Horse left with nappies on necrotic wound instead of proper vet care had to be put down

A woman who failed to seek vet treatment for a thoroughbred with a necrotic leg wound has been banned from keeping horses.

Red, a chestnut gelding, had to be put down as a result of the injury, which his owner had covered in nappies, and which made him “permanently lame”.

Kirsty Oliver, of Harlech Close in Eston, Middlesbrough, was sentenced at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on 22 October, having pleaded guilty to one animal welfare offence.

An RSPCA spokesperson said the vet who examined the horse said the leg injury had been left untreated for “multiple” weeks.

“The court was told an RSPCA animal rescue officer had attended the yard in Saltburn on 6 September 2025 after the charity had received reports that a horse with a badly injured leg was being stabled there,” the spokesperson said. “There was no one present and the officer was so concerned about the horse’s welfare that he called a vet out.

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“The court was told a makeshift dressing had been applied over Red’s wound, which was so tight it had restricted normal blood flow, causing secondary swelling above and below the area. The wound was not completely covered and flies were present at the top.

“The wound was very sore, hot to touch and oozing blood, with evidence of infection and generalised swelling from the horse’s hock down to the hoof. Baby nappies had been placed underneath the dressing to cover the wound.”

In a written statement, the RSPCA officer told the court the horse was in a stable on his own, and that he could see the wound exposed at the top of the bandaging.

“Upon examining the horse and removing the dressing, I could see baby nappies had been used to cover the wound. It smelt awful and showed signs of infection.”

The vet who attended confirmed the horse was suffering and he was taken into police possession and removed from the scene.

The RSPCA found that Oliver, 38, was Red’s owner and an inspector for the charity visited her at home.

“Oliver confirmed to the officer she owned and was responsible for Red and agreed to transfer ownership of him to the RSPCA,” the spokesperson said. “It was explained to her that she would need to be interviewed to establish the facts surrounding what had happened to Red.”

The spokesperson said the vet found Red’s needs had not been met, adding: “She said the evidence of necrotic flesh on the wound, and the foul smell, indicated it had not occurred recently and was likely to be ‘at least multiple weeks old’.”

In her statement to the court, the vet said the materials covering the wound when she arrived were an inappropriate way to manage it.

Kirsty Oliver: “failed to engage”

“They had been applied incorrectly causing further swelling and ultimately preventing healing,” she said.

“Had intervention not occurred it is likely that infection would have progressed and the horse would continue to suffer. A responsible owner should have sought veterinary assistance for this wound as it required antibiotics, analgesia and appropriate wound management and care.”

Another witness confirmed she had seen the wound on Red’s leg and “had been monitoring it as it got worse”.

Oliver, who “failed to engage with the RSPCA despite repeated attempts to interview her over six weeks”, was banned from keeping equids for three years and ordered to pay costs of £500 and a £114 victim surcharge.

“Red was left permanently lame as a result of the injury,” the spokesperson said. “Despite many weeks of ongoing care his pain could not be effectively managed and a vet made the decision to put him to sleep to prevent further suffering.”

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