A man has been banned from keeping animals after he was caught on camera hitting his young pony multiple times with a pole.
He pleaded guilty to two animal welfare offences. The first was for causing unnecessary suffering by repeatedly beating his pony, a yearling filly called Pebbles, and the second was for not meeting her needs.
Shocked onlookers
Onlookers described how they saw the man hit Pebbles forcefully with his arm raised above his head and he appeared to strike her every few seconds for several minutes. A member of the public started to record the incident on her phone.
The footage played out in court showed the man hitting Pebbles hard at least 15 times with a blue plastic pole. Each blow to Pebbles is heard on the footage and the man is heard saying: "It's gotta learn."
RSPCA Inspector, Will Lamping, launched an investigation and found Pebbles, a yearling filly, was underweight with prominent shoulders and backbone and her ribs visible. He described how the stable she was kept in was not in good condition; the floor was covered in horse faeces and there was ivy - which is poisonous to horses- growing at the back.
Inspector Lamping went on to highlight how Pebbles had no clean area or bedding to stand on or any feed available to her. She was also seen chewing the wood of her stable which horses often do when they are not receiving adequate nutrition.
Unsuitable environment
A vet attended and her report, which was submitted to the court, said:
The stable had no bedding whatsoever. The floor was deep in wet and faeces, with a number of plastic bags also being present mixed into the faeces. This environment was completely unsuitable for a horse due to its unsanitary conditions.
There was nowhere clean or dry for the horse to rest in comfort, or to protect it from the cold, hard stone floor.
Pebbles was taken into possession by police and placed into our care
In sentencing, the man, magistrates commented the offences were serious. In addition to the five-year ban which he cannot apply to terminate for three years, he was sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £200 costs.
After the sentencing hearing, Inspector Lamping said:
This man's actions caused Pebbles, pain, fear and both physical and psychological suffering. She was very young and as a yearling, she required teaching to educate her rather than being reprimanded in such away. Beating a pony in a way that causes fear and pain can ultimately affect how she learns and interacts with humans going forward.
The man transferred ownership of Pebbles to the RSPCA and we will now be able to continue her rehabilitation and find her a loving new home.
Your local RSPCA
Report cruelty
