Horse-ripping  Horse-ripping, or horse slashing, is an animal cruelty phenomenon involving serious injuries in horses, often involving mutilation of their genitalia and slashing of the flank or neck. It has not been established, however, how often these injuries are caused by human cruelty. "Horse-ripping" is not an entirely neutral term since it implies there is always a human act behind the mutilations. There were 160 reported incidents in Britain between 1983 and 1993, and 300 incidents in Germany between 1992 and 1998. It has become a widespread belief in recent years that these attacks are carried out deliberately by people, and generally sexually motivated. Animal welfare officers have also drawn links between attacks on horses and 'fertility cults'. At least one case initially believed to be horse-ripping was later shown to have been caused by another horse.