Two horses have been shot in the eye with an air gun in Leatherhead.

An eight-year-old Shetland miniature crossed with a Falabella and a 16.1 hand Clydesdale Cob both had their right eye punctured with an air pellet.

The Shetland is undergoing emergency veterinary treatment. It lost its eye but it will recover.

The Clydesdale Cob, however, did not have the same luck.

He had lost his left eye four years ago due to cancer and his injured right eye could not be saved, leaving him completely blind.

“His eye was not salvageable and he will have to be terminated,” said Mike Burrell, the veterinarian who treated both horses.

The owner of the horses, who did not want to be identified said: “We found out when we went down there to feed them on Saturday and realised that there was something dreadfully wrong.

“The Shetland is my daughter’s, who is almost three, and she understands he was hurt. She keeps saying he will be better soon.”

The incident happened sometime between 7.30pm on Friday January 16 and 12pm on Saturday, in Lodge Bottom Lane, Headley.

Mole Valley Sergeant Peter Gunning-Stevenson said: “This was a deliberate and shocking act of animal cruelty.

"This incident has distressed the owners and the whole equestrian community in the area which is why I am appealing to members of the public to help us.

“It is particularly concerning as this incident comes only a few weeks after a bull was injured in Slough Lane.

"At the moment we are not ruling out that the two incidents are connected which is why we need information from the community.

"I am urgently appealing to anyone with any information at all, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, to come forward.”

• What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.