Death of pony in 'blind panic' sparks dog warning

The owner of a New Forest pony has said her horse was sent into a "blind panic" after apparently being chased by a loose dog.

Honor Dovey-Humble said her five-year-old mare, Bessie, was found severely injured near Beaulieu early on Thursday and had to be put down the next day.

The horse's leg was broken, seemingly the result of slipping or falling after running from the dog. Horses were reported stampeding near Beaulieu the previous evening.

She said, while pony deaths in road accidents were a constant worry for commoners, dogs were also becoming a "massive issue".

Dovey-Humble, 20, described how a neighbour had seen a "large muzzled dog running wild" among grazing ponies at Culverly near her family home.

"The horses were stampeding and going crazy.

"She ran blind in a complete panic through fear," she said.

With no marks from bites or from an impact with a vehicle, it was concluded Bessie was injured while fleeing from the dog.

"It's growing and is now a massive issue. We've never had anything with such serious consequences yet, but it was bound to happen," she added.

The New Forest's free-roaming ponies, pigs, donkeys and cattle are owned by commoners - people who own or occupy land with ancient rights attached.

Bessie was one of more than 20 ponies owned by the Dovey-Humble family.

In a post on social media, which included pictures of Bessie's body, she urged dog owners to "please think twice" before letting their animals off the lead.

"Our HOME is not a playground for you to demonstrate your inability to train a dog, our ANIMALS carry history and our FOREST is for everyone but you are making a mockery of it by abusing the freedom it allows," she wrote.

In a statement, David Bennett, of the New Forest Dog Owners Group, described it as as a "dreadful incident".

"Dogs should be under their owner's control at all times and most owners are responsible," he said.

"Fortunately this is rare, but it's a tragedy for all concerned. If in doubt, use a lead."

The New Forest National Park Authority has a code which urges dog walkers to "not damage the special qualities of the forest or interfere with the working practices that help maintain the landscape".

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