Cruel couple charged after a horse is tied and dragged behind a moving truck for 100 yards

A HORSE tied to the back of a pickup truck was filmed being cruelly dragged down a snow-covered road in a horrific video.

The horse's owners, John Saldate, 59, and Amber Saldate, 33, were charged with animal cruelty on Tuesday, local officials said.

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The horse, Trigger, was tied by its halter to the bumper of a white pickup truck, its hooves attempting to dig into the snow and ground himself as the vehicle drove off.

Trigger was pulled for at least 100 yards through the snow-covered road near Grand Lake, Colorado, reported CNN affiliate .

The recording was shared to Facebook and quickly went viral before it was brought to the attention of authorities on Sunday, Grand County police said.

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Deputies removed Trigger from its home and launched an animal abuse investigation that day after several requests from concerned citizens.

Trigger's owner apologized for the incident and said their actions were "so stupid."

It's unclear who initially posted the stomach-churning video.

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