CONVICTED (2023) | Dianne Cox, born c. 1958, of Churchill Flats, Pool-in-Wharfedale, Otley LS21 1LS – left three horses to suffer with overgrown hooves and lice infestations.
Sam, a 19 to 21 year old chestnut thoroughbred gelding, Pepsi a 17 to 23 year old bay thoroughbred mare and Tony, a piebald Shetland gelding aged around 17 years old – were living in hazardous conditions in a field off School Lane, Wike, in West Yorkshire back in April 2020.
Sam was found to be in lean to poor bodily condition with his ribs, hips and pelvis visible. His hooves were severely overgrown, splayed and cracked, causing him to trip on both front feet when he walked. He was also lame and suffering from laminitis, an extremely painful inflammatory foot condition.
Pepsi was similarly malnourished, while Tony had suffered patchy hair loss as a result of an untreated lice infestation, a condition which was present in all three animals.
The horses’ owner, Dianne Cox, had denied neglecting the horses but was found guilty of two animal welfare offences following a trial on January 14, 2022.
The court heard how RSPCA inspector Kris Walker visited the field on April 12, 2022 following concerns for the horses’ welfare.
Grazing at the site was extremely sparse, fencing was in a state of disrepair and loops of sheep netting and loose barbed wire had the potential to cause injury.
The horses were seized by police on the advice of a vet who attended the location.
The court heard Cox had previously been warned by RSPCA officers in 2018 and 2019 about the condition of her horses and given notices to improve their welfare but had failed to heed advice.
A vet who gave evidence at the trial said the horses had suffered because Cox had failed to take preventative health care measures to protect them from pain, injury, suffering and disease.
In mitigation the trial was told that Cox had 30 years’ experience of breeding horses and had appropriate qualifications.
Cox’s solicitor said the offence had arisen because of her considerable difficulty in locating a farrier. He said there was evidence she had one booked for April 20 – eight days after the horses were removed from the field – and that she was also purchasing regular food from an agricultural supplier.
She was banned from keeping equines for 24 months and a deprivation order was imposed on the horses.
Cox appealed her conviction and sentence at Leeds Crown Court shortly after the trial concluded but abandoned it on January 26, 2023.
Now the RSPCA – which has met the cost of caring for the horses at a private equine facility since the start of the investigation – can legally begin the process of rehoming them.
Inspector Walker said: “After nearly three years, we’re pleased that this long-running case has finally concluded and we can, at last, start to find permanent new homes for Sam, Pepsi and Tony.
“The contrasting pictures of the horses now and then speak for themselves, and we’d like to say a huge thanks to the staff at the equine yard who have supported them on what has been a very long journey.
It’s clear that once they started to receive appropriate nutrition, endoparasite care and dental treatment, they started to go from strength to strength, although Sam is likely to be permanently lame to some degree and will need closely monitoring for the rest of his life due to the chronic neglect of his hooves.”
Sentencing | banned from keeping equines for 24 months (expires February 2025).