# Olympic horse found dead



## milesjess (17 September 2010)

Charlotte Springall said she now has to focus on the 2016 Games
An equestrian's Olympic dream is over after her horse died in a suspected knife attack in the New Forest.

Charlotte Springall had hoped to ride Folds Gretna Vow in the 2012 Games.

But the horse was found dead with an apparent knife wound at its field on Folds Farm House, Godshill Wood, last month.

Police said a number of other suspected attacks have been reported, ranging from horses having their tails and manes cut off, to mutilation.

'Time and effort'

Tests did not find any evidence that Ms Springall's horse had been wounded after impaling itself.

The rider said: "She had a large wound to her left underarm which went from her chest up to her shoulder.


The horse was found with a wound to its left underarm
"There were no wood pieces or anything found in her wound.

"She is in a field with nothing in it so it was very suspicious.

"It has dashed my Olympic hopes totally. I broke her, I produced her, it takes years and lots of time and effort.

"I now have to look towards 2016 with my young horse."

Police have encouraged anyone in the area to come forward if they have seen any suspicious activity.

Sgt Louise Hubble, Hampshire police countryside officer, said: "We are taking this very seriously and any incident that is reported will be investigated.

"We have had a small number of reports concerning injuries to horses but it is not clear how these injuries have been caused."


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## BBH (17 September 2010)

I saw this on the news this morning, shocking.

I can't fathom the mentality of someone who does this.


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## LEH89 (17 September 2010)

I actually don't know what to say about this at all, I am so shocked! Manes and tails cut off! I am gobsmacked. 

Let alone this poor woman who has put years of effort into her horse to have it cruelly taken from her for no reason other then to give some sick person their kicks.


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## FestiveSpirit (17 September 2010)

I read this too, how absolutely horrible for everyone connected to the horse   Why anyone would want to do this is beyond me 

Not sure the horse would have got to 2012 looking at it's BE record mind you...


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## Kat (17 September 2010)

Awful, there are some terrible sickos out there.


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## Bug2007 (17 September 2010)

I might be reading this wrong.....sorry.....but my oylmpic hopes have been dashed........um don't care what about your poor horse, i'd rather have my horse anyday over competing in the olympics.

Might be being harsh as i have only read the above post and not seen it on the news she may have been upset for the horse but sounded more selfish from what was written.


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## LEH89 (17 September 2010)

Sammii819 said:



			I might be reading this wrong.....sorry.....but my oylmpic hopes have been dashed........um don't care what about your poor horse, i'd rather have my horse anyday over competing in the olympics.

Might be being harsh as i have only read the above post and not seen it on the news she may have been upset for the horse but sounded more selfish from what was written.
		
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Sammii819 said:



			I might be reading this wrong.....sorry.....but my oylmpic hopes have been dashed........um don't care what about your poor horse, i'd rather have my horse anyday over competing in the olympics.

Might be being harsh as i have only read the above post and not seen it on the news she may have been upset for the horse but sounded more selfish from what was written.
		
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I did get this impression at first as well. However I think if the quotes came from news aimed at non-horsey people then this would be the angle they went for because a story about a girl losing her horse (admittedly through awful means) is not nearly as interesting.


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## Puppy (17 September 2010)

CareyR said:



			I read this too, how absolutely horrible for everyone connected to the horse   Why anyone would want to do this is beyond me 

Not sure the horse would have got to 2012 looking at it's BE record mind you...
		
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Snap! I thought the same, and looked at it's record before I saw your post. The horse completed one intro out of 4, and that was two years ago  Hardly Olympic potential!  

A terribly sad and distressing thing to happen, all the same


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## FestiveSpirit (17 September 2010)

Puppy said:



			Snap! I thought the same, and looked at it's record before I saw your post. The horse completed one intro out of 4, and that was two years ago  Hardly Olympic potential!  

A terribly sad and distressing thing to happen, all the same  

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Thank goodness for that, I was hoping people wouldnt think I was being insensitive saying that  

But I would be devastated if this was my horse, regardless of it's ability and potential, so I really do feel for her


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## kerilli (17 September 2010)

Poor horse, poor girl. Awful.
A lot of journalistic licence there though I think. I must go and check on all my Olympic horses now then...  
was it in the Daily Mail, by any chance?


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## Bug2007 (17 September 2010)

LEH89 said:



			I did get this impression at first as well. However I think if the quotes came from news aimed at non-horsey people then this would be the angle they went for because a story about a girl losing her horse (admittedly through awful means) is not nearly as interesting.
		
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Yeah suppose that makes sense.......still!!!!!!!


Oh by the way guys my 2yr old new forest cross who is not broken is going to the olympics in 2012!!!!!!!! Infact all my horses have olympic potential!!!!!!!  I'm sure all yours do too.


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## Faithkat (17 September 2010)

Huge amount of journalistic licence; the horse hasn't competed since 2008; out of 5 entries it was withdrawn before start once and had three eliminations - not exactly my idea of an Olympic prospect!  Perhaps the BBC don't realise that results are available for anyone to view online  . . . . .


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## Alibear (17 September 2010)

I expect that the Olympic bit was just added to get it into the press. If that happened to me I'd happily claim that if meant the attack got more media time hence more chance of finding the culprit.
Poor girl must be absolutely devastated.


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## kerilli (17 September 2010)

the poor girl is probably mortified by being misquoted (and speaking from bitter experience, journos are sometimes very good at that) as well as being devastated at the loss of her horse.


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## EstherYoung (17 September 2010)

Horrific 

(Re the olympic quote - a friend of ours had a similar quote, supposedly made by her about her 'potential olympic horse', in the press after a journallist interviewed her about her success in last year's futurity. The horse is an endurance arab - we're not even in the olympics! My friend had said nothing of the sort and then had to explain that to everyone who saw the article as all her relatives were asking about it)


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## everichred (17 September 2010)

Dreadful loss of horse, 

but her website refers to aiming for the Olympics:

http://www.foldsfarmandstud.co.uk/portfolio/charlotte_springall_portfolio.pdf

freely available on the Internet.


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## milesjess (17 September 2010)

Here's the horse.


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## DappledGrey (17 September 2010)

These knife attacks seem to happen every summer, I wonder if it's the same sicko everytime? But do the police do anything.... No! and why? Because they can't get any money out of it. If it was someone doing 2mph over the speed limit or if you'd forgotten to put on your seatbelt they'd be all over it!


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## Foxfolly (18 September 2010)

Shame everyone has to be so bitchy about the horses record..

I am pretty sure Charlotte had switched to dressage with this horse!!


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## jack9 (18 September 2010)

thats really sad about the horse being knifed 



But the olympic thing.... :x   sheesh....


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## mik (18 September 2010)

Oh hell, how can people do such things.


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## the watcher (18 September 2010)

I do think it is sad that an open mind has not been kept on the possible causes here. It is not unknown, in fact far more commom for a horse to collapse of natural causes and then while down be attacked by badgers - they can inflict horrific injuries.

Alternatively, in nearly every case of injuries caused to horses by humans they have been caused by somebody who knows the horse owner as some kind of grudge attack.

To publicise this as a random attack by a stranger without any more evidence to support this is just spreading fear


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## thinlizzy (19 September 2010)

the watcher said:



			I do think it is sad that an open mind has not been kept on the possible causes here. It is not unknown, in fact far more commom for a horse to collapse of natural causes and then while down be attacked by badgers - they can inflict horrific injuries.

Alternatively, in nearly every case of injuries caused to horses by humans they have been caused by somebody who knows the horse owner as some kind of grudge attack.

To publicise this as a random attack by a stranger without any more evidence to support this is just spreading fear
		
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i agree main thing here is catch the xxxx who did this can/have they done a autopsy or something to see if animal/ natural /criminal ?I also agree if someone has been crossed/jealous it is unfortunate there is a lot of unscrupulous people around


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## Faithkat (20 September 2010)

the watcher said:



			I do think it is sad that an open mind has not been kept on the possible causes here. It is not unknown, in fact far more commom for a horse to collapse of natural causes and then while down be attacked by badgers - they can inflict horrific injuries.

Alternatively, in nearly every case of injuries caused to horses by humans they have been caused by somebody who knows the horse owner as some kind of grudge attack.

To publicise this as a random attack by a stranger without any more evidence to support this is just spreading fear
		
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The farm is in the depths of the New Forest and rutting deer can be very agressive.  There have been several known incidences of horses being gored by antlers.  Most of the so-called "stabbings" and "slashings" have been eventually been attributed to natural occurences and, as we all know, horses have the most incredible ability to damage themselves in apparently safe areas!


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## carrick16 (26 September 2010)

Puppy said:



			Snap! I thought the same, and looked at it's record before I saw your post. The horse completed one intro out of 4, and that was two years ago  Hardly Olympic potential!  

A terribly sad and distressing thing to happen, all the same  

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I looked at the BE record and thought the same as you guys, doubt the rider is anywhere near Olympic potential either, however the press do exagerate things!

A horrendous thing to happen though. Cannot comprehend how anybody could intentionally harm any animal. Very sad


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## Luci07 (26 September 2010)

The Olympic bit is irrelevant really. We don't know what she said, if what she said was taken out of context or she just made a retort when being asked questions.

What we do know is she lost her horse to some sort of awful attack. Horrific.


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## Fairynuff (26 September 2010)

and I sincerely hope she isn't a member on here. Upsetting enough to lose your horse but to have 'comments' added re olympics isn't very nice.


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## bettysmum (27 September 2010)

so very sad to read


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## SpockkyBoy (27 September 2010)

Very true Fairynuff.

Poor poor horse.


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## amage (27 September 2010)

I read something about this a few weeks ago. The Olympic bit refers to dressage at which the horse is competing at elementary


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## SKY (27 September 2010)

omg that is disgusting how someone could do something like that.
when i bought  my 1st pony after a few months someone cut his tail off just below bone.  pure jealous and i was disgusted but found out who it was few years back and realised something was wrong with them to do something like that, i was only 12 saved money for years bought him for £125 he was 12.2hhs and amazing pony only sold cheap as wee girl was afriad to ride, so they wanted quick sale, i learned to ride on him, but all children in my neighbourhood would come over and we would give them rides, i shared them with them.  so there should have not been any jealous anyway it was a man who cut the tail one night him and his mates chased pony round field i know this as he would never come to anyone else but me, not even my parents or friends so they had to have chased him, got him and cut hair of just below bone.  we where disgusted, but thank god thats all they done to him.  my brothers found this out few years ago in pub, i am 28 now and i just think small minded people.  but to do that was bad but to hurt or kill a horse that is disturbing.


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## lhotse (1 October 2010)

A horse on our yard suffered a very similar sounding injury last year. A very deep cut extending from the front of the leg to behind the girth. It was almost like someone had tried to cut it's front leg off, so deep that the muscle underneath was cut too. However, this happened in a field overlooked by several houses, and we believe that the injury was actually self inflicted by the horse tripping over whilst running around and landing on the back part of it's own shoe, whilst the skin and muscles were stretched. I have also seen a similar injury caused by a stud after a fall crosscountry. The horse at out yard made a full recovery, but it could have been different if she had severed an artery.


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