A woman has been banned from keeping horses for 5 years and given a 10 week suspended prison sentence after mistreating 2 horses so badly that they had to be euthanased.
Samantha Knight from Statton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to 2 horses — Ray and Hope.
Ray, a chestnut gelding, was found collapsed and emaciated in a field. Hope, a black and white mare, was found with an open untreated wound on her withers.
“These horses had been left without enough food and Ray consequently collapsed due to his poor condition,” said RSPCA inspector Rebekah Jeffery.
Ray was found collapsed in a field in an emaciated condition
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“We had given advice before as we always want to help where we can, but if advice is not followed we have no option but to take action to prevent other horses suffering in future.
“Owners have a responsibility to make sure that their animals receive adequate food and veterinary attention — it is simply not OK to allow them to suffer in the way that these poor horses did.”
As well as the ban Knight was also ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work and to pay £2,500 in costs.
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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.
