Owner reunited with stolen horse (From Daily Echo)

Stallion stolen from Hedge End reunited with owner Julia Pearn

10:55am Friday 19th June 2009 in Eastleigh By Simon Carr, Eastleigh Chief Reporter

A STALLION snatched in the middle of the night has been reunited with its owners – thanks to the Daily Echo.

The five-year-old bay was stolen from a field in Hedge End but just hours after this newspaper put out an appeal the horse was found.

Disabled owner Julia Pearn, 29, of Bursledon, said she was delighted to have Daley back and believes the Echo’s coverage panicked thieves into dumping the valuable equine who was found nearby yesterday afternoon.

She said: “I think without a doubt the Daily Echo’s coverage helped and forced the thieves to release Daley.

“I am absolutely over the moon to have him back. I was absolutely distraught when he was stolen as he is really one of the family. We were out looking all night and I was just hysterical.

“We think the people who took him used him for breeding and then dumped him.

“My neighbour called me and said she had seen him running up and down this track, just by a busy road, anything could have happened.

Julia, who has heart problems, said Wednesday was an extremely stressful day as her and her family frantically searched for the animal.

While Daley has been returned he is now nervous, is covered in whip marks and grazes and has been sprayed with paint.

Other horses sharing the field at Manor Farm, Tanhouse Lane, were also whipped and owners fear Daley may have been drugged to make him easier prey.

Police are hunting for the culprits who cut down two eight-foot sections of fencing and led the horse away down Hats Copse Park.

Anyone with information should contact police on 0845 045 4545.