Nine horses stolen by ruthless gang
| Nine horses stolen by ruthless gang Horse rustlers have stolen nine horses across Sussex in one week, bludgeoning guard dogs in their way. One gang has been linked to all the thefts. On each occasion, mares and foals were targeted. Police contacted horse-owner Esther Nash-Smith last Wednesday evening after her Iveco horsebox was found burnt out in Haxted, Surrey. When she arrived at her land off Twineham Lane, near Horsham, she found the padlocks on her gates had been cut and five of her horses - three mares and two foals - were missing. She then saw her two German shepherd guard dogs had been beaten by the raiders. Ms Nash-Smith said: "As soon as I got there I could see that the field was empty and my two dogs were crawling to me on their bellies." Later in the week, three horses were stolen from a stable five miles away. The owners are remaining anonymous to protect their remaining animals. |  |
Police were alerted and began investigating the two incidents but by Sunday, another mare had been stolen from Hurst Green, near Robertsbridge. Owner Rita Smith left her horses at 6pm but when she returned two hours later, Trinket, a seven-year-old brown and white Shetland pony, had gone.
The gate had been taken off its hinges and tyre marks in the field suggested the animal had been loaded into a vehicle.
She said: "I think she was targeted because she's coloured like many of the others that have been taken."
On the same evening, another theft was interrupted by a horse owner on the outskirts of Eastbourne.
Jill Jones was alerted by neighbours to three men on her land. She said: "My husband and I went out and they ran away."
A Sussex Police spokesman said: "We've been made aware of a series of horse thefts and we're in communication with police in surrounding counties like Surrey to try to trace them as quickly as possible"
Original Report: The Argus
Added on: 07/08/08. Views: 310
Voices for Horses offers news, articles and videos from third party providers unless otherwise stated. We do not endorse the views expressed or content and make it available to you only as a service. All news items, articles and videos are copyright of the authors, film makers and original publications.
