A MOTHER has warned about a ‘vicious dog on the loose’ in Rishton after her daughter was injured in an attack.

Thirteen-year-old Heather Owens, of Burton Street, Rishton, was kicked in the head by a horse after an Alsatian-type dog attacked her mare and foal.

She was with her mother, Kerry, at a stables off Tottleworth Road, Rishton, at about 2.30pm on Saturday when the incident happened.

As they were taking the horses out on a walk, a light grey-coloured dog lunged at the five-month-old foal, Holly, leaving it seriously injured.

Heather, a pupil at Mount Carmel High School, said: “We went up to see the horses because it was a nice day.

“We set off on a walk and I had hold of Misty, the mare. I heard some horses in the distance being spooked, but I didn’t see the dog coming.

“All of a sudden it had its teeth around the foal’s legs and wouldn’t let go.

“In all the chaos me and my mum got knocked over.

"Misty was scared and tried to jump over me, but her hoof caught the back of my ear and cut me all the way round towards my face.

"There was a lot of blood all in my hair. It really hurt and I felt very dizzy and sick.”

The police and an air ambulance were called to the scene, but Heather was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital by road ambulance.

Police restrained the horses and led them back to the fields after they ran into the road and into gardens. Heather has not been well enough to return to school since the incident.

Kerry, 36, said: “It was a very frightening experience.

"The vet bill for the foal will be enormous when I get it.

"It will be hundreds and hundreds of pounds. It was a vicious, horrible dog and I want to warn everyone about it.

"It could potentially cause chaos."