Racist attack injures foal belonging to Welsh couple

Apr 7 2008 by Catrin Pascoe, Western Mail

Racist attack injures foal belonging to Welsh couple

THUGS have slashed a horse’s face and daubed an anti-English threat without realising their targets were also Welsh.

Alison and David Hayes moved to the West Wales countryside from Cardiff to open a stable.

Locals mistook them for English and slashed the face of their seven-month-old skewbald Hope.

And they sprayed a message in Welsh on a barn door reading: “English out of this field.”

But Alison, 36, and David, 43, were born and bred in Wales.

“This is a Welsh-speaking area and they might have mistaken our Cardiff accents for English, that is all I can think,” she said yesterday.

“This was an incredibly cruel thing to do. Hope is a beautiful, friendly animal and she was slashed across the face and mouth.

“The motivation of these people was ridiculous and to take it out on an innocent horse was wicked.

“Hope loved being around people but now I can’t get near her. She is terrified.”

Dyfed-Powys Police are investigating the attack.

The Hayes moved to Cilgerran, near Cardigan, five months ago and bought eight acres of land intending to open stables.

“Everyone around here seemed to be so sweet. No-one had a bad word to say to us. But, obviously, not everyone has a welcome for us,” added Alison.

“The fools who did this didn’t even realise we were their fellow countrymen.”