Dog bites horse on beach

A YOUNG girl narrowly escaped serious injury when the horse she was riding along the beach at Pakefield was attacked and bitten by a dog.

The incident happened at about 2.45pm on Saturday during one of the regular trips organised by the Pakefield Riding School, in Carlton Road.

The Rottweiler dog was not on a lead and had run up to the horses before jumping up at the riders in an aggressive manner.

It then bit one of the smaller horses, Daisy, which was being ridden by a young girl.

Tess Hardy, owner of the riding school, said the situation was extremely frightening and dangerous.

“The horse was naturally very frightened and reared up after being attacked and bitten by the dog. The young girl did very well to stay on the horse. If she had fallen off she could have been hurt or even attacked by the dog,” she said.

“If the horse had unseated its rider it would have tried to make its own way back to the stables crossing busy roads which again would have been a very dangerous situation,” said Mrs Hardy.

The owner of the dog, a man aged about 60, collected his pet and left the area without leaving any details.

“Daisy was badly bitten on the leg and had to have immediate veterinary care. We are probably facing a vet's bill in the region of £300 because of this incident,” said Mrs Hardy.

She appealed for dog owners to keep their pets on a lead when there are horses in the area.

“There is room for everyone at the beach at Pakefield but we would ask that dog owners act responsibly and keep their pets on a lead to avoid them frightening or attacking the horses,” said Mrs Hardy.

Suffolk police are investigating the incident.

A police spokesman said the owner of the dog is described as a man aged about 60, 5ft 7in tall and having a large build.

It is thought the dog was called Lewis and anyone with information is asked to

contact Lowestoft police on 01986 835300.