The owner of a livery yard in North Worcestershire is warning other horse owners in the area to be on their guard against attacks on their animals.
Brandon Williams who runs the Barnhill Equestrian Centre in Wythall believes his Dutch Warmblood gelding, Arnold, was savagely attacked last weekend while out in a field.
The horse, a Grade B showjumper, was found in the evening with two large slash wounds in his neck. One wasbig enough to fit a fist.
Arnold, who suffers from COPD, is now on box rest but is expected to make a full recovery.
Brandon says there have been other attacks on horses in the past few months – one of which resulted in death.
He believes there is a shortage of police in the area which is making the problem worse.
” There is no deterrent against this sort of crime – only one policeman was on duty to cover a 40-50 mile radius when we reported the attack” .
Sgt Andy Chinn from Redditch Police station, West Midlands, said the police force in the area was up to strength, although he admitted, “we have never got enough police”.
He advised horse owners and the public to “keep an eye out for anything suspicious – particularly parked vehicles”.
He said the incident at Wythall had been recorded as a case of cruelty to animals and was being investigated.
