Breeder mourns loss of pregnant Cleveland Bay mare 'rarer than a giant panda' that 'was killed after being fed by an ignorant member of the public'

A breeder has mourned the loss of a pregnant Cleveland Bay mare 'rarer than a giant panda' which was 'killed after being fed by an ignorant member of the public'. 

The mare, called Harmony, was found dead by William Medforth at Penrhyn Stud in Caernarfon, Wales, having allegedly been fed over the fence by a passer-by. 

Mr Medforth told the Telegraph patches of grass around the animal were 'extensively grazed', adding that this is a sign she had 'been souring food items from the ground'. He also said there appeared to be 'remnants of peelings' near the patches. 

It is not yet clear what Harmony was given which could have caused her death.  

Around 15 to 20 female Clevelands are born worldwide on a yearly basis. 

The breed, which hails from the Cleveland area of north east England, has been established since the Middle Ages, when they carried the goods of travelling salesmen. 

The mare, called Harmony, was found dead by William Medforth at Penrhyn Stud in Caernarfon, Wales, having allegedly been fed over the fence by a passer-by

It is not yet clear what Harmony was given which could have caused her death

But their numbers dwindled to just four in the UK before being rescued from extinction by the late Queen Elizabeth, who bought a colt named Mulgrave Supreme, born in 1961, in a bid to repopulate the breed. 

Mulgrave Supreme was used in the Queen's own breeding programme before being put out to public stud, ensuring that the population increased. 

But the breed is still classed as rare. 

Mr Medforth now wants to raise awareness about the dangers of feeding horses without the permission of their owners. 

'This is a breed rarer than the giant panda, so to lose one of our most prolific brood mares and her unborn foal is not just devastating for our breeding programme, it's damaging for the breed as a whole', he said. 

'Our horses are well looked after, they're fed a balanced diet and they want for nothing. If anything, they're fed better than we are'. 

The breed, which hails from the Cleveland area of north east England, is rare with around 15 to 20 female born worldwide on a yearly basis

In a Facebook post, he wrote: 'Why do 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 might think carrots are OK for horses but, cut the wrong way, they can cause [choking]. 

'So please don't interfere with their diets, you might be killing them with your ignorance.'