On a Friday afternoon, a horse in a cart was spotted being beaten by its driver in Epping. The driver was not stopping despite being followed by Penny, our GM. Penny called Melony, the Inspector on duty, to turn around and make her way back to where they were. Penny then quickly asked the police van behind her for assistance in stopping the driver and cart. The driver was finally pulled over.
The horse, named Fairlady, was exhausted, sweaty, covered in old and new harness wounds, and very under condition. The driver was asked why he didn’t pull over when asked, and he said he was late for the scrap yard.
Melony arrived and asked a few questions, ascertained the horse’s condition, and then asked him to ‘span uit die perd.’
Fairlady just stood with her head hanging down, not interested in the feed bag (which only contained straw, not a grain of oats in sight!) and was completely despondent. Jolize arrived with our horsebox to load her and take her to the R&R as she was being confiscated.
This sweet mare practically loaded herself into the box, without looking back.
The police officers didn’t leave until Fairlady had been safely loaded and was on her way. They ensured we were safe while the crowds gathered from the surrounding communities and watched as the scene unfolded. These situations have the potential to become volatile, so we were very grateful for the police presence. This is something the Inspectors rarely have, and they are most often left on their own to deal with these kinds of incidents, with no protection from any law enforcement officials. Fairlady is recovering very well at the R&R. She has gained weight, and rests well in her warm and dry stable every night. Her spirit is returning, and her personality is coming through.