Leeds teenager handed 10-year ban on owning horses after miniature pony found with ‘heavy lice infestation’

Lucia Kate Stanton, 19, of no fixed address but with links to King Alfred’s Walk, was ordered to pay £820 by a judge last week.

It came after her Palomino Shetland was found in “poor body condition” by a RSPCA inspector, with a vet later finding it to have a “heavy lice infestation”.

Birmingham Magistrates Court was told last week that this was because Stanton had not identified her pony was underweight and had a parasite problem.

The pony, named Waffles, was kept in a field in Worcestershire with four horses owned by Charlie Virginia Hingley.

Hingley, 27, from Netherton in the West Midlands, was sentenced alongside Stanton on September 25 after admitting to causing the unnecessary suffering of her four horses.

On January 22, witnesses saw a tractor being used to lift a collapsed horse in the field, in School Lane, Bromsgrove. They raised the alarm for an equine bailiff to attend, who asked the owner, Hingley, to call a vet immediately.

The vet attended and found a second horse belonging to Hingley, called Sonny, collapsed. He was in such a poor state that he had to be put to sleep on welfare grounds immediately.

Celly, the horse that had been seen lifted with the tractor earlier in the day due to his emaciated condition was relinquished by Hingley to the bailiff and removed from the site.

The RSPCA was then called to check on the welfare of Hingley and Stanton’s remaining horses.

Inspector Suzi Smith, a specialist equine officer, said: “When I arrived at the first field to check on the remaining horses, my initial concern was for a piebald mare, Luna, [owned by Hingley] and a young Shetland, Waffles, because both looked to be in poor body condition visually, despite fluffy winter coats, and Luna had rain scald on her back.

“After taking a closer look at Luna, I could see she was significantly underweight.

“I could see her ribs, pelvis, spine and shelf at the top of the ribs, and when I put my hands along Waffles’ back, neck and pelvis, I could feel all these structures easily with no muscle along the sides of the spine.

“In the second field, I was immediately concerned for a third horse, a bay colt named Bobby [owned by Hingley], again because of his poor condition.

“When I asked Hingley to remove Bobby’s rugs so I could have a better look at him, I saw that his spine protruded with a clear obvious shelf each side of the spine, his pelvic bones protruded and were sharp, he had a thigh gap with little muscle left on the legs, he walked with a weak gait.”

A vet confirmed that the animals were suffering. Two of the horses were signed over by Hingley to the RSPCA and the pony owned by Stanton, who was not present, was subsequently taken into the police’s possession. The pony was then transferred to the care of the RSPCA.

In a witness statement from the vet, all three horses were described as having a body condition score of just one out of five, with the most likely cause being an extremely high worm burden.

Waffles’ and Bobby’s coats were described as “dull and scurfy with a heavy lice infestation”, and Luna was said to be suffering with “extensive rain scald over the back and rump”.

Luna’s condition deteriorated and the veterinary team made the decision to put her to sleep.

Inspector Smith added: “The vet confirmed that the pasture management at these fields was totally inadequate with extensive faecal contamination, and that the extremely high worm burden that the horses were suffering with had caused their poor body condition.

“Worm and parasite management in horses can be easily managed with an effective parasite control programme, so it’s very sad that neither owner identified that the horses were underweight, nor had a parasite control plan in place which would have prevented this needless suffering.

“I am very pleased that thankfully, Waffles and Bobby made good recoveries in RSPCA care, and Celly has made a good recovery in the care of the equine bailiff.”

Last week, Stanton was disqualified from owning equines for 10 years with no appeal for five years, and was ordered to pay a fine of £300, costs of £400, and a victim surcharge of £120.

Hingley was disqualified from owning equines for life with no appeal for 10 years. She was also given two 12 week prison sentences to run concurrently, suspended for 12 months, as well as a rehabilitation activity requirement of 15 days, and ordered to pay £400 in costs.

The ban on owning horses for both Hingley and Stanton includes being disqualified from dealing in horses, transporting and arranging the transport of horses.