Foal victim of severe neglect: owner banned
An owner who caused “unimaginable suffering” to a two-month old foal has been banned from keeping horses for three years.
Pascale Musk, of no fixed address, changed her plea from not guilty to guilty in St Albans Magistrates Court on Monday (4 August).
Last August World Horse Welfare was called to the RSPCA to catch a
16-year-old bay
mare named Ivy and two-month-old dun coloured foal named Star
(pictured right), in Hatfield.
The foal’s head collar had embedded so far into his nose and poll area that his skin and hair had grown over the leather head collar and the nasal bone had been damaged. As Star grew, the head collar had cut further and further into his face (pictured right).
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“It was obvious that this head collar had been left on for a long time without being removed or adjusted,” said World Horse Welfare’s field officer Nick White who attended the incident.
“Star had endured this unforgiving head collar eating into his flesh and bone, plagued and infected by flies, during the hottest part of the summer while, like all other foals of his age, he continued to grow.”
As well as her ban Ms Pascale was also ordered to undertake
100 hours of unpaid
community service work — to be served within 12 months — and made to pay £500 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
Both horses were immediately signed over to the RSPCA last August, who then passed on the pair to World Horse Welfare for further rehabilitation.
Star’s wounds have now healed — though he will be left with lasting scarring — and World Horse Welfare will soon be looking to rehome him.
“We really struggled to find homes for our youngsters last year and we desperately need them,” said Claire Phillips, farm manager the charity’s Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset.
“So if you think you can rehome a youngster like Star, please get in touch.”
For more information visit: www.worldhorsewelfare.org
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Sophia Heath joined Horse & Hound in July 2013 having previously worked for the Daily Telegraph's Olympics website, CNN International and Omnisport. A Durham graduate with a Masters in journalism from City University, Sophia has evented, showjumped and hunted. Sophia left Horse & Hound in early 2015 to join an international boating website.