Children attack horses

Saturday 21st April 2007, 5:12AM BST

horse_close1.jpgA group of young children were seen hitting horses with sticks in a field, police said.

Three girls and two boys, all aged about 10, were chasing and taunting the animals near Newdale Primary School, in Newdale, Telford.

Telford police attended the incident at 6pm on Thursday and have asked anyone who knows who the children were to contact them.

Constable Stuart Ind said: “The children were chasing after the animals and striking them with sticks. This is both dangerous and unlawful. If the animals were to have turned this could easily have caused the children serious injury or death.”

And Judith Haw, from the RSPCA, said the horses would have been frightened and could have lashed out.

“That can seriously frighten a horse and could end up with a child severely injured for life,” she said.

“Obviously it is not acceptable behaviour – animals are not there for people to amuse themselves.”

Miss Haw called on people to tell police if they had any information about this incident or see anything similar.

Witnesses can call Telford police on 08457 444888.

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5 Comments

  1. David - Telford said: Apr 21st, 2007 at 09:09

    THOSE POOR HELPLESS ANIMALS . . . I say catch them, shame them AND their families and parents PUBLICLY

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  2. John Smith said: Apr 21st, 2007 at 10:01

    I firmly believe that children only portray the behaviour that they were taught by their parents. I agree with David of Telford, name and shame them.
    One can’t help wondering how they would feel if someone were to chase them around a field and hit them with sticks!

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  3. Mrs Seabury said: Apr 21st, 2007 at 10:48

    The article only seems to concentrate on the fate of the children. They are asking for trouble, what about the poor horses, they didn’t ask for this. Hear, hear from the other comments, at least name and shame them, they really deserve to be tormented themselves for the dreaded deed.

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  4. Matt said: Apr 21st, 2007 at 23:29

    Not possible, David. The law protects the guilty, shamefully.

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  5. Tracy said: Apr 23rd, 2007 at 15:03

    What a disgrace, im a horse owner and these animals are not dangerous unless provoked they are a flight or fight animal, luckily for them that the horses fled, these things could also affect the horse hence could react on the owner that rides them, they certainly need harsh punishing as this behaviour could cause the horse them or the owner serious injury. Name and Shame

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