A man has been banned from equine ownership for 20 years after he caused unnecessary suffering to six horses in his care.
The horses were taken into the care of the RSPCA after their owner failed to provide them with adequate nutrition, treatment for lice and respiratory illness, and control their parasite infestations, and did not address the horses’ poor body condition and weight loss.
Russell Noel Bennett, 48, of Dunley Hill, North Warnborough, Hook, was sentenced at Staines Magistrates’ Court in Guildford on 27 November.
He was given a suspended prison sentence and disqualified from owning horses after pleading guilty to an animal welfare offence.
Bennett pleaded guilty to one offence, admitting that he caused unnecessary suffering to six horses that he kept in Ripley, Surrey, between February and April 2024.
He was given an 18 week custody sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered to undertake 300 hours of unpaid work. In addition, Bennett was disqualified from owning horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids for 20 years which he cannot appeal for 10 years.
The RSPCA was contacted with concerns for two horses kept at the farm in Portsmouth Road, but when inspectors arrived with Surrey Police to check on the animals, they discovered four more horses kept inside a barn, in varying states of suffering.
One of the horses was heavily in foal and in poor condition, and another had a foal at foot who was attempting to feed but she was unable to produce sufficient milk.
In her witness statement, RSPCA Inspector Natalie Kitchin described the condition of the horses.
“On entering the barn I immediately saw a dun mare [pictured top] who looked to be in very poor condition, she was very thin with her hips, ribs and spine clearly visible,” she said. “Her skin was in very bad condition.
“A skewbald mare who was in foal was in very poor body condition and her skin was also in poor condition. A bay mare was also in poor body condition and producing very little milk to sustain her foal, who had very concerning lung sounds and a cough.
“Outside the barn in a field was a bay filly and a chestnut colt, both found in very poor body condition with nasal discharge and lice.”
Inspector Kitchin called for a specialist equine vet to attend and examine the horses, and after doing so, they certified that all six horses were suffering or likely to suffer. Surrey Police removed the horses and placed them into the care of the RSPCA, and they were transported to boarding yards for further care.
Sadly the dun mare suffered with complications from colic and had to be put to sleep, but the in foal mare successfully had her foal in RSPCA care.
The mare, her foal and remaining horses are now doing well.
The District Judge remarked that this was a “serious case” and that Bennett had shown little remorse.
“It was very difficult to see six beautiful horses in such a state,” said RSPCA Inspector Natalie Kitchin after sentencing. “The dun mare we found in the barn was in extremely poor body condition, and to see a foal struggling to feed because her Mum was underweight was really tough to witness.
“It is completely unacceptable to allow animals to get into such a severe state of poor health.
“I’m glad we were able to remove these horses with assistance from the police, and am very pleased that the five surviving horses, and the foal that was born in our care, are doing well, and when they are ready, can be found loving new homes.”
In mitigation, the court heard that Bennett was of previous good character, now has no other horses, and is a carer for his wife and adult daughter, and receives benefits.
