My Old Ewe Has Had Her Ear Ripped Off

[Robbi]

Pony has been banished back to my next door neighbours, we had been minding him as his paddock mate had been put down and he was lonely, but now I am too worried about him injuring any more of my animals.

All sheep are present and accounted for this morning and the old girl is still on her feet and eating.

Thank you all so much for your support and suggestions, it is a nice feeling to have so many people to support me and bounce ideas with, I would not have even thought of the pony being the culprit, now he is the number 1 suspect.

[Kirislin]

did something else happen to confirm your suspicions?

Horses are funny sometimes. Rowdy used to occasionally try to stomp on my whippets, it would come out of the blue, a couple of times while he was being ridden! It was as if he thought, I'll just squash that bug. Luckily he never connected with them.

[Robbi]

When I was telling ponies owner about the ear incident I just got the feeling that she wasn't surprised, I said that maybe he could go in their paddock with their two little dexters cows they have and she said that she would keep him separate. I just wonder if he may have done something similar.

[Kirislin]

Poor old girl, give her some extra treats, she deserves them. I think you're right to send pony home. He probably thought, oh goodie, someone smaller than me. I'll show 'em who's boss!

[persephone]

When I was telling ponies owner about the ear incident I just got the feeling that she wasn't surprised, I said that maybe he could go in their paddock with their two little dexters cows they have and she said that she would keep him separate. I just wonder if he may have done something similar.

little bugger !

Hope the old girl heals up well ... lots of purple spray and TLC :)

[SheWolf]

How horrible for both your poor ole ewe and yourself. I believe if it were feral or hunting dogs the ewe would have been dragged down by her throat, most feral dogs go directly for the throat area. I think pony boy may have some answering to do? One other strange option could be bats, I know that probably sounds ridiculous, but I have heard of bats attacking elderly or frail sheep on occasion.

SheWolf

[Robbi]

How horrible for both your poor ole ewe and yourself. I believe if it were feral or hunting dogs the ewe would have been dragged down by her throat, most feral dogs go directly for the throat area. I think pony boy may have some answering to do? One other strange option could be bats, I know that probably sounds ridiculous, but I have heard of bats attacking elderly or frail sheep on occasion.

SheWolf

I hope I never meet the bats that you have in your area here in the Adelaide hills we have micro bats http://www.backyardbuddies.net.au/buddies/Microbats.html not sure if we have the large ones, I have never seen them. The old girl is doing well, she is not bothered by her ordeal fortunately. There has not been another incident so I think that pony may well have been the culprit. I am still keeping everyone in the paddock near the house just to be on the safe side though.

[Bindo]

Our neighbours in the bush had a pony who had been fine with 3 sheep in the paddock with her for years, then one day she must have snapped and killed one of the sheep and was trying to attack another when the owners found her. They wouldn't have believed it unless they had seen it!