#MostEvil | stables owner Kate Greenhalgh, born c. 1990, previously of Hurston Lane, Pulborough – left horses in her care to starve and suffer
Kate Greenhalgh, an eventing rider who ran the KG Equestrian stables, failed to take action when four horses in her care became unwell and were “obviously” malnourished..
The public reported their concerns after seeing a horse collapsed in the field.
Inspector Becky Carter, RSPCA Inspector Kate Barnes, and World Horse Welfare’s Chief Field Officer Claire Gordon arrived to be told that the horse, known as Kai, had already been put to sleep and his body removed.
Inspector Carter said: “When we arrived we checked over the horses at the site and found two of them, Adelaide and a young colt, to be in very poor body condition.
“A third horse, Val, was totally emaciated. Adelaide and Val were also suffering from really severe mud fever and rain scald – they had a lot of hair loss and sores on their coats and legs.
“The young colt was so lame he couldn’t bear weight on one leg and could barely walk. He had a very elevated heart rate indicating he was in significant pain.
“The vet discovered he had an abscess in his foot which he predicted had been in this condition for over a week, as the infection had traveled up the horse’s leg and had to be drained of a large amount of pus.
“They certified all three horses to be suffering and the police agreed for us to remove them.”
Among Greenhalgh’s clients was Team GB Olympic rider Gemma Tattersall
Daniel Frier, prosecuting, described how Ms Tattersall had searched for professional livery stables to raise horses ready for competitions.
The Olympian said she had spent tens of thousands of pounds on her animals as part of a specialist breeding programme and had kept in contact with Greenhalgh after trusting her with three horses in October 2019.
She assumed that because Greenhalgh herself was a rider and equestrian, that she was able to deliver a professional service.
Ms Tattersall said: “I had told her she could contact me if anything was wrong. Although my horses were valuable, whatever the value a horse should be fed.
“As horse owners, we are all aware that they can pick up injuries, but these should be dealt with.
“When I saw the photos I was completely shocked. The horses’ condition looked so poor, I couldn’t believe they were still alive.
“I have simply never seen any horse in that state before.”
Kai’s owner Nikki Cochran described how the impact of her “unique ” horse dying had been shattering.
She said: “I was proud to have bought a foal with such special breeding. So standing in that field, watching my dream horse die was almost too difficult for words. I have been severely traumatised by what I witnessed.”
Ms Cochran said it has left her in anguish and struggling to trust people because of Greenhalgh, adding: “She turned our dream into our nightmare.”
Following the judgment Inspector Carter said: “This was such a sad case to investigate as the poor health of the horses could have been avoided with appropriate care, and by following vet advice.
“These horses were under the care of Greenhalgh, who is a competition rider, as part of a professional arrangement through her business KG Equestrian, where she would take on horses on livery for backing, competing and sales.
“It’s particularly sad for the horses’ owners as they were under the impression their animals were being looked after.
“Thankfully, Adelaide, Val and the young colt were returned to their owner and have made a good recovery.”
World Horse Welfare chief field officer Claire Gordon said: “I was pleased to support the RSPCA investigation and to see Ms Greenhalgh take responsibility in court by entering a guilty plea, acknowledging the failings in the care she provided these horses.
“She is an experienced equine professional who failed to recognise that she had taken on more than she could manage and rejected offers of help from those concerned around her ultimately resulting in the horses in her care suffering unnecessarily.
“These horses had owners they could have been returned to, if she had acknowledged that she was not coping but instead she chose to allow them to suffer.”
Sentencing | 12-week suspended prison sentence; 120 hours of unpaid work; compensation of £3,650; £878 in costs and charges. No ban.
News and Updates
District judge Amanda Kelly’s decision not to impose any kind of ban or deprivation order on horse killer Kate Greenhalgh was naturally met with dismay and outrage by animal lovers.
On 15 June 2021 Kelly explained her reasoning to local newspaper the Argus.
She said Greenhalgh has a “long history of working and riding horses and there have been no concerns over her care of horses before or since”.
She said the equestrian had “many glowing references” from other customers who “spoke highly of her ability to care for horses”.
The offences of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal were out of recklessness not malice, the judge said.
Greenhalgh has no previous convictions and has said she will not offer a winter livery service again and the judge said her remorse was genuine.
“I found that the experience of being the subject of these criminal proceedings and all the adverse publicity and social media interest that she has received will act as a deterrent to this happening again,” the judge said.
The judge said the purpose of a deprivation order is to protect animals, rather than to punish people and said: “I found that to disqualify Ms Greenhalgh from keeping horses would amount to a disproportionate interference with her Article 8 rights as horses are her livelihood and a major part of her private life.”
The judge said the risk of any further crimes by Greenhalgh was low.
Greenhalgh agreed not to offer winter livery for horses for ten years, which excludes her offering stable from November 1 to March 31 each year.
The RSPCA could take her to court if she breaches the rules, and any breaches will be reserved to be heard before district judge Amanda Kelly
