Horse mutilations plague England

Police in England suspect occult ritualistic practices in their investigation of at least a dozen incidents of horse mutilations.

In one incident, reported by the London Guardian, a healthy pure-bred filly was found dead, her belly slashed with a knife. Yet, there was little blood in the field, despite the fact that about eight liters appeared to be missing, possibly drained from the horse’s
stomach.

Authorities determined she had tried to bolt from her attackers, dying in the struggle.

Close by, an injured colt showed signs of being tied and attacked. He was treated and moved to a different field. But this month he was repeatedly visited by attackers who carved symbols
from his skin, took chunks of flesh in different shapes, cut pieces of his mane and left them in stone circles they had constructed near him, according to the Guardian.

It emerged this week that regular and increasing ”slashing” incidents have been taking place in the Hope Valley since October – indicative of a wider and recurring problem, the paper reported.

The latest 12 incidents were in a triangle of villages from Eyam
and Stoney Middleton in Derbyshire to Fox House outside Sheffield in South Yorkshire. Stone circles, arrangements of sticks and branches, and gothic calling cards have been left at the scene
of some attacks.

Some of the attacks were sexual. Some of the owners believe their animals had been doped or purposely bled for cult rituals.

Residents of the area have begun to keep watch in fields, or sit out on roofs all night. Nevertheless, the attacks continue – some apparently in daylight.

Detectives in South Yorkshire went public this week, admitting that occult practices were a strong line of inquiry.

”We have found stone circles in the fields, measuring from eight to 15 feet across, usually made up of small numbers of stones, for example five with one stone in the middle,” one officer
was quoted by the paper. ”This is indicative of a five-pointed star but it’s open to interpretation.”

He added: ”Lines are also drawn in the fields of five or six stones pointing to the centre of the field. At the majority of these sites it does point to occult practices – not paganism or wicca,
which celebrate life and the lifecycle, but black arts and the occult
calendar.”

Officers from both forces led a huge undercover surveillance operation during last weekend’s summer solstice but failed to catch
anyone.

There have been hundreds of cases of ”horse-ripping” in Britain in the past 20 years but no arrest has ever been made. Last year in Nottinghamshire a spate of cutting attacks fell around Halloween. Often a spate of assaults will suddenly stop in one area to surface somewhere else.

There appears to be no pattern, according to authorities. Male and female horses of all colors and breeds have been chosen – some in isolated fields, some near houses.