THE owners of a ‘kind-natured’ heavy horse stabbed in rural south Cumbria have put up a £6,500 reward to find her attackers.

The bounty has been funded by a flood of public donations received by Cumbrian Heavy Horses owner Annie Rose since the assault.

‘Sick’ attackers drove a two-and-half-foot sharpened stake into the vulva of Clydesdale mare Skye between May 9 and May 10.

At the time of the attack Skye was in her paddock for the night at the centre in the Whicham Valley, near Broughton-in-Furness.

Ms Rose said she had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the outpouring of sympathy and support from members of the public.

“I’ve actually just opened the post and received a cheque for £100 from a lady and a cheque for £10 from a gentleman,” she said.

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A typical message from one of Skye’s well-wishers read, “I’m writing to express my horror and deep compassion.

“I filled up with tears when I read this story. Why do people do this sort of thing?”

Ms Rose said: “It’s absolutely incredible – it’s like people are writing as human beings to say: ‘Look, we’re not all bad.’”

The reward money also includes £500 from Skye’s previous owners, £1,000 from a local farrier and £5,000 from another horse rescue centre.

Ms Rose said it would be used to “help us find these people and get them off the streets.”

Skye is now back at home and recovering from a lengthy surgical procedure for her ‘horrific’ internal injuries.

“Having her back will allow us to draw a line under it but personally I am still hunting for information,” Mr Rose said.

“We’re looking at a grudge crime and we might have a strong lead but we’re waiting for some forensics back from the police.

“If that doesn’t come back with a result we’re going to be relying on someone coming forward and saying: ‘I know who did this’ and being prepared to stand up in court.”

Anyone with information about the attack is urged to call Cumbria Police on 101 or the RSPCA’s Cruelty Hotline on 0300 123 4999.