Shetland pony 'sexually assaulted'

Owner Ashleigh Butterworth labelled the attack, which took place outside the pony's stables in Manchester, 'disgusting'

The Shetland only stood 29inches tall (Rex)

A Shetland pony has been horrifically sexually abused, leaving her owner appealing for witnesses after the animal was found “shaking and shivering” after the attack.

The Miniature Shetland breed, who measures just 29 inches tall and is stabled in Ashton-under-Lyme, was found on Sunday morning after the attack.

It is believed the animal, named Laurell, was “sexually abused with something” after being let out of her stable.

Owner Ashleigh Butterworth, 20, who also owns another pony called Lego, said she was “heartbroken” when the veterinarian told her about Laurell’s injuries.

"She’s just so small. It’s just disgusting,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “What sick, twisted person would do that a small animal that’s completely helpless?”

Ms Butterworth, who works for a legal firm, said: "If the damage was on the outside, I could say she has been kicked but the damage is in the inside.”

She added her pony was too small to let herself out, and that she would have thought she was “going for a play.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed officers had been called to the farm to investigate the incident and that a Miniature Shetland pony had been injured.

The spokesperson said they believed the attack, which also involved two other horses, took place between 9pm and 6.30am on Sunday. They told The Independent one of the horses was attacked and “suffered some sort of injury to its rear.”