Yes, at times they are bad at it. If these are "released or escaped pets", they were hand fed, not having to catch and kill their meals to eat. Horse meat, is fed to them in captivity??Next young cats, mostly disperses, looking to seek territory of their own after kicked off from the year or so with momma, are now hunting alone.[/align][/align]Taking on a horse compared to a deer is a huge difference. An average deer of 150 pounds compared to the average horse of a 1,000# is a lot more to fight. This requires strength and a good stalking attack to succeed. Like I stated earlier a horse will FIGHT, not to be killed. Many times a cougar is injured trying to take on such a large animal. This is also truewith elk. [/align][/align]Many cougars all over are found with empty stomachs and under weight. If a cougar is born, and trained to eat rabbits to survive, once the rabbits are gone they have to move on to other prey. Deer is supposed to be the main diet, BUT we all know the situation with the deer herds. This time of year, there is large cover for the deer and many other animals, especially with the rainfall we have had. Some hay fields are not being cut due to the conditions from the bad weather. This has given the deer an advantage to hide better. Cougars hunt mostly by site, not smell.[/align][/align]Then look at the mowed pastures that our horses, cows, sheep goats etc. are existing in, they are in clear view and trapped behind fences. [/align][/align]Next are our domestic dogs and cats. They are easy prey for the cougar. Check your area for missing pets![/align][/align]Not all horse escape with injury, some do get killed...(grapic pictures)[/align]http://www.trackincats.com/pictureslash.php[/align][/align]Cougardaville[/align]