A riding centre for disabled youths in Armagh city have been forced to cancel sessions after a fence on their property was “pulled down” and several horses have gone down with injuries.
Debbie McKenna, Yard Manager of Longstone Riding for Disabled, contacted Armagh I in a clearly distressed state after realising the extent of the injuries some of their horses had received.
The equestrian group – who provide therapeutic and recreational support to children with additional needs – believe the fence had been “deliberately pulled down” with even the posts “ripped out” of the ground sometime on Monday evening (March 2).
Four of their fives horses had managed to escape and were eventually recovered close to The Deanery area.
The say their suspicions of deliberate intent have been heightened through years of suffering similar issues at their site on Mullinure Lane. In the past they claim to have also had wired fences cut and their lands trespassed on.
After investigating their grounds, they have now found evidence of a bonfire and possible anti-social behaviour.
On closer inspection of their horses, they have now discovered that one has returned with a number of lacerations to its legs and underbelly, another has gone severely lame, one has had its “wind burst” (a respiratory issue which will prevent riding) and as Debbie was speaking to Armagh I she had been informed that another horse had “gone down”.
All of the horses are stressed, agitated and in pain.
Evidence of a small bonfire and a structure being built from branches
It was clear there was pandemonium in the background. Debbie explained that they had children from Christian Brother’s Primary School and Lisanally Special Needs School arriving for their lessons… which were regrettably cancelled while they awaited a vet’s assessment.
Debbie said: “Some of the children we work with have autism and rely on their routine and structure so when this is broken, they can’t understand. They are all devastated and really upset.”
A vet confirmed all four are requiring at least one week of box rest with no riding or exercise of any kind. Each was given pain relief and one is being closely monitored.
With the severity of the horses’ conditions Debbie is certain there will be an amount of ongoing disruption to their normal services to allow for recovery time.
Thankfully, the maintenance team at St Luke’s Hospital managed to rectify the fence quite quickly but the fear remains that this may not be the last time they need to do so.
As a charity run organisation, the team have also expressed their concerns for being faced with “massive” vets bills and are exploring their options with a view of potentially fundraising for support in the near future.
They are also in the process of reporting the incident to police.
Longstone Riding for Disabled will endeavour to return to normality as soon as possible but appreciate their service users’ understanding while they ensure the safety and recovery of their injured ponies.
Where wired had been cut in previous years
