Man cuts off horse’s tail hair in random Healesville attack
A HEALESVILLE family has been left angry and worried for the health of their horse after its tail hair was cut.
Owner Scott Gentle said he reported the incident to both the Healesville police and the RSPCA after finding his horse had been attacked on Walkers Lane about 8pm on Monday (January 9).
A group of young men saw the incident happen and stopped the man, Mr Gentle said.
“A guy decided he wanted horse hair to make a medallion and he cut two thirds of his tail (hair) off,” he said. “It takes months to years for the hair to grow back.
“If he’d asked me for a bit, I would have helped him out but to just cut off two thirds is not acceptable.”
Mr Gentle said the incident could have had worse consequences if the horse had kicked the assailant or if the other horses in the paddock — a foal and two mares, one pregnant, were frightened.
“It just takes spooking them which could cause serious injuries to the horses,” Mr Gentle said.
“With many people often walking next to the open paddocks, feeding and patting the horses, the incident was a breach of trust.
“It’s in police hands now. We’ll wait to hear from them (police and RSPCA).”
Healesville police Senior Constable Cliff Argus said police were still investigating.
“People need to understand that horses, whether pets or service animals, are private property and shouldn’t be fed or handled by members of the public under any circumstances,” Sen-Constable Argus said.
RSPCA Victoria Senior Inspector Stuart Marchesani said they had contacted by Healesville police for advice about a horse in Healesville.
“This remains a police investigation at this stage,” Mr Marchesani said.