Breeder slams ‘ignorant’ stranger for killing his rare horse and unborn foal by overfeeding her after making grisly discovery in his field

One of the world’s rarest horses has died after apparently being led to death by a well-meaning but ‘ignorant’ stranger.

Pregnant mare Nant Loyw Harmony, 16, was found dead in a field in Llanrug, Caernarfon, after suffering stomach problems or choking on food thrown into her enclosure.

Harmony, who was due to give birth to her third foal in May, was a rare Cleveland Bay. The breed is favored by the Royal Family and Queen Elizabeth II was credited with increasing its numbers after purchasing one in the 1960s.

But breeder William Medforth, 34, is mourning the loss of his prize mare, describing the loss as ‘devastating’ for the Penrhyn Stud farm and ‘detrimental’ to the breed as a whole, of which there may be fewer than 1,000 left worldwide.

He believes a well-meaning but ultimately misguided passerby is to blame after discovering food scraps at the edge of her field on the morning of November 20.

Harmony’s breeder William Medforth, 34, believes she suffocated or died from stomach problems after being fed by a stranger

Mr Medforth recalled: ‘I was driving past the field on my way to work and saw her lying in the field.

‘There was evidence that someone had thrown food over the fence and she had died of colic or perhaps asphyxiation.

‘Lawns nearby were extensively grazed, a sign that she was scraping food from the ground. Remains of flaking were also found to be present at the edges of these spots.

“Harmony liked her food, so it’s likely she ate most of what she was given.”

This is the second time Penrhyn Stud has lost a horse to feeding by strangers: in 2020, an 18-month-old gelding collapsed in another field and food was found within two meters of his body.

Signs were placed on all farm boundaries asking people not to feed the horses, but the warnings went unheeded.

Mr Medforth added that despite what people may think, feeding horses is unnecessary and dangerous because the horses ‘lack of nothing’ and receive a balanced diet from the farm.

He continued: ‘In winter there is less grass on the ground and the fields can be a bit muddy, so some people may think that horses and cattle are not getting enough food.

“Others may like the idea of ​​feeding a beautiful horse.” But our horses are well cared for and fed a balanced diet. At least they are better fed than we are.

“Why does the general public think it’s okay to feed livestock without permission? They wouldn’t walk up to someone and feed their dog chocolate or grapes, which are poisonous to them.

‘People may think carrots are good for horses, but if cut incorrectly they can cause choking. So please don’t interfere with their diets, you might kill them with your ignorance.’

The Cleveland Bay breed was established in the 17th century. Pictured here is William Medford’s grandfather, Charles, with a Cleveland Bay

Cleveland Bays have been a favorite with the Royal Family since Queen Elizabeth II bought one in the 1960s (photo: a Cleveland Bay at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace)

Penrhyn Stud was founded in 1972 and has a worldwide reputation for breeding Clevelands, which originated in Yorkshire in the 17th century.

The horses became famous for their all-round usefulness, finding favor as carriage horses and pulling artillery during World War I.

But the breed fell into decline after the war – before a specimen named Mulgrave Supreme was purchased by the late Queen Elizabeth II, who bred it so successfully that she has ensured the survival of the line.

The late Prince Philip used them to compete in carriage driving and they are still bred to this day in the Royal Stables, where they are used in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace to pull carriages every day, including the Royal post run.

Despite this, the breed is still listed as ‘critically endangered’ by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, with fewer than 300 registered breeding females worldwide.

Mr Medforth took over the stud farm after his father Charles died in 2017 – and the loss of Harmony has made his job of protecting the Cleveland Bay all the more difficult.

He concluded: ‘This is a breed that is rarer than the giant panda. So the loss of one of our most productive broodmares and her unborn foal is not only devastating to our breeding program, but also detrimental to the breed as a whole.

“In a good year, we may only see 20 to 25 Cleveland females born worldwide. In a bad year there might only be 10-15.

‘So every female is crucial for the breed. Losing Harmony as we did means one less female, plus one less foal in the pasture next year, possibly another female.

“It’s very deflating. after all the wonderful work my father has done.’