CONVICTED (2022) | Stephen Antony Fanstone, born 14 June 1965, of Heol Aneddfa, Pontyberem, Llanelli SA15 5AB – subjected three horses to at least three years of cruelty and neglect. All three animals put to sleep.
The RSPCA visited Parcnewydd Farm near Pontyberem in Carmarthenshire in April 2022 after it was contacted by charity World Horse Welfare, which had raised serious concerns about three horses being kept there.
On the farm, an inspector saw a chestnut gelding called Muffy and a grey mare called Rosie, both of whom were very thin with their hips, ribs and spines clearly visible.
Muffy weighed just 328 kg compared to the expected weight of between 500kg and 600kg for a horse of his breed and age, while Rosie was found to have an untreated melanoma in her mouth which had been ongoing for months or even years.
Another grey mare, Lily, was overweight and had such severely overgrown hooves that they had curled up off the ground and resembled what the RSPCA described as “Arabian slippers”.
A vet said the length of the hooves were the result of at least three years of growth and that Lily had been “neglected and caused unnecessary suffering for many years”.
The owner of the horses, Stephen Antony Fanstone, said he “hadn’t noticed” the terrible state his animals had got into.
Describing the visit to the farm, RSPCA inspector Keith Hogben, said: “The owner of the horses arrived on site and I explained to him that the animals were in a terrible state. He told me he attended daily and did not notice how poor the horses were and that he had been unable to get a farrier. I explained to him that I thought all of the horses were suffering and that an equine vet was on their way.”
After arriving at the farm, the vet said: “After a brief assessment it was clear that all three horses showed signs of long-term suffering. Muffy had areas of hair loss and crusting over the body, in particular the base of the neck, inner thigh region and around the hocks.
“Lice were visible in these areas and there were clear signs of malnutrition. There was no evidence of an attempt to treat the lice infestation and I would estimate the period of suffering to be at least three months and most likely longer
“Rosie had a poor coat over her entire body with obvious signs of malnutrition and there were signs suggesting the horse had been kept with inadequate shelter and no effort to treat her skin condition. Lily’s hooves appeared extremely overgrown and their condition was clearly inadequate. When questioned the owner had stated he had kept on top of trimming her hooves, but there was no evidence of recent attempts.”
Despite treatment, all three horses were in such poor condition that they were put down on the back of veterinary advice in order to prevent further suffering.
Fanstone admitted three animal welfare charges and was given an 18-week suspended prison sentence and five-year ban on keeping any animals.
Speaking after the case, inspector Hogben said: “It would have been obvious to anyone who was attending to these horses that they all needed urgent veterinary treatment, and if this had been administered sooner, they may still have been alive today. The neglect of these animals was shocking, yet their owner thought there was nothing wrong with them when concerns were first raised with him.
“I’d like to thank World Horse Welfare officer Tony Evans for his assistance with this investigation and his ongoing work to support equine welfare across the region.”
Sentencing | 18-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months; 20-hour Rehabilitation Activity Requirement; £528 in costs and surcharge. Five-year ban on keeping any animals (expires October 2027).