Why Laura Pettler & Associates Launched an Equine Investigations Division
For most of my career, I have investigated people. As a forensic criminologist, criminal investigator, and educator, I have spent decades examining violent crime, suspicious deaths, staged crime scenes, victimization, deception, and human behavior. My work has taken me from homicide investigations and cold cases to courtrooms, television studios, and training conferences around the world. Regardless of the case, the objective has always been the same: determine what happened, identify the facts, and separate evidence from assumption.
Over the years, however, I began noticing something. Many of the same investigative challenges I encountered in criminal cases were appearing within the horse industry. At first glance, that may seem surprising. Most people think of the equestrian world as a place of competition, recreation, tradition, and a shared love of horses. While all of those things are true, the horse industry is still made up of people. Wherever people gather, human behavior follows. So do greed, fraud, deception, negligence, abuse, conflict, and occasionally violence. Recent events have brought that reality into sharp focus.
The recent barrel racing incident involving multiple horses being stabbed shocked the equestrian community. For many horse owners, competitors, and organizations, it was a reminder that the horse industry is not insulated from the darker aspects of human behavior. The attack generated immediate questions. Who did it? Why did they do it? Was it targeted? Could it happen again? Those questions are part of a criminal investigation, and law enforcement will ultimately be responsible for determining whether a crime occurred and identifying the person responsible. However, criminal investigations are often only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
When a significant equine incident occurs, multiple investigations frequently unfold simultaneously. In the barrel racing case, there will likely be questions involving veterinary costs, damages, insurance claims, event security, organizational policies, liability exposure, and potential civil litigation. Attorneys may become involved. Insurance carriers may conduct reviews. Event organizers may evaluate procedures and risk management practices. Horse owners may seek answers regarding how the incident occurred and whether reasonable precautions were in place.
Each of those inquiries has a different purpose, but all of them depend upon the same foundation: facts. The reality is that the horse industry has very few resources specifically designed to bridge the gap between equine knowledge and investigative methodology. Horse professionals understand horses. Investigators understand investigations. Rarely do both skill sets exist within the same inquiry. That gap is why Laura Pettler & Associates launched its Equine Investigations Division.
The Equine Investigations Division was created to bring evidence-based investigative thinking into the horse industry. The same principles used to analyze complex criminal cases can also be applied to equine-related incidents. Every event leaves evidence. Every incident has a timeline. Every witness has information. Every explanation can be tested against the facts. Our role is not to replace law enforcement, veterinarians, insurance professionals, attorneys, or equine experts. Our role is to assist in understanding what occurred by applying structured investigative methodology to equine-related matters. Those matters may involve injuries, deaths, missing horses, welfare concerns, ownership disputes, liability issues, facility incidents, competition-related events, insurance claims, or other situations where questions remain unanswered.
The launch of this division also comes at a time when I am preparing to launch a new podcast, Saddled in Secrets. The podcast explores the intersection of crime and the horse industry. While many people assume equestrian crime is rare, the reality is quite different. Fraud, theft, abuse, insurance schemes, suspicious deaths, horse killings, corruption, and deception have existed within the industry for decades. Most simply receive little public attention. The purpose of Saddled in Secrets is not to sensationalize those stories. It is to examine them, learn from them, and better understand the human behaviors that create them. In many ways, the podcast and the Equine Investigations Division share the same mission. One explores the stories. The other applies investigative methodology to the real-world issues those stories reveal.
At its core, this new division is a natural extension of everything Laura Pettler & Associates has always done. Whether the victim is a person or a horse, the investigative principles remain the same. Evidence matters. Timelines matter. Facts matter. Assumptions must be tested. Conclusions must be supported. The horse industry continues to grow and evolve. As it does, the need for professional investigative resources will continue to grow as well. Significant equine incidents can carry emotional, financial, legal, and reputational consequences for everyone involved. When they do, the industry deserves access to professionals who understand both the investigative process and the unique realities of the equestrian world.
Ultimately, the Equine Investigations Division was founded for the same reason Laura Pettler & Associates was founded many years ago. Because when important questions remain unanswered, someone must be willing to follow the evidence. Someone must be willing to ask difficult questions. Someone must be committed to finding the truth.
