RSPCA puzzles over horse and trap river mystery

11:20am Tuesday 10th July 2012 in Worcester Sarah Hickinbotham By Sarah Davies

PLEA: A trap similar to the one pulled from the Severn PLEA: A trap similar to the one pulled from the Severn

A DEAD horse pulled from the river Severn was still attached to a trap, it has been revealed.

As reported on Sunday (and updated yesterday), a canoeist spotted the animal’s body floating in swollen waters near to Pitchcroft, Worcester, at about 11.15am on Sunday.

Crews from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service launched two rescue boats to reach the horse, which they tethered with a rope before towing it back to the riverbank by Worcester Canoe Club.

As they pulled the animal from the water, firefighters found a trap attached to its bridle. There were concerns that a person may have been with the horse and a full sweep of the river was carried out, but no other bodies were found.

It is believed the horse was without a rider when it went in to the water.

It is not known when or how it came to be in the river or where it came from and the RSPCA is appealing for more information.

RSPCA inspector Pippa Boyd said: “This is a deeply unsettling incident and we urgently need the public’s help.

“At the moment we have no idea when this happened and so we need to hear from anyone who can shed some light on this dreadful discovery.”

It is understood the trap is similar to those used in trotting races – a pastime popular with, but not exclusive to, the traveller community.

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A spokesman from West Mercia Police said it was quickly established nobody was with the horse and the incident had been referred to the RSPCA.

Police checks confirmed that there had been no one reported missing in the area in recent days.

Crew Commander Martin Grey from the fire service said: “We were concerned to find the trap attached to the horse as we pulled it from the water, but despite an extensive search of the river, both up and down stream, nothing further was found.”

Anyone with information about the horse should call the RSPCA on 03001 238018.

Calls will be treated in confidence.

Comments(22)

JaxiB66 says...
12:41pm Tue 10 Jul 12

That's terrible - poor horse!

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lilboo says...
12:51pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Trotting races are 99.9999% exclusive to the travelling community! It's no mystery how or why this poor animal was disposed of to anyone who has horses! Makes my blood boil, but nothing will be done about it as always!

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rattyrant says...
1:19pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Trotting races are 99.9999% exclusive to the travelling community! It's no mystery how or why this poor animal was disposed of to anyone who has horses! Makes my blood boil, but nothing will be done about it as always!........... this is sooooo true

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spider666 says...
3:57pm Tue 10 Jul 12

I wouldn't of thought the "travellers" would have deliberately thrown a trap into the river as well as the horse therefore i would have thought it was an accident of some type and at least no-one was killed.

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plumwinemum says...
4:31pm Tue 10 Jul 12

A very small minority do this to end their horses lives. Its a horrible practise and one frowned upon by the majority of the travelling community who actually DO care for their animals very well. As with everyone, a small proportion of a community do very nasty things, lets not tar everyone with the same brush.

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yaddas says...
5:00pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Lilboo and rattyrant, how true, we lived close to to bad treatment of horses but complaints fell on deaf ears.

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GroovyChick says...
6:39pm Tue 10 Jul 12

plumwinemum wrote:
A very small minority do this to end their horses lives. Its a horrible practise and one frowned upon by the majority of the travelling community who actually DO care for their animals very well. As with everyone, a small proportion of a community do very nasty things, lets not tar everyone with the same brush.
"like"

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peaches1 says...
6:45pm Tue 10 Jul 12

It's obvious that this was deliberately done. there was a report about the same thing happening in the south last year which was witnessed by members of the public. Barbaric and so cruel.

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anna56 says...
10:14pm Tue 10 Jul 12

I am guessing that some person(s) were illegally pacing up the race course and lost control (horse bolted/spooked). Horses can swim but a trap would drown them if they couldnt get away from it. This is disgusting but I think its unfair to assume it was a travellers work. They tend to go for cob trotters, coloured or smaller gaited horses (below 15hh). I do not know yet what the description of the deceased is. I also do not understand why???. If the horse did bolt, why did the owner(s) not follow and get help!.

My treasured rescue of 7 years now deceased was an ex pacer turned great riding horse and this has upset me a lot. Many healthy Standard bred horses are destroyed world wide every year because ppl call them the gaited horse. Unwanted and not seen for there full potential.

If this was a delibrate act they should be hung, dried and quartered. :(

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pinkfluff says...
11:32pm Tue 10 Jul 12

anna56 wrote:
I am guessing that some person(s) were illegally pacing up the race course and lost control (horse bolted/spooked). Horses can swim but a trap would drown them if they couldnt get away from it. This is disgusting but I think its unfair to assume it was a travellers work. They tend to go for cob trotters, coloured or smaller gaited horses (below 15hh). I do not know yet what the description of the deceased is. I also do not understand why???. If the horse did bolt, why did the owner(s) not follow and get help!.

My treasured rescue of 7 years now deceased was an ex pacer turned great riding horse and this has upset me a lot. Many healthy Standard bred horses are destroyed world wide every year because ppl call them the gaited horse. Unwanted and not seen for there full potential.

If this was a delibrate act they should be hung, dried and quartered. :(
Agree ....wise words

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yaddas says...
12:49am Wed 11 Jul 12

Ummm now, I wonder why the owners weren't around.......naive

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Gillian1961 says...
9:54am Wed 11 Jul 12

The horse must of had a horrible death, if it was deliberate i would like to get the sick people tie them to a trap and throw them into the river blind folded

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TDH123 says...
11:47am Wed 11 Jul 12

anna56 wrote:
I am guessing that some person(s) were illegally pacing up the race course and lost control (horse bolted/spooked). Horses can swim but a trap would drown them if they couldnt get away from it. This is disgusting but I think its unfair to assume it was a travellers work. They tend to go for cob trotters, coloured or smaller gaited horses (below 15hh). I do not know yet what the description of the deceased is. I also do not understand why???. If the horse did bolt, why did the owner(s) not follow and get help!.

My treasured rescue of 7 years now deceased was an ex pacer turned great riding horse and this has upset me a lot. Many healthy Standard bred horses are destroyed world wide every year because ppl call them the gaited horse. Unwanted and not seen for there full potential.

If this was a delibrate act they should be hung, dried and quartered. :(
Don't you mean "hung, DRAWN, and quartered"???!!

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daned says...
12:01pm Wed 11 Jul 12

"If the horse did bolt, why did the owner(s) not follow and get help!"

If the owner was a traveller he might well have not wanted to pay for the recovery costs.

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anna56 says...
10:30pm Wed 11 Jul 12

The point was we should not presume it was Travellers. I cant believe my comment was picked at for spelling mistakes and comments about me like naive were wrote, im not stupid. It was in a I cant believe someone could do this and dont understand why way. Now this is how it should have been read. I love horses, seriously offended and suggest comments are written on the article and not used as an attack on other readers.

Read below, have a heart!

My treasured rescue horse of 7 years now deceased was an ex pacer turned great riding horse and this has upset me a lot. Many healthy Standard bred horses are destroyed world wide every year because ppl call them the gaited horse. Unwanted and not seen for there full potential

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anna56 says...
10:51pm Wed 11 Jul 12

Ok have now seen the picture of the deceased horse at

http://www.huffingto
npost.co.uk/2012/07/
11/dead-horse-river-
severn-worcester-rsp
ca_n_1664438.html.

It is not a typical Standard bred pacer like the Bay in the photo at the top of this article but a pony if not a small horse (around 14.3hh), yes the type popular with the travelling community!!!

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Amybright says...
11:00pm Wed 11 Jul 12

Look like pony I see that lives in smite!!

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anna56 says...
11:17pm Wed 11 Jul 12

measuring it up against the harness I dont think it would of been over 13hh poor little thing. Disgusting.. How do they get away with it, like tethering horses it makes me sick yet its done. The dangers and general welfare are shocking yet they get away with it. Poor bloody animals.

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vintage2012 says...
6:22pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Not long ago I read about a man trying to stop someone trying to drown a horse and another, he managed to save the one, it was too late for the other one as they had already forced him into the water and it definitely had its trap still on it to help drown it, I must have read it online as I don't buy papers except The Times on a sunday and it wouldn't have been in that, but it was definitely travellers after the two horses had lost races which made them lose money, and it must be the same horse as I can't imagine that it would have been two separate incidents, I hope the man who saved the second horse comes forward, but he would be in trouble for saving the horse anyway, let alone coming forward and telling on one of their own, but he is obviously a decent man I hope he does the right thing as that poor horse deserves justice, he/she deserved love and care but this needs to be highlighted and get the scum who did it put away, I'm seriously angry with myself that I can't remember where I read the news article. I just hope this crap stops.

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anna56 says...
9:23pm Thu 12 Jul 12

anna56 wrote:
I am guessing that some person(s) were illegally pacing up the race course and lost control (horse bolted/spooked). Horses can swim but a trap would drown them if they couldnt get away from it. This is disgusting but I think its unfair to assume it was a travellers work. They tend to go for cob trotters, coloured or smaller gaited horses (below 15hh). I do not know yet what the description of the deceased is. I also do not understand why???. If the horse did bolt, why did the owner(s) not follow and get help!. My treasured rescue of 7 years now deceased was an ex pacer turned great riding horse and this has upset me a lot. Many healthy Standard bred horses are destroyed world wide every year because ppl call them the gaited horse. Unwanted and not seen for there full potential. If this was a delibrate act they should be hung, dried and quartered. :(
omg, that really is sick! .. this is disturbing. I never knew of such cases before, mindless w*****s

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wonderwo01 says...
11:14pm Sat 14 Jul 12

spider666 wrote:
I wouldn't of thought the "travellers" would have deliberately thrown a trap into the river as well as the horse therefore i would have thought it was an accident of some type and at least no-one was killed.
If this was an accident,i hope the owner has the decency to come forward to the newspaper, police or r.s.p.c.a., as anyone who reads this dreadful sad story would like to know what really has happened,If this was a deliberate act to dispose of a poor defenceless ,hardworking and loyal horse then i urge everyone to mention this in communities,public places ect,ask questions because someone knows exactly what happened and by whome-any information will help catch the heartless culprit(s) they should be punished and never let near any animal again , if we all hunt for information then maybe we can find the answer

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RichyEvans says...
12:30pm Mon 16 Jul 12

lilboo wrote:
Trotting races are 99.9999% exclusive to the travelling community! It's no mystery how or why this poor animal was disposed of to anyone who has horses! Makes my blood boil, but nothing will be done about it as always!
Get your facts right before making judgments on Harness Racing!
What about the thousands of us in the UK who race on Official Courses under the rules of Wales & Border Counties Harness Racing Club, British Harness Racing Club, Scottish Trotting Association or theHarness Racing Club of Ireland, who many of us are not Front Travelling Families!
This was an awful Accident! Go do your scare lingering with another sport!

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