Dealer transported ponies with strangles
A horse dealer from Bishop Auckland has been fined £950 after transporting two ponies that were unfit to travel.
William Railton pleaded guilty to transport offences at Carlisle Magistrates Court on 31 January.
He was prosecuted for taking two Shetland ponies that were unfit for travel to Kirby Stephens horse market on 8 June 2012. Magistrates noted he had a recent conviction relating to animal welfare.
Railton took nine Shetlands and three cobs to market. Two of the ponies had strangles and the other seven had long feet. All nine have since been taken in by charities. No action was taken over the three cobs, which were sold.
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (14 February 2013)
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.