Man banned from keeping horses for 10 years

Soul has made a full recovery since being rescued by the RSPCA

A man has been banned from keeping horses for 10 years after being prosecuted for animal welfare offences.

Shane Paul Sims, of Gilpin Close, Kingswood, Bristol, failed to feed his two horses over a period of about two months, an RSPCA investigation found.

One horse, called Denz, was found dead, and the other, named Soul, was underweight with his bones visible.

Sims admitted two animal welfare offences. He was also given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to pay £200 during sentencing at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

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The RSPCA investigation found that Sims caused unnecessary suffering to the animals by failing to adequately investigate or address their weight loss and underweight condition.

There was no evidence of supplementary feeding or any hay left in the field, the charity said.

A vet who examined Soul said the horse had an "unacceptable diet", which "led to hunger, muscle breakdown, lethargy and potentially poor development".

He also had thrush in a hoof, caused by standing in wet conditions and a lack of foot care.

The horses were kept on a muddy field in Westerleigh

A post mortem examination carried out on Denz showed that the horse suffered from starvation.

"I do not believe an animal could have reached a state of such emaciation within less than one month," the vet said.

"In terms of what suffering Denz would have felt, I am confident that this would not have been a comfortable experience."

A vet who examined Soul said the horse had an "unacceptable diet"

In mitigation, the cruelty was deemed to be "not deliberate".

The court heard that Sims had "no knowledge" of horses and acknowledged that he should have done more to care for the animals, which were kept on land in Westerleigh.

Soul was taken to the charity HorseWorld after being rescued and has made a full recovery.

RSPCA inspector Dan Hatfield said: “There is never an excuse to leave animals to suffer.

"Owners have a duty and responsibility to ensure the needs of their animals are met, this includes making sure they have a suitable diet and the care they need to stay healthy."