By Liz Fowler

A MEARNS horse breeder whose animals have suffered repeated attacks which she fears may be linked to witchcraft is offering a £500 reward in a bid to trace the culprits.

Around 25 animals have been attacked at East Balhagarty, near Laurencekirk.

Breeder Gail Sephton thinks some animals may have been doped as an instrument, possibly a razor, was used to hack chunks of hair from their tails.

Sticky plaits have been woven into the horses’ manes and strips of hair cut from the their flanks.

The attacks follow a series of similar incidents, investigated by Grampian Police, which have been linked to occult rituals.

Horse hair, specifically from the tail, is known to be linked to pagan rituals practised between October and Easter.

“This could just be malicious mischief,” said Mrs Sephton.

“But it has been going on since the middle of December. Whoever is doing this is pretty driven, to come out in the night and risk getting injured by the horses.”

Significant chunks of hair were removed from some of the horses. Even foals were not spared, with smaller pieces of tail missing from most of them.

Although none of the animals were injured, the loss of hair is affecting their saleability.

A stable star, a youngster bound for the show ring, had his tail ruined.

“We will have to keep some of the horses longer than we might do to allow time for the hair regrowth,” said Mrs Sephton.

“Some of the tails will take a year or so to recover.”

It is the second year in a row her yard has been targeted.

She said, “Last time the tails started going missing from mid-January until around the end of March, when the nights started getting lighter.

“Then suddenly the horses were left alone and we had no further trouble.

“Prior to that we had never had any bother and we’ve been here 18 years.

“It is very mysterious. The hair taken isn’t really of any monetary value.

“We are at our wits end. That is why we are putting up the reward for information leading to an arrest and prosecution of whoever is responsible.”

A spokeswoman for the National Equine Welfare Council warned horse owners to be on their guard and to involve a vet immediately if they think their animals have been doped or otherwise tampered with.

She said, “There have been suggestions of the horse hair being used by travellers in their wedding rituals, also in some forms of witchcraft, though I have spoken to some white witches and they are adamant they would never harm animals.”