Two horses and rider injured during dog attack incident on beach
Gemma Collison riding Esperanzo who was bitten on the leg during the attack. Picture: Gemma Collison - Credit: Archant
Police have appealed for witnesses after two horses were injured by a dog on Kessingland beach, leading to one of the riders breaking their arm.
The puncture wounds from the dog's bit on the second horse. Picture: Gemma Collison - Credit: Archant
Gemma Collison, who works at Pakefield Riding School, was taking a group on an extended walk on the beach on Saturday, May 12, when the incident occurred.
She has been left unable to work for six weeks and now finds it difficult to look after her young family, with both horses requiring extensive care and huge vet bills.
After passing a lady with the Staffordshire bull terrier barking at their horses but on its lead, Mrs Collison described the moment she realised her horses were in trouble.
The dog attacked one horse and left a deep gash in its belly. Picture: Gemma Collison - Credit: Archant
She said: 'I heard her screaming 'no, no, come back' as she had let go of the lead. I looked around and could see it coming barking and bearing its teeth.'
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Mrs Collison managed to hit it with her whip as it came towards her horse Esperanzo, but could do nothing as it bit the belly of another rider's horse, Celeste.
She said: 'It then came straight back towards my horse and it grabbed hold of my horse's leg and as I was leaning down to whip it again I went off the side and landed on my left arm.
The dog attacked one horse and left a deep gash in its belly. Picture: Gemma Collison - Credit: Archant
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'The woman with the dog apologised but I pointed to the state of my horses. You could see the horses blood all on the dogs mouth.'
Her fall caused a break in her radial head, a bone close to the elbow, which has led to an extended period of time off work and could see a six month wait until she is able to straighten her elbow again.
'I have got a broken arm and two children under four and a nine month old baby and I am now finding it difficult to change nappies and lift them up,' said Mrs Collison.
The dog attacked one horse and left a deep gash in its belly. Picture: Gemma Collison - Credit: Archant
'That dog should have been muzzled. She couldn't hold it or control it.'
Mrs Collison says she wants the dog owner to contact her.
'It would be nice if she could contact us. The vet bill for the horses is huge and I had paid all my entry fees for the Suffolk Show, the Lusitano Breed Show, and the Royal Norfolk Show, and now I won't be able to go to any of them.'
Suffolk Police have asked anyone with information about this incident to please call 101 and quote reference number 26271/18.
