The charity’s owner, Kerri Fitzpatrick, is adamant that another animal “attacked” Nazier in the early hours of last Thursday morning. However, the vet who treated the young mare is unsure, saying it is “not definitive that the horse was attacked by any sort of predator”.
While he was treating Nazier last Thursday, vet Andrew Elliott, admits that he did recall the wolf which escaped from its pen in The Knocks and was sighted around Lisnaskea 20 years ago. Upon reflection, he tells The Impartial Reporter: “I can’t think of any creatures in the Fermanagh area that would cause damage like that; thankfully we don’t have those sort of animals here.”
At 5.30am last Thursday morning, Kerri was awoken by the dogs “going crazy” in the yard at Weaver’s Lane, Lisbellaw. She looked outside but could not see anything. It was later on Thursday morning that she discovered Nazier’s injuries.
“The young mare received horrific wounds to her shoulder, neck, body and leg,” Kerri tells The Impartial Reporter. “The wounds appear to have been made by claws and bites leaving gashes and puncture wounds. The vet, like ourselves, could not say for sure what type of animal caused them.”
The injury to the horse’s rear leg “was the size of my fist,” Kerri points out. “She’s quick on her feet and she doesn’t lie down at night so I can’t work out what has attacked her.”
Kerri has ruled out a badger, given Nazier’s height. “If it was a dog, it would have had to have been a very large dog,” she adds.
The concerned animal sanctuary owner continues: “We have 14 horses in total. We notified the PSNI in case they could notify other local livestock owners. Then, the following evening the dogs went mad again and I went out to find two horses and two ponies huddled at the gate leading from the paddock into the yard and the electric fence had been torn down; I don’t know what was going on. I am bringing all the horses into the yard at night and leaving the lights on.”
Mr. Elliott states: “I wouldn’t put my life on it being a claw or a bite mark. My initial reaction was that I can’t think of any creatures in the Fermanagh area that would cause damage like that.
“Given that the injuries were in an exact, straight line it looked like a cheese grater injury, an abrasion caused by knocking against a tree or a wall.
“If you had a large dog, the claw marks would have been all over the place, rather than in a straight line; it’s not impossible but I have my doubts.”
He adds: “A fox or a badger are not going to go for a horse. I would be totally amazed if it was an animal because, why would they attack a horse; they are out for food, they aren’t out to get themselves wrecked.”
Mr. Elliott concludes that the cause if the injuries is “unknown.”
A PSNI spokesman says: “Police received report of horse injured on October 17 at Weaver’s Lane, Lisbellaw. The Dog Warden is dealing with it.”
(Impartial Reporter - Oct 24, 2015)
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