Crewkerne men fined after beating 'traumatised' horse

The piebald cob mare is now ready to be rehomed, the RSPCA said

Two men who were seen punching and kicking a horse have been fined and banned from owning horses.

An eyewitness "watched in horror" as Kieran Hodges and Haron Cooper attacked the piebald cob mare, which was pulling a trap they were in in Somerset.

Both men were convicted of one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, on the B3168 on 2 April 2021.

The horse, called Dy, is now in the care of the RSPCA, which brought the case to Yeovil Magistrates' Court.

Hodges, 38, of Cowen Close, Crewkerne, and Cooper, 26, of Furland Road in Crewkerne, were travelling between Ilminster and Curry Rivel when the attack happened, the court was told at a sentencing hearing on 4 October.

A statement from the eyewitness, who was driving past, was read to the court.

It said the two men, who were found guilty after a trial, were pulling the horse "very aggressively" from her bridle.

'Collapsed onto road'

"From owning horses myself, I knew from the body language of the horse that she was traumatised," the witness said.

"I pulled my car to the side of the road and watched in horror as these two men beat this poor horse.

"I saw the horse rear up in the air and come down on the road, collapsing onto her right-hand side. The horse stayed on the road, and didn't move nor did she return to her feet.

"Both males started to kick the horse really hard in the body and head whilst screaming aggressively at her to get up."

The pair were reported to police, who contacted the RSPCA.

A vet later found that Dy had a 2cm-long cut between her front legs, a larger cut on her left elbow, cuts to her mouth and swelling around her ribs.

Cooper was disqualified from keeping horses for 10 years, ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and pay £800 costs.

Hodges was disqualified from keeping horses for five years, fined £180 and also ordered to pay £800 costs.