Horse owners angry after youths filmed riding them

Horse owners say they have been left angry and distressed after young people filmed themselves climbing over the gate of a livery yard to ride them.

The video, posted on social media, appears to show people standing on the horses' backs and grabbing hold of their manes causing them "pain or anxiety", stables owner Alex Thompson said.

Ms Thompson, who has run Humber View Track Livery in Welton, East Yorkshire for 12 years, said many of the horses have health conditions including heart issues and asthma, and one has had spinal surgery.

Humberside Police said it was investigating the incident.

Ms Thompson said someone called her on 30 June to tell her a group of people were chasing and riding the horses.

"I was just fuming. I dived out of the house and drove up there," she said.

"You just can't express how angry you are at that point.

"I found three of them still there. They denied everything and then gave lots of excuses that actually it was perfectly fine to do."

Ms Thompson said the young people could have been injured by the horses rearing up or falling on them.

"I don't think they even considered the dangers," she said.

"I think they just thought it was a fun thing to do."

One owner said the experience had left her horse "psychologically upset by it all".

Sacha Cutts' horse, Reuben, has been living at the yard for about two years. He was retired from ridden work because of a serious heart condition.

Ms Cutts said she was distressed watching the video.

"Stress for him, it could kill him," she said.

"That's not me being dramatic. That was obviously playing on my mind when I saw the videos."

Insp Matthew Wilson of Humberside Police said: "I understand the impact an incident of this nature will have on the local community.

"Animal and wildlife cruelty is a selfish and cruel act and will absolutely not be tolerated, and I want to offer reassurance that we believe we are currently carrying out a number of lines of inquiry to identify those suspected to be involved."

The stables has boosted its security including installing an electric fence and CCTV to protect the horses and prevent any future incidents.

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