A man from Selby who admitted causing unnecessary suffering and failing to meet the needs of a large number of horses and donkeys has been jailed and disqualified from keeping animals for life, after an RSPCA prosecution.

John Michael Humphrey (DOB 15.11.85) of Sandway Drive, Thorpe Willoughby, appeared before Selby Magistrates’ Court last week (Wednesday 24 October 2018).

He pleaded guilty to 25 offences under the Animal Welfare Act* relating to 33 equines who were being kept in a field off Main Street, Gowdall; a field near the A63 Selby bypass and a field on Hillam Road, Gateforth.

He was sentenced to 17 weeks in prison and ordered to pay £115 victim surcharge.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) inspector Alice Cooper, who investigated along with colleague inspector Claire Mitchell, said: “This was a complicated case involving a large number of equines being kept at three different locations.

“Many of them were suffering and needed urgent veterinary attention, and some of them had to be immediately hospitalised. Two horses were so poorly they had to be put to sleep on veterinary advice, and a third died giving birth such was her poor condition.

“Those who weren’t suffering were likely to if their circumstances didn’t change due to the extremely dirty or hazardous environments they were living in, absence of clean, fresh drinking water and lack of suitable food source.”

The RSPCA attended a field off Main Street, Gowdall - which is part of a nature reserve called Gowdall Ponds - on 7 April where nine horses were living amongst various hazards including the ponds themselves, the remains of wooden fencing, nails and barbed wire.

Several of the horses were pregnant and in poor condition and the only water available was that in the ponds and puddles. There was no supplementary feed. They were seized by police on vet advice and placed in RSPCA care.

The RSPCA attended a field near the A63 Selby bypass on 22 May and four horses were seized by police on vet advice and placed in RSPCA care.

A bay mare with foal at foot was found to be very ill. She was dehydrated, thin and lethargic. She was hospitalised and found to be suffering from acute colic. Sadly, despite the best efforts of vets she did not improve and was put to sleep the following day.

The RSPCA attended a field on Hillam Road, Gateforth, on 30 May where the other 18 horses and two donkeys were being kept in two large open-faced barns. All were seized by police and placed in RSPCA care on vet advice.

Inspector Cooper said: “The barns were disgusting, the haylage was brown and smelled rotten. The feeding troughs in one of the barns were full of rotting carrots. A water container was full of greeny-brown coloured water and had live and dead maggots in it.

“A three-year-old black filly was in a terrible state. It was obvious within a few minutes of watching her bumping into things that there was an issue with her sight. She was completely blind in one eye and had limited vision in the other which was very sore. She had overgrown feet, discharge coming from one of her nostrils, respiratory issues and a lice and lice-eggs infestation. The vet decided that she needed to be put to sleep to end her suffering.

“All of the equines at the location had issues of one kind or another. A donkey had overgrown teeth and such overgrown hooves that they were starting to curl upwards. A donkey’s feet need to be trimmed every six weeks and not doing so can cause very serious welfare issues. She had a foal with her who also had overgrown feet that needed immediate attention.

“One horse had a foreign body in his eye which had caused an abscess, several had untreated wounds and injuries. Many had dental issues, parasite issues, were underweight to the point of emaciation and had matted coats. Almost all had discharge coming from their eyes or nose.

“Many were also very nervous, and seemingly hadn’t had much handling, so it made things extremely difficult.”

In mitigation, the court heard that the horses at Gowdall Ponds had only been there for a short time because of localised flooding. Of the horses at the A63 location, Humphrey said that there was a stream and the water troughs were filled daily and supplementary feed provided. Of the equines at Gateforth, he said that the horses had come to him from a dying farmer and arrived in poor condition. He said he had horses all his life and never had any problems and had signed them all over.

The donkeys were signed over to The Donkey Sanctuary, who assisted on the day. The horses were all signed over to the RSPCA and will be rehomed when they’re ready. 

“We are, as always, extremely grateful to all those who helped with this large and difficult case, including World Horse Welfare and The Donkey Sanctuary who sent officers to the scene at Gowdall Ponds and Gateforth to work with us and, in The Donkey Sanctuary’s case, took on some of the animals who are doing great and are going up for rehoming soon,” said Inspector Cooper.

“One horse had a foreign body in his eye which had caused an abscess, several had untreated wounds and injuries. Many had dental issues, parasite issues, were underweight to the point of emaciation and had matted coats. Almost all had discharge coming from their eyes or nose.

“Many were also very nervous, and seemingly hadn’t had much handling, so it made things extremely difficult.”

In mitigation, the court heard that the horses at Gowdall Ponds had only been there for a short time because of localised flooding. Of the horses at the A63 location, Humphrey said that there was a stream and the water troughs were filled daily and supplementary feed provided. Of the equines at Gateforth, he said that the horses had come to him from a dying farmer and arrived in poor condition. He said he had horses all his life and never had any problems and had signed them all over.

The donkeys were signed over to The Donkey Sanctuary, who assisted on the day. The horses were all signed over to the RSPCA and will be rehomed when they’re ready. 

“We are, as always, extremely grateful to all those who helped with this large and difficult case, including World Horse Welfare and The Donkey Sanctuary who sent officers to the scene at Gowdall Ponds and Gateforth to work with us and, in The Donkey Sanctuary’s case, took on some of the animals who are doing great and are going up for rehoming soon,” said Inspector Cooper.