Owner banned after leaving her horse out in snow

An owner has been banned from keeping equines for 18 months after leaving her horse tethered by the road without enough feed during the snow and cold of last winter.

Traveller Debora Smith, 21, said she left the 18-year-old cob tethered by a road in Holtby, North Yorks, because she did not have a paddock or stable to keep him in.

The RSPCA removed him from the site after concerns over his condition, but he was subsequently put down owing to an unrelated issue. It was estimated that the piebald had not received veterinary treatment for seven years.

Smith pleaded guilty to neglecting to keep her animal properly fed. She was fined £100, plus a £15 victim charge and £200 prosecution costs.

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