Farmer accused of cruelty to horses

A STUD farmer has appeared in court charged with starving 13 horses in her care.

One horse seen on Suzanne Jenkins' farm in Kilcot was surrounded by a large amount of droppings and suffering with breathing problems, the trial at Forest of Dean Magistrates court in Coleford was told yesterday.

Jenkins, 33, whose last address was North Farm, Aston Ingham Road, Kilcot, but who has now moved to Spain, denies three charges of causing unnecessary suffering to the animals under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and a further five charges under the same Act amounting to poor husbandry – including failing to provide adequate shelter and food.

David Glass, prosecuting for the RSPCA, said the eight charges brought by the RSPCA related to 13 of the 60 horses Jenkins had in her care.

Mr Glass said in June 2007, Jenkins had 60 horses in her care – 49 at North Farm and the remainder in Devon.

Concern was raised about the animals' welfare at the end of 2006 and at the beginning of 2007 an inspector from trading standards visited.

In May, during a further visit, it was noted that some of the horses were very thin, the court heard.

A letter was sent to Jenkins in that month expressing further concern and by June 11 the RSPCA had taken over the case and visited on June 27 when a detailed examination of the premises took place.

Mr Glass said evidence would be given during the trial by Jane Barrington, from a farm in Devon, who had visited the stud and expressed concern at the condition of the horses, and even offered to take them back to Devon.

On the detailed examination by the RSPCA, two PCSOs and a vet were in attendance, said Mr Glass, and various discoveries were made – including a horse severely underweight and three animals "abnormally thin and weak".

One horse was being kept outdoors in a muddy pen with a large amount of droppings.

Another gelding was found kept in a stable with rubber mats on the floor while other animals were found outside in a field with no supplementary feeding and broken fencing, said the prosecutor.

Mr Glass said that on June 22, the RSPCA visited again and this time, the horses which are the subject of the unnecessary suffering charges were removed from the farm.

Jenkins told the RSPCA when she was interviewed that she had graduated in Equine Science from Aberystwyth University in 1997 and had run the stud for the last 18 years.

She said she did not accept they had been caused unnecessary suffering.

Nigel Weller, defending Ms Jenkins, said her defence was essentially that there was not suffering and the RSPCA had not substantiated the charges.

The trial, which is expected to last all week, continues.