Members of a Ladysmith family say they are shocked and shaken after their beloved horse was found shot on their farm on Easter morning.
Shannon Cairns said her father-in-law, John Cairns, found the horse, called Cash, about 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The animal was so badly hurt that it had to be euthanized. It’s believed his wound was caused by a shotgun.
Shannon, her husband Jonathan and their 12-year-old daughter and 18-year old son live on the Cedar Road acreage with Jonathan’s parents, John and Brenda Cairns. She said her kids “are completely torn apart and will be needing counselling” in the wake of the shooting.
Shannon said her daughter used to take riding lessons with Cash and had a real bond with the 25-year-old horse — as did her son. “He’s a total animal-lover — we all are.”
The shooting has made the family uneasy, especially with children on the farm, Shannon said.
“What if my kids were camping out there? If it was in the summertime, my kids can pitch a tent anywhere on our property and spend the night with friends,” she said. “It’s just terrorizing to think that some random person just helped themselves to our property.”
The family owned the horse for about 20 years and he was “pretty well-known” in the area, Shannon said. “Most of our friends and neighbours all knew him. He was just a really friendly horse and living his best, retired life.”
The sweet-natured horse, who had done some jumping in his younger years, was always looking for treats, Shannon said, and would come when he was called.
That’s why the family knew something wasn’t right on Sunday, when Cash didn’t arrive at the barn for breakfast like he always did. After they still hadn’t seen him a couple of hours later, the family went out to investigate and found the horse in a secluded location, well away from the road.
“It just feels so unreal and violating. It’s affected so many people and our community is absolutely shaken from this.”
She said the farm, on the Ladysmith/Nanaimo border, is about 200 acres and among a handful of similar properties in the rural area.
Ladysmith RCMP are conducting an investigation and have gone door-to-door asking neighbours if they saw or heard anything.
It’s not uncommon to hear hunters early in the morning, even though nothing is in season right now, Shannon said.
She said people sometimes ask for permission to hunt on private property, but the Cairns have never allowed it on their land.
Shannon said she finds it hard to imagine a scenario where someone thought Cash was another type of animal.
The only thing she can think of is if a hunter mistook the horse for an elk, since they have been crossing the highway lately and heading toward Cedar. “But even at that, the herd is not usually on our property.”
There are plans to install security cameras and increase signage around the farm, Shannon said.
She said the family wants to create as much awareness as possible about what happened to help find the person responsible.
“Everybody’s watching. Somebody is going to make a mistake and say something, and they will be found. I won’t stop until we can get justice for Cash.”
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