FRANK URQUHART ( furquhart@scotsman.com)
THE owner of a stud farm where 27 horses have had their manes and tails viciously cut off spoke yesterday of her horror after the bizarre attacks.
The horses, including a stallion and several one-year-old foals, were targeted in a series of incidents, all in the dead of night, at a farm near Laurencekirk in Aberdeenshire.
Most of the attacks have taken place in fields around the farm. But in one incident, a mare had her tail cut off in the stables close to the main farmhouse.
Four years ago, a spate of similar attacks on horses in various parts of the North-east was linked to the occult or a black magic ritual.
Gail Sephton, the owner of the stud farm, said she was at a loss to understand why her animals had been targeted on 16 occasions dating back to January.
Mrs Sephton, who breeds Welsh cobs at Balhagerty Farm, which she runs with her husband, Jim, said: "We have 16 breeding mares, a stallion, last year's foals and some foals from the year before.
"The stallion was the first to be targeted. On the first night, his tail was cut off and then a few nights later all of his mane was cut off. They then went for four foals in one night and cut their tails off. Since then, they have been taking parts of their manes and tails off and it may be that the horses have managed to run off before anything more could happen to them."
Mrs Sephton said none of the horses had suffered any serious injuries, but she went on: "All the horses have long, flowing manes and it is part of their character. It will be distressing for them when the summer comes and the flies come and they have no tails to swish the flies away."
She said she had been horrified and deeply distressed by the attacks and she is concerned that they could escalate.
"The whole family is disturbed by what has been happening," she said.
"We have no idea what lies behind this. We certainly can't think of anyone who has any kind of grudge against us."
Sergeant Kenny McGeough, who is leading the police investigation, said: "There have been a disturbing number of attacks to the horses on the farm and, although no animal has been physically injured, I am extremely concerned that the attacks will continue and escalate in violence.
"It is therefore imperative that members of the local communities work alongside Grampian Police to prevent this behaviour and identify those responsible."
Doreen Graham, a spokeswoman for the Scottish SPCA, said the Laurencekirk attacks were the first that the organisation had been made aware of since those of four years ago in the North-east.
She said: "The previous attacks stopped round about Easter and started again round about Halloween and one of the theories was that they were attached to some sort of occult calendar. But this year seems to have been fairly quiet as far as these incidents are concerned.
"We have recommended that owners get together and form a Horse Watch, which operates along the same lines as a Neighbourhood Watch and to take a note of any vehicles where they suspect someone may be up to no good."
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=430152007
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