THREE horses who were left to suffer with overgrown hooves, lice infestations and poor dental care, can now be rehomed by the RSPCA after the end of court proceedings.
Chestnut gelding Sam, bay mare Pepsi, and Tony, a piebald Shetland gelding were found living in hazardous conditions in a field off School Lane, Wike, Leeds, back in April 2020.
Their owner, Dianne Cox, 64, had denied neglecting the horses but was found guilty of two animal welfare offences following a trial at Kirklees Magistrates’ Court in January 2022.
Cox, of Churchill Flats, Pool-in-Wharfedale, was banned from keeping equines for 24 months and the court also imposed a deprivation order on Sam, Pepsi and Tony.
But because Cox appealed her conviction and sentence after the trial, the RSPCA could not legally rehome them.
Following Cox’s abandonment of her appeal in January the animal welfare charity can now begin the process of finding all three horses new homes
RSPCA inspector Kris Walker said: “After nearly three years, we’re pleased that this long-running case has finally concluded and we can, at last, start to find permanent new homes for Sam, Pepsi and Tony.”
“It’s clear that once they started to receive appropriate nutrition, endoparasite care and dental treatment, they started to go from strength to strength, although Sam is likely to be permanently lame to some degree and will need closely monitoring for the rest of his life due to the chronic neglect of his hooves.”
At the tria,l the court heard how Inspector Walker visited the field in Wike in April 2022, following concerns for the horses’ welfare and they were seized on the advice of a vet.
The court heard Cox had previously been warned by RSPCA officers about the condition of her horses and been given notices to improve their welfare.
Sam was found to be in a poor condition with his ribs, hips and pelvis visible. His hooves were severely overgrown and cracked, causing him to trip when he walked. He was also lame and suffering from laminitis, a painful inflammatory foot condition.
Pepsi was in a malnourished condition, while Tony had suffered patchy hair loss due to an untreated lice infestation, a condition that all three animals had.
In mitigation, the trial was told that Cox had 30 years experience of breeding horses and had appropriate qualifications.
Her solicitor said the offence had arisen because of her considerable difficulty in locating a farrier. He said there was evidence she had one booked for 20 April - eight days after the horses were removed from the field - and that she was also purchasing regular food from an agricultural supplier.
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