HBO canceled production of the series "Luck" on Wednesday after the death of a third horse stirred outrage this week, saying it can't guarantee "accidents" won't happen again.

A third horse died this week after been euthanized following a serious head injury. The other two horses died during filming of Season 1 in 2010 and 2011 after being injured during racing scenes.

" While we maintained the highest safety standards possible, accidents unfortunately happen and it is impossible to guarantee they won’t in the future. Accordingly, we have reached this difficult decision," HBO and the series' producers said in a statement.

Animal activists suggested Wednesday that the show's producers hid how they were treating the horses.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said that HBO refused to tell them about the first two horses that died during filming of season 1.

PETA says that it learnt from "caring whistleblowers" that allegedly one of those horses hadn't raced in months and was so sore that it had to be drugged with a potent cocktail of muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory and painkilling drugs. They said the other horse had not raced in nearly four years and was arthritic.

"Both horses were 'raced' twice in one day - something even fit thoroughbreds would never be subjected to," PETA said in a statement. "Both horses on the set of Luck broke down after the second run. Their leg fractures were so violent that their bones shattered under the pressure."

HBO has not addressed the claims publicly.

Dr. Rick Arthur, the equine medical director for the California Horse Racing Board, told the New York Times that it was "absolutely irresponsible" to suggest that the first horse "had drugs in it before it was filmed," and that they were given "in response to the injury."

The American Humane Association is investigating the case.

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