The BBC reports that there have been at least a dozen incidents in the Laurencekirk area of Scotland over the last few months where horses have had hair cut from their tails and manes. Bored kids? Someone trying to make money from falls? Spite?
A racehorse in Stamford, Lincolnshire, had to be destroyed last month after suffering severe facial injuries from a mysterious attacker; the horse was stabled at the time. A reward is being offered for information leading to the culprit. More recently, a prize-winning show jumper in Surrey was attacked by a dog and required staples to put his nose back together; the dog’s owner slunk away without being identified.
Update March 20 2007: Four horses died at Wincanton racecourse yesterday and jockey Jay Harris was taken to hospital in the grimmest race day of the 2007 season.
Bridlepath 