A WOMAN from Kidderminster has been given a suspended jail sentence and disqualified from owning horses after admitting neglecting two horses.
Stacey Price, of Stanbury Place in Cleobury Mortimer, pleaded guilty to one Animal Welfare Act offence at Worcester Magistrates Court.
She was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and disqualified from owning or keeping horses for five years – a sentence she cannot appeal. She was also ordered to undertake 150 hours unpaid work, pay a victim surcharge of £154 and costs of £300.
The court heard the RSPCA and World Horse Welfare were contacted in November 2024 with welfare concerns about two horses, Doc and Ludo, owned by Price. Concerns were raised Price had not been attending to the horses regularly enough and they were subsequently in poor health, underweight and had noticeable skin issues.
RSPCA rescuers and officers from World Horse Welfare visited a farm in Kidderminster where Price kept the two horses.
‘Poor condition’
In her witness statement, RSPCA Animal Rescue Officer Rachel Ward described the moment she first saw gelding Doc inside the stable.
“I could easily see his ribs, hips and spine as well as a visible shelf from ribs to his spine and he also had very extensive rainscald with scabs and green discharge from some sores.”
A second horse, owned by Price, known as Ludo, was found in a nearby field, also in poor body condition.
The team contacted a specialist equine vet who examined the two horses and certified they were at risk, before West Mercia Police took them into their possession and placed them both into the care of the charities.
Further examination by a vet revealed that both horses had high tapeworm burdens.
In their witness statement, the vet predicted Doc would have experienced hunger, pain from his skin conditions and that his nutritional needs had likely not been met for several weeks.
They noted rain scald was widespread and well-established with no evidence suggesting any treatment had been offered.
They added Ludo showed signs of malnutrition and hunger at the time they examined him, that his nutritional needs had not been met and deworming had not been sufficiently carried out.
Charlotte Melvin, World Horse Welfare Field Officer, said: “The condition Doc and Ludo were found in was absolutely heartbreaking.
“Doc especially was extremely thin and looked weak when he was walking.
“The untreated rain scald – a painful skin condition – on his back would have been very sore and could have been completely avoidable with proper care. No horse should have to endure that.”
Sadly, despite best efforts of the RSPCA’s equine teams, both Ludo and Doc were put to sleep due to their ongoing health issues.
In mitigation the court heard Price did not intend to harm the horses and expected a third party would be looking after them.
