A PAIR of horse owners who kept their animals in Blisworth, have been jailed for four months and banned from keeping horses for a decade, after pleading guilty to causing unnecessary suffering.
Wellingborough residents Paul Flowers, 43, of Finedon Road, and Barbara Morrison, 43, of Brooke Close, had previously pleaded guilty to four charges each, relating to causing unnecessary suffering to seven horses. They appeared at Wellingborough Magistrates Court for sentencing on Thursday, February 9. The court was told representatives of World Horse Welfare visited their field in Station Road, Blisworth, on March 4 last year. They were so concerned they asked the RSPCA and the police to investigate. They seized the animals and discovered the carcasses of two others on March 8.
Kevin McCole, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said each horse was rated as “poor” or “very poor” in a body condition scale used by vets. Some of the horses had ground-down teeth, due to a lack of grazing.
David Smithet, mitigating, said RSPCA staff had observed some food and water at the site. He said hay had become expensive and finances were an issue.
He added: “Clearly it was not the right sort of food or the right amount given the condition of the ponies’ body score.”
The cost to the RSPCA for caring for the horses since the seizure was £18,000. The horses, have now reached a normal body weight, and are being re-homed.
Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA inspector Sue Haywood, said the neglect could have been avoided and added: “We are satisfied with the sentence, given that this was such a serious act of cruelty against seven horses.”