Horse owners warned to be vigilant

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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - A horse owner from the Glenwood area cautions other horse owners to be extremely vigilant as she has reason to believe that one of her mares was the victim of attempted theft recently.

"When I arrived on the farm on Sunday morning [12 November] I found one of my horses with a scarf tied around her neck. It could either be clueless bystanders trying to take photos or attempted theft, but I fear the worst. It could've been disastrous if the horse suffocated during the night. My mare is fine, but I just want everyone in George to be extra vigilant," she said.

This follows recent incidents of horse theft in Pacaltsdorp where animals were stolen during the night and tied up to trees in the valley between New Dawn Park and Thembalethu.

One mare was found hung by a wire around her neck and her newborn foal lying next to her, shredded to pieces by dogs or wild animals. It is believed that the mare gave birth to her foal while she was dying a cruel and inhumane death, ensnared by a wire tied around her neck to a tree with no way to escape or nurture her new baby. Other stolen horses were also found tied up near the mare.

Three days before the mare was found, four other horses were stolen and found in a nearby valley. Some of these horses, a couple of them young foals, were also tied to trees with makeshift bridles and halters constructed of rope and wire. In August this year, the owner of another horse found his stolen horse in the yard of a home in Thembalethu. The animal had severe injuries, presumably caused by using a panga to its neck, legs and head.

This poor mare was found with a scarf tied around her neck - one of a horse owner's worst nightmares.

Horse saved from storm water drain

Early on Monday 23 October, the Garden Route SPCA received a call about a horse trapped in a storm water drain in Pacaltsdorp. When inspector Estelanie van Wyk and her team arrived on the scene, they realised they had to act quickly.

"What we initially thought would be a straightforward rescue, proved to be much more complex. Not only was this brave mare heavily pregnant, but also trapped in mud," said Van Wyk.

The rescue mission took the team and their assistants three hours to complete. The mare was eventually safely lifted out of the muddy mess using a make-shift harness around her body and a JCB.

Despite the mare being a bit shaken, she and her unborn foal were unharmed.

"A huge shout out to George Municipality, the JCB operator and the incredible fire department for their swift response and invaluable assistance," said Van Wyk. "We couldn't have done it without you. A special thanks also goes out to Stone Cold Transport for generously donating a load of G7, helping to solidify the mud and create a safer path for the mare. And a huge thank you to the community who all assisted us."