Christopher John Anderson, 49, has been in police custody after he was arrested on Thursday as part of an investigation into the suspicious deaths of 41 horses on a property near Longreach between August 3 and 4.

Mr Anderson was refused police bail and appeared at Mount Isa Magistrates Court Friday on video link charged with one count of injuring animals.

His only words at the Friday hearing was to confirm his name.

His solicitor Anderson Telford said he needed more time to examine the brief and requested the bail matter be addressed at the Townsville court sitting on Saturday.

The magistrate turned down this request and instead deferred the matter to the Mount Isa Magistrate Court on Monday at 9am.

Earlier this week the Longreach Major and Organised Crime Squad - Rural (MOCS Rural) began investigating the shooting deaths of more than 35 horses at Longreach.

Initial investigations indicate the horses, who were on a large rural property on Cramsie Muttaburra Road, were killed sometime between Tuesday, August 3 and Wednesday, August 4.

The horses included geldings; colts; pregnant mares, and mares with foals at foot, died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity on this road in the past few days to come forward.

MOCS Rural Longreach OIC Detective Sergeant Allan Cook said incidents of this nature can have a devastating impact on rural communities.

"We are strongly appealing to anyone with information to talk to police immediately," Detective Sergeant Cook said.

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