A group of teenage riders who were allegedly assaulted while out hacking hope police can track down the woman responsible.
Chloe Dwyer and Amber Morris were among those riding on a road in the Wigan area on Wednesday evening (5 September).
Chloe said she first knew something was happening when she heard a commotion behind her.
“I heard this woman shouting so I asked if she was ok, and she started swearing and telling us we had to pick the horse poo up,” 16-year-old Chloe told H&H.
“I said it’s allowed to be left – it was only a little dropping anyway – but she wouldn’t have it.
“I said to my friend Amber to walk away but the woman grabbed her by the leg and started punching it, then she punched her horse in the face.
“The horse threw his head up and tried to spin away from the woman and as he did, she punched him in the stomach.”
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Chloe said the woman, whom she thinks is aged in her 50s or 60s, was carrying a plastic bag, which she also used to hit Amber’s horse Chies (pictured above) as he tried to move away.
“It was really dangerous; I’m surprised he didn’t kick out,” Chloe said.
“My horse hadn’t been hacked for a while and I could feel his heartbeat, he was that scared. We’re all under 18 too so she’s assaulted a child.”
No horses or riders were injured, but the incident has been reported to police.
“It all happened so fast,” Chloe said. “Amber’s got a lot of respect for her elders and the best thing to do was move away from this woman, but we were under a very low bridge and didn’t want to go forward in case the horses were scared and went up, or back towards the woman.
“She was really loud and aggressive, not what you’d expect from an older woman.”
‘You won’t be laughing when I try to knock you off the road’
Chloe said the horses were also shaken when they returned to their yard, while one of the girls has been put off hacking her horse in future.
“We won’t hack that way again either, for the horses’ safety,” she added. “Someone must know this horrible woman.”
H&H has contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment.
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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.
