Can you help? Appeal for information as decapitated mare dumped with foal on byway
A member of the public made the distressing discovery at the weekend
The bodies of a decapitated mare and foal have been found dumped in a byway in Shropshire.
The RSPCA has put out an appeal for information after a member of the public made the “distressing” discovery in Claverly on Sunday (26 July).
Charity animal rescue officers Sarah Guest and Meg Cross went to the scene, and have since been making enquiries about the “suspicious circumstances”.
“We’re grateful to the member of the public who contacted us; it must have been very distressing and upsetting to find,” Ms Guest said.
“The deceased bay was found in three pieces and they were covered with a tarpaulin when we visited. There were flies and maggots so it appears they have been deceased for longer than when they were reported to have been dumped.
“Due to the condition of the remains, we couldn’t locate a microchip. The horse – who we are presuming is a mare – appeared underweight and had long hooves.
“We don’t know how the [foal] or mare died but the circumstances are clearly a potential cause for concern, and we are looking into what may have happened here.”
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Anyone with first-hand information about the horses is asked to call the RSPCA on 0300 1238018, quoting reference 01864949.
The charity has launched a “cruelty hurts, love rescues” fundraising campaign, as reports of cruelty peak in summer. New figures show that in June, July and August 2025, 6,322 cruelty-related calls were made to the RSPCA emergency line, one in every 10 minutes the line is open. This compares to 3,852 calls in the same three months of 2021.
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.