ANIMAL rescue charities said that a dead horse, which was discovered attached to an overturned sulky off the N21 outside Newcastle West on Sunday (March 17), died of a suspected heart attack during a sulky race.
Gardaí, since the discovery of the horse’s remains, have confirmed that “enquiries are ongoing” into the animal welfare incident.
As tens of thousands of people celebrated St Patrick’s Day festivities, the horse’s remains were left dumped outside the entrance of a house.
The My Lovely Horse Rescue charity posted a video and photographs of the grim scene online, saying that “this poor horse died on the side of the road today, poor thing died while racing and was left at the side of the road like rubbish while the race continued”.
“An Garda Síochána and Deel Animal Rescue think she died of a heart attack. These sulky races happen all the time,” the charity said.
“Young horses being whipped to bits to go faster, legs being destroyed on hard roads, big money being made on bets,” it further claimed.
“This sadly is not the first poor horse to die and be abandoned and won’t be the last.
“Was she microchipped? Someone needs to be held accountable. These so-called human low lives don’t care, making money and winning a stupid trophy is all they care about.”
The charity also posted a photo of a glass trophy, writing that the “trophy has blood on it. RIP poor girl, we are so sorry this country let you down.”
The Deel Animal Rescue also shared a video of the scene on its Facebook page, stating: “St Patrick’s Day 2024. Horse died on the side of the road. Garda attending a dead horse on N21 outside Newcastle West.”
“We are told that there was racing happening on the road and she suffered a heart attack. She was abandoned to die on the side of the road. Her condition shows that she was dehydrated.”
Responding to queries by the Limerick Post, a Garda spokesman said that “Gardaí received report of a deceased horse on the N21 at Ballyfrawley, County Limerick, on Sunday afternoon, 17th March 2024.”
The Garda spokesman said that the horse had been “removed from the scene”, adding that “enquiries are ongoing”.
