THE owner of a young horse shot in the stomach said she feared the animal had been used as target practice.
Heidi Petzing's horse Princess has been left with a scar on her stomach after the random attack.
Another horse was also shot in the neck after someone fired on the animals in a field near St Ives.
"What I am worried about is that the horses have been used for target practice," she said.
"Whoever did this is a mindless thug; to cause any animal unnecessary suffering is senseless."
The animals were hit sometime between Wednesday, March 20, and Saturday, March 30, in a field near Trevalgan Campsite on the outskirts of the town.
It took a while for Ms Petzing to notice the wound on Princess because the two-year-old filly is still wearing her thick winter coat. It was only when grooming her that the injury was discovered.
"I was mortified," said the 40-year-old who owns Rosewall Stud, St Ives with her mother Tulie Richardson.
"It is awful, absolutely dreadful."
And a scar on her stomach will have a long-term impact on the animal and Ms Petzing's business breeding show horses.
"She was bred for the show ring and now she has got a scar so she wont be used as a show horse," she said.
"That is her career over before it has started."
The businesswoman said she has had trouble with people shooting wildlife and horses before.
Since the shooting, Ms Petzing has alerted other horse owners in the area to keep an eye out for anyone taking pot shots at their animals.
"We are doing drive-bys at all different times of the day and have asked people who ride around there to keep an eye on the horses as well to see if we can see anyone up there," said Ms Petzing, who is also a full-time enforcement officer.
A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We do not know if it was just someone out shooting who wasn't being very careful or if this was intentional."
Officers are also advising the public to be careful when performing country pursuits to ensure that they have permission to shoot on the land and to be wary of livestock and other animals while shooting.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting AI/13/256.
