NC horse shot in neck, arrow lands inches away from vertebrae

REIDSVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — A Reidsville family is praying for a speedy recovery of their beloved horse Prim after she was shot in their pasture Thursday evening.

Anne Brady, co-owner of Julianne Farms, said late on Thursday, she and a friend went to feed the horses and called for Prim in the pastures. Because it was dark, they needed a flashlight to see. When Prim got closer to the light, they noticed an arrow sticking out of her neck.

“Prim had come up, and it was dark, and he said to me, ‘is the horse OK?’ And I said ‘I think so.’ He showed the flashlight, and there was an arrow out of her neck straight up,” Brady said.

Brady said after she noticed the arrow, she immediately called her daughter Jillian, the local veterinarian, and the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.

“Who would shoot a horse? Who would do this to a horse?” Brady said.

Brady said Prim has been in at the North Carolina vet since getting injured. Brady said the arrow made a 6-inch wide hole in the neck and nearly hit the horse’s vertebrae. 

“Basically, we’re trying to find who did it…I hope that whoever did this will never shoot another domestic animal again,” Brady said.

Brady told FOX8 she knows the people that live in the area and said they don’t hunt with arrows, so she’s not sure who would want to harm their horse.

Investigators have not said if this is hunting related or if Prim was a target, but they have said it’s an act of animal cruelty that’s being investigated.

Brady said since Prim has been at the vet, she’s been connected to a pump that is helping to get rid of any infections that may occur. They have started a GoFundMe to help with the emergency rush to the vet to help keep Prim alive.

Brady said Prim should be home within one to three weeks. After she makes it home, the family will have to worry about therapy for Prim to recover.

Investigators said it’s too early to confirm if the person will be criminally charged. Brady and her daughter Jillian are praying they find the person responsible for hurting Prim and Jillian thoroughbred best friend.