Two horses were victims of an assault on the night of Thursday to Friday, in Domessin, near Chambéry in Savoie, according to Le Dauphiné Libéré and France Bleu Savoie.
The assault was discovered by a nearby horseback riding instructor.
Alerted by barking dogs at midnight, she noticed a car fleeing the scene.
When she got close to the horses, she noticed bloody wounds on both animals, with shards of metal in the gashes.
Injuries deemed "superficial" by the gendarmes, who however consider that "the matter is serious".
Attacks whose origin is still unknown
The attack could have been carried out using an iron bar or a crowbar.
The owner of the site complained to the Pont-de-Beauvoisin gendarmerie on Saturday.
An investigation was opened to the Chambéry gendarmerie brigade.
Since the end of spring, the mysterious cases of mutilation of horses multiply everywhere in France, without explanation at this stage.
In September, the Minister of Agriculture, Julien Denormandie, announced the establishment of a toll-free number, 0800 738 908, for equine owners.
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An issue aimed at "answering their questions, to support them in protective measures, to also provide them with support, sometimes even psychological, in the face of this anxiety and fear", he explained.
