In the vast landscape of American folklore, few tales grip the imagination quite like a mystery involving an unexplained event. Long before the era of viral videos and instant news, a strange and unsettling event in the quiet San Luis Valley of Colorado sparked a nationwide sensation. This is the Snippy The Horse Story, a peculiar and haunting tale that began in 1967 and continues to be a subject of fascination, blending rural life with the cosmic unknown. It’s a story that has been passed down through generations, evolving from a local incident into a cornerstone of UFO lore.
The narrative began on a September day when a three-year-old Appaloosa mare failed to return to her stable at the Harry King Ranch near Alamosa, Colorado. A search ensued, and two days later, her owner made a gruesome discovery that would defy easy explanation. The horse was found deceased, but the condition of the remains was unlike anything the seasoned ranchers had ever witnessed. This event would launch the horse, posthumously and somewhat inaccurately nicknamed “Snippy,” into the annals of paranormal history.
Unraveling the Legend: What Happened in 1967?
The official story unfolded on September 9, 1967, when rancher Harry King found his horse about a quarter of a mile from the ranch house. Press reports from the time painted a bizarre picture. The horse’s body was reportedly intact from the shoulders down, but the head and neck were stripped clean of flesh, leaving only bleached, white bones. Perhaps even more strangely, there was a complete absence of blood on or around the body, and no tracks—animal or human—could be found nearby.
This lack of evidence became a breeding ground for speculation. How could such a precise and bloodless mutilation occur? The cuts were described as “completely smooth,” almost as if performed with surgical precision. The initial mystery deepened as locals and authorities struggled to find a logical cause. Was it a predator? Disease? Or something else entirely? The unusual circumstances led to sensational headlines across the country, with some papers famously running with theories like “Flying Saucers Killed My Horse!”
Further investigation only added layers to the puzzle. A United States Forest Service ranger reportedly detected unusually high levels of radiation around the carcass with a Geiger counter. The family who owned the horse claimed that when they touched a piece of the animal’s flesh caught on a nearby bush, it burned their hand. These details, whether fact or embellished folklore, fueled the idea that this was no ordinary animal death.
From “Lady” to “Snippy”: A Media Nickname is Born
One of the most interesting footnotes to the Snippy the horse story is that the horse’s real name was Lady. “Snippy” was actually the name of her sire. A reporter covering the incident made an error, and the catchy, albeit inaccurate, name stuck. The media frenzy that followed cemented “Snippy” in the public consciousness, making the horse arguably more famous in death than she ever was in life.
The story was picked up by wire services and published in newspapers not just in the United States, but in countries like Spain, Italy, Japan, and Germany. This international attention transformed a local Colorado mystery into a global phenomenon. For a time, Snippy became one of the most famous horses in the world, her story intertwined with the growing public fascination with unidentified flying objects and extraterrestrial life. The case was even investigated by the Condon Committee, a University of Colorado UFO Project funded by the Air Force, which ultimately concluded there was no evidence of abnormal causes. However, this official explanation did little to quell the public’s imagination.
The Aftermath and Lasting Legacy
In the decades following the incident, the story of Snippy became a foundational case in the lore of animal mutilation phenomena. It was revisited by paranormal investigators and authors, most notably Linda Moulton Howe in her 1989 book An Alien Harvest, who interviewed original witnesses and further detailed the strange circumstances of the horse’s death.
Despite the official conclusions pointing to natural causes or even a confession by two local college students who claimed to have shot the horse, the narrative of a mysterious, otherworldly event has persisted. The inconsistencies in the various accounts and the sheer strangeness of the reported evidence have allowed the legend to thrive.
The physical remains of the horse have had their own long and storied journey. After the investigation, Snippy’s skeleton was passed between various owners and locations. It was displayed in a local museum, stored in a boxcar at Adams State College, owned by a motel operator, and at one point, even listed for sale on eBay for $50,000. Finally, in 2021, the skeleton found a fitting home. It was acquired by the UFO Watchtower, a roadside tourist attraction in the San Luis Valley, not far from where the horse originally died. Here, the bones of the horse once known as Lady are displayed, preserving the mystery for a new generation of curious visitors.
Why Does the Snippy the Horse Story Still Fascinate Us?
The enduring appeal of the Snippy the horse story lies in its blend of the familiar and the profoundly strange. It takes a commonplace setting—a rural horse ranch—and injects an element of the unknown that challenges our understanding of the world. The story taps into a deep-seated human curiosity about mysteries that remain just beyond the reach of a simple explanation.
As Judy Messoline, the owner of the UFO Watchtower, aptly put it when discussing the legend, perhaps it’s better to “keep it all a mystery.” The power of the story is not in a definitive answer, but in the questions it raises about the limits of our knowledge and the possibilities that lie in the vast, starry skies over places like the San Luis Valley.
Whether it was the work of predators, pranksters, or something far more unusual, the death of one horse in 1967 created a legend that has far outlived the facts. It serves as a powerful reminder of how a single, unexplained event can capture the public imagination and become a timeless piece of American folklore.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Snippy the horse story?
The Snippy the horse story refers to the mysterious death and mutilation of a three-year-old Appaloosa mare in Alamosa, Colorado, in September 1967. The horse was found with its head and neck stripped to the bone, with no blood at the scene, sparking widespread speculation about the cause, including theories involving UFOs.
Was the horse’s real name Snippy?
No, the horse’s actual name was Lady. Her sire’s (father’s) name was Snippy. A reporter covering the event mistakenly used the name Snippy for the deceased horse, and the name stuck due to extensive media coverage.
What did investigators conclude about Snippy’s death?
The Condon Committee, a government-funded UFO study group, investigated the case and concluded there was no evidence to suggest the death was caused by anything abnormal or paranormal. Years later, two students confessed to shooting the horse, though many who follow the story question whether that explains the bizarre condition of the remains.
What made the Snippy case so famous?
The case became famous due to the strange and seemingly inexplicable details: the clean, surgical-like cuts, the complete lack of blood, the absence of tracks, and alleged high radiation levels at the site. Sensational media coverage quickly spread the story worldwide, linking it to the growing public interest in UFOs.
Where are Snippy’s remains today?
After being passed through various owners for decades, the skeleton of the horse was acquired by the UFO Watchtower, a roadside attraction near Hooper, Colorado, in 2021. The remains are now on display for the public, preserving the famous local legend.
