THIS is the shocking moment a horse was attacked by an aggressive dog in front of a horrified child.
Shannon Edwards, 27, was riding her show pony Jet on a bridle path in Riverside Country Park in Gillingham, Kent, when she claims a dog began biting and scratching him.
Footage shows the brown dog – which isn’t on a lead – jumping up at the horse.
Mum-of-two Shannon said it was the first time she had taken her seven-year-old son Alfie out for a ride.
The scared child can be heard crying and screaming “Mummy” as the large dog leaps up at the pony.
Shannon was out for a ride with a friend and her two children earlier this week when the incident occurred.
She said: “Alfie had just gained the confidence to come out on a hack with me on his Shetland pony Pepper.
“We always go to Riverside Country Park for our hacks as the horses are stabled nearby.
“There are special bridle paths and signs that tell dog walkers to keep dogs on leads when pedestrians and horses are passing through.
“The first time we saw the man and his dog he had his animal on the lead and she was being very reactive to the horses.
“He even said that his dog hadn’t seen horses before.
“We passed without a problem but about 30 seconds later I could hear him calling and shouting for his dog.”
Shannon, who has been riding since she was five, said she knew the dog was off the lead when she heard it panting near Jet’s hooves.
“I could hear him calling louder and louder and because of the breed of the dog, I could hear its breathing getting louder and louder as it was coming for us,” she said.
“My son was at the back of the group where the dog was coming from so I told him to go forward and put myself at the back.
“As soon as the dog appeared I just thought, ‘This is going to be really bad’.”
Shannon added that Jet, with whom she competes at showjumping competitions across Kent, is a nervous pony who can get spooked easily.
“My son was really scared. I told him to get off Pepper while I was still dealing with the dog jumping up at Jet,” she continued.
“My shouting and panic started to make Alfie sob and cry – he’s only seven. I was trying to keep Jet calm.
“He doesn’t love dogs but we have dogs of our own at the stable and he sees them at competitions so he can deal with them.
AN out-of-control dog savaged two police horses in a five-minute park attack last year.
The two officers screamed for the owner to put the hound, thought to be an American Bully breed, on a lead but were left pleading for any of the public to “be brave” and intervene after he cowardly just stood by watching.
And after the midday incident at Victoria Park in Hackney, East London, the owner allegedly said: “Just take the dog.”
One of the horses is thought to have suffered leg injuries and both are traumatised after the yapping canine bit at their legs and body in the attack.
Several members of the public intervened, with one chap using a long stick to try to get the dog away from the horses.
The officers were shouting “get it now”, “get the dog” and “get on with it” as they desperately tried to get the hound under control.
After the attack, one officer managed to dismount the horse and shouted to get the dog on a lead immediately.
But the owner still only took a leisurely stroll over to the animal.
Police then removed the dog from the scene.
“But now, after the attack, he is traumatised and may react to them in the future.”
Footage of the incident, recorded by Shannon’s friend, shows the dog jumping up at a rearing Jet as the pony narrowly misses it with several kicks.
The dog nips at the black pony’s legs and body as its owner tries unsuccessfully to put the aggressive animal back on its lead.
Though the attack didn’t draw blood from Jet, he was left with visible teeth marks and scratches on his coat.
But Shannon, a director for her husband’s plumbing and heating business, says that as well as the damage to the animal, the attack had traumatised both her young children.
“If you see a horse or pony and have a dog with you, put them on the lead – especially if children are riding,” she said.
I had a panic attack.
Shannon Edwards
“This incident could have been so much worse, but it has still really traumatised Alfie and his older sister, Bonnie.
“Alfie didn’t have a lot of confidence anyway and this attack has completely stripped any he had. Jet is my pride and joy.
“I put everything into that pony and while the attack was happening all I could think of was that horse that was attacked in London.”
Shannon was referring to an incident last year when a man was convicted after his dog attacked a Metropolitan Police horse in Victoria Park, in east London – inflicting several wounds which took months to heal.
“I had a panic attack,” she said.
“All that was rushing through my head at the time was, ‘What if I have to call the vets? What if Jet is seriously injured?’. It was awful.
“I’m lucky Jet has come away with a few scrapes and no cuts, but my son is absolutely traumatised and it has broken my heart.”
Shannon added that she had never experienced anything like this attack in all the years she’d been riding at the country park.
Kent Police said: “We were called to a report that a dog that was not on a lead, had attacked a horse being ridden at the Riverside Country Park.
“Officers attended the scene and spoke to the victim and the person responsible for the dog.”
