CONVICTED (2023) | Carol Summers, born c. 1963, of Foss Walk, Castleford WF10 3DJ – failed to get vet treatment for a seriously ill and underweight foal left tethered without food, water and shelter.

The months-old foal, Cricket, was seized by police. Despite the best efforts of vets to save him, he eventually had to be put down to end his suffering.

Cricket’s owner, Carol Summers, admitted causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the colt’s needs.

RSPCA inspector Kris Walker visited the field on 13 January 2023 and saw multiple tethered horses, with Cricket’s poor condition causing particular concern.

In a statement to the court, Mr Walker said: “I saw a tethered young colt. He did not look any older than eight to 10 months old. He was lethargic, wobbly on his feet and very thin with his hips and spine all prominent.

“The rug he was wearing was too big for him and not on properly. He was scouring badly. There was no food, water or shelter readily available for him and he should not have been tethered due to his young age.”

A vet gave Cricket a body score of one out of nine and said he was suffering from dehydration, hypothermia and diarrhoea and needed urgent veterinary care.

“He was so thirsty as he was taken up the road that he drank from the nearest puddle,” an RSPCA spokesman said.

“Summers then arrived on the scene and was told Cricket had been seized by the police because he was suffering and an investigation would be started.

“At that point she agreed to sign him over into the care of the RSPCA, telling inspector Walker she’d owned the foal for six weeks and had been given steroids by a vet to treat him, although no record of this was found.”

Cricket was taken to nearby vets, then transferred to an equine hospital.

A vet who gave evidence as part of the case said: “There was no shelter available for the foal and no water was provided. Overall, this was not a suitable place for the foal to be tethered, nor was the foal of suitable age for tethering.

“Cricket should have been provided with ad-libitum water, especially given that he was sick with diarrhoea and so had a higher demand for water intake.

“He was too young to be tethered and also not appropriately tethered as he was tethered connected to a fabric headcollar which poses a serious risk of injury. The Defra code of practice clearly states horses under the age of two years old should not be tethered.”

Another vet who gave evidence said Cricket was emaciated and estimated to weigh 85kg (187 pounds) when he was found.

“This is severely underweight for a cob colt foal of six to eight months old,” she said. “At this age, the foal should be approximately 40 to 50% of its adult weight. A cob of 13hh to 14hh will weigh between 300 – 400 kg respectively. This foal should have weighed approximately 150 kg, demonstrating how severely underweight he was.”

Despite extensive treatment and care, Cricket’s condition did not improve in the following weeks and “a vet made the decision that it was in his best interest to put him to sleep to prevent further suffering”, the RSPCA said.

They added: “The court heard that despite Summers telling the RSPCA inspector she had owned Cricket for six weeks, she later disputed this and said it had only been three. However, she agreed she had assumed ownership and had failed to get the foal the care he needed and he had suffered unnecessarily as a result.”

“Magistrates said Cricket’s basic needs had not been met and there was a failure by the defendant in all aspects of horse ownership,” the RSPCA said.

In mitigation, the court heard Summers had various caring responsibilities and accepted she should never have become involved in looking after the foal.

Sentencing | 16-week suspended prison sentence; 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement’ costs of £400 and £154 victim surcharge. 10-year ban on keeping all animals, which can be appealed after five years,

Horse & Hound