DEATH threats have been made against the owner of a foal which was shot after its mother was killed in a road accident.

The youngster was orphaned following a collision on the B3054 Lymington to Beaulieu road – one of the worst routes in the New Forest for incidents involving animals.

Following the mare’s death its owner told a New Forest agister that the foal should be put down, which was done at the scene.

One of the messages left on social media was later removed because it included death threats against the person who ordered the animal’s destruction.

It said: “Find them, post their address online and with any luck someone will kill them.”

Fellow protesters also voiced their anger at the foal’s death but others defended the owner’s decision, citing the difficulties of hand-rearing young animals.

Neither the mare’s owner nor the agister has been named.

It follows an incident on the same stretch of road last month, when a mare and her foal were both killed in a hit-and-run collision.

New Forest ponies belong to commoners – villagers with the right to let their animals graze the landscape.

One commoner told the Daily Echo: “Some of the comments made on social media following the decision to shoot the foal were out of order.

“People who say that sort of thing should be taken to court immediately. It shouldn’t be tolerated.”

Richard Deakin, a member of the Commoners’ Defence Association, added: “Anyone trying to stir emotions undermines their case by resorting to death threats.”

Another New Forest resident said they were “disgusted” at the remarks.

They added: “A mare hit by a car hardly gets a mention. A foal has a short but happy life and yet the decision to put it down is seen as an outrage.”

The commoning system is run by the New Forest Verderers, headed by Lord Manners.

In a statement, the Verderers said: “The decision-making process regarding the welfare of animals can be complex. A number of factors not always obvious to members of the public have to be taken into consideration.

“The commoners are the animals’ owners and are responsible for making those decisions.”

The foal was born about two weeks before the accident and is thought to have been too old to have bonded with a foster mare.

A police spokesman said he was unable to comment on the death threats.