The body of a one-eyed emaciated horse was tied to a telegraph pole to drag it off a vehicle before it was dumped in the road, the RSPCA believes.
The charity is appealing for information that might help trace the owner of the cob, who had been “severely neglected” before she was dumped near Battle in East Sussex.
“Several members of the public contacted the animal charity after spotting the grisly sight on a roadside on Chapel Hill Lane at Sedlescombe, near Battle, on the morning of Monday, January 27,” an RSPCA spokesperson said.
The mare was “in a very emaciated stale”, the charity said, with her right eye missing. A ratchet strap had been used to tie her body to a telegraph pole by the road.
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“This poor horse was in a very bad condition and she had been severely neglected before being dumped at this location,” said RSPCA animal rescue officer Claire Thomas, who is investigating. “It appears she was tied to the telegraph pole so that the vehicle used to carry her could be driven off from the scene.
“We are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area on the morning of January 27 or the previous evening. It’s possible the body was there overnight, although we don’t think the equine was there that long as this is quite a busy lane used by commuters in the mornings and evenings and the body was very visible.”
The mare’s body, which was not microchipped, was found at the junction of Crazy Lane and Chapel Hill Lane. Ms Thomas said any dashcam or other footage covering the area may help the charity’s investigation.
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Anyone with any information is asked to contact the RSPCA appeals line number on 0300 1238018, quoting incident number 01435963.
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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.
