Police investigate after pony shot in the face
A police investigation is underway after a pony was shot in the face in Shropshire.
Owner Marilyn Johnston found her 11-year-old grey pony Spider with a facial wound on Monday (21 June).
“My husband went to feed him in the morning and he was fine. But when I went to check on him at about 6.30pm I noticed something on his face, which I thought was a fly bite. When I brought him into the yard and looked closer I saw it was a piece of metal — a pellet from an air rifle,” Mrs Johnston told H&H.
“The vet flushed it out but we need to keep an eye out so he doesn’t get infection. He has some serious swelling across his nose. He might have some broken bone fragments but we don’t know yet.
“He’s a show pony and my daughter was intending to take him to local show this weekend, but obviously with the swelling she can’t.”
Spider was in a field near Long Lane, Telford with another pony, which was unhurt.
“The pellet was removed by a vet and given to us for forensic examination. The investigation is ongoing,” a West Mercia Police spokesman told H&H.
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“We have reported it to the RSPCA but are unsure as yet whether it was a deliberate attack or not. There are no related incidents.”
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.