THE horse that survived a hanging in a paddock this week has come under attack a second time, it's carer says.
Tasha Nicholas was meeting a chiropractor at the Gonville paddock where the former racehorse lives when she discovered welts all over his body.
Some time between Sunday night and Monday afternoon,
someone hung the horse, Joe, from some trees by wrapping fishing twine round his neck.
The latest incident has stunned her.
"You couldn't touch one side of his body. It was like he'd been whipped or beaten with something," Ms Nicholas said. At first she thought he might have walked up against a tree, but the injuries were too great for that.
"To do that to a horse, you would have to tie them up... they've caught him, otherwise he would have run away; it's just mental."
She isn't sure why someone would want to kill Joe, but worries about the mental state of whoever is responsible.
"If they can do that, they can do it to something else. There are seriously disturbed people out there."
Chiropractor Dr Fenella Grigsby took photos of Joe and noted in her report that his spine had been twisted and muscles were torn.
"The types of marks he had could have been inflicted by a whip of some sort," she said.
Dr Grigsby was amazed that anyone could treat an animal so badly and recalled a spate of similar, sadistic attacks on horses in England several years ago.
Joe has now been moved to another location, and Ms Nicholas said she was going to find a good home for him.
"I'm so grateful for all the support I've had from people; you wouldn't believe it. For horse lovers, something like this is your worst nightmare."
The Chronicle received several calls yesterday from people offering alternative paddocks for Joe.
Ms Nicholas will meet with police today to discuss the situation.
