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A family has been banned from keeping horses for life after their cob was found collapsed and starving in a field in Essex.
On 28 June at Basildon Magistrates Court, Victoria Jaggers, of Wellington Road, Tilbury, her husband Kelly Trundle and her daughter Alicia Jaggers were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a horse.
The cob, Frugal, was reported to the RSPCA by a concerned member of the public in December.
RSPCA Inspector Matt Gough went to the property, in Tilbury, Essex, and found the two-year-old piebald cob. He was unable to stand by himself and was starving.
Firefighters helped lift the horse and take him to a local vet, before he was transferred to Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Norfolk where he has since made a full recovery (see photo).
“When Frugal arrived he was still so weak he couldn’t stand by himself and had to be lifted manually by the team,” said Redwings vet Nicola Berryman.
“He was covered in sores from where he had been stuck down for so long. This is a case of neglect, pure and simple. We are delighted to report that he is now fully recovered, but no matter what the circumstances, he should never have been allowed to get into this state in the first place.”
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
As well as the ban, Mr Trundle was given a 12-month community order and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. The 42-year-old was also ordered to pay £250 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
Victoria Jaggers, 39, and Alicia Jaggers, 21, were each given a two-year conditional discharge and told to pay £250 costs.
“Frugal was in a very sorry state when we found him,” said RSPCA Inspector Matt Gough.
“He clearly wasn’t receiving proper care, and hadn’t for some time. It is no excuse to plead ignorance when looking after any animal. Anyone who has responsibility for an animal has a legal duty of care towards that creature. The failure to do just that in this instance resulted in the matter being put before the court.”
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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.