It’s hard enough anyway trying to catch a loose horse who’s having a lovely time, let alone when you haven’t got a headcollar or rope – and there’s a peacock trying to help.
This is the situation Essex Police officers found themselves in last week (10 June), when they came across a stray horse in the road on Deanery Hill, Braintree.
“What do eight members of the public, four police officers, a peacock and a tape measure all have in common?” a spokesperson for the police said.
“Officers from the Braintree and Uttlesford local policing team, members of the community and a peacock came together on Deanery Hill, Braintree to corral a stray horse out of the road. After a poorly thought-out plan involving a tape measure and a piece of string to move the horse from the road, members of the community came together, supplying headcollars, offers of help to convey the horse home and offers of food and water for the horse.
After some supportive shouts from the local peacock who came to watch, we have been able to locate the horse’s owner and return him back to his field.”
Sergeant Tom Baskeyfield, one of the officers on the scene, told H&H they found the young gelding standing in the road, surrounded by people who were stopping him getting into traffic.
“A working plan was composed between the three officers on scene to use a 25m tape measure with various knots in as a makeshift headcollar with a piece of thick string as a makeshift lead rope,” he said.
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“Whilst this was ongoing police were joined by several members of the public who provided food, water and a headcollar. As this happened, a curious peacock approached and proceeded to shout…. not particularly helpfully… at the officers, horse and members of the public.”
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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.
