Horse owner Lisa Anne Kreger of Walworth, N.Y. arrived at the barn at 6:30 on Monday morning to feed her 4-year-old palomino gelding, Dusty, and immediately noticed something wrong. Part of his forelock was missing, and when she entered his stall, she was shocked to find parts of his mane and nearly all of his tail chopped off. A sideways R, similar to the “Lazy R” symbol used in some ranch brands, was scrawled across Dusty’s side in black spray paint. The same symbol was spray-painted on the horse’s stall door.
Dusty was not injured in the incident, but with his tail gone, he has lost his primary defense against flies right in the middle of summer. His tail was cut so short that it can’t easily hold a tail bag or tail extension.
The vandals entered the barn sometime between 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 and 6:30 a.m. on Monday. The other horse in the barn was untouched, and nothing in the barn was found to be stolen or damaged.
Kreger told local TV station WHAM that she does not believe this was a random act of vandalism.
“I absolutely believe 100 percent that I was targeted,” she said. But why she would be targeted and who the perpetrators are remains a mystery.
Kreger posted on Facebook that she had been diagnosed with PTSD, and Dusty has been integral to her healing process. She and Dusty have received an outpouring of support on the social network and received an offer of a donated sheet from Glitz My Ride to protect Dusty from the flies as his tail regrows.
Horse tail thefts are not unheard of. Horse hair can be sold for use in crafts fashion accessories or as tail extensions for show horses. A white tail like Dusty’s is especially valuable. However, the nature of this incident suggests it was more a crime of vandalism than theft.
The loss of Dusty’s tail no doubt pales in comparison to the loss of peace of mind that Kreger and the property’s owner, Mike Bellingham, are now suffering as a result of the invasion. Both Kreger and Bellingham live on the property.
Anyone with information about the crime should contact the New York State Police
Read about protecting your horse and farm from crime:
Criminal Acts against Horses and What You Can Do to Prevent Them
Protect Your Horse from Theft
Horse Theft Prevention Tips
Poor horse 🙁 How could someone do such a thing?
this is an awful act of violence against an innocent creature. This horse did nothing to deserve this kind of abuse. Why, if you are angry with someone, would you abuse an innocent creature who has nothing to do with the situation. This is SICK and the person who did this needs help!
I am OUTRAGED! My heart goes out to this sweet, beautiful horse and it’s owner. I hope the sick, twisted, evil person(s) responsible will be found and HORSEWHIPPED!!
They should find the people shave they heads and put them in jail for 90 days!!!!!
When they find the person(s) who did this, I’m sorry, but they should have the same thing done to them. And be made to work supervised, with horses the rest of their lives after serving time for cruelty to animals. Plus be made to pay vet bills for the horse and medical bills for the people who own this horse. This sounds like revenge for something since another horse was unharmed. What would that person(s) do if it was done to one of their animals? How would they react? The people who suffer from PTSD, even if it’s not in service to the USA, are suffering. It’s not something simple to see or to heal from. I hope they catch whoever did this and make them suffer too. And I’n not normally a vindictive person
This is VERY disturbing!! The jerk who did this should pay. For the owner, go to http://www.dropcam.com and put a camera in your barn stall. You can view the images anytime from a smart phone. The camera is only about $150 and gives you piece of mind.
Obnoxious people who do things like that. A poor animals who have not done anything.
I am grateful the horse was not hurt or wounded. However who ever did this should be heavily fined and serve jail time and community service. This makes me sick to my stomach, that poor horse did not deserve this. 🙁
have they found any leads to the sick person(s) who might have done this? Please stay on this story until they are caught, do not let this fade away!!
I don’t understand some people why any one would hurt a defenseless animal. Hope they find the idiot.
What a weird and horrible act of vandalism. I would like to take this moment to point out that poor Dusty is not alone in not having a tail to protect himself from flies in the summer. Think of all the draught horses in the country who have docked tails and are at the mercy of flies and biting insects all their lives.
That is just awful. I am a horsewoman with over 60 yrs experience. I’m working with apple cider vinegar sprayed on my horses feed (7 pumps from a spray bottle} twice a day. It changes their body chemistry just enough that flies rarely land on them and those that do leave quickly. It might help Dusty ’til his tail grows out. 2 of my horses are hypp/p and the acv doesn’t harm them.
I think whoever did this should be shot. But with laws the ways they are today that would never happen. I am so sorry for what was done to your beautiful animal.
oh my goodness, I am so sorry! that is a horrible thing that happened, so glad no one was seriously hurt, but I am sorry your horse will have to deal with all those pesky flies and the memory of that experience.
my prayers and thoughts are with you!
This story should be posted on every pet support organization with the intent to change the existing laws so they become federal offenses and the harshest penalties can be imposed on offenders like this cretin that did this to this defenseless innocent animal.
VICKI,, CAN YOU TELL US HOW TO MAKE THAT FLY SPRAY?
LISA, WE WILL FIND OUT WHO DID THIS.. I JUST THANK GOD DUSTY WAS NOT HURT… THATS ALL THAT REALLY COUNTSRIGHT NOW.
This story is a scam, a fund was set up in February 2014 for the same horse suffering the same damage asking for money. 5 months before the crime. After so many people discovered this the fund was immediately removed. People should not be taken in by this.
Why In The World Would People Would Do This To This Horse And Its Rider Who Ever Done This Is Cold Hearted. Best Wishes To Both Horse And Rider.
🙂
Any updates?
I have a busybody neighbour next to a 12 acre property I lease that is located about 6 miles from my ranch. I have several rescue horses there with special needs (Insulin Resistance – no high protein feed) and this blonde non-horse woman keeps messing with my horses and their food. At first, she meant well, but after seeing her disregard for my instructions I have advised her to leave my horses the F alone. Just 2 days ago, she was bragging about giving my 20 yr old Welsh pony a hair cut. She did not ask permission but whacked off his forelock and 2 feet of mane. I am livid and determined to get this person to STAY OFF the property and to NEVER touch one of my horses again. When I told her that I never cut a horse’s mane, she asked why? I said if you were a horse person you wouldn’t have to ask and besides they are my horses so stay AWAY from them. She just smirked at me. I am posting more no trespassing signs and will call the police with photo evidence. I doubt this will deter her or that the police will do anything, so suggestions, welcome.
This is sick and cruel. No animal should ever have to go through this. Who ever did this had to have been jealous of that beautiful horse. He is so handsome. I’m pretty sure that this person was sick enough to think that he/she could get something out of this. I recommend putting up cameras or something to keep this from happening again.