WHO DUNNIE IT?
HORSE CARER UPSET AFTER SOMEONE GOES INTO FIELD AND PLAITS MANE
Maybe they just wanted to play My Little Pony, but you just don’t go and do that to a horse
Lisa Richards
A WARNING has been issued after an unknown person entered a horse’s field and plaited its mane.
Lisa Richards looks after Dunnie, a 20-year-old horse who lives in a field in Barwell with two other horses, and suffers from a medical condition for which he has to take daily medicine and eat a special diet.
When Lisa went to see him one day last week, she was disturbed to find that all of his mane had been braided and the straps securing his rug were not done up properly.
She said she was alarmed that someone might have fed Dunnie goodies such as carrots and apples, which he is not supposed to eat, to keep him in position while they messed with his hair.
“People shouldn’t touch stuff that doesn’t belong to them, it’s that simple,” she said. “Who on Earth would go into a field and go and do that?
“It might not have been malicious, maybe they just wanted to play My Little Pony, but you just don’t go and do that to a horse.”
Dunnie has been housed in the field since early November. Lisa said there had been several occasions on which she has been to see him and it appears that someone has tampered with him.
As well as his daily medication for his illness – Cushing’s disease, which affects the pituitary gland and can cause him to sweat excessively – Dunnie has to have a blood test every six weeks as well as treatment for his feet.
Lisa said she is worried for both Dunnie and for people going near him, adding: “I wouldn’t want someone getting hurt going up to him. His demeanour can change, and also he shouldn’t be having sugary treats, which can make him very poorly.”
She posted about the incident on a community Facebook page.
A reader commented: “This makes me so angry. If it is not your horse, don’t feed it anything. Don’t touch it. Leave it alone.”
Another said: “What makes people think they can touch anyone else’s horses? Makes me so cross. Maybe ask the local houses to keep an eye out for you?”
Others suggested putting a sign up to warn people not to touch the horses.