forward. An idle pull is not a fast pull but does exert a strong pressure.

I can say that if that horse didn't understand being pulled behind a truck was a strength contest she wouldn't win, and that she has probably learned to get her way by resisting through her sheer strength in the past, and won all those disagreements of willpower. The guy is 86 years old. Most women are stronger than 86 year old men. Just relax. The guy will probably just tie her to a post and wait until she gets past her "standing heat" if she does it again, then she will let herself be led.

[Zilvernation]

07:25 AM on 04/27/2012

Hate to tell you folks but we do that all the time when we are breaking a "green" horse, to get him /her used to the pavement/ vehicles, we don't pull them faster than they can walk, in fact we don't pull them at all, we actually let them set the pace, but its not uncommon, unheard of, or even cruel. Most don't want to do it at first so you give them small tugs forward, a little at a time, until they know they have no choice. Its not cruel, they are never physically harmed. This is a silly story. My grandpa is 92 years old and has been around horses his whole life. Of course he was raised when common sense still existed, and people had to work and farm to make a living to survive the depression and didn't have time to sit on their lily white a## and think of a silly a$$ cause to get involved with to give their life meaning (ie animal rights activist). And believe me my grandfather wouldn't have hesitated a second to do the same thing and I would have been helping him. Believe me an Arabian mare in heat would have taken alot of "pursuading". This story is silly and most people that will judge have no idea what they are talking about.

[texasblaze]

06:00 PM on 05/01/2012

how many kids learned to lead their steers in the ffa without the assistance of a truck or atv pulling? not many! I used my mare and wrapped the lead to the dally and let mama drag her "little big man" until he realized he wasn't going to win that contest with his mama. We just walked and walked until he quit resisting.

[Holly Rice]

03:34 PM on 05/06/2012

WHAT! I start my babies from birth, it makes it natural instead of scary. My foals walk by their moms on a halter and lead out to pasture every morning. By the time they are weaned they dont think nothing of following with NO PULLING BACK. The YeeHaw method died out in the 50s.

[Zilvernation]

12:18 AM on 05/07/2012

I break grown horses, don't have them when they are babies with mom etc....I break hoeses for other people. No need to be a smartass. Alot of things died in the 50's, and not to our benefit. Your reference to the yeehaw method is dumb and many rural people that farm, ranch, rodeo etc would disagree.

[emerging pattern]

04:48 PM on 05/07/2012

""The YeeHaw method died out in the 50s. ""

Well said!!