Horses died after walkers left gate open (From The Northern Echo)

Horses died after walkers left gate open

9:33am Tuesday 26th October 2010 in Animal Watch By Nicola Fenwick

CONCERN: Sarah Cook and her beloved hunter, Treble, who is seriously ill after eating neat wheat

THREE horses died in agony after irresponsible walkers left a farm gate open.

Eight horses belonging to Julie and Brian Cook became seriously ill after crossing into a field containing unrefined wheat.

Between them they consumed 25kg of the wheat, which fermented in their stomachs.

The resulting effect was akin to their bodies being flooded with whisky.

The Cooks’ daughter, Sarah, who lives with her parents at Beak Hills Farm at Chop Gate, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, was alerted to the open gate by a neighbour on Thursday.

Despite prompt treatment, three horses died from toxins entering their brains.

Julie said: “They lost their sight and started banging their heads on the wall.

They went berserk. We couldn’t get near one of them to put her down. We just had to bide our time. It was horrendous.”

Three others are seriously ill and another two are out of danger. Two are pregnant but may lose their foals.

The horses need 24-hour care and constant painkillers for a month. It could take six months for them to recover.

They also have laminitis, where high levels of protein pass into the system causing painful bone swelling.

“They are not just animals to us,” said Julie. “We spend hours brushing them and taking care of them. They are like family. We go shepherding on them. We hunt on them and people learn to ride on them. It’s absolutely devastating.”

She said the gate was not on a public right of way, but the family allowed its use out of kindness because the right of way was a longer, messier route.

“People need to use common sense,” she said. “Someone needs to educate them that the land is owned by someone.

“It’s not for everyone to go where they like and do what they like. Now we have dead horses due to carelessness.”

As well as causing suffering to the horses and distress to the family, the thoughtless walkers have also cost the Cooks thousands of pounds. The family want to thank all those who offered help after the incident, particularly Stokesley Vets.