A man from Bolton has been disqualified from owning horses and given a suspended jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to welfare offences involving six horses, two of which were in foal.
The case, which was brought by the RSPCA, was related to the poor body condition and dental and hoof issues that the mares, who lived at Lumb Farm in Rochdale, were found with.
Joseph Hamer from Eagley Road, Bromley Cross was sentenced for nine offences – four involving causing unnecessary suffering – at Wigan Magistrates Court on Friday 7 November.
Hamer was given an 18-week jail sentence (reduced from 26 weeks for an early guilty plea), suspended for 12 months.
He was also disqualified from owning equines indefinitely, which he cannot appeal. He was ordered to attend 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and must undertake 150 hours of unpaid work.
Reports
After receiving reports from concerned members of the public about the horses’ welfare, RSPCA Inspector Beth Fazackerley travelled to Lumb Farm on 20 January 2025.
“From my brief examination I was concerned that at least three of the horses appeared underweight and looked to be in general poor condition,” said Inspector Fazackerley in her witness statement.
“One in particular looked very dull and didn’t seem to react to people entering the field, they just stood facing away from the lane with her head down.”
Inspector Fazackerley contacted a specialist equine vet who examined the horses and certified that they were at risk. With permission from Greater Manchester Police, the horses were then transported to a boarding stables for further care.
‘Unsuitable’ environment
“Overall, all six horses within this case were underweight and ranged from moderate to very poor body condition,” said the treating vet in their witness statement.
“The environment was unsuitable with lack of adequate shelter and lack of grazing present.
“If the horses had continued to be kept in this way, three of the six would almost certainly have died due to malnutrition and poor body condition.
“Two out of the six horses were pregnant and therefore, a responsible owner would ensure that these animals receive adequate nutrition to allow them to support the foals in pregnancy and to allow them to support the foals when born, but this was not provided.”
New chapter
Five of the six horses have made good progress thanks to the veterinary treatment and care of the RSPCA but sadly one of the horses, Raj, had to be put to sleep. It is hoped that the remaining five horses, who have now been placed under the ownership of the RSPCA, will be able to be rehomed.
“This was a very sad case to investigate, and it was difficult to see these beautiful horses were living in poor conditions, in particular those that were in foal,” said RSPCA Inspector Ryan King.
“Hamer failed to meet the needs of the horses in a number of ways, from failing to provide a suitable environment, hoof care, veterinary care, dental care, as well as failing to address weight loss and lameness within the small herd.
“It’s really sad that Raj couldn’t be saved, but I’m delighted that the remaining horses have a second chance at life now, which highlights the importance of this whole investigation.”
Several other horses were kept in the field at Lumb Farm by other horse owners that the charity did not have concerns for.
Image © RSPCA.
