The owner of a pony left with a 10-inch gaping neck wound and in “desperate” need of hoof care has been banned from keeping horses for five years.
Paul Hunter, 61, was sentenced at Hull Magistrates’ Court on 20 December, having pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences. A vet said it is likely his pony Sonny had been suffering for at least four weeks.
A member of the public reported concerns about the pony to the RSPCA, which sent inspector Natalie Hill and animal rescue officer Liz Braidley to “rubbish-strewn wasteland” near Hunter’s home address in Airlie Street, Hull, last February.
Ms Hill told the court they found Sonny standing knee-deep in mud, with a large neck wound, about 9.8inches long and two inches deep.
“The pony was covered in a neck-high rug but I was unable to see his feet due to the thick soft mud,” she said. “Through the metal fencing we found a makeshift bandage placed under the chest piece of the rug. On removing the dressing a large open wound was found at the base of the neck, which looked clean but was very large.”
An RSPCA spokesperson said that while the officers were at the scene, Hunter arrived with his son.
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“He said he was the equine’s owner, that the wound had been ‘caused by a rug’ and he’d noticed it around four to five days before, so he’d bathed it in iodine,” the spokesperson said.
“He claimed to the officers that Sonny was ‘well fed, he isn’t suffering he’s just got a cut’ but admitted he hadn’t sought veterinary treatment.”
A vet was called and gave Sonny pain relief and a tetanus jab. A police officer seized the pony and he was taken into RSPCA care.
“A vet said in her report that using iodine and an antibiotic spray to clean such a severe wound was not adequate treatment,” the spokesperson said. “The report also highlighted that Sonny was in ‘desperate’ need of hoof care as his feet were overgrown and he was missing three shoes.”
The vet said a responsible owner would have sought veterinary care for such a wound, adding: “Considering the depth of the wound and the amount of swelling present, Sonny is likely to have been suffering for a period of at least four weeks.”
In mitigation, it was said that Hunter had tried “his best” to keep the wound – which had not been caused deliberately – free from infection. The court heard he suffers from physical ill health and depression following his wife’s death.
The court heard Hunter did not sign Sonny over to the RSPCA as he hoped the pony might be returned to him. But the magistrates imposed a deprivation order to remove him of ownership. As well as the ban, he was made subject to a 12-month community order and ordered to pay court costs of £200 and a victim surcharge of £114.
Sonny has made a good recovery and will be rehomed, the RSPCA said.
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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.
