Published: Thursday, 24th July, 2008 09:00
'Shot' horse lucky to be alive
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A MUSSELBURGH vet says a horse is “very lucky” to be alive after it was shot in the neck by airgun-toting thugs.
Sharif, a 23-year-old gelding, was targeted as he grazed in a field at Whitehill Mains Farm, not far the county’s western border with Midlothian, between 11am and 12.30pm last Friday.
The pellet lodged in his throat, missing his main artery by less than two inches.
His owner, Linda Pantellerisco, 44, has condemned the attack and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Whitehill Mains is south-west of Musselburgh, not far from the B&Q superstore at Fort Kinnaird.
Miss Pantellerisco, who stays there with her partner John Brown, 43, says she has been left “shocked and angered”.
“I have had Sharif since he was four,” she said. “My other horse, gelding Jupiter (9), was also in the field when the attack happened, but was unharmed.
“I had left them in the field at 11am following their morning rides. When they were checked an hour and a half later, we noticed the wound on Sharif’s neck.
“Living where we do, we are used to finding cars and even caravans dumped and set alight on the farm. We get teenagers driving up and down the road at high speed and people dealing in drugs. I don’t worry about things like that, as I have lived here for a long time and don’t feel threatened.
“But I am very angry and upset that someone could do this to a helpless animal.”
Sharif, a former two-time East of Scotland novice showjumping champion, was treated on site with the aid of a local anaesthetic. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Musselburgh-based Tom Brown, a partner at Links Vet Group, extracted the pellet.
He said: “This horse was very lucky. The pellet must have been fired from a fair distance as it did not penetrate deep under the skin. But had it struck less than two inches on either side it could have punctured the main neck artery and we would have had a dead horse on our hands within minutes.
“And, had the pellet struck an eye, the horse could have been blinded.”
The vet added: “Thankfully, this type of incident is rare in East Lothian. I occasionally treat cats and dogs that have been shot at, but this is the first time that I’ve seen a horse targeted. It would be interesting to see how the person responsible for this cowardly act would react to having an airgun fired at his throat.”
A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said: “A horse was shot with an air weapon on Friday, July 18, at Whitehill Mains Farm, by Musselburgh. An injury was discovered in the horse’s neck, and a vet attended to remove a pellet that was lodged in its lower throat.
“The animal did not require any stitches, and is being treated with a course of antibiotics. We are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and noticed anyone carrying an air weapon, or acting suspiciously, to get in touch.”
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