Another mutilation murder, holsworthy Devon.

[Troyseph]

Hi all, please continue being vigilant, another horse has been mutilated and killed in pyworthy in Devon 2 nights ago, he was a black 3 year old welsh colt. Belonging to a friend, and my best friend owns his mother. He was mutilated in the same way as erik, eyes removed, genitals removed, Tongue cut etc. The owners and myself are devastated, it seems though that people are spreading rumours that its a neglect case?! But yet I have just rung the police and they have confirmed not neglect, but murder. Thank you.

 

[angelish]

Oh no I really feel for you all down there
You must all be worried sick , I really hope they are caught soon x

 

[fizzer]

What is wrong with some people. Sick in the head. Poor horse RIP.

 

[Amaranta]

Oh dear God, my thoughts are with everyone involved

Sick barstewards

 

[claireandnadia]

Oh no, this is terrible :-(

 

[Marydoll]

This needs to be brought to the nations attention, not just horse lovers, with everyone looking out for theses horses, this is a sick person or persons and they need to be caught before some owner gets their hands on them, and while i think they deserve whatever any owner doles out to them, it will be the owner who will be punished more in the justice system than the perpetrator of these awful horse murders

 

[sakura]

so this really is true then? how awful

 

[OWLIE185]

These despicable people would appear to have a good knowledge of the equestrian community to be able to identify colts/stallions. I would suggest that the local horse community needs to get together and help each other on keeping an eye out for these people and identifying who they are before they commit any more terrible acts.

 

[debsey1]

Hi all, please continue being vigilant, another horse has been mutilated and killed in pyworthy in Devon 2 nights ago, he was a black 3 year old welsh colt. Belonging to a friend, and my best friend owns his mother. He was mutilated in the same way as erik, eyes removed, genitals removed, Tongue cut etc. The owners and myself are devastated, it seems though that people are spreading rumours that its a neglect case?! But yet I have just rung the police and they have confirmed not neglect, but murder. Thank you.

I live not too far from you. Wouldn't it it be wise for all of us if possible to keep our horses in of a night time? Fortunately where my horses is on livery there are security cameras

 

[guesstimation]

This needs to be brought to the nations attention, not just horse lovers, with everyone looking out for theses horses, this is a sick person or persons and they need to be caught before some owner gets their hands on them, and while i think they deserve whatever any owner doles out to them, it will be the owner who will be punished more in the justice system than the perpetrator of these awful horse murders

That is exactly what I was thinking. If this is true and there has been another attack that similar that's at least 3 recently and something more needs to be put out there about it to everyone not just the horse world! It's sickening.

 

[olop]

Not another one
Feel absolutely devaststed for the people that have had to find there horse's like this.
Please everyone in the area keep safe, it sounds like these "people" are targeting by the looks of it

 

[majors]

For us who dont live on site our horses are safer out, at least they can run, one of mine would hopefully be spooky enough to frighten people if they went to him in the dark

 

[SusannaF]

Hi all, please continue being vigilant, another horse has been mutilated and killed in pyworthy in Devon 2 nights ago, he was a black 3 year old welsh colt. Belonging to a friend, and my best friend owns his mother. He was mutilated in the same way as erik, eyes removed, genitals removed, Tongue cut etc. The owners and myself are devastated, it seems though that people are spreading rumours that its a neglect case?! But yet I have just rung the police and they have confirmed not neglect, but murder. Thank you.

Do you have a link to the story? I'd like to update a blog post on this.

By the way, the horse in the Carmarthenshire case died of natural causes and the police have closed the investigation, according to reports.

 

[Troyseph]

I still don't believe the Wales case. I have just been rugn by the breeder of the horse in question and the vet is trying to put it down to natural causes as well! Yet where his penis was cut (in half) it is a clean straight cut, the families friend, a butcher confirmed no animal could do that,! I don't know what the world is coming to, how is it possible 2 ponies could die from the same things(eyes gone, bits chopped) yet they're blaming natural causes?

 

[Troyseph]

Ok so it looks like the police are going to confirm the pony died of natural causes and animals ate him, just like welsh pony. Sckens me. This pony was murdered. How can the police get away with this?

 

[MissMistletoe]

Sorry to sound a bit harsh here. Eyes are the first things to be eaten by predators (easy to get to), and maybe as the tongue hangs out of a dead animal's mouth, then that could also be eaten and ears too?.

But wernt the horses found with slashed abdomens? Ok, on nature programms, the first bit eaten by the predator is the stomach.

But wernt the slash wounds were done with a sharp knife?

This is getting very confusing.

 

[SusannaF]

But wernt the slash wounds were done with a sharp knife?

This is getting very confusing.

Can be hard to tell: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=2536


The only thing that doesn't make sense about Eric is the teeth being removed (IF Eric died of what appear to be natural causes, but I don't know that). Other than that you could, feasibly, attribute it all to attacks by other animals, as you pointed out.

 

[MissMistletoe]

Can be hard to tell: http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=2536


The only thing that doesn't make sense about Eric is the teeth being removed (IF Eric died of what appear to be natural causes, but I don't know that). Other than that you could, feasibly, attribute it all to attacks by other animals, as you pointed out.

You are very right Susanna, Id forgot about the teeth.

Maybe it's part mutilation and part wildlife scavenging.

Whatever is is, it's incredibly sad and all we can do is be extra vigilant.

Mine live out, so I do worry. My youngster is so people friendly, she would happily walk up to a stranger.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Is there a crime reference for the Devon case?

 

[MissMistletoe]

Im not sure, the OP heard via friends of the horse owner.

Teeth missing may have been due to a hefty kick from another horse that led to the death?

 

[Mare Stare]

It was true then.

I was really hoping it was an FB troll hoping to wind us all up.

Poor horsey.

I hope they catch the b*stards doing this and publicly blind and castrate them without anaesthetic. But knowing our wonderful country they'll probably get a slap on the wrist and be sent off to do some litter picking.

 

[JanetGeorge]

I think we need to calm down! The horse in Devon was almost certainly 'natural' causes with post mortem attack by predators. And if you'd seen - as I have - what a badger or a fox can do to a LIVE sheep that has got cast you would believe that this is likely!

I also saw photos and vet report of a fox attack on a calving cow - the attack had been witnessed at a distance by the farmer but he couldn't get there fast enough to stop it. The calf was half-born when fox took its tongue - the fox had also ripped the cow's udder and milk vein. The calf died almost immediately - the cow had to be put down! The pictures were horrendous. I have also seen a fox snap the head off a lamb that was half born - the wound looked like he'd used a calving knife! I have seen 3 week old lambs after they were attacked by a badger - which neatly bit into the back of the lambs, removing the kidneys, with no other wounds. Nature is red in tooth and claw!

 

[Piglet]

Are you sure it has been confirmed as "murder?". I heard that he died of natural causes (RIP little chap). I maybe totally wrong.

 

[FionaM12]

I understand why these stories upset people, but wouldn't it be better to wait until there are more facts known before spreading rumours?

I'm no great fan of the police in general, but I can't see why they'd make up the "natural causes" thing unless they believe it's true. Many of them are animal lovers.

Also, can we still to the facts? "Murder" is the unlawful killing of a human being. If these poor horses were killed delibrately, that's horrific, but it's not murder.

 

[jhoward]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/311110.html