Horse abandoned and left to die after being ‘dragged’
The RSPCA is appealing for information after a horse was dumped in field and left to die.
The horse had serious injuries and the charity believes these are consistent with him being dragged. The damage done to his limbs was so bad he was put down.
The piebald gelding was discovered on Saturday (10 October) collapsed in a corner of a field in Stifford Clays Road, Orsett, Essex.
A member of the public called the RSPCA after finding the horse on the ground with serious injuries to his left side. The horse was in an isolated spot that was not visible from the road.
RSPCA inspectors believe that the horse may have been pulled to where he was left. He had injuries to his left leg, left flank and left side, which suggest he had been dragged.
The horse managed to stagger to his feet but had a cut spiralling around his hind leg that was down to the bone. The injury was so severe he could not put any weight on it.
RSPCA inspector Lucy Brennan said: “It looked as if something had been wrapped around his leg, it was a very clean cut. He also had a graze on his flank and a golf ball-sized lump on his left eye.
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“His injuries are all on one side and are consistent with him being dragged.
“He couldn’t put any weight on his leg so he wouldn’t have been able to have walked to where he was dumped. He was in considerable pain.”
A vet attended and advised the horse was put down due to the severity of the injuries.
The horse was microchipped, but it wasn’t registered to an owner. It is thought he had been dumped overnight under the cover of darkness.
Inspector Brennan added: “It is a horrendously cruel thing to do to abandon an injured horse. I would really like to hear if anyone knows who left this horse.”
Anyone with information should telephone: 0300 1238018.
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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.