Owner urges public not to feed horses after foal dies
Beyli was found in his field next to diced turnip (Pic: Stephanie Arrowsmith)
A horse owner is urging people not to feed horses without the owner’s permission after her two-month old foal choked and died from being fed diced turnip by a passer-by.
Stephanie Arrowsmith, from Durham, was alerted by the RSPCA last week after a member of the public had seen her foal, Beyli, in distress.
As soon as she arrived at Beyli’s field, Stephanie found the foal choking and noticed a pile of diced turnip in the field with him. Steph rang the vet immediately, but Beyli began to show signs of colic.
Stephanie says “After trying for four hours, it was clear Beyli was in too much pain and had to be put to sleep.”
The location of Beyli’s field next to a road and footpath means that people feeding the horses has been a continuous problem and signs urging the public to leave the horses alone have been ignored or torn down.
Shortly after Beyli’s death, Stephanie put up a new sign warning people of the dangers of feeding the horses, but was later shocked to discover a new pile of carrots had been left in Beyli’s field, close to where the turnips were found.
Stephanie is sharing Beyli’s story to make the public more aware of the consequences of feeding horses without the owner's permission.
She says: “I am beyond angry that someone has caused such a painful waste of a life out of either sheer ignorance or stupidity. Please do not feed horses that don't belong to you, and educate your non-horsey friends on the dangers of doing so.
“We all feel very passionate about getting Beyli’s story out there. It's helping us to cope knowing his life may not have been lost in vain. If it saves one life, it’s worth it.”