A pregnant woman from Ely, Cardiff, has been charged for causing unnecessary suffering to her horse, which became so ill it had to be put down.
Chantelle Jones, 21, who bought the horse at a market in December 2008, pleaded guilty to failing to give the horse proper care and attention, and failing to provide it with dental care.
Horse owners, whose animals shared a field with Jones’ horse Charlie, alerted the RSPCA in February 2008.
When a vet arrived at the field, in Michaelston-super-Ely, Charlie was suffering from uncontrollable, violent seizures and had to be put down.
“The horse had no fat on its body and there was severe muscle wastage,” prosecuting solicitor Geraint Richards told the court.
“A post-mortem revealed the horse’s stomach was virtually empty and that the horse suffered severe dental disease, including ulcers and sores. All of these things could have been prevented.”
Neil Evans, defending, said Jones had bought the horse because she feared it would be put down otherwise due to its poor condition.
“Chantelle allowed her heart to rule her head,” he said. “She did her best to care for the horse in the six weeks it was in her care, but it never fully recovered.”
She is due to be sentenced at the end of January.
