Drowned horse had been pulling sulky for 'considerable amount of time'

A HORSE that drowned at the pier in Blackrock yesterday had been pulling a sulky for a “considerable amount of time” prior to being taken in for a swim, according to reports and videos sent to an animal rescue charity in Cork.

My Lovely Horse Rescue have forwarded on all of the information they have received to Gardaí.

In one of the videos, seen by The Echo, a number of young males look to be dragging the horse out of the water in the distance. 

In another, one young male can be seen wheeling the empty sulky up the street in Blackrock.

Reports made to My Lovely Horse Rescue suggested the water was quite deep at Blackrock pier at the time of the drowning.

Kelly Mellerick, a volunteer with the Cork branch of the charity, said that while horses can swim, if it was exhausted after pulling the sulky and was in water that was too deep, it could have just gone under and drowned.

“It’s just not acceptable. Who is going to dispose of the body? It’s just wrong on so many levels.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with doing that. By all reports, that horse was sulkied up and down the road for a considerable amount of time beforehand,” Ms Mellerick said.

“A horse just doesn’t drown. I swim my own. I have several horses who love to go and swim. My own mare absolutely loves it, but she has never even been close to drowning.

“It just makes no sense the way it has happened.” 

Ms Mellerick said that incidents involving horses are becoming commonplace around the country and that Gardaí have to implement the laws that are there surrounding ownership and welfare.

“Clonmel Gardaí seized a sulky recently. The driver was making an unnecessary journey, had no paperwork, and they seized the horse the other day.

“This should be done as a norm anyway. 

"This is what the Animal Health and Welfare Act has implemented. Stop them on the road, ask for the animal's passport, microchip, proof of identification, but it’s not being done,” she added.

Following the incident on Monday afternoon, Gardaí told The Echo: “Initial reports are that a horse became distressed and died having returned to the pier at Blackrock following a swim.

“It’s understood the horse was in the control of its owner at the time. Gardaí attended the scene shortly after 4pm. Enquiries into the matter are ongoing.” 

Gardaí have been contacted for an update on the investigation. 

Aspokesperson told The Echo that “there are no updates available at this time" but that it appears to be a tragic accident.