Horror as ‘ratter’ dog leaves horse with horror injuries after savaging it

WARNING, CONTAINS GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHS SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING

A horse had to undergo four hours of surgery following an ‘horrific' attack by a dog as the mare was being ridden by her owner through farmland near Altrincham.

The mount ‘rodeoed' in an attempt to fight off the dog and unseated its owner and bolted about a mile to its stables, with the canine still ‘locked on', according to an eye-witness.

Alerted to the distressed sound of the braying horse, people at the stables intervened and the dog ran away. Police are trying to trace the animal and its owner.

The attack, in a field close to Sinderland Road in Broadheath on Monday evening (April 7), prompted police to publish an appeal for information, including images of a black dog.

The attack happened sometime before 7pm as the mare was being ridden by her 21-year-old owner, with her older sister and mother walking beside them.

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The mother of the owner, who witnessed the attack, told the Manchester Evening News: “This black dog came from nowhere. There was no owner but it had a collar on. It belonged to somebody. It came from around a corner.

“It was completely unexpected and literally locked onto the horse. The horse rodeoed and tried to kick it off but it wasn't letting go.

“My daughter went 10ft into the air and came off. Luckily she's only bruised. It was absolutely horrific. She [the horse] had have four hours of surgery to her back end, her belly and legs. This dog has chased her for about a mile all the way back to the yard. It wanted to bring her down.

“It was an extremely violent attack.”

She described the horse as ‘traumatised'.

“She's recovering from the stitches. Physically, eventually she will recover but she will have to have a lot of mental rehabilitation afterwards,” said the woman, who the Manchester Evening News has agreed not to name.

“She's a beautiful grey who an absolutely amazing mare. She's what we call bomb-proof. She absolutely looks after her rider. You can rely on her through traffic. She's a lovely soul. She's 14 hands which is medium size for a horse and has the most wonderful personality.”

She said her daughter was left with only bruising. “Thank goodness she's a very good rider and she doesn't have any broken bones. It could have been very, very serious. She's more upset for the horse than she is for herself,” said her mother, who went on that her daughter had had the horse for ten years.

The mother continued: “It's just extremely traumatic. My other daughter was screaming for help. These dog attacks are happening more and more, attacking sheep and horses and running wild. Things have to change. It's just so dangerous.”

She said she suspected the dog was a ‘ratter', the name for working dogs used to kill rats and other vermin.

The equine vet practice which treated the injured horse, Simon Constable, posted shocking images of the injuries on its Facebook page.

The notice said: “Dog attacks on horses seem to be happening far too frequently and this case happened this week when an unattended, loose dog attacked a quiet horse on a farm ride in Altrincham.

“The damage to the horse was severe (requiring sutures) and the rider was thrown (luckily no broken bones) but initially the bite on the abdomen was thought by to have penetrated the abdominal cavity which could have been catastrophic.

“Dog bites always carry a risk of infection and this is worsened if the canines penetrated the skin because they cause a deep puncture wound. I am a dog owner but always keep my dogs under control especially if I see a horse. This reassures the rider that your dogs aren’t going to chase them and I ask all dog owners to be careful especially around horses!!”

The owner of the horse has sanctioned the publication of the images of the injuries to encourage more responsible care of pet dogs.

A spokesperson for GMP said: “We are appealing for information following reports of a horse and its owner being attacked by a dog on a field facing Sinderland Road, Broadheath on April 2, 2025, at around 7pm.

“Any info? Call 101 quoting log 3240 of April 2, 2025, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”