A horse was put down and 29 more seized from two sisters who “never intended to cause harm or suffering”.
Rosie Nelson, 67, and her 74-year-old sister Violet Nelson, both of Houghton Road, Houghton, have been banned from keeping horses for eight years. The pair pleaded guilty to four animal welfare charges relating to 12 horses, at Carlisle Crown Court on 28 November.
The court heard that World Horse Welfare had alerted the RSPCA to concerns about a large number of horses at Low Woodbank, Briscoe, Carlisle. Representatives of both charities went to the scene with police and a veterinary expert in September 2023, and were “welcomed on to the site by the landowners who were not the owners of the horses”.
RSPCA inspector Carl Larsson told the court there were 30 horses on the site, 14 in a barn and 16 in a field.
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“A vet examining the horses found a number to be suffering from ill health which had not been treated, including laminitis,” an RSPCA spokesperson said.
“One pony was found to be in such ill health that the vet decided the best option was to euthanise him on site to end his suffering.”
The vet said the pony’s spine, ribs and shoulder were very prominent and his neck was narrow owing to his poor condition. On the vet’s arrival, the pony was lying down in his pen.
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“When he got up off the floor, he was in incredible pain and was rocking back off the front feet and trying to hobble to move,” the vet said. “The pony could only shuffle when moving and was unable to walk properly due to pain. When stood in the pen, he was weight-shifting and had a very painful facial expression.”
The pony had a heart rate of 68 bpm and a respiratory rate of 48 breaths per minute, which the vet said was a response to the “severe pain” he was in. An X-ray showed the pony had severe laminitis.
“This horse should have been receiving pain relief and euthanasia long before it got to this severe stage,” the vet said.
“The pony has suffered due to this condition for many months and likely extending towards a year. The hooves were severely overgrown and deformed and there was severe thrush in all four feet, which were packed deep with faeces.”
The other 29 horses were taken into charity care and many may now be rehomed as the court case has finished.
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In mitigation, the court gave the sisters credit for their guilty pleas and heard they “realised in hindsight they should have done more and they never intended to cause harm or suffering”, the RSPCA spokesperson said.
“In sentencing, the judge said the root cause was incompetence rather than deliberate cruelty, but added it should have been obvious the care was inadequate”.
As well as the ban on keeping horses, the sisters were each given a 10-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to carry out 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay £800 costs.
Mr Larsson said: “These horses were found with various health problems, for which veterinary treatment had not been sought, and sadly one pony was so poorly he had to be put to sleep. I am pleased that many of the ponies rescued are now in good health and will be rehomed.
“I would like to add how partnership working with other animal charities – in this case World Horse Welfare – is crucial, and we would like to thank them for their assistance as well as Cumbria police.”
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Eleanor is an experienced journalist who spent over eight years working for local and national newspapers before joining H&H as news editor in March 2016. Passionate about equine welfare and exposing the truth, Eleanor has reported on all aspects of the industry, from Brexit to anti-bullying campaigns, and from dressage rules to mules. Her sport of choice is showjumping, in which she competes her own horses, and she also enjoys reporting at local jumping shows through to international championships.
