Suspended prison sentence and 20-year ban for woman who starved racehorses

A woman has been disqualified from keeping horses for 20 years after she admitted cruelty towards two former racehorses.

Tracey Dawn Davis (date of birth 18/02/1969), of Ballhurst, Bromyard, Hereford, admitted neglecting ex-racehorses, Pumpkin, formerly known under race name Buds Bruvver, and Hal, formerly known under race name He’s a Leader, when she appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Friday 11 May 2018.

She was also sentenced to 12 weeks custody, suspended for one year, and ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and pay £614 in costs.

Davis admitted causing unnecessary suffering to the two thoroughbred horses between 14 October 2017 and 14 November 2017 by failing to investigate the cause of their poor body condition, contrary to Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

She also admitted failing to meet the needs of the same two horses between 14 March 2017 and 14 November 2017 by failing to ensure they were protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease by not adequately worming them, contrary to Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Following an anonymous call from a member of the public the RSPCA attended with veterinary and police support, both horses were found to be in extremely poor body condition and were removed.

RSPCA inspector Suzi Smith, who investigated, discovered that Davis had been alerted to the body condition of one of the horses in particular two months earlier by her own vet attending in respect of another matter but she failed to follow the veterinary advice.

She said: “To let these horses get into such a shocking state is inexcusable. Both horses were extremely thin and undernourished and had simply been left to suffer without care for their welfare.

“Thoroughbreds are not an easy horse to keep, yet are unfortunately too easy to pick up for little to no money and sadly therefore often find themselves in the hands of those who are completely inexperienced or unequipped in dealing with their needs”

“Despite efforts, Hal, who was 18 years old, collapsed the following evening, and after a night of trying to get him to stand the decision was made by the attending veterinary surgeon for him to be put to sleep. Pumpkin, who was only eight years of age, put up a good fight in recovery but sadly the damage from the redworm was too much and the attending veterinary surgeon had to make the sad decision to euthanise him after he collapsed.”

A seizure order has also been put in place for the remaining five horses owned by Davis, in the event she fails to re-home them in the 21 days the court has allowed her.