pandora's aquarium

ALBUQUERQUE -- Two horses stabled at the New Mexico state fairgrounds were electrocuted in a span of four days, reported Action 7 News.

"It appears they were electrocuted due to a power supply line that shorted out in a distribution box in the barn," said Fred Peralta, manager of Expo New Mexico.

He said the line has been fixed.

The horses were several stalls apart in an older metal barn on the north end of the fairgrounds. Peralta said it was not until the second one died Monday that the death of the first horse Friday was considered anything but a natural death.

Both horses were at the stable in preparation for racing at the New Mexico State Fair, which begins on the fair's opening day Friday.

"It shakes me up whenever anything like this happens," Peralta said. "We try to make sure everything is safe. We feel like this is an unforeseen accident."

Peralta said he did not have details about the horses or their owners.

Valerie Cole, treasurer of the New Mexico Horse Council, said horses are vulnerable to electrocution since they have four legs touching the ground and wear metal shoes.