Rider 'heartbroken' as horse put down after suffering injuries when it was ... trends now
A rider has been left 'heartbroken' after her beloved horse had to be put down after suffering fatal injuries during New Year's Eve fireworks.
Joanna Barnett, 40, had to make the distressing decision to euthanise her Connemara pony Talullah after she suffered serious injuries during a celebratory display on Saturday.
The 'horse of a lifetime' became spooked when fireworks were suddenly let off from a neighbouring house and ran blindly into a fence in a state of panic.
Joanna, a prop modeller from Horley, Surrey, has taken to social media to share her grief amid a desperate plea for fireworks to be regulated.
Joanna Barnett's Connemara pony Talullah had been with the family for almost two decades before she was fatally injured
Joanna pictured riding Talullah, who became spooked when fireworks were suddenly let off from a neighbouring house
She wrote: 'On New Year’s Day my horse of a lifetime and best friend Talullah, who I had owned for 18 years, had to be put to sleep. This was a direct result of our neighbours letting off fireworks close by. Talullah was usually reasonably calm with fireworks.
'Combined with the terrible weather that night, we thought that the risk of random unplanned displays would be minimised. However, we couldn’t have predicted what fireworks people choose to let off.
'Tragically what was let off on New Year’s Eve was so terrifying to her that she ran blindly straight through a solid wooden fence. She came to a stop on a local road. The police attended and closed the road and called the emergency vet.
'I got to the scene (with my children in the car) to find my horse lying in the road. A horrific scene that I will never be able to forget. With the help of a vet and police escorts we managed to get Talullah up and home.
'We tried to get her stable and comfortable as for a while we were hopeful that she might get through the shock, potential internal injuries and the colic that was caused by her terror.'
The post added that she was advised by vets that euthanising her horse was the best option as she was 'seriously ill and suffering' and it was the only way to 'make her pain end'.
Ms Barnett added: 'I can’t stop thinking about what I saw and how she suffered so horrendously, I keep seeing flashbacks, all so people can enjoy fireworks at home.
'I am sorry to say it but this unnecessary suffering was a direct result of people setting off fireworks in their back gardens.
'I completely understand that some people will have absolutely no idea of the potential damage and suffering that fireworks can cause, so my aim is to help those people to get a better understanding of the problem and explain why we have got to put a stop to the excessive use of fireworks near livestock.
Talullah (pictured) had to be put down after she suffered serious injuries during a celebratory display on Saturday
Joanna was advised by vets that euthanising her horse was the best option as she was 'seriously ill and
