A horse at the Prince George Agriplex has been attacked again by a criminal mischief-maker.
This horse is different than the one victimized in a Feb. 27 incident, but the owner is the same, leading police and victim Lea-Ann Oosterhoff to wonder what might be next.
In both cases the equine vandal used a caustic paste to burn the tail of the targeted horse.
The first one, Remi, had all his tail hair burned off leaving only a stubby bob.
The second horse, Fabio, suffered burns to his skin as the paste was applied higher up the tail and ate into the fleshy dock of the tail-head.
He, too, will lose some, if not all, of his tail hair, but has the added issue of pain and possible infection.
Both Remi and Fabio are show animals.
The loss of tail hair potentially impairs Oosterhoff's chances of success in the ring. Hair extensions for horses are now being considered by Oosterhoff for both her horses.
"People have been telling me to leave the facility, but I won't do that," Oosterhoff said.
"I won't make it convenient for whoever is doing this. That person is a full-on coward.
"Confront me, if you have a problem with me, take me out back, but don't take it out on a horse."
The RCMP was still investigating the first incident when the second one was discovered Tuesday night by Oosterhoff.
Now there are two separate investigations underway but police are not closed to considering the two are linked.
"We will use both incidents together, to compare, and as we gather more evidence and maybe tips that are provided to us, it could work as evidence in both incidents together or as separate investigations," said Prince George RCMP spokeswoman Const. Julie Champagne.
"We would definitely be able to use tips from the public. If anyone wants to come talk to us, we would be able to use that; it would help."
Both horses were attacked while in the same outdoor paddock on the northwest end of the city's municipal horse facility.
There were no indications that the vandal climbed the chain-link fence separating the paddocks from 18th Avenue, and the location of Oosterhoff's corral unit drew investigators to a stronger likelihood that the suspect was someone with access to the front entrance.
There are some security cameras at the equestrian centre, but none are trained on the far paddocks.
It is an issue the caretakers, the Prince George Horse Society, has considered even before these incidents.
In the minutes of their January meeting, it was noted that an inquest into additional security cameras produced a cost estimate of about $5,000 plus wiring expenses and a new monitor station. It was referred to the society's Strategic Planning process.
PGHS president Barb Warkentin told The Citizen the board was concerned about the two incidents and was holding its own discussions about next steps, but was not yet prepared to give details before the start of next week when the society's annual general meeting will be held. The 2012 AGM is scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Civic Centre room 206.
A meeting is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Agriplex meeting room for all those who are currently boarding horses at the facility, or may wish to board horses there in the coming year. Contract language, code of conduct, arena rules, spring cleanup dates and other issues will be discussed.
