Horses Are Victims Of Long-Running Feud

Police say a long-running dispute between two men may have caused a shooting incident that left one horse dead, three wounded and Danny K. Poole of Firth, Idaho, facing a felony charge of shooting them.

The horses belong to Dave Paulk of Blackfoot and are kept in a pasture on U.S. 91 in Wapello, just north of Blackfoot.

Friday about 5 a.m., someone shot all four horses with a .22 caliber rifle, killing one and wounding the other three. The dead horse, a cutting mare worth about $20,000, was shot six times. Her 4-month-old colt was shot five times and may be paralyzed. Another mare was wounded in the leg and the shoulder and may also be paralyzed. Her 6-week-old colt was grazed across the top of the head.

Later that day, Poole was arrested after a neighbor told a sheriff’s deputy he saw Poole’s truck drive away after the shots were fired.

Poole, 52, is charged with one felony count of destroying livestock and three misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. He was arraigned in Bingham County Magistrate Court on Tuesday. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 20.

“I was framed,” Poole said. “I’m not saying that it’s (Paulk) setting me up,” Poole said. “I’m just saying I didn’t do it.”

Bingham County Deputy Prosecutor Scott Andrew said the two men have a long-standing dispute and a long paper trail of complaints filed against each other.