Brutal horse thefts in West Sussex

HORSE owners throughout the county have been warned to step up security and report any suspicious activity following a brutal attack on two guard dogs and the theft of three mares and two foals from stables near Henfield.

By The Newsroom

Published 12th Aug 2008, 14:47 BST

Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:15 BST

The thefts are believed to be the work of an organised gang stealing equines for their breeding potential.

Any sightings or offers for sale of the stolen mares and foals shoudl also be reported immediately to police.

It was heartbreak for horse owner Esther Nash-Smith when ruthless thieves struck at Smiths Meadow, Twineham, in daylight on Sunday two weeks ago.

They battered her two German Shepherd guard dogs with an iron bar, cut chains and padlocks on the main gates with a bolt cutter and switched off electric fencing to get the equines out of the field.

They stole her four-horse horsebox, which had been parked nearby, throwing out a partition and took a hedgecutter and generator with them, as well as a can of petrol which was later used to set the horsebox on fire when it was dumped in Haxted, Surrey.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette August 13