Suspended sentence for negligent horse owner

A woman from Hampshire has been given a suspended prison sentence and been banned from keeping horses following the death of one horse and neglect of two others.

Claire Hopkins, 44, of Gosport, Hampshire pleaded guilty to three counts of causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of horses in her care.

Left stabled and neglected for around two or three weeks in the spring, the three horses, Phoebe, Fred and Molly, were left to fend for themselves.

Following a call from a concerned member of the public, RSPCA inspectors found that Phoebe had died, her body remaining with Fred. Molly was so emaciated that she was close to death and was later found to be in-foal.

“It was horrendous,” explained RSPCA inspector Jenny Ride. “To see a deceased horse basically rotting away and another not long from death must have been mental and physical torture.”

Fred, Molly, and her foal, Bluebell, have now been successfully rehomed, all in the same place.

Appearing at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court on 2 November, Ms Hopkins was sentenced to eight weeks in custody, suspended for 12 months, a 20-day rehabilitation activity, a £300 fine and vet costs of nearly £275.

RSPCA inspector Ride urged horse owners to be responsible and practical. “Owning a horse is a huge commitment. If you are not coping, please get help. It is unacceptable to allow animals to suffer in this way.”