MEDINA COUNTY -- As the drought deepens it's creating new dangers for livestock.
Two horses have died in the last few days after getting stuck in mud within ponds that have dried up in the drought.
Both incidents were in Medina County.
On Monday, a 2,000 pound draft horse was trapped in mud for 12 hours before resucers pulled it free near Spencer. The horse, however, had to be put down because it couldn't stand on one of its legs.
On Saturday, a 1,500 pound draft horse died after getting stuck in a muddy pond in Homer Township.
News of the horse deaths spread to neighboring farms that are now on alert. Ponds are some seven feet below normal in some locations due to the lack of rain.
Stephanie Moore of the Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says animals wander further from the dry shore when regular water sources begin to dry up.
WKYC-TV