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A horse owner has been fined £750 and given a 12-month community order for tethering a mare with a foal at foot with insufficient food and water.
Alan Jenkins, 59, of Clwyd Road, Penlan, faced one offence under the Animal Welfare Act at Swansea Magistrates’ Court on 18 May — which he denied.
The court heard he “did not meet the needs” of a chestnut mare, who was kept with her foal on land off Clywd Road.
Magistrates found he did not provide for the horses’ needs in terms of adequate shelter, food or water and the tethering method used.
At his sentencing at the same court on Friday (3 June), he was given a 12-month community order and ordered to pay £750 to the RSPCA plus an £85 victim surcharge.
“For many years the RSPCA has been concerned for the welfare of tethered horses and frequently deals with calls about tethering from concerned members of public,” said RSPCA inspector Neill Manley.
“Hopefully this will serve as a lesson to those in the area who persist in using tethering as a way to keep their horses.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
“It is not acceptable to tether a horse other than as an exceptional short term method and where significant welfare breaches are identified in the future the owners could risk prosecution.”
The Welsh government’s code of practice for equines states that tethering is not a suitable long-term method of keeping a horse.
The code also lists strict criteria for short-term tethering.
A spokesman for the RSPCA said a “considerable number” of breaches of the code were identified and “the owner was not willing to take advice about improvement”.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.