WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES Julie Jackson says she has been left feeling ‘absolutely destroyed’ after her horse was killed by sick ‘thugs’ who broke into a farm and tied her animals up with barbed wire
A “heartbroken” animal lover says her beloved horse up was tied up with barbed wire and left to drown by “vile” thugs who broke onto her farm.
Julie Jackson arrived at her ten acres of land in the Gwent Levels, Wales on the morning of Tuesday, November 19, to discover that her three beloved animals, horse Skye and two ponies, Red and Oak, were nowhere to be seen. After searching the field, the mum found a gate had been cut through and that her animals had either escaped or been led out deliberately. A short time later, she was told by a neighbouring farmer that he had found the three animals in a water-filled ditch on his land – and that their hooves had been tied together with barbed wire.
Skye, who Julie owned for 30 years, was found in a secluded area beside a railway line and had died in the water. The ponies who were found in the same spot fortunately survived the ordeal, and are now being cared for.
A vet found Oak had water on his lungs while Red had to be sedated to have the wire removed as it was so tight and deep into his flesh. Describing the sick cruelty inflicted on the horses and ponies, Julie told Wales Online: “Some vile excuses of humans broke into my yard. It appears they made makeshift halters out of barbed wire, cut through the fences and forced my three ponies to walk through 40 acres of farmland to a secluded area.
“They were tightly tied with barbed wire around their legs. Two were forced into the reen. My old girl Skye, who is in her thirties, didn’t make it out alive. I can only hope the third pony, which wasn’t in the reen, put up a good fight and kicked and hurt them. Unfortunately he has been left traumatised. Skye was as old as my children. It’s a hell of a long time to have an animal in your life. It’s heartbreaking. This has absolutely destroyed me.”
Julie is now asking anyone who may have witnessed unusual activity around the farm last Tuesday to come forward, and added: “The fields they were walked across run alongside the main intercity railway line between Newport and Cardiff. I only hope someone on those trains saw some suspicious activity that morning. The ponies that survived are expected to make a full recovery physically but I have been forced to rehome them. I am utterly heartbroken.”
A spokesperson for Gwent Police told local media: “We received a report on Tuesday, November 19, that a horse had been killed and two others injured in a field near Wentlooge. Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact us, via 101 or online, quoting log reference 2400385175.”
