A SMALLHOLDER has spoken about the emotional trauma of having a two-month-old Shetland foal stolen from her property near Truro.

Jean Curd, of Allet Farm, discovered Lucy was missing when she checked on her small herd early on Saturday morning [July 12]. With the help of Devon and Cornwall Police, she has appealed for whoever took Lucy to return her to safety.

Jean became aware something was wrong due to the behaviour of Lucy’s mother, Nancy. “She came straight over to us, which was very unusual,” said Jean. “She was calling, and kept going back to a gap in a corner of the field. I couldn’t see Lucy and thought something might have happened to her, like she was poorly – but she wasn’t there.”

A drive around the neighbourhood offered no leads, “not even footprints or droppings, which I would have expected if she had simply run away”.

The next few days were tough for Nancy. “She was still in milk for her foal, which must have been very painful,” said Jean.

She added: “I struggle to think why anyone would take a young foal. Anyone who knows about horses knows hand-rearing a foal is really hard. It requires specialist care. That’s what worries me most – that this was a spur-of-the-moment action on the part of someone who had no idea. If she isn’t properly looked after, she might survive but she won’t thrive.”

PC Lucy Wyatt, Equine Crime lead at Devon and Cornwall Police, said Lucy could have been stolen to be used as a potential breeding mare, or as a pet or for a child to ride.

“All the information we have points to Lucy having been taken from the field,” she said. “There has been huge disturbance next to the hedging where she was taken, and it appears someone has been through on foot for the foliage to have been crushed.

“The drive is some distance from the house, so a vehicle might not have been heard. Lucy is about the size of a large dog, so small enough to fit in a van, or even the back of car.

“Foals never wander far from their mothers, so Lucy will be as anxious to be with her mother as Nancy is to be with her.”

PC Wyatt appealed for whoever took Lucy to contact the force to arrange her safe return. “Leave her somewhere she’ll be safe – take her to a vet or put her in a field and call us,” she said. “Lucy has been gone nearly a week, and needs her mother’s milk and the care she gets from Nancy and Jean.

“Equine theft is not common and to steal a foal is rarer still. That’s why we believe she could be nearby, and there’s every chance we could get her back through this public appeal.”

Jean added: “Lucy is of no value to anyone except us. If you have her and now realise you can’t cope with her, bring her back so we can look after her. That’s all we want.”