Katie Price hits back after being called a 'disgrace' and 'disgusting' for shaving patterns onto her horses

What do you think?

We can hardly keep up with all the things Katie Price has been criticised for recently, but now followers of the mum of five on Instagram have slammed her again.

This time the controversy is over the way Katie treats her pets, and more specifically, her horses. Well known as a horse-lover Katie owns a whole stable full of ponies for herself and her kids to ride, and is even starring in a new reality programme all about horse riding in the coming months.

The debate started a couple of days ago when Katie took to Instagram to share pictures of two of her horses, which daughter Princess, 8, was riding. In the snaps the ponies can be seen to have patterns shaved into their hair.

A photo posted by on

One has diamond shapes clipped into its backside, while another has lovehearts. Katie captioned the pictures with the words, 'Check out the patterns we put on princess pony👸,' on one and, 'Hearts on princess other pony 🐎🐎,' on another.

Despite Katie obviously being proud of her ponies' new haircuts, some followers didn't react well. One user wrote, 'What a disgrace! I thought she loved horses clearly I was wrong.'

A photo posted by on

While other comments asked Katie if she would treat herself in the same way, saying: 'Disgusting. Did the horse ask for this? No... Shave your own head' and 'Would you like your hair shaved off and left with a heart'.

It wasn't long before animal charity PETA got involved with Director Mimi Bekhechi commenting on the pictures. He said: 'An unskilled groomer could easily nick a horse with clippers, causing cuts or lesions. Clipping patterns into a horse's hair is about human vanity and reduces smart, sensitive animals to playthings.

'If Ms Price wishes to shave hearts and diamonds into someone's hair, we suggest she use her own head and leave animals out of it.'

In classic Katie Price fashion the mum of five and Loose women presenter hit back. Responding to the controversy, a spokesperson for Katie explained to MailOnline: 'There is full respect for PETA and the work that they do, however we are naturally slightly disappointed by their comments, given that clipping is a very common process, causing no harm or upset to the horse, and in fact is carried out by many world class riders.

'Katie has over 50 different animals on the farm, all of which are cared for and loved by the whole family.'

And she didn't just leave it there, either. Katie then took to Instagram to post a number of snaps of horses with various designs clipped into them. On one picture of a horse with a wing design cut into its hair Katie wrote, 'Nobody gives these people stick for clipping there horses' while another one of Olympic equestrian Mary King clipping her horse saw her write '#peta bind your beak and anybody else get your facts right before calling me cruel 💪'.

What do you think of Katie clipping her horses? Harmless fun or a step too far? Let us know in the comments below!

Rosie Conroy
Food Writer

Rosie is an experienced food and drinks journalist who has spent over a decade writing about restaurants, cookery, and foodie products. Previously Content Editor at Goodto.com and Digital Food Editor on Woman&Home, Rosie is well used to covering everything from food news through to taste tests. Now, as well as heading up the team at SquareMeal - the UK's leading guide to restaurants and bars - she also runs a wedding floristry business in Scotland called Lavender and Rose.