A horse stabbed during a break-in at a riding school has been put to sleep as a result of his injuries.

The horse, called Sam, was put down on September 12 due to injuries to his shoulder and barsa tendon which caused an infection and septicaemia.

The Epsom Guardian reported on August 15 that Epsom Riding for the Disabled volunteers had discovered two other ponies called Marigold and Buffy with wounds to their jaws, legs, shoulders and necks.

Stella Milne, chairwoman of the board of Epsom RDA, said burglars had broken down electric fencing posts, a fundraising shed and scattered the contents of a first aid box onto the floor.

Mrs Milne also said she suspected the puncture wounds to be caused by throwing or pushing in the end of electrical fence posts.

Sam was in livery with Epsom RDA and participated in eight Olympic qualifiers for the Hong Kong team.

A spokesperson for the Epsom RDA said: “Sam not only taught Bo, but also some of our disabled riders and our coaches and accompanied several of our new ponies while in training on hacks around Horton Country Park.

“Sam was special and was known by many people in the RDA and equestrian world. He will be missed. A horse in a million, a true gentleman are some of the ways he has been described.”

Sam’s owner Wing Bo Chan, who spent his last day with him, said: “Sam doesn’t hurt anymore. He is galloping freely seeing all his old friends in the sky now."

A funding page was set up on Go Fund Me earlier this month to support Sam’s veterinary bills and a staggering £3,040 was raised in less than two weeks.

Surrey Police confirmed no arrests have been made due to insufficient evidence and said the case has been filed pending any further information coming to light.

A spokesperson for Surrey Police added: "We received reports of three horses who had been attacked during a burglary at Epsom Riding for the Disabled Association, Hook Road.

"It is believed that the people gained access to the premises by removing a fence post. A storage shed was also broken into but nothing appears to have been stolen.

"All three horses suffered serious injuries and were treated by a vet. We are aware that one horse, Sam, was put to sleep by vets on Wednesday, 20 September as a result of these injuries."