Another horse cruelty case comes to court

BRIMY

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I have copied the whole news page this is what the local news page wrote;


PLEADED GUILTY: Joanne Bristow. (walkington stud)

A HORSE show competitor has been convicted of animal cruelty after nine emaciated horses were seized from her care.

Joanne Bristow was banned from keeping horses for 15 years.

One stallion was so underweight, it could not stand up on its own and none of the horses had access to shelter or clean water.

Bristow, of Poplar Farm, Ferry Lane, Thearne, near Beverley, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering and one count of failing to provide a suitable environment.

The stallion, called Dancer, was given a body condition rating of just 0.5 on a scale of one to five, where 0 is nearly dead from starvation.

He had suffered for "at least two months", Beverley Magistrates was told.

Phillip Brown, prosecuting, said: "Dancer was shockingly underweight in the inspector's words, with overgrown hooves, and his ribs, spine and hips were easily protruding.

"He had severe muscle wastage and was dull and lethargic.

"He needed quite a lot of dental work which contributed to the costs."

The case has cost the RSPCA almost £30,000, as five of the horses went on to have foals.

The field the horses were kept in contained rolls of barbed wire, used car parts and sheets of metal which could have caused serious injuries to the horses, said Mr Brown.

Bristow, who had kept horses for 12 years, claimed she struggled to cope with caring for the horses after she gave birth in January, and suffered post-natal depression.

Her former partner Paul Plaxton initially also faced charges brought by the RSPCA, but these were dropped.

He was jailed for six years in December for running a cannabis factory from the farm and for possessing amphetamines.

Bristow was ordered to pay £750 in fines and £700 to the charity's costs.
 
Dancer (Paddock Golden Dancer) was my stallion from 2001 to 2005 and it goes without saying that I am totally devastated at what happened to him whilst he was on loan to this woman from his current owners.

The report does not mention the fact that he was so bad that he eventually had to be put to sleep. He had only been with this woman for about 6 months and was always the easiest of ponies to keep. In fact he used to look like a broodmare most of the time.

Why she did not just send him back if she could not cope? Did nobody visit her and see the state of the ponies any earlier? If she was suffering from Post Natal depression (not that there can be any excuse) did none of her friends or family think about the animals in her care?
dancer2.jpg
 
Roseview Im so devasted for you :( I know there was another pony also named dancer , Im not certain what happened to this one?

She bought 4 ponies from a lady( pony stud) who only lives 10 minuets away and she new nothing. The lady from the pony stud did go to court to listen to the hearing. I only know this as I loved one of the pony mares this Jo Bristow purchased, I contacted the lady from the pony stud to ask if she had heard anything. She said the mares have been re-homed. Some having foals only in December? Some of the foals where coloured!

Im sorry I cant answer Why she didnt hand the ponies back to their owners, but I am certain the owners would have rather have had them back in any state than not at all!

((((HUGS)))) to all who have lost :(

x x x x x x
 
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