Update to the story below:

Benjamin Briney of Drew County who was arrested by Drew County Sheriff's Department for the alleged beating of horse has officially been charged by the Prosecuting Attorney with Aggravated Animal Cruelty which is a Class D felony and punishable by imprisonment for not more than six years and by a fine not exceeding $10,000. 

Benjamin Briney, age 20 of Drew County, has been arrested for beating a Shetland pony to death with a baseball bat. Briney is believed to have taken the horse into a wooded area off of Midway Route on Saturday and hit it several times in the head with a baseball bat.

The owner of the horse, Peggy Trantham, had stated that the horse's ears had been bitten by some animal during the middle of July. Sheriff Gober believes that dogs were involved in the bites to the ears. The horse had been seen by a veteranarian and had actually been taken care of by Briney. Trantham felt that the horse was not going to make it and asked Briney to "take care" of the horse.

Briney was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals. Bond was set at $25,000.