Horse tumbles to its death after being spooked by 'selfie-hunters'

In another incident earlier this year, a woman was kicked by a stallion while trying to stroke it.

Horses on the cliffs in Rhossili Bay, Gower Peninsula
Author: Tom PreecePublished 14th Sep 2023
Last updated 14th Sep 2023

The National Coastguard Institution is warning beauty-spot hunters to stay away from the horses on Worm's Heads cliffs in Rhossili, South Wales.

It's after a foal tumbled to its death off the edge of a cliff on the Gower Peninsula after panicking when it was spooked by a selfie-taker.

In another incident earlier this year, a woman was kicked by a stallion while trying to stroke it.

The beaches at Rhossili are thought to be some of the most picturesque in the whole of the UK after recently being named one of the 'most beautiful' in Britain.

The NCI at Worm's Head is urging the public to give the creatures space and not to touch them.

A spokesman for the NCI said: "Stay safe around horses. Almost every day, whilst driving to and from our hut, we see members of the public trying to stroke or take 'selfies' with the horses. We do stop when we see it happening and explain that the horses are semi feral or wild."

"Obviously we will always do what we can in these situations, but we wish people would keep their distance from the horses. Only a few weeks ago a newborn foal was lost over the cliffs because it panicked when a group of people tried to get selfies with it."

A National Trust spokesman said: "The land that we care for at Rhossili and along the Gower coast is home to a variety of special wildlife and livestock that grazes freely across the common land and meadows."

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