PETALING JAYA: What was supposed to be a fun family getaway turned into an upsetting ordeal when a six-year-old boy’s ear was bitten off by a horse at an agro farm in Seremban.
Berita Harian farm reported that the incident occurred on January 19 at around 6pm.
The boy, said to have autism, wanted to take a picture with the horses at the farm and the horses’ caretaker informed that the horses were available for rides for a fee, according to his father Suhaimi Mohd Rafi.
Previously, Suhaimi posted a video of the incident online, which went viral.
The 31-year-old said he was blamed for allowing his son to approach the horse.
Suhaimi claimed that the caretaker allowed him and his family to enter the area which was deemed safe.
The boy then rode the horse under the caretaker’s supervision.
Once the ride was over, the child and his parents were called to take a photo with the horse.
“My child excitedly approached the fenced-in stable area and asked me to take a picture and a video. Suddenly, a nearby horse bit his ear.
“At the same time, the horse also headbutted my child, causing his head to hit the metal fence, resulting in another injury. His left earlobe was severed,“ Suhaimi was quoted as saying.
Suhaimi rushed his son to a private hospital for treatment. Shortly after, a representative from the agro farm contacted them.
“Before that, I contacted the owner of the agro farm, but the man spoke harshly while we were feeling sad and angry.
“Thankfully, the representative who is a woman, managed to calm us down and promised to pay compensation,“ he was quoted as saying.
The young boy underwent surgery the same night he was admitted, which concluded at 1am and then discharged from the hospital after three days.
After that, Suhaimi attempted to contact the agro farm owner, but claimed he was only reachable via WhatsApp.
The medical treatments which amounted to RM10,400, fortunately covered by insurance.
Suhaimi sought legal action and consulted a lawyer who advised him to seek a RM5,000 compensation from the agro farm.
“However, the agro farm informed they could only afford to pay RM500. I am very disappointed with the agro farm because up until now, they have not paid a single cent, despite their promise,“ he was also quoted as saying.
He added that his autistic son is currently in stable condition, and his earlobe was safely reattached. However, he is traumatised by the incident.
