Show jumping horse suffers burns-after being attacked with creosote

Wednesday, 9 March 2011 11:29

We at Animal Friends were very shocked when we heard of a terrible incident that happened in New Zealand last Friday.

Squirt, a 13 year-old gelding, had creosote smeared on his face and around his eyes as he rested in his stables before a show-jumping competition.  The flesh on the left-hand side of his face was left blistered and weeping.

The incident happened at the Egmont A & P Showgrounds in Hawera, on the North Island of New Zealand, but this was not the first time poor Squirt had been attacked.  He suffered the week before when someone rubbed a chemical near Squirt's girth area which caused blistering.  His owner, Kathryn Corry, did not report this incident as she thought it was an accident.

However, after this second attack, there is little doubt in anyone's mind that someone is out to hurt him and that it is likely to be another competitor doing it.  The local Police are investigating, but would not confirm that they were questioning a rival female show-jumper.

Squirt is unlikely to be able to compete in a major show-jumping event later this month, but is said to be 'on the mend'.  Let's just hope that they find whoever is responsible for this dreadful attack, and all of us here at Animal Friends Pet Insurance wish Squirt a speedy recovery.